WHEN MICHELLE stepped out of his hotel suite, Ethan seemed to have already lost his mind and threw the wine glass off the wall, and its loud cracking sound echoed in the four-corner room.Rage and disappointment were the only emotions he could feel at the time. Just when he thought his wife would confess to hiding their child and allow him to claim his rights as a father, Michelle dismayed him once again. Worse, she was planning to file for divorce!Wasn’t she even considering Marsha’s welfare? Why did she have to be selfish? Those were the questions he wished he could answer, but he only ended up cursing so loudly in frustration. If only he could read what was in her head so he would know what she had been planning all this time...Michelle’s face as she cried flashed across his mind.He couldn’t figure out why guilt washed over him afterwards. After a minute of contemplation, he wanted to follow Michelle and apologize. However, he stopped in the doorway when his phone rang.It was t
SHE FELT her strength faded away. Her legs were wobbly and the next thing happened: she fell on the floor, unable to process what she had just found out.Ethan... Ethan was the man who saved her daughter, and the same man who had visited the hospital and probably paid the bill.Does he already know?Michelle desperately tried to clear her head so she could think straight, but this worst reality really made her dumbfounded, as if fate was trying to fuck her mind all over again."Mommy, are you alright?"She tried to gather her remaining strength. Her tears were about to fall at any moment, yet she blinked them away. Looking at Marsha, who was glancing back at her with her curious pair of gray eyes, Michelle became very worried."So... the man who owns this calling card is the same man who helped you when you went missing, sweetheart?"Marsha nodded in response. "Yes, mommy. He came into the hospital too."He must be crazy or something, Michelle thought as anger suddenly engulfed her ch
A HEAVY silence descended over the living room. Ethan exhaled as his eyes surveyed the house, as if he wanted to find something wrong and scold her afterwards. That was how Michelle felt as she slowly leaned her back against the countertop table, embracing herself while giving him a careful glance.A rhetorical question popped in her head—one that had been bothering her all night and kept her awake. How did Ethan find out that Marsha was his daughter?Ethan’s eyes landed on the portraits displayed on the TV cabinet. Those were the portraits of Marsha when she was still a newborn, when she turned one year old, and their photo that was taken in the flower shop—Marsha’s hands were full of soil, her hair was frantically a mess, yet her daughter looked beautiful as she smiled widely on the camera.Michelle saw how Ethan’s attention got focused on those portraits. Waves of guilt and fear engulfed her chest. She could see it from the corner of his marble gray eyes. He adored Marsha. That sta
"MICH, what the hell did you do? I missed you so much!"Michelle hugged her knees while facing the laptop. It had been six years, and she definitely missed her best friend. Megan looked very different now. She was sporting a wolf hairstyle that really suited her. She looked fresh and sexy in her wedding dress. Apparently, after six years, Megan had finally married Andrew.Michelle struggled to stop herself from crying. Now that there was a lot more to fear, Megan contacted her via email, requesting a video call, which she didn’t turn down. Relief flooded her as soon as she finally saw her best friend. She was her refuge, after all."I guess... congratulations on your wedding, Meg..." she said, sobbing and chuckling at the same time.Megan cried from the other line. "W—What happened, Mich? Where are you? Please... Please tell me before I lose my mind!"Michelle told her everything and didn’t even leave any details. If there was one person she trusted the most, it was Megan. Her tears p
THE WEATHER wasn’t good that day. It was pouring rain, and the cold wind brushed against her skin, making her feel even more nervous. Michelle got out of the car and looked at the five-star hotel in front of her. She swallowed the fear inside her throat.This was the day Marsha would meet her father. Michelle had no words to describe how she felt at the moment. Bullet sweat dripped on her back as she tried to collect her thoughts. She didn’t know how she would introduce Ethan to Marsha, and because of that, her body tensed, as if she was standing in the courtroom waiting to be judged for her mistakes."Wow!" Marsha shrieked in glee when she got out of the car. Her gray eyes twinkled as she looked at the towering hotel. "We’re going to meet Daddy here, mommy?""Yes," Michelle answered before clearing her throat. "Let’s get in, sweetheart."She held Marsha’s hand, but her daughter tugged at the hem of her white skirt, making her look down at her curiously."How do I look, mommy? Do you
THEY HAD the first family lunch. Marsha was very happy and she couldn’t stop telling her daddy so many stories, like she wanted him to get to know her more and to catch up on all the happenings in her life.Michelle’s lips formed a small smile as she looked over at them—a father and daughter who were having a good time and not minding the rest of the world. They were so close, as if Ethan had never been away for so long.At some point, the thorns inside her chest were removed. Michelle thought Marsha would hate them, especially Ethan, but no... she accepted the truth wholeheartedly and was happy that her savior "big man" and her daddy were just the same man.She gazed at Ethan, who laughed heartily at Marsha’s joke. Ever since they got married back in the United States, she had never seen him so happy until today. She must admit that she assumed a lot of things about him. Part of it was not accepting Marsha as his daughter or throwing them away. But right now, what she saw was a man r
HOURS before they left Milan for good, Michelle visited the flower shop for the last time.There was no doubt that Milan had become her second home. It was the place where she had to pick herself up from the depths of pain that consumed her and became her safest haven, where she didn’t have to pretend; to do something she didn’t like. To summarize it all, it was one blissful phase of life with Marsha.But now, everything would change. Ethan Steinfield, her contract husband, wanted to be part of her daughter’s life. Despite the conflict between them and the man’s threatening words, she’d give him a chance to become a father to Marsha. It was the right thing to do. After all, her daughter deserved to be happy."Are you really sure you want to do this, Signora?" Jose asked her as she visited him in the restaurant.Her Italian friend, who had become her shoulder for the past few years, stared at her with the utmost concern. They were on the balcony of the restaurant, with their coffees, a
MICHELLE leaned against the wall. Her fingers were slowly sliding inside her underwear, and she bit her lower lip as she touched her wet folds.It was the first time she had tried to touch herself. The feeling was unfamiliar, yet for every gentle stroke of her fingers, her body tensed up more. She swallowed hard and, at the same time, spread her legs wider.Her fingers gently rubbed her folds, tracing circles on them in a sensual way. Shutting her eyes, her mouth formed an ‘O’. Michelle didn’t know that touching herself in that manner could feel so good. She’d be hypocritical if she said she didn’t miss being touched. Thankfully, she didn’t need a man to do that.But her mind started to betray her as Ethan’s face flashed in her imagination right away. She remembered those nights when she was blown away by Ethan's performance on the bed; how he touched her, kissed every part of her body, and thrust inside her like their fleshes were a perfect match."Ahhh..." she moaned softly, her fin
"THE VICTIMS were sent to the hospital for proper treatment," the cops told her the moment she arrived in the area where the accident happened. Michelle could not stop crying and asked the policeman which hospital her husband had been brought to, driving immediately as soon as she got the answer she needed. She dialed Megan’s phone number and informed her best friend about the name of the hospital so she could follow because she knew that Andrew also needed her. When she arrived in the hospital, she felt nothing but the dreadful feeling coursing through her. She wanted to compose herself, but her mind was already haywire because of all the worry she had for her husband. It felt like the rest of the world stopped revolving, and all she did was run and run... "Two victims of a car accident were sent to this hospital. Where are they?" she managed to ask the front desk officer. "How are you related to the victims, Ma’am?" "I am the wife of one of them," she answered, taking a deep bre
MICHELLE walked down the stairs with Marcus in her arms. She just finished breastfeeding him and now wanted to hang out with the people in the garden.The Steinfields, her father, and Megan were all out there, preparing for the New Year’s Eve that they would celebrate that night. They all came together to welcome another New Year, and she could not be more thankful that these people came to their house to join them for another chapter of their lives."Look at that little pumpkin. He has gotten bigger, Mich," Gregory commented and immediately took his grandson from her arms.Michelle giggled. "That baby loves to sleep and eat every single time.""He looks definitely like you when you were a baby.""I believe he definitely looks like Ethan. See those marble gray eyes, Dad?"Gregory chuckled. "Well, eyes won’t lie, I guess.""Of course, Dad."She could not help but smile seeing her father try to make Marcus giggle by making faces. It was such an adorable sight, and she felt honored to wi
SHE glanced around the men's boutique, her curious eyes efficiently trying to find good clothes or anything she could give Ethan as a gift for their year-end party. Ethan already had anything; name it and anyone would find it in his vast walk-in closet. That being said, Michelle was having difficulty deciding on the best gift she could give him—that one thing that would make him smile and surprise him."There are so many designer shoes at that corner. But I don’t know which one is good for Andrew," Megan stated, and it was followed with a sigh of defeat. "God, why is it so hard to find gifts for men?"Michelle laughed a bit. She could relate, as she was having difficulty choosing too. It just so happened that they both married men who had everything, so every year they’d end up cracking their heads trying to get them nice gifts."Are you able to choose anything?" Megan curiously asked her.She shook her head, pouting her lips. "Not yet. I don’t think work suits would be a good gift. H
HE brushed his fingertips over the soft angles of his wife’s face and could not help but adore every feature she had. It was his morning routine whenever he got to wake up first in the morning, and he would find his wife still sleeping soundly next to him.Needless to say, he’d become easily addicted to her and to this kind of morning with her. Her strawberry scent that kept him enticed every single day, her soft skin that kept him warm at nights, her laughter and soft touches that kept him sated and content, and her presence that made his world colorfulHe had no idea that a man like him, who had amnesia, could be in love so hard; madly and deeply. However, he wanted to treasure that moment at all costs. This kind of beauty in his life needed to be protected and kept.Michelle’s forehead formed a knot as she lifted her head. A soft moan escaped her closed mouth, which made him smile. Seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes and met his intent gaze."Good morning," he murmured under
"YOU’RE making me crave for sex," Ethan said, kissing her neck and sucking her skin sensually.Michelle’s lips parted. She was in deep pleasure, and whenever Ethan would say things like that, a big lustful part of her was getting more aroused.Her hands traveled around his firm back. She touched the muscles he had there. A moan escaped her lips when Ethan bit her neck firmly, making her dig her nails over her bare skin. She bit her lower lip and shut her eyes, but when Ethan claimed her lips again, everything went so fuzzy.It didn’t take long before the man was able to strip her naked. The cold air brushed against her skin, making her shiver. But when Ethan pulled up to stare at—admire—her naked body, she felt the scorching heat go to her. He looked at her as if she were a piece of beautiful art. The gleaming desire to take her was evident in his marble gray eyes, and the smile of contentment that curled in his lips gave her more confidence."You’re beautiful, Mich..." Ethan said bre
The ring of her cell phone jolted her awake. With a forehead crease, Michelle rose up and quickly turned off the alarm on her cell phone. It was already 6 o’clock in the morning. She hadn’t been able to sleep for at least six hours, but she had to get up and follow the "mom on call" schedule to better take care of her little sunshine—none other than Eionn Marcus.It had been what? A month had passed when she gave birth to their second child, and Michelle could still feel the excitement getting through her whenever she would walk into the nursery room, open the curtained windows to let the sunlight lighten up the entire solemn place, and wake up her little one by planting kisses on his fluffy cheeks.It had been her morning routine. She was strictly following the "mom on call" schedule because it wasn’t only giving her much time to bond with her baby but also making sure that Marcus’ health was always a top priority."Good morning, my little sunshine..." she greeted her baby with a hea
THE CAR was filled with her whimpers, cries and screams. Her nails dug over the leather seat in the passenger seat. She was lying down there, making a few deep breaths to relax herself but the great amount of pain consuming her entire body was making her ballistic and a mess.Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. Her legs and belly were both getting numb as the minutes passed by. Ethan was driving the car so fast, completely alarmed by her situation. He was panicking so much, and so even she was in great pain, she reminded him to drive carefully as she didn’t want them to get into some road accident.“Oh, my God...” she murmured, crying. “I think I’m going to die. He’s coming out. Faster, Ethan!”“Uhm, you just told me to slow down a bit,” Ethan said nervously.“Fuck. I swear this will be the last time you’d be able to impregnate me!” she screamed on the top of her lungs and made a push before she took a few deep breaths again. “I really swear to God—““Calm down, Mich! We’re on
AFTER A MONTH, "WILL you be fine without us?" Michelle looked at her father. At first, she thought that the old man was teasing her, seeing how he curled his lips downward, but she realized that he was actually worried, seeing the worry in his eyes. Still smiling, she took a deep breath and softened her expression as she looked at her father, who she hadn't realized had become more frail as time passed. She was so busy with her life that she wasn’t able to watch out for her father. Distracted by what life had thrown her way, she didn’t notice that her father was really getting older. "I’m going to be fine." She checked over her shoulder and found Ethan, who was fixing a chandelier’s light bulb in the living room. "Ethan will be here, so you shouldn’t worry that much. I hope you and Marsha would enjoy hanging out." Her old man laughed heartily, shaking his head. He and Marsha would go to the school where they enrolled the little girl. It was going to be Marsha’s first day in her ne
"GOSH, you have to calm down, Mich!" Megan said.Michelle shook her head, pacing back and forth in the living room. Her mother-in-law called an hour ago, saying that they would send Ethan back home. Selene did not mention whether the result of the surgery turned out well or not, so she could not calm down a bit even though the people around her were telling her to do so.Megan and Andrew came to visit as they were excited to find out how the surgery went. All of them were in the living room, waiting for her husband to arrive. Holding her pregnant belly, she didn’t stop walking around, getting very impatient as she wanted to know how the surgery turned out for Ethan."I don’t understand why Mom didn’t tell me how it went," she said and stopped in front of them, biting her fingernails. "Do you think it went bad and that’s why she couldn’t tell me?""We can’t assume, Mich," her father said, sipping on his coffee."Your Dad is right. We can’t assume unless we see it personally," Andrew ad