DAYS PASSED like blinks of an eye. Michelle got so occupied that before she even realized it, the annual party of the Steinfield Company had finally come.
The said party would be held in the enormous event hall of the hotel owned by Ethan’s family. Over the past couple of days, she and Ethan had been so busy dealing with the preparation for the party.
It was a tradition of the Steinfields, and since the event only happened every year, Ethan’s family made sure that it would be grand, elegant, and the talk of the town in the States. Needless to say, Michelle thought that Ethan’s family did not fail to throw such a grand party. With all the business tycoons, shareholders, investors, influencers, and media reporters invited to the party, she already knew that the said party would be featured in the biggest magazines, articles, and even on television.
Ethan’s grandparents and relatives would be there too. Although Michelle had already mastered
WITH HER HEART pounding wildly, Michelle turned to the door as soon as Megan opened it. Despite how her body tensed up, her lips managed to form a smile. Ethan might have come to pick them up, and she wanted to be her best self when he saw her.But when the door widely opened, her eyes glanced over at the familiar face of a man who was absolutely good-looking in his all-dark blue formal attire, wearing a sexy smirk that made her best friend gasp in surprise—a man who was not Ethan, but none other than Andrew, his best friend, who turned out to be Megan’s boyfriend."Andrew!" Megan exclaimed.The next thing Michelle witnessed was the two hugging each other, like they hadn't been able to see each other for a long time. Seconds later, they kissed, and that was Michelle’s cue to turn her gaze away, feeling totally awkward."I thought I was imagining and saw the mother of my future children for a brief seconds. God, you look amazing, Meg!"
HER BODY was rattling, her heart was racing too fast inside her chest, and a familiar tension was building against her skin.The moment she laid her eyes on the man who was wearing an all-black suit and pure temptation, she struggled to take her eyes off of him. Ethan was definitely the man of every woman’s dream, and he, out of millions of men around the world, was the one who became her husband.I don’t fucking like this feeling at all, she thought.Her chest was clouded with those emotions that made her feel giddy. Her stomach was twisting as if there were bats dancing inside of it, and no matter how hard she tried to calm her heart, it wouldn’t listen to her and only pounded of its own accord.She only came back to her senses when they reached the staircase. Her mouth fell open as she glanced down at the party that screamed nothing but elegance and classiness. Crowds were dressed in expensive gowns and suits, conversing with each oth
ETHAN GAZED at his older brother like he wanted to punch him in the face, and a flash of panic went through Michelle as she noticed it in his eyes."This is just a casual conversation," Jacob told Ethan as he sipped from his champagne glass.Ethan gave him a questioning, hard look. "You seem to like having a casual conversation with my wife when there are other women available here.""Ethan," Michelle called for him through her gritted teeth. She tapped his chest, trying to get his attention and wanted him to stop. "We’re not doing anything wrong. Please, calm down."He gazed at her as a devilish chuckle escaped his mouth. "I am still fucking calm, my wife."Michelle shook her head and looked at him in disbelief. She then turned to face Jacob, who never seemed bothered by his brother’s behavior. She could not help but feel ashamed. A minute ago, she was defending Ethan and even told Jacob that he was likeable. Now, Ethan came and acted
IN A FLASH, she felt conflicted about her feelings toward the man who was extending his hand, waiting for her to hold it.Michelle swallowed the lump in her throat. In her mind, she kept asking herself whether she was attracted to him or not.Was it because Ethan was so damn charming right now that she felt like her heart was going to explode?Or was it his sincere words that made her feel such things?Blinking those thoughts away, Michelle inhaled sharply. It was suck to think that somehow, she’d come to like Ethan. It was impossible for her to like him. They have signed a contract that prohibits them from feeling such things toward each other.She just couldn’t...She lifted her hand and accepted Ethan’s invitation to dance with him. Although her heart was frantically a mess already, she had to do what she had to do, and that included joining her husband on the dance floor as many eyes were looking at them. One hunch of a
ETHAN SHUT the door behind him as soon as they entered her suite. Suddenly, his scent filled the air in the room, and it was absolute madness for Michelle.He really had a way of taking her mind off everything. One kiss was enough for her to forget the party, even the rest of the world, and right now, the only thing that mattered to her was to seize the moment she had with her husband.Ethan was kissing him in a way that made her legs wobble. It was overwhelmingly hot, and her body was burning as their lips smacked continuously.She pushed her body closer to him. A needy moan escaped her when Ethan parted her lips and tasted every corner of her mouth. It was the voice of a woman who was in absolute hunger and desire, and it was a voice she could no longer recognize."Fuck," Ethan whispered in between their kisses.Michelle knew he had lost control. His hands traveled to the back of her gown, trying to tear the zipper apart so he could undress her.
THE FAMILIAR anxiety swirled around her chest and mind after having sex with her husband. Zipping up the zipper of her gown while she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, Michelle could only let out a long, quiet sigh.Her realization hit her to the core. It was wrong to mess up with a man who was not romantically inclined, let alone fall in love with him, knowing that there was a contract that prohibited them from feeling such emotions toward each other.What’s worse was that she knew it was an unrequited love.Michelle could feel that her own emotions had become a vortex of chaos, and it truly sucked up her heart to the extent that she felt the taste of misery.But she couldn't allow herself to be overcome by such feelings. It was painful, yes. It was all wrong, something that should not have started in the first place, but she would do everything to cease it... and Ethan would never find out about it.With that in mind, she started putti
"ARE YOU PLANNING to get drunk at a formal party like this?"Michelle was about to drink another shot of tequila when a familiar voice suddenly spoke behind her, making her spin around, only to see Selene Steinfield, who was currently giving her a disappointing look as the old woman raised an eyebrow, as if she was some sort of bad daughter-in-law.She could not believe that her mother-in-law seemed to have extra time to mind her. With all the cameras lurking in every corner of the event hall, the last thing she expected was a goddamn confrontation between her and Selene."There are cameras everywhere, Mom," she said, and gave her a thin smile. "I think it would be best if you smiled a bit at me so no one would suspect that you hate me.""Michelle," Megan called out to Michelle, who was sitting right next to her worriedly.Selene then smiled sweetly, seemingly getting what she meant but still refusing to give up the conversation so easily. "Can you
MICHELLE STOOD up. Her eyes looked around to find Ethan, but she could not see even his shadow among the crowd, not even in the corner where she saw him talking to Ashley earlier. She let out a sigh of defeat and turned to Nana Rose, who was already tired and sleepy.Nana wanted to go to her suite, and take a rest. Even Pops Will could not be seen. According to Nana, he might have joined his son at the casino, which was located on the other floor. Michelle had no choice but to help the old woman go to her suite instead."Come, Nana. I will take you to your suite myself," she offered.Nana Rose was happy to hear it, and immediately stood up slowly."I am sorry to be a bother, hon." She then surveyed the event hall. "But where is Ethan?""He’s probably speaking to some businessmen." She shrugged and smiled. "That’s how business-minded your grandson is, Nana."Nana Rose chuckled and nodded in response. "Oh, there’s no doubt ab
"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