THE DOWNFALL of Steinfield Company became a hot topic of the media for over a week. Reporters had been chasing Michelle to make a statement regarding the situation her husband’s company was facing but she never provided a single word about it.Silence had been her solace in that dark times. She thought that it was the best defense to protect the name of her family. The less she talked, the lesser she could make a mistake.Jacob tried to convince her to sign a paper that would initiate the change of ownership of the company, but that paper remained untouched on the side table of her bed.Was it wrong to feel mad at Ethan’s brother?It was the question that lingered in her mind ever since this fiasco blew up. Not that she was trying to judge Jacob’s character, but she could not help but think that the man was doing it on purpose.Did she have poor judgment?Did she really know him well?Or Ethan was right when he felt that his brother was his great nemesis?Selena and Edward visited her
“WHAT ON EARTH . . .” Ellaine started to say but stopped herself.Her eyes winced at the immense amount of anger building inside her chest as she watched the television. It was airing the sudden collapse of Ethan’s company.With her fists clenching, she took a deep breath trying to control her emotions as anytime she’d start screaming in frustration due to the madness she was feeling inside.Jasper was leaning on the door frame watching her reaction intently. A ghost of a smile could be seen on his tiny red lips as the whole fiasco entertained him.“Do you know about this?” she asked the man, her voice almost like a whisper to ensure she would not wake Ethan who was sleeping in his bedroom.“Even if I knew, I wouldn’t give a damn,” Jasper said, “It’s not my company after all.”“Isn’t this part of his doing?” Ellaine couldn’t help but be suspicious of the boss. “I think he is doing this to get revenge!”“Why would he do that, anyway?”Ellaine smiled bitterly. “Probably because he is je
“IF YOU think you could dump us this way, then you’re wrong…”Ellaine was quick to hop inside a cab. She would never allow Jacob to abandon them on the streets like rats. She had done more than enough to help him just to be treated in such a manner.It was unacceptable to her.Jacob Steinfield was a devil she thought she could rely on from the very start but the man was revealing his true colors now.It was still vivid in her mind.The man knew how much she loved his brother so much. He had seen it when she was still working for Steinfield Company. The mistake that led her to get fired from the company had become an opportunity for Jacob to hone her to be part of his plan.Until that day had finally come. That very day when Jacob came up with a great plan and asked her to become his accomplice, and in return, she would get what she wanted—Ethan. He had everything under his sleeves. It was easy for him to fake her papers and make Ethan and Michelle believe that she was one of the most
THE MOMENT Ellaine had stepped foot on Jacob’s mansion, and saw the man walking downstairs, she immediately stormed in his direction. Met him halfway and slapped him real hard on his face.Her sudden action made the man tilt his head. Seconds later, he laughed, and licked the corner of his lips that turned red because of her slap before he stared at her again.“What do you think you are doing, Jacob?!” Ellaine yelled at him angrily, her chest going up and down because of the intense emotions enveloping her chest.“Do I really have to spell it out for you?”The man raised an eyebrow, eyeing her with nothing but utter disgust like she was some kind of a pest he would not even want to stare at. That thought angered her more.“You can’t abandon us just like that, Jacob,” she said through her gritted teeth. “I didn’t take part in your plan just to be treated this way in the end. Do you want me to fuck you up? I can go ahead and show myself up to Michelle and tell her every—”“Ellaine, Ella
ETHAN tried to conceal the overwhelming sense of suspicion and curiosity he had been feeling the entire time. He thought that Ellaine had gotten more agitated since that night when she went out without letting him know where she went.The people in the apartment acted as if there was no problem; but his other senses could feel that there was something wrong even if his eyes could not see it.Ellaine and Jasper were both strange in so many ways.A flash of confusion would always consume him whenever he thought about what Jasper told him that night when he was drunk, like how everyone's minds were messed up. He knew there was a deeper meaning behind Jasper’s confusing statement, and he wanted to know what it was.That afternoon, Ethan stayed in his room, hearing Ellaine release her frustration as she spoke to someone over the phone. The woman would often scream and curse someone and start saying things that he could not decipher. Jasper, on the other hand, went back to his usual snobbis
SHE BIT down on her tongue as she looked at the official receipts that were handed to her by Ethan’s personal secretary. All the debts were paid using the share Ethan allotted for her. Michelle still pondered whether it was a good idea to use that money without her husband’s consent. However, the fiasco her family was in was getting bigger every single day, leaving her no other choice but to do it anyway.Putting the receipts down on the table, she focused her attention on Marsha. They were on the couch, sitting, and she grabbed the comb to fix Marsha’s long hair.“Mommy, why am I seeing Daddy’s picture on the news?” Marsha pointed her little finger to the smart TV, on which news about Ethan’s company was being reported.The reporter was publicly announcing that Steinfield Company would no longer operate as the wife of the CEO chose not to sell it to Jacob Steinfield. Michelle had decided that way, mainly because she wanted to save the company building. Once Ethan came back, they coul
A PANG of anxiety went through her.She kept calling Ethan, hoping that the car would come to a stop and her husband would run towards her. However, it did not happen. It was as if cold water had splashed over her. Her whole body tensed, making her unable to move for a brief second before the fear started to consume her.Her husband was going away!Afraid that she would lose him again, she stepped back, parted her lips, and immediately ran to the cab she hired. As the adrenaline rushed through her, she commanded the driver to follow the car where Ethan was.“Drive faster, Sir. It’s my husband. I need to see him!” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she couldn’t help but become anxious by the second.The car Ethan was in was driving so fast. Luckily, her driver understood that it was urgent and drove fast too to follow her husband.Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried to figure out for herself why Ethan did not even look her way. She called him, but he never responded.
“WHO WAS SHE?”Ethan was raising hell when they went home. He was damn frustrated. He could feel that his insides would explode in frustration.Jasper had been so silent on their way home, but with the way the man drove the car so fast, Ethan knew that the woman who called him back in front of the company building chased them.He wanted to know why they ran away from the woman. Was she dangerous? Why did she know his name? Why did she chase them?Those were the questions that kept fucking up his mind. The only person that he thought could answer all these questions was Jasper, but the goddamn nurse would not open his mouth to say a single word about what happened.“Jasper!” he shouted. His chest went up and down due to his heavy breathing. The apartment was silent, which only meant that Ellaine was not home yet. It was a perfect time for them to talk. “Goddamnit! Why don’t you speak now while Ellaine isn’t here yet? I’m so fucking confused!”“This is not the right time for you to know
"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