Third POV " How is it possible for her to crawl back again?" Sandra looked at her mother. A few hours ago, Deborah returned from a meeting with her husband and Millicent. She was still shaken by how her husband acted during this time. The rage was boiling in Deborah's veins and flashing in her eyes. " I know. He dared to raise his voice at me because of her, but I will make him pay for that." The older woman replied, pacing around the room. Sandra only nodded. Her mother would never accept any form of humiliation. " How much do we need to do to get rid of her for good? I took her man, her place and her work," Sandra slammed her hand on the desk, anger burning in her eyes. " Your father needs her. He does not want her here as much as I do. But there is a contract..." Deborah plopped into a chair, massaging her temple. " Fu*k the contract. Why is this so important? And please do not call this man my father." Sandra said, pacing around her room. " Enough!" Deborah repl
Millie's POV I was exhausted when I arrived at my father's home. I could not call it my family home for a while since the people living inside did not deserve that title. But signing the contract was not the only reason I could not sleep at night, twisting in my bed. Alex asked me to meet his parents. Today. It was as if this day was not stressful enough. I was torn between thinking about what my family prepared for me and wondering how to dress for tonight. Of course, I wished them to like me, for mine and Alex's sake. We have created enough mess already. I was the one to be mostly blamed for that, but sharing the quilt was a much better option. I could not stop thinking what I would say when they asked about the wedding. Did Alex tell them it was a marriage with an expiry date? I highly doubted this. I will worry about this later. The door to the mansion was wide open when I arrived. " What a gesture," I thought to myself. The inside was empty, but I did no
Alexander's POV When we entered the Ben's Burgers, Millie tensed even though she had tried to hide it. I took a deep breath, enjoying the smell already imprinted on my mind. This place smelled like childhood. I could not count the evenings we have spent here with my parents. On those occasions, they were nothing like business people the whole country knew. Here, no one cared about your status as long as you managed to behave at the table. I quickly scanned the room, and a smile curled on my lips. My parents were sitting in our usual spot, already enjoying their drinks. My smile widened when I noticed that both of them understood the assignment. My father wore a simple black shirt and jeans, while my mother chose a blue flower dress. " There they are," I said, taking Millie's hand. She offered me a shy smile while I navigated through the crowded restaurant. " Right on time." My father stood up from his seat as soon as he noticed us. He gave Millie a wink while my moth
Millie's POV I had wished for the earth to swallow me, watching my step-sister giving Alex's father a nasty look. Why, from all the places, do they have to choose this restaurant? As I remember, Sandra always liked to brag about a healthy lifestyle and despised junk food. " What are you two doing here?" I asked through my gritted teeth. " Is there a problem with us being here? Had you become an owner of this place?" Deborah mocked me, checking on her perfectly shaped nails. " Well, it is not the place you would normally visit," I replied, fighting the sharpness in my voice. " Baby's cravings," Sandra rubbed her belly, looking down at Alex's parents. " Oh, it must be depressing that your baby has such a bad taste then," I pointed out, and her smile dropped. " I will excuse myself, " Alex's father said, standing up. His wife gave him a puzzled look, but he only winked at her with a half-smile. " You are excused," Deborah giggled, and I grabbed Alex's hand, squeezing it as he loo
Alexander's POV We travelled back home in complete silence. I could feel that Millie was fuming, as from time to time, her brows furrowed as if has some inside conversation. She apologised for her step-family behaviour during the dinner, and we rebuilt the pleasant atmosphere. I would not be myself if I didn't ask my father how he got those two women escorted out. He winked at me and told me he was now the restaurant's owner. It looks like other companies pestered the original owner to sell the place since they had a better plan for it. When my father bought the place, no one dared to visit him. He was the place's owner, just on the paper, while the old one still cared for everything. Their only agreement was to keep our table empty whenever we wanted to visit. When I asked why he did it, he replied that the sentiment caused it. I had no reason to argue with his logic, so I dropped the subject. Now, I was more concerned about Millie. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts
Millie's POV " Are you serious?" I asked Dave while looking at the blueprint in front of me. " How on earth is this project worth five million?" Dave, my right hand from when I worked for my family, shrugged his arms. " You can check it yourself." I checked, not once or twice, but three times already, and something was not adding up. I was looking at the project of two warehouses, and there was no way anyone would pay five million for this job. Three million would be more than enough, even if I decide to add some gold to it. " It looks more than strange. Why are they willing to pay so much for it," I said more to myself than Dave, but he answered me anyway. " Should we really worry about that?" He gave me a confused glance. " I think we should be jumping in joy." Well, in normal circumstances, I probably would, but it looked too good to be true here. I shook my head slowly. Dave was right; I had to accept the reality, at least for now. " We have to make sure
Alexander's POV Filled with amazement, I listened to Millie explain every step of the project. With her cheeks flushed, she showed me materials that were supposed to be used in construction. I have never seen anyone so demoted to its work. This girl could talk about it for hours, and I listened to her with pleasure. It was pretty hard to pretend I was utterly ignorant, asking many questions about some particular parts of the project, but she was more than happy to answer every aspect. Thanks to that, I figured out that this woman had incredible knowledge. " I made a list of materials needed for this project. My coworker will order them tomorrow. I made sure to choose the best quality. Our customer agreed to a ridiculously high price for this project, and I am going to ensure they will receive the best product. " I almost chuckled upon hearing this comment, but I bit my tongue. Millie had no idea why this project was so expensive, and I was not going to tell her the truth. S
Millie's POV The next day was hectic. Alex convinced me to let his mother arrange everything as she would be thrilled to do it, and I agreed happily. I could not imagine planning anything on such short notice, and honestly, such events were not my cup of tea. The only thing I had to do was choose my wedding dress. Since our ceremony was private and really small, I did not look for anything fancy. Besides, again, that was also not my cup of tea. I know some women had planned their weddings since they were toddlers, but I was not one of them. Now, I was standing in the middle of the dress shop, watching myself in the mirror. I chose a knee-length dress with short sleeves and tiny pearls on the skirt. It was simple yet elegant, perfect for the occasion. It did not need alterations, as it looked like it was made for me. And what was important was that the price was tempting. " I think this is the one," I said, looking at Alex's mother, who was accompanying me today. I had no
Millie's POV" Sandra?" I asked in utter disbelief. Was this nightmare to end one day? Everything was slowly getting in place; now, I had to face my past again. My knees wobbled, and I sat on the curb. " What do you want?" I muster to ask. " Millie, I need to tell you something, and you need to listen to me, please, " Sandra's voice was the opposite of what I remembered. It sounded the same, but the tone was completely different. " How did you get my number?" My voice was ice-cold. Sandra and Deborah should be locked in the cells. I could not imagine what my stepsister did to make this call. I saw the lights in a distance, and relief washed over me. Alex was close, and I did not have to face it alone. He stopped the car, and I mustered to get back on my feet. When I sat in my seat, my husband looked at me with concern, but I just shook my head and put the call on a speaker. " Does it matter right now? I have something important to tell you, so please listen to me," Sandra pleade
Third-party POV " So, how is it going to be?" I glanced at the woman before me. Mary Louise, or Fat Mary, as I liked to call her, was a strange persona, but she acted like a queen here in jail, constantly bragging about her connections in the outside world. I found an excellent opportunity to call her out on her bluffs. Fat Mary laughed as if I told her an amusing joke. I leaned back on my chair, waiting for her laughter to die down. I watched her show with a cool indifference. " You are here for a few months, and you act like you own the place," Mary looked at me with her brows knitted. " You even dared to ask me to meet you." "A couple of times, if my memory serves me right," I replied, unfazed by her acting. " My people told me you had an offer," Fat Mary crossed her arms on her chest, and I almost chuckled upon hearing how he put an accent on ' my people.' " They were right," I said calmly. " So, I am here. What do you bring to the table?" I took a deep brea
Millie's POVI stretched myself on the bed and glanced at Alex, who was still peacefully sleeping. It has been two weeks since we renewed our vows, and my life looked like a dream. Firstly, my husband convinced me to change our apartment to something more suitable for a family. " Parker is growing; soon, he will need more space," he pleaded, arguing, and I could not disagree with him. " But I love this place. Here, I can be myself, Millie, not the wife of big, scary tycoon Alexander Foster," I replied, wrapping my arms around him and kissing his neck. " And I thought you liked being married to me," Alex pouted, and I giggled, looking at him. " You know what I mean. Life was easier back then when you were, well... you." " I am... still me, but this man has to take care of his family," Alex mocked me, pointing to his chest. " I am no longer an old teenager, hiding here to experience some normal life away from my family surname." " I get it," I exhaled, hanging my head low. I unde
Third-party POVMy eyes widened, and my jaw clenched as I looked at the newspaper in my hand. The massive title on the first page felt like a stab as I read it repeatedly. "The heir of the biggest company is out of the market." The bright, red letters looked almost as if they were on fire.I have found the page where the article continued. It was filled with smaller photos, and my rage grew as I looked at them, trying to follow the text. " Alexander Foster, heir of the Foster Inc., finally found happiness. Last week, he married a young woman, and the wedding became an event of the year. The ceremony was an official celebration as the couple married almost a year earlier and greeted their first child a few months ago. The wealthiest people in town were invited to the party, which lasted the whole night. Everyone who means something in the business world congratulated the newlyweds." In the rest of the article, some guests were mentioned by their names; indeed, it was the cream of so
Millie's POV I touched the delicate flowers placed almost everywhere, filling the air with its intoxicating scent. I was thinking about the last four months. Handling the newborn baby and planning the wedding caused a lot of chaos in my life. Luckily, Gloria, Alex's mother, offered to take charge of the wedding, and I was entirely grateful for that. I had nothing to worry about, knowing she had an excellent taste. In her capable hands, this wedding would be nothing but perfect. And I was not wrong as I glanced at all the details she had carefully chosen. If Gloria had ever started the wedding planning business, I am sure she would have been successful. I smiled to myself. All of that was crazy if anyone would ask me. I loved Alex, and we were already married, but I could not refuse his wish. Even if that meant being at the centre of attention. Our wedding would be filled with people I had never seen before, but as long as Alex was by my side, I had nothing to worry about.
Alexander's POVI looked at my wife and bit my lips when she squeezed my hand with full force. The labour lasted for the last couple of hours, and she was already exhausted, and there was no chance for all of that to be over soon. Nurses and midwives were coming and going while my brave Millie fought with contractions. All I could do was to be with her and support her the best I could, even if that meant enduring her cursing and insults. " It is all your fault," Millie hissed through her teeth, and her face twisted in pain—another contraction. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her hospital gown was permanently stuck to her body. I wish I could take the pain away, but that was impossible, so let her take all the frustration on me. Like any good husband should. " I hate you. Why you couldn't be more careful?" Millie spoke again, but I was unfazed by her words. She was in a lot of pain that did not want to go away. " I will not let you get close to me again."" I know," I replied,
Millie's POV." Can you stop doing that?" I asked Gabrielle, who glanced at me confused. " Doing what?" " If you keep crumpling your dress like that, you will look like cotton candy after the expiry date. Is that how you want to look at your wedding?" I pointed to her hands, which were squeezing the delicate fabric. Gabriell immediately released her dress, but she still had no idea what to do with her hands. " I am sorry, I am just nervous." " I haven't noticed," I replied, giggling. Gabi was pacing around the room for the last twenty minutes, and it took much of my strength to stop her from biting her perfectly manicured nails. " What if he changed his mind and won't show up?" My friend glanced at me, her eyes full of panic. " He will show up. If not for you, then to check if all that money he put in this wedding was well spent, " I joked, but Gabi only raised her brow. " That is not funny," she said slowly. " Well, it was pretty funny, actually. And look, you stopped pacing.
Millie's POV Two months later " Do you think I am crazy? Do you think I am desperate?" Gabi offered me a concerned look. We were standing near the restaurant while Alex and Brian went inside. I knew my friend wanted to tell me something, so I asked for privacy. When they disappeared, she dropped the bomb. Brian proposed to her, and Gabi accepted. " Why would I think you are desperate?" I asked, sincerely surprised. " We have known each other for only a couple of months." Gabrielle lowered her head. " Maybe it is too fast." " Gabi, I am the last person to speak about someone else's desperate moves," I laughed. " I am more than happy for you. Brian is a great man, and for the last few months, he has proved that you are the most important woman to him." Gabrielle glanced at me, her face lit. " Thank you," she whispered. " Enjoy your life. You deserve it. And now, let's get inside before they send the rescue team to find us," I laughed and took Gabi's hand. "
Alexander's POV My hands were shaking when I kneeled on the floor. " Maybe it is not hers," John said slowly, trying to calm me down, but I knew that this blood belonged to my wife. She got attacked in a place where she should always be safe, and I had no idea who did it and why. But I knew I would make them pay for it. But now I have to find out about my wife. I prayed for her to be safe as I looked around the apartment. My hand baulked as I noticed that someone had touched her stuff. Our photo together disappeared. " Alex," John called my name. I returned to the kitchen, where my friend stood with a piece of paper. " I think someone left it for you to find." " You want your woman back? Prepare money," I read a note, and my rage rose. Someone hurt my wife to get my money? I would give them everything to have her back. " I think we should call the police," John suggested, pointing to my hand. " Call Adam, I do not want anyone else involved." If I could trust someo