Noah POVI brought the children to the revolving restaurant. It is one of the main attractions of the hotel.The kids’ eyes grew large as they took in the glass walls and the sky view of the city.“Are we on a big airplane, Daddy?” Mason asked.“No, silly. We are inside Daddy&
Noah POVMy expression soured when I saw her coming in at the restaurant with Luke Bennett tailing her.It was one thing to know about them, but to see them together was torture.Despite feeling discouraged, I rose from my chair to meet her.Briana was like a charging bull. She was stomping her feet as she walked s
Briana POVI want to take back the words I hurled in anger when I saw Noah’s expression.He looked dazed.Then, he shook his head. Noah looked at me with sad eyes.“Since I can’t redeem myself in your eyes. Can I at least be the father my children needed? They sought me out earlier because they thought I would leave them. They were frightened at the thought that since mommy is dating and daddy had a fiancée, they would be cast aside like yesterday’s refuse.”That stung.The children came to their father for comfort, not me.It might take a while for me to get used to th
Briana POVI stared at him. Really stared at him.What he said sounded like a promise, and a threat rolled into one.It provoked me. It made me want to stay and hear things, but that would give me away.It was like having two Briana in one body: one wants the promise, and the other dreads the threat.I was so torn.“You have nothing to claim, Hunter. Divorce made sure of that.” I told him harshly.Wanting to take the upper hand, I turned the knob, pushed the door open, and got away from Noah as fast as I could.While doing that, I rummaged through my bag for my phone and dialed Noah’s assistant’s number.He answered my call at the first ring.“Ms. Ford.”“I need to collect my children. Where can I fetch them.” I asked in a trembling voice.Even my hands shook, and I took deep breaths to calm myself while my feet kept walking farther away from Noah Hunter.But that’s what I thought.“You don’t have to do that. The children are in my office. I’ll take you to them.” Noah interrupted.
Briana POVI smiled when I noticed the lisp in Brixx’s pronunciation of r. He’s excited and no longer frightened of me.This realization made me heave a sigh of relief.I never wanted to scare my children. That was the last thing I wanted to do.Noah is right. I should watch my reactions mor
Briana POVMy eyes watered.Somehow, Noah’s revelation did not surprise me.Uncle Matt had always been cruel to me when I was a child. He was the main oppositionist when Dan and Marsha took me to their home and openly showed his dislike for me at every opportunity.“That b*stard! I am going to kill him!” I hissed.My lungs felt stuffy, and my nose was clogged because I was openly crying now, lamenting Dan and Marsha’s death.“Why?” I asked as tears streamed down my face.Noah replied with a wry smile.“Money, of course. He wanted Hunter
Briana POVI felt self-conscious when people we passed by greeted Noah and then,stared teasingly at our clasped hands before walking away.The knowing expressions on their faces make me shy.“People are going to talk.” I hissed at Noah when I tugged at the hand he was holding, but he wouldn’t budge.“Let them.” He told me.“You are becoming very brazen, Mr. Hunter. What if your fiancée gets wind of this, and she would create another ruckus to attack me again on the internet?" I asked waspishly as irritation over what Britney had done filled me. I cannot shake the fact that if it were not for her, my life would not be complicated right now. My brother wouldn't force me to date Luke Bennett and explore the idea of a marriage-merger."She won't," Noah replied dismissively - like my concerns did not matter to him.That stung."Are you going to sit still and watch me fight her?” Bitterness laced my voice.Noah had never done anything to counter Britney’s attack on my behalf. It only ceme
Briana POVNoah did not seem to understand me at first.“Heidi. She was your ex-girlfriend. You used to date her before I came into the picture.” I said, attempting to jog his memory.The frown disappeared on Noah’s face, and he shrugged as if the issue did not bother him.“Why not? She is capable. Besides, it happened a long time ago. I am sure Heidi has forgotten about it just as I have.”Noah obviously did not know what I was getting at. So, who is the dense one now?I nodded mockingly.“Yeah. And I assure you she hadn’t. She is a disaste
Beth POVI was still in a daze, receiving congratulations from our guests. Until now, I could not believe that it happened.I am married.Brent and I are married.I looked at the man beside me.He caught me staring at him and smiled his happy smile—the unrestrained one I had come to know these past days.Brent looked relaxed and laid back, a far cry from the man I married nine years ago. That man was uptight and looked like the whole world rested on his shoulders.He looked even younger now.&nbs
Brent POVUnlike our first wedding, which was done in less than five minutes at the mayor’s office, I prepared an elaborate impromptu wedding for Beth.When I enlisted my friends’ help, I was not confident they could pull this through, but now, I can safely say that nothing is impossible for the Fords and Hunters. It was tough, but they made it happen. Another thing that raised my concern was Beth’s refusal. I can’t let my friends’ efforts go to waste, but I also prepared myself for the worst. If Beth is not ready, I wouldn't force her. She has to agree to marry me out of her own volition. And I thank God that she did not make any fuss. We only needed to clear the air between us, talk heart-to-heart, and let go of the pain from our past. “Ready?” The coordinator gestured for my best men to start the processional.I chose Flint and Noah because they were my best friends. Then, I walked toward the makeshift altar at the end of the room, where I stopped to wait for Beth. Noah
Beth POVBrent guided me to the private elevator and pressed a button. When the door opened, I was surprised by the view that greeted us. The whole place sparkled with fairy lights, with the night sky as an overhead backdrop. It was breathtaking. “Oh my! This looks spectacular, Brent.” I said, seeking the warmth of his hand while my eyes took in everything around us. Brent joined our fingers together and placed them on his lips to kiss. “Thanks to my friends. They did all the work. When they learned that I would be proposing today, they immediately worked to make a dreamy venue for us.” I made a mental note to thank each of Brent’s friends for their support. My eyes scanned the whole place. Flowers littered the floor, giving off a romantic vibe to the place. I took a whiff. The place even smelled divine, like I was in a magical place. Everything looks perfect. I looked at myself and felt like royalty. Brent did not help as he kept gazing at me like I was the most beautiful
Beth POV “Oh my!” I said dazedly. Brent stopped to scrutinize my face. “You are not going to change your mind, are you?” He asked, looking nervous.“You see, it would be a shame to cancel everything.” He added. It was like he was trying to convince me not to change my mind about marrying him. I laughed and shook my head. “Of course not. I told you I was going to marry you. Whether it’s now or on a later day does not matter.” I assured him and saw the expression on his face. He expelled the breath that he was holding and hugged me tight. “Thank you, sweetie. You know that money is not a problem, but I can’t let a day pass that you are not bound to me. I want to tie our lives forever and never separate.” He admitted. I understand what he meant. I do.Though Brent’s decision took me by surprise, I don’t have any objections to it. I wanted to be married to him right away, too. After all we had been through, I realized we already wasted so much time with our pride. We don’t
Beth POVWe both became silent. The tears were all spent, and Brent sat me on his lap while he wrapped his arm around my waist. Fortunately, Krizzie and her friends had not shown up yet to break the exclusivity of our surroundings. “I love you, Beth.” Brent kept saying in my ears while he showered my nape and shoulder blades with butterfly kisses. I gripped his hand that met on my waist and slowly turned myself around. “I love you.” This time, the words sounded so sure, without any reservations. And it felt liberating - to tell him my feelings without fear restricting me.Brent smiled. “Enough to marry me?” His body tensed while he waited for my reply.His body’s reaction gave me the sense of urgency to put him out of his misery. I kissed him, just a smack before I nodded my head. I smiled at his stunned look. I did not know whether it was from the shock of what I had done or from my answer to his question.“I am going to marry you, Brent,” I told him, smiling widely at the
Brent POVI realized Beth and I needed to cry for our lost love to be able to move forward and continue with our story. So we both cried to vent out the pain. Our cries subsided, and we both felt spent. I pulled back to wipe Beth’s tears before wiping mine. I swallowed when I saw her pink cheeks and nose. “The night I left you.” I started. Beth looked intently at me. “After I told you about being pregnant with Krizzie.” She interjected, and I swallowed in remembrance. “I told you I was on a mission and had an accident. I was in a hospital for a while.” I grabbed Beth’s hand to press it over my chest so she could feel the beat of my heart. We talked about what happened to me right after walking out of her that night, but not the full details. I never told her all the hardships I endured to survive that fatal shot. “I thought I was going to die and would never see you again. When I woke up from my surgery, the first thing I did was to make myself better, submitting to coun
Brent POVIt was taking her a long time to respond.Dread fills my heart as I watch the emotions on her face. It was not what I was expecting.She was torn.I could see it on her face.My confidence failed me that moment when I saw tears drop from her eyes to run down her smooth cheeks.It shook me to realize that while she was willing to let us try again, I was making this hard for her.She was not ready to fully commit to me.My chest heaved,
Beth POV“We did not have anything when we were younger, Beth,” Brent said ruefully.His words reminded me of how we scraped for money after we married young. “I wasn’t able to give you anything.”Brent continued to explain, and I could feel his deep sadness over it. It was like he regretted that we did not have much, and he could not afford to give me anything beyond the basic necessities. But I clearly remembered that those were the happy times of our lives. I never asked for anything Brent could not provide. “When I already amassed wealth, we were divorced and you have too much pride to receive anything from me.”“Because that is the right thing to do. We don’t have anything connecting us except Krizzie. I was no longer your wife to warrant accepting your generosity. But I never denied you the opportunity to give Krizzie whatever your heart desires, even if you did not want her in the first place.” I saw him wince and was eager to take back the words, but I already said them
Beth POVI woke up to the sound of children’s giggles and realized I was already lying in something soft, a bed, maybe? Frowning, I sat upright, my eyes scanning the room I was in.I was in bed alright but it looked too elegant to be my room. I could only hazard a guess that I was in a hotel. “Mommy! You are awake!” I heard Krizzie’s voice and was relieved when I saw her. She was hiding her body at the back of the door. “Who are you with? Where is your father?” I asked. Krizzie pouted. “He had someone on the phone. He was just outside. He said he did not want to wake you up.” I nodded and beckoned for my daughter to come to me. She turned to her back and gestured for someone. When she approached my bed, the Hunter siblings followed her. “Daddy said we have to watch over you,” Krizzie reported and giggled. “But how can I guard you against Daddy?” The innocent question had me frowning. “Why? What did Daddy do?” I asked curiously. He kept kissing your lips, your eyes, and