Axton's mother's question still lingered in Sierra's mind the following day, causing her to reflect silently after washing her hands in the office restroom. There were a few women around, but she wasn't familiar with them.After finishing a meeting in the conference room, she stopped by the restroom before heading to the first floor for an important meeting with Axton. They needed to arrive before lunch, and she felt relieved to have a lot of time since the previous meeting ended earlier than scheduled.After finishing up in the restroom, Sierra quickly walked out. She needed to contact Bella to inform her that the documents she had handed over yesterday afternoon were revised and submitted to Axton. However, the man had been too busy all morning to review them.Unfortunately, Sierra frowned upon realizing her phone wasn't in her bag.Damn. It must have been left in the restroom.“I swear I heard moaning coming from Mr. Scott's office yesterday afternoon. And when I checked, Sierra wa
Sierra was seated at the dining table in the morning when Axton entered the dining room and sat at his usual spot at the head of the table.Normally, Axton’s mother comes first, followed by Callie and then Axton. However, Sierra couldn’t understand why she had to be stuck with Axton this morning, especially after they had stopped talking to each other for four days.Axton said nothing and buried himself in his newspaper. Meanwhile, Sierra took out her phone and began replying to several work messages that had popped up in her notifications—even though it wasn’t office hours yet.“You’re very busy, Sierra,” Callie remarked as she entered the room. She chose to sit across from Sierra, meaning Sierra would now have to sit next to Axton’s mother, who had coincidentally arrived at the same time as Callie.“Apologies,” Sierra quickly put her phone away as the staff arrived to set up breakfast.As usual, the maid prepared various breakfast options, and everyone was free to take whatever they
FlashbackFour years ago…“I heard you helped Axton pick out our engagement ring,” Callie said as she placed several paper bags on the table after arriving at the café where they had planned to meet for lunch.Sierra had been waiting for ten minutes. When Callie didn’t show up, she pulled out her laptop and started working on unfinished tasks.“Do you like it?” Sierra asked, glancing up from her laptop, her fingers still typing without pause as she had memorized the keyboard layout by heart.“This is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever had?” Callie smiled as she admired the ring on her finger.Sierra quickly shut her laptop after finishing a task. Callie would close it forcefully if she didn't, risking her unsaved work.“I’m glad you’re happy,” she said with a smile.“I bought all of these as gifts for you. Don’t argue or protest. I don’t want to hear, ‘This is too expensive, Callie,’ or ‘You shouldn’t have spent your money on this, Callie.’ I mean it!” Callie pushed the paper bags towa
Sierra felt nauseous as she looked at the food on the dining table. She had to hold her breath for a few moments and found herself increasingly uncomfortable being there."Are you okay, Sierra?"She was startled when the first person to notice her unease was Axton—not Callie or his mother."I…" She glanced at the array of food before her. "Actually, I'm feeling a bit full. I think I’ll just sit here and eat later tonight before bed."Callie looked up. "Are you sick?" she asked. "Don’t try lying to me. Are you still feeling nauseous?"Axton’s mother turned her head toward Sierra. "Are you unwell, Sierra?"Sierra wasn’t used to receiving so much attention. Still, her heart warmed at their concern. "I’m just feeling full. It’s not a big deal," she replied calmly, even as she fought back the nausea with all her might."If you don’t want to eat, you can rest in your room. I’ll ask the maid to save your dinner, and you can warm it up yourself later when you’re hungry. Does that sound okay?"
Flashback7 years ago…Sierra anxiously bit her lip as she listened to what Callie was saying.“Oh my God, was meeting him a bad idea?” She started to doubt her decision when she realized she had made it without consulting Callie first.“Didn’t you hear the news about how many women have been murdered after meeting men from dating apps?” Callie rolled her eyes.“Is that real? I think everything will be fine if we meet in a crowded place, right? I wouldn’t let him take me to hotel or apartment.”Callie gave her an exasperated look.“What's his name? Let me search for his social media. I don’t understand why you're still messaging him on that anonymous app. You should have switched to other social media by now. Or just give me his number, and I can report him to the police if something happens.”Sierra blinked, realizing that she didn’t have any of that information.She didn’t even know his real name because they agreed not to share their names with each other. X had no social media, an
Sierra had to force herself to sit calmly at Axton's desk, surrounded by a stack of documents and a laptop in front of her, as she heard the sound of Damian's footsteps approaching. Axton’s office had a desk and a sofa on the right side of the room, typically used for receiving guests. She often worked there when she needed to discuss a project with Axton, and now she was pretending to do just that."Sierra?" Damian furrowed his brows.Sierra turned her head. "You’ve been coming here more often lately," she greeted him with a smile.Axton walked over to his desk and picked up the phone connected to the office’s internal line. "Damian, do you want something to eat? We’ve been so busy today that we couldn’t go out for lunch, so I decided to order food for us here."Sierra tried not to react in any way. However, as she thought about her situation—her newest condition... she started to understand why she hadn’t been getting along well with food recently."Am I interrupting you both?" Dami
Sierra looked up when she heard a knock on her bedroom door late at night. She had already told everyone she was skipping dinner and would eat later when she felt hungry. So, no one was supposed to come and call her for dinner.“Sierra, may I come in?”“Of course, Callie!” She rolled over from her prone position, phone in hand, as Callie entered the room, carrying two jars of her favorite chips. “What’s up?” she asked, furrowing her brows at Callie’s annoyed expression as she joined her on the bed.“Nothing,” Callie said, placing the jars on the bed before lying prone as well and starting to munch on her chips, just like they used to do back in their college dorm years ago. “I’m just tired of listening to Axton and his mother talk. I don’t understand why she has to stay here for two weeks when she has all the maids at her house and would never be lonely or struggle there.”“She’s a mother, Callie. She probably misses her son and wants to spend time with him.”“But does it have to make
FlashbackThree Years Ago…“I’m so glad I finally found you, CatLovers,” Axton whispered as he pressed a loving kiss to Callie’s cheek. He couldn’t imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn’t found her. Perhaps he would never have loved her as deeply as he did now, nor would he be preparing for a wedding with the beautiful woman who had agreed to stand by his side forever.“I’m glad you found me too. But could you stop calling me by that name? I’ve told you so many times I don’t like it,” Callie pouted, and Axton couldn’t resist stealing another kiss from her.What started as a simple kiss quickly escalated into something more passionate, as it always did between them. Axton’s obsession with Callie only grew stronger every time she reciprocated his touch with equal fervor.Noticing her acceptance, Axton slid his hand beneath her tank top, reveling in the warmth and softness of her skin. He had already realized she wasn’t wearing a bra the moment he came home and noticed th
Lately, Sierra had grown fond of gardening. She enjoyed planting flowers, and since she had a spacious backyard, she was free to do whatever she pleased there.After returning from their honeymoon across various countries, she had already planned a beautiful concept for her backyard. Her mother used to love gardening, even after coming home tired from work, though they didn’t have an adequate plot of land to do so. Now that Sierra had better opportunities than her mother ever had, she wanted to honor that hobby—bringing something her mother loved into her new home.When Sienna was with her grandmother, Sierra found herself with free time to indulge in something she enjoyed, keeping herself entertained so she wouldn't feel bored. Occasionally, she would step out to purchase gardening tools and thoroughly enjoyed those moments.In the past, she couldn’t afford this kind of relaxed lifestyle because she always had a demanding schedule. Since college, she’d been accustomed to working part
Axton made Sierra leave the United States for a honeymoon in Europe one month after their wedding. He didn’t tell her where they would go or how long they would be on vacation, leaving Sienna with her grandparents. He only said that he had everything planned but wanted it to be a surprise, so the only thing Sierra had to do was to look beautiful every morning and look forward to each surprise he would give.This morning, they woke up in Norway after spending the night watching the beautiful Aurora Borealis. It felt like a dream—a place so beautiful it seemed unreachable by humans. But Sierra was there with Axton, and it was a truly wonderful experience.Then, in the night, they traveled to Switzerland and stayed there for an unknown number of days, visiting places they would explore.“I can’t believe I’m unemployed and traveling the world with you,” she commented while standing near the window of the villa they were staying in.The view of nature there was so soothing to her eyes. Eve
Sierra and Axton had agreed to host a simple wedding celebration attended only by close family and friends. Most of the guests were Axton’s family and friends, as Sierra didn’t have either.Well, she had invited Andrea—if the woman could even be categorized as a friend. And Damian…Actually, Sierra wasn’t the one who invited Damian. It was Axton, which had completely surprised her.“To my daughter-in-law, Sierra Scott, I love you, pretty girl,” Axton’s mother said, blowing an air kiss and smiling warmly. Sierra laughed as she stood next to Axton.After all the formal wedding, it was time for speeches from the couple’s closest people. Sadly, Sierra had to remind herself once again that she had no parents or close friends to speak for her.“I always wished I could have met Sophia, Sierra’s mother because she raised such an incredible woman with all her strength,” Axton’s mother began. “Sierra is a passionate woman with a beautiful perspective on everything in the world. She loves everyo
Sierra stared at her reflection in the mirror, disbelief evident in her eyes.It was hard to accept that all of this was real. But of course, she wasn’t dreaming as she stood there in her wedding gown, her face adorned with flawless makeup. She was almost too afraid to touch her own skin, worried she might ruin the carefully applied look.“You look absolutely stunning,” Axton’s mother said, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes as she admired Sierra standing in front of the mirror. “You are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”Sierra smiled and turned her head slightly. “Don’t exaggerate, Mom,” she replied, taking a deep breath. “I feel unsure about walking out there. What if people judge me?”The woman immediately took her hand, looking at her with genuine warmth. “When Callie—the most important person in your life—gives her blessing for what you’re about to do, why should you care about what anyone else thinks?”Sierra had read the letter Callie had given her. She must have
“I’m here,” Sierra said softly.A week after receiving Callie’s letter and all the gifts the woman had sent her, Sierra finally decided to visit Callie.“I also stopped by the store you worked with, just to thank them,” Sierra said, taking a deep breath as she sat down on the damp ground of Callie’s grave, ignoring the possibility of her skirt getting dirty. “They were confused, looking for me at your old house. I don’t live there anymore, Callie. I moved after giving birth because Axton thought it would be better for us to find a new home. Staying there made it hard to move on, constantly reminded of you.”She glanced at Axton, who was walking toward her from a distance.Today, she wasn’t alone. Axton and Sienna had come with her. But when they arrived, Sienna wanted to breastfeed, so Sierra left them in the car. Axton could handle her to help her drink her milk, and it wasn’t an issue for him.“I’m sorry I didn’t realize how much you cared for me and Sienna. I thought you were angry
Sierra couldn’t blink, and it felt like time had stopped for a moment. Her body felt stiff, even though the only thing she desperately wanted to do was run away.What Damian had said entirely left her at a loss for words. If she were honest, those words moved her deeply, making her feel even guiltier toward him.That wasn’t what he should have said. Damian should have angrily cursed at them for causing a scene in front of his apartment in the morning. He should have... He could have said something harsh to her if he truly wanted to show how upset he was with everything.But instead of doing that, Damian chose to say something kind—words that should never have come from someone who had been wronged.Thankfully, Axton could read her mind well enough to step forward, grab her hand, and lead her away from there.“Let’s go home!” he said, walking briskly.Of course, Sierra followed Axton. She walked without turning her head because she didn’t want to see Damian again.“I never knew that Da
This morning, Sierra cooked breakfast for everyone because she knew that the maids in her house must be exhausted after participating in last night's party. She didn't just prepare breakfast for her family but also for the entire staff."This is a simple menu, but I hope you'll like it," she said with a quick smile. "I'm not great at cooking, but I made sure it's safe to eat." She brought the food to the dining table near the kitchen. Usually, the maids and workers gathered there to eat together, which is why Sierra had come in now."You really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble. You must be exhausted after last night's party," said one of the staff.Sierra waved her hand with a playful smile. "Please, don't be so stiff when talking to me. If I'm tired, then you all must be tired too. This is just a small thing I can do. But this afternoon, I'll ask Axton to buy food for us all so you don’t have to cook.""Oh God, looks like this party made you happy," Percy commented casually, un
Sierra felt much more relaxed once she was back with Axton and Sienna. Of course, they were still the center of attention since it was their party, but now she didn’t have to stand alone in the middle of it all.“I don’t know what to give her, but she seems to like everything I give her,” a middle-aged woman, whom Axton introduced as his aunt, handed Sierra a large paper bag with the logo of a luxury brand.Sierra was quite stunned by this, but she quickly nodded and offered a polite smile. “Thank you for taking the time to visit Sienna. I hope you enjoy the party tonight.”“Well, of course, I’m enjoying it,” the woman smiled. “Isn’t Alicia the one who organized all of this? I’ve been to every one of her parties, and I can always tell which ones she’s organized. And I can say this one is definitely hers.”Sierra turned her head toward Axton and smiled again. “She put this together in just three days, and it amazes me.”“She’s a legend when it comes to parties in New York,” the woman c
Sienna’s bedtime routine often started with the family gathering in the living room after dinner. Percy and Bethany would prepare light snacks, and once Sienna fell asleep, Axton’s parents would head back to their home.“I’ve been thinking about this since Sienna was born,” Axton’s mother began with a warm smile, holding Sienna close in her arms. “But things have been quite hectic lately. I just wanted to spend as much time as possible with this beautiful girl. However, all our relatives and acquaintances keep asking about her, and I don’t want us to waste too much time hosting them one by one.”Sierra frowned slightly, resting her head on Axton’s shoulder as he held her hand and played with her fingers.“Some family members managed to visit the hospital, but others haven’t had the chance yet. They keep asking me when they can come, but I don’t know when to let them. I’m worried they’ll take up too much of our time.”Sierra’s frown deepened, but she remained silent.“So, what are you