Clara's POVAfter a restful night, Layla's fever finally subsided and I couldn't feel more thankful to see her healthy again."Hey, are you still feeling that guilt?" I heard Keith's voice as he stood behind me.Today, I visited his penthouse after dropping off Layla, and we spent some of the morning making snacks together.He knew that I was restless and I spent the whole night without sleep, burdened by the weight of not being a good enough mother."I've never overlooked calls from Miss Olivia before."She's Layla's teacher, and occasionally reaches out to inform me about changes in the pick-up time or to share updates on how my daughter is doing. She engages with all parents to guarantee that the school provides them with good care."I won't make the same mistake again.""Hey, didn't I mention that it's all alright? Making mistakes is a part of being human, Clara. Perfection is just an illusion." Keith placed his hand gently on my shoulder.His words lightened the lump in my chest.
Clara's POV"I understand that you are his trusted secretary and have worked with him for a long time. But It's just that this has nothing to do with that, I just want to respect his privacy."I tried to make Stephanie understand. If she is his personal assistant, shouldn't she be familiar with Keith's personality and habits?"You are just wasting my time. Get out of my way." Stephanie was on the verge of shoving me out of the doorway when, out of nowhere, she paused."Clara? What is this? Who are you talking to?" I turned around at the sound of Keith's voice. Upon spotting Stephanie, Keith's expression darkened; it looks he was taken aback by her presence. "Stephanie? How long have you been here?” His tone conveyed a blend of surprise and displeasure.Stephanie beamed as soon as she saw his face. Her earlier grumpy and gloomy expression vanished in an instant. Now she smiled brightly and her vibe was completely changed. How can someone change her mood with such finesse? "Mr. Morga
James’ POVThe gathering was hosted at a five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Upon my arrival, the place was already bustling with people. As we stepped into the room, the attention shifted entirely to us, and a sense of pride washed over me.They must have instantly admired Zoe's beauty. I felt satisfied because if you want to see how successful a man is, just take a look at his wife."Mr. James, it's been quite a while since your last visit."I caught up with some employees I hadn't seen in ages."Yeah, I“I just didn’t have the time. Managing everything in LA was quite time-consuming." "Mrs. Morgan, it's a pleasure to finally meet you for the first time." A woman staff said to Zoe."You are very beautiful Mrs. Morgan."Zoe smiled brightly as she accepted their compliments with warmth. I felt a sense of ease knowing she was in a good mood tonight, so I didn't feel guilty for asking her to attend this gathering.She refused at first, saying that she didn't know these people and s
Clara's POVI knew I was going to see James and Zoe tonight, so I decided to leave Layla with Diana before left. I wasn't going to give my ex-husband a chance to see my daughter again.'She has finished her dinner and is coloring right now.' I felt a warm smile spread across my face as I read the message from Diana.Layla is very close to Diana so I suppose there's no need for concern. I’m typing a reply while Keith asked."Is that Diana?"I nodded, my gaze fixed on my phone screen. I understand that splitting our focus among multiple tasks isn't good, yet I find it hard to resist. My thoughts are constantly with Layla, no matter where I find myself. I can’t find peace unless I know my daughter is alright. "What did she say?""She said Layla had her meal and is doing her homework now." I switched off my phone and stowed it away in my clutch.Keith smiled "Good. Now you can rest assured she will be fine until we get home again. Can we head inside and meet my people now?”“Yeah sure” I
Clara's POV"I invited her; is that an issue for you?" Keith snaps in response to James' question."Not at all. I thought only family members could attend. But I get it, she's family to you as well, brother.""If you're here just to disrespect Clara, you can leave now."I reached out and touched Keith's arm, I didn't my biggest fear to happen tonight. James is annoying and if Keith swayed, a confrontation will break out."I never mean to make any offense. You're the one who got it wrong." Then James turned to me, "Clara didn't even seem to mind at all. Tell me, did I just offend you, Mrs. Clara?"I offered James a smile, despite the stiffness it brought to my face. I didn't want to feed his ego if I showed an offended face.His words would have no impact on me now. I want to show him I’m not the same woman I was five years ago, who would dwell on his hurtful words until cry myself to sleep."Not at all."James arched an eyebrow. "Actually I think you have a point, Mr. Morgan. At firs
James' POVMy jaw tightened when Clara walked away from me and made her way to Keith instead. Where was their supposed fight? Why did they still fine with each other?Did they quarrel but have now come back together? It frustrates me because I remember how Clara always had a knack for steering us into conflict in the past. Yet with Keith, it seems she always retreats.I stepped away from the crowd and watched those stupid games when Stephanie approached me. "Mr. James, maybe you want to participate?""No." I wasn't feeling up to having a small conversation.Stephanie picked up right away and offered an awkward smile. She shifted the topic. "I've escorted Mrs. Zoe to her room."Zoe's mood took a downturn the moment she saw Clara here, so she left the gathering and retreated to one of the rooms instead. I should be the one to accompany her, but I was engaged in conversation with someone else earlier.Zoe said it was fine and that Stephanie would be the one to accompany her."Thank you
Clara’s POVI felt a tightness in my chest as Stephanie wrapped her hand around Keith's neck, while his hand rested on her waist. Romantic music was playing as now we were all indoors. They started dancing with their respective partners.I had no idea that seeing Keith dance with Stephanie would hurt this much."Aren't they perfect together?" James asked as he stood beside me.God. I thought he'd already left this place."Yes, they are.""You're jealous aren't you?""Why should I, Mr. Morgan? It's just a dance."Am I jealous? If I'm honest with myself, yes. Just a little. But who am I to have the right to feel that way?"You wish that were you. But there's someone else who knows him better."It's not a big surprise that Stephanie knows more about Keith than I do. They are the boss and Secretary, of course they know the details of each other."You're wrong. Stephanie is his secretary, she should know that information."James simply laughed, and I felt an urge to strike his face. Once th
Clara's POVI woke up when the sunlight hit my face. The brightness outside signaled that it was already noon. I leaped from the bed, but the sharp pain in my arm caused me to flinch."Ouch..." I forgot my arm was injured after being hit by an idiot last night.I overslept and now I'm running behind for work. I still haven't dropped Layla off at school! Stepping out of my room, I’m about to wake my daughter up. "Sweetheart, are you awake-But I paused in my tracks when I saw Layla playing in the TV room. She appeared to have just showered and was dressed casually. But what made me shocked was not that. But the fact that she was with James!"Good morning Mommy! you're finally awake!" Layla shot me a quick look, smiling brightly. "Does your arm still hurt?"I didn't even register her question as I swiftly closed the gap and reached for my daughter's arm. Layla appeared taken aback as I helped her stand up. James, seated on the carpet, quickly rose to his feet.He gave me a concerned lo
James' POVI was glad to hear that Clara is back to her usual activities. It's good, it means she no longer feels down. Lily's in town, so I suppose that's why she was able to leave Layla. But when Lily gets back to LA, who’s going to look after Layla? Thinking about it, it's time to bring in a professional assistant for her. To look after Layla and ease Clara's responsibilities at home. I'm not sure if she'll go for it, but I'll bring it up with her later. Dain entered my study and said, "Sir." I intentionally asked him to come today. "Did you take Layla to school?" "Today, Mrs. Clara's cousin is the one driving her," Dain replied. I gave a nod. “Should I go to her school to pick her up this afternoon?” I think Clara has already asked Lily to grab Layla as well. Perhaps her cousin would like to hang out with Layla while she's in town. "No. Not necessary.""Alright, sir. Anyway, how was your dinner last night going?" Asked Dain.Oh, dinner last night. It was nearly flawless
Lily's POVToday I spend my time with Layla, and we make an awesome team. We got up early and went for a jog. We headed home for a quick shower and then went cafe hopping until noon. Later in the afternoon, we kept strolling through the city park. We just got home in the evening as Clara was getting ready to head out for dinner with James. Before she left, I made sure to remind her multiple times that she needed to call me if she sensed even the slightest hint of his behavior. I recall how that man used to treat her and to be honest, I didn't want my cousin to have dinner with him by herself tonight. But if I went with Clara, then who would look after Layla? Also, Clara asked me to stay home and look after her daughter. I didn't have any other option."Auntie, did you just call mommy?" Layla asked as I stepped back into the TV room. I sat down beside her on the carpet. She was focused on her Lego, completely tuning out the cartoon on the TV. "Yeah, I did. I just made sure to be re
Clara's POVEverything was going smoothly. James showed up, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me because we could finally begin our dinner before diving into the main topic tonight, to discussing the trip he wanted to take Layla on.But then the door swung open and Selena burst in. Yes, Selena. She's at the restaurant we were at. I’m not sure when she got here, but I didn’t notice her at all before. Her face was a mask of rage that was impossible to conceal. “You!" she snapped, pointing a finger at me. Her teeth clenched. "What did you do to Keith? How could you do all of this to my future husband?"Her voice trembled.I jumped up right away. Watching her on the brink of tears pulled at my heart, but just as I was about to reach out, Selena smacked my hand away forcefully."Answer me bitch!"Her words made James stand up immediately. And the atmosphere felt like it had shifted. Selena, who was saying something, fell silent under James's piercing gaze. She looked at him with des
James' POVThe night to have dinner with Clara has finally arrived. I spent three hours getting ready, feeling pretty anxious, searching for the right word to persuade Clara to go along with this trip. This would be a good chance for me to connect with my daughter and learn more about her. And a chance to resolve what happened between Clara and me. No, I didn't expect her to just forgive me so easily. I just expected her to be more open to me.'Good luck trying to win her heart.' Keith's words rushed into my thoughts, and once more, I felt disheartened. I grabbed my phone and chose to call Dain. He accepted it a moment later. "How's it going, sir? How's everything going?""I haven't even gone yet. Do you think she’s going to give me this chance or not?" I hate sounding like a downer.But I really need to hear from Dain because he was the one who noticed Clara's reaction when she got the invitation to her apartment yesterday. Clara gave her agreement the very same day. She texted m
Clara's POVWe headed to the airport this morning around eight and got there about thirty minutes later. I ensured we arrived on time so Lily wouldn't have to wait. Yeah, my cousin is alive here in NYC today. Lily mentioned it to me in our call just yesterday, saying she planned to surprise me."Clara!"I glanced over at the voice, spotting Lily rushing toward me. With a smile, I hurried over to her, and we embraced tightly. Lily wrapped her arms around me so tightly that I could feel my ribs nearly being crushed."Hey take it easy Lily! I can't breathe!" I coughed."Sorry. I’m just really excited to be here and see you again!" She exclaimed after we released our embrace. Lily then turned to Layla, who was standing beside me. She bent down to hug her too. “Hey sweetheart, it’s so great to see you again. You've grown so much." Lily asked when they let go of their embrace, "Do you miss me?" "Absolutely Auntie!" Layla exclaimed, "I've been waiting for you to arrive for so long, Aunt
James' POV"Do you think it's good enough? Do you think Layla will like it?" I asked Dain for his thoughts.Fuck. Why is it harder than I expected to find a gift that fits Layla? I think it will be easy. But I've been reconsidering how Clara has managed to provide everything Layla needed, and my daughter is certainly not missing out on anything.So, I need to choose something unique and special.Something that will bring her joy when she receives this gift I gave her. I just wanted to see her smile again, to wipe away the sadness. It was annoying to see her sad, and I just couldn't stand it. "Hmm, I think this might be a little too much, sir. And besides we have to wait a few more years until she can drive the car on her own?" Dain looked at me with a puzzled expression.He glanced at the picture of the pink Mini Cooper on my laptop with a raised eyebrow and said, "I don't think this is a good idea." I nodded and shut the website down. I might just hand over the car to her when she'
Clara's POVNew York CityWe’ve been here for a week now since coming over from Paris. Even after that week, I still can't seem to get back into my work routine. I still feel anxious about leaving Layla alone like I usually do. My day starts with waking up, driving her to school, and then picking her up again when school is done.I just can't trust Dain to drive Layla anymore. James got us a bodyguard, but I said no. I just can't get comfortable with the idea of another stranger being close to my daughter, even if it's someone James trusts.I stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind me. Diana called earlier to say she would swing by after work, so I figured I’d prepare some snacks for her. "Layla you can change your clothes before grabbing a bite to eat. I'll whip up something for us to eat. Auntie Diana will swing by later too.""Okay, mommy." My daughter hurried to her room.In the meantime, I headed to the kitchen. I checked the cupboard and fridge to see what ingred
Clara's POVThe following morning finally arrived. The gentle sunlight poured in through the hotel window. I stretched my body and, getting up, walked over to the window. I drew back the curtain and looked out. The view outside my room instantly woke up my tired eyes.'What a beautiful city.'Of course. I'm in Paris right now. The wide array of buildings featuring beautiful classic architecture, the balconies of the apartments lining the street, and the lively hustle of the street below create a lively atmosphere. I think I have become so accustomed to the rigid vibe of New York that being here truly amazes me.I know I’d have a better time if we were here on vacation instead of trying to rescue my daughter from someone who attempted to kidnap her. With a sigh, I made my way to the bed."It's time to wake up Miss Sleepyhead, we're heading back today. We have to catch that flight."Layla extended her limbs. She let out a yawn for a moment, and when she replied, her voice carried a lin
James' POV"Where is Clara?" I asked Arlo as soon as we got into the hotel. "She's in her room already, sir." I headed straight to Clara's room. I and Clara stayed in the same hotel but in separate rooms for sure. There’s so much I want to say to her right now. But the main thing was that I wanted to check in on her and Layla to make sure they were alright. When the police arrested the car where Layla was kidnapped, I didn't have the opportunity to check on her because I was too focused on Keith and Zoe.I got to Clara's room, but the door was firmly shut. I was just about to knock on the door when a thought crossed my mind—Clara probably didn’t want to be disturbed. Perhaps I should give her some space with her daughter.Following this traumatic event, she must be feeling hurt and deeply affected. Maybe she would like to have some time alone with Layla without any interruptions. I dismissed the urge to see or talk to her and turned and walked to my room, which was across from her