"DO YOU THINK I was a bad mother?"
Jose glanced at her. They helped the cops to find her daughter, but so far, there has been no progress with the investigation. They had just collected all the CCTV footage and were reviewing it at the station. According to the cops, it might take another hour for Michelle to hear from them.
She had nothing to do but wait. Michelle was already damn worried. Every second passed, Marsha’s life was in danger. A pang of anxiety consumed her thoughts. At the same time, she blamed herself as to why Marsha ran away. Had she only understood Marsha and given her what she wanted, things would not have turned into a mess like this.
Marsha’s classmates would not have bullied her, and she would not have gone missing.
"I know you are trying your best, Signora," Jose replied in his soothing voice. He’d been trying to make her calm, but her heart would not relax unless she got to see her daughter safe.
"Whenever
ETHAN could feel the heaviness in his chest. Seeing Michelle hugging the little girl he helped and how Marsha called her mommy, he felt damn betrayed... cheated on. Worse, he felt like garbage that was thrown away.His blood boiled at all the memories starting to replay in his mind; all those good times he shared with her, and even the bad times, which were supposed to strengthen their relationship but in reality ruined what they had all at once.How could she have a daughter? A question that kept whirling around his head, but upon seeing the man standing next to Michelle, he had a conclusion in mind.With that, his jaw clenched, hands fisted as he glanced over at them from inside the car. At the time, he thought about destroying her to seek revenge for what she did, but a shred of an unfamiliar feeling enveloped him when Michelle walked towards his car. Ethan could no longer think straight at the close sight of her.Michelle never changed. She was still
"I'VE GOT SOME information for you, Mr. Steinfield," the private investigator told him during a phone call.Holding a glass of whiskey, Ethan was standing across the picturesque night view of the city of Milan, which could be viewed through the wide glass window from the VIP hotel suite he stayed at. He sipped on his glass while the other hand was holding the phone right next to his ear."Hmm, entertain me. Fire it away.""Michelle Finley, 28 years old, migrated to Milan six years ago. Her flower shop, which she named after her daughter, was known in Brera. She has a daughter whose name is Marsha, a 5-year-old girl who goes to the Brera Kindergarten school. She was never seen with other men except with Jose Bianchi, a businessman whose relationship with her hasn’t been confirmed yet. But they seemed very close," informed by the private investigator."How about her daughter’s father?""Definitely not Jose Bianchi, but I’m still loo
“SO, WHAT do you know about your father?” Ethan asked Marsha as they played catch.He threw the ball in Marsha’s direction, and was impressed when the little girl caught it without breaking a sweat. However, her shoulder sagged, perhaps because of his question.“I haven’t seen my dad yet but mommy said that he’s handsome,” Marsha replied. “He is working overseas so he can’t be with us. But I hope he comes home on my birthday. I want to see him so badly.”“Overseas?” Ethan’s forehead creased. “In which country?”“In America,” Marsha responded. “Mom told me they got married there. I know she misses dad too. I’ve seen her crying several times at night. That’s why I want dad to come home because of mom too.”Ethan stiffened in his stance, feeling the cold crawled through his skin. A bolt of fear suddenly went through him that al
MICHELLE LET OUT a loud exhale as she palmed her forehead. Once again, she wasn’t able to talk to the man who helped Marsha. The more their paths crossed without a conversation, the more she felt indebted to the man. She wanted to thank him so badly for his help, for without his help, Marsha might have been involved in trouble she couldn’t ever imagine.Sighing, she went back to the alfresco area of the restaurant, only to find Marsha leaning against the wall, head lowered as if her mind was clouded by something. Michelle had always thought that her daughter was ahead of the other kids her age. She was profound, a great observer, and had a smart mouth, which, by the way, she got from her own mother."I didn’t get a chance to speak with your hero once again," Michelle remarked, walking closer to her daughter and crouching in front of her. "It seems to me that your big man is too busy to have a minute with me. So, did you play with him?"Marsha n
THE NEXT MORNING,Michelle noticed that her daughter had been quiet since they left their house. They were on the road, on their way to Marsha’s school. Her daughter was in the front seat and was continuously looking at the streets they passed by on the sidewalk.She couldn’t help but get worried, and so even though she was hesitant, she still asked her daughter, "Marsha, is there anything that bothers you?"Marsha glanced her way, giving her a shake of the head. However, Michelle did not believe it. Even if Marsha denied it, her expression told her differently."Didn’t I tell you that we should not keep secrets from each other?" she reminded her.Marsha then sighed, her fingers tapping her legs as if she was contemplating whether she would tell her what was bothering her or not."I’d be bothered if you didn’t tell me what’s wrong, sweetheart."Michelle directed the car to the right alley, and they arrived in front of the kindergarten school a few seconds later. She shifted her positi
ETHAN WENT back to the Brera Kindergarten after a few minutes. By that time, Michelle had already left the premise which would allow him to stalk Marsha without getting caught. His arm was rested on the side window, index finger gently caressing his lower lip while he was in a deep contemplation.In order to perform a DNA, he needed to get a sample of Marsha’s saliva or strand of hair. He breathed hard, knowing that his plan was not legal, for Michelle had no idea about it. However, he ran out of option. He knew Michelle would never agree performing a DNA even if he asked politely. There was no other way but to do it in a crook manner.A few hours later, the kindergarten school’s bell rang, an indication for lunch break. Ethan went to the main gate and was assisted by the guard.“May I help you, Signor?”“I’m here to visit a student. Marsha Finley,” he said.The guard nodded in response. “May I know how are you related to the kid?”“I am the man who saved her. She was the child who we
WHEN MARSHA WAS done eating her food, she went to the restroom which Ethan saw as an opportunity to take the spoon she used. He put it on a transparent zip-locked bag and hid it on the secret pocket of the suit he wore. A little boy saw what he did, but he didn’t care less and only glared at the kid.He exited the cafeteria and padded down the hallway near the restroom. Waiting for Marsha, he leaned against the wall and couldn’t help but feel excited about performing a DNA.“Mister, why are you here?” Marsha asked as soon as she went out of the restroom.He crouched down and held her arms. “I have an important meeting. I need to leave.”“That fast?” Marsha’s expression turned sorrowful.Ethan felt a pang of pain as he looked at her. His hand moved to caress her soft hair, trying to soothe her. “I will visit you again, probably tomorrow.”“Promise?” Marsha asked for pinkies swear.Ethan chuckled a bit, but then he showed her his pinky finger and interlocked it with hers.“I promise.”“
AFTER A DEEP contemplation, Michelle had finally decided to contact her best friend, Megan, who was living in the United States. Her palms were sweating as she sat down on the table, facing her laptop and then logging into her email account.For the first time after escaping six years ago, she checked her personal email and figured out that Megan had sent her hundreds of emails all this time. Her eyes burned, hot tears starting to pool in them as she scrolled all the way down, scanning the subjects of Megan’s email which all asking her to come back and to contact her.Out of fear that she would get caught, she cut her connection to the only person who understood and had taken her side without any judgment, which was Megan. She had no courage to tell her best friends her whereabouts as she wanted to go on with her pregnancy without any issues, and without the people who had contributed to her struggle back in the United States.She didn’t tell Megan... as she knew Marsha’s father would
"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