Sitting down in the restaurant, I took in the general splendor for dim lighting and warm colors. The entire air of the place was rather romantic, and the way James looked at me made me feel as if I was the only woman in the room he had eyes for, and perhaps that was true, but I had to keep my head straight."This place is really nice," I said as I continued to admire the room before letting my eyes fall upon him. The lust filled gaze he was giving me made my stomach knot with anticipation."I figured you would like it," he replied, lifting his wineglass to his lips with a smirk upon his face.To think, just days ago, I was considering letting go of everything I had with James, and now I was sitting here across from him trying to decide if the situation was real or just an elaborate dream I had come up with."I suppose we should discuss some things…"Hesitation filled my words, but my thoughts kept swirling over the possibility he had been pining for me day and night since we
"Give me a moment, and I'll grab my things," I called out to James as I made my way through the living room toward my bedroom. Neal wasn't home right now, but that was fine. He texted me to let me know he was heading up towards the university to sign off on the properties he purchased.I wasn't sure how he could make things happen so quickly, but I knew, in the society of the rich, there were no timelines to getting what you wanted. Packing my clothes into my suitcase, I moved around the room and stopped when I felt someone behind me. Turning, I spotted James leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest and an unsettling look on his face."What's wrong?"Taking a moment, he shook his head and pushed a smile onto his face. "Nothing. Almost done?"I knew there was more to what he wasn't saying, but I chose not to press him for the information. If he really wanted me to know, he would tell me, and right now wasn't the place for it.Zipping up the last o
Becca.The tension was high when we met Neal to look at the apartment. I had suddenly regretted the idea of letting something like that happen because the entire time James looked like he was going to kill Neal. Which wasn't good.Every moment Neal made regarding me, I felt as if James was pulling me back. Every word Neal would say, I heard the scoff of disapproval leave James' throat.He wasn't pleased with Neal being there, and I wasn't quite sure why.Never once had I honestly seen James act truly jealous, but right now, I found it all more than amusing. "Well, that was fun."As soon as Neal left, and James and I were left alone, I tried to find a way to approach the conversation. James paced around the living room of my new apartment, glancing out the large bay windows as he watched Neal walk to his car."What are you doing?" I finally asked him, causing him to look over his shoulder at me."Why didn't you tell me?" he replied with irritation in his tone.Furrowi
Becca.If I had to describe how the current set of events were going with James, I would have to describe them as odd. Two days had passed with flying colors, and James and I did the things normal couples would do. Shopping, sex, and so on.Yet, it was different from how it was before. It didn't feel the same, and I wasn't sure why.Standing in my kitchen, I looked around at my new apartment. Furniture deliveries came late yesterday, and boxes from the movers still lined the walkways. I had a lot to do to get set up, but I was missing one very important aspect.James Valentino.Twenty minutes ago, I was shedding tears because he was telling me he had to leave. Twenty minutes ago, I was going through a rush of emotions, trying to reassure myself we could make this work and that everything was going to be okay. Twenty minutes ago, everything changed. The moment he walked out of my front door after kissing me goodbye, I burst into tears, wanting to run after him, telling h
James.The moment I landed in Miami, I was bombarded with messages from Allison, Tally, and even Becca. Even others messaged me, questioning me about a mystery woman I had been seen with. Of course, Alison pointed out that it was clearly Becca.I was confused about what they were talking about, but as soon as I opened my phone, I saw the picture of Becca and I at the Convention in New York. We weren't alone, of course, we were with Neal and two other people that were in the background.The photo wasn't intimate, but we were very close, and we were talking. The photo must have been taken right after I had kissed her, but it was still enough to make people question who she was and if we were more.That wasn't what mattered, though. Allison had assumed that Becca had not heeded her warning, and it didn't matter how many times that I told her to back off and leave Becca alone. She refused.This was the last thing I needed right now while I was trying to fix my relationship
Becca With James being gone, I had to keep myself preoccupied, which meant diving into my studies and pretending to be the A plus student I had always been. While the other seniors were enjoying spending time with their loved ones and friends, I hid away in the library when needed and then rushed through the halls to my next class, learning as much as I could before heading home.There wasn't much I honestly wanted to do. The one person who I wanted to spend my time with wasn't here, and as much as I missed him, I understood the importance of making sure business was taken care of.Walking from one of my math classes and heading towards the library, I ended up bumping into a familiar face in the hallway I hadn't seen in almost two years."Becca?" Tyson asked as he looked down at me with a large grin across his face. His dark, shaggy hair hanging just below his eyes before he quickly whipped his head to the side, moving his hair from his eyes."Tyson, I didn't think tha
James.The short conversation I had with Becca the night before had been playing on my mind all day. She seemed down and worn out over all the issues with the people talking about what was going on with her and me.It didn't matter how much my PR team tried to make things go away, Allison was very determined to make sure that Becca paid for even thinking that she could have me. Never in my life had I thought Allison was going to be like this.After all these years of us being divorced, she was the pettiest woman I've ever met, and I had regretted ever spending part of my life with her.Trying to keep myself preoccupied, I made plans to take Becca to Europe during Christmas break. I wanted to show her how much she meant to me and that things were going to get better. She deserved it, after all."Mr. Valentino, there is a man here to see you," Evette said from my office door. She seemed on edge, and her nervousness didn't sit well with me. However, I nodded and gestured with
AllisonHanging up the phone with James, I couldn't stop the anger coursing through me. For him to honestly think he could just speak to me however he wanted to was beyond insane. I was, once upon a time, the only woman he loved, and since the moment that little whore Becca stepped into our lives, I had completely lost control of him.Pacing around my living room, I took in the fading decor and the unfortunate end to the lavish lifestyle I had once lived. I had lost so much over the past few years and all because James didn't understand the needs I had.He had been gone all the time traveling overseas, and with the many photos I constantly had seen of him with other women, it was hard for me to believe he wasn't cheating on me. So, in a moment of weakness, I had slept with somebody else. It wasn't anything serious. It was a one time thing, and yet, James never forgave me for what I had done.Even though I had forgiven him so many times over the transgressions against me he h
Becca.I didn't need to push much longer until the baby was born. I let out a sigh of relief as a lot of pressure was released as the doctor announced the head was out. I was almost done pushing. Out came the shoulders, and then the doctor was able to pull the baby out. She lifted the baby up and smiled, studying the baby for a moment. "It's a boy!" she said, causing the room to erupt into cheers. I gave a very quiet cheer of my own, my body completely exhausted. I closed my eyes, tears still spilling down my cheeks. I was still worried about how healthy he was, though, since he had come so early. "The baby is healthy, even if a bit underweight. He'll get meat on his bones in no time," the doctor assured me, reaching over to hand the baby to me. Putting a few clips into place, the doctor handed James a pair of scissors, and he cut the umbilical cord. Then, she began the process of helping me pass the afterbirth while the nurses prepared to clean our son up while
Becca.Several months had passed since our honeymoon, and things had been going wonderfully. The baby was developing very healthily, and they were going to be on the way soon. I was tired as I sat on the couch, reading up on some news. The progress with Guatemala went very well. I had made contact with locals who were going to make sure everything ran smoothly and children would be getting what they needed. The thought made me smile. Children deserved wonderful lives. The kids were just put to bed about an hour ago. 8:00 PM was too early for me to go to bed quite yet, but I was feeling tired. Still, I needed a snack, as my cravings were intensifying lately by quite a bit. I walked up to the fridge and rummaged through it, pulling out a jar of pickles and giving a satisfied sigh. I grabbed a plate, taking out several to munch on while I watched television. Maybe this would help me wake up a little bit. I wanted to wait until James got home. He was busy worki
Allegra."I have made a list of reputable centers that we can look into," I said to Layla, leaning on her as we stared at a laptop on the table. At the moment, we were looking into adopting, though not right this instant. We wanted to do a lot of research first. Not to mention, Layla wanted to get another cat so Onyx had a playmate, and they'd need to adapt to our apartment first. The idea of adoption was a prospect both of us adored. Giving a child a loving home would be a wonderful thing. Layla pointed to the screen, saying softly, "I've heard about that one. Good things, thankfully. I think we should be open-minded about teens." She frowned sadly, closing her eyes. "They are often overlooked.""I agree," I said. "They may be a large responsibility, as teenagers can be rowdy, but I'm confident we can handle it. Can't be worse than being captured by the Russian mob," I said with a chuckle. Layla winced but gave a half-smile. "You still think about that, huh
Becca."This place is beautiful," I said, looking around the fancy restaurant in Florence and letting out a happy sigh. Vines practically dripped from the ceiling, making it feel as though we were in a romantic movie. My life was similar enough to one, at this point! Mariano and Neal sat together across the table from James and I, all smiles and warm energy as well. They sipped wine and nodded, agreeing with my observation about the atmosphere. I took a sip of water myself, always mindful of the baby."This is the place where we met!" Mariano exclaimed with excitement. "When I first laid my eyes on Neal, I knew a prince had entered the establishment. A handsome one that made me swoon in my seat," he said. He winked at Neal, and the other man blushed. I giggled, gushing, "You two are so cute! I'm so happy for you. It really does look like you connected, which is wonderful. Just like a storybook!" Mariano nodded, his grin only widening at the idea. This place had a
James. "Look at how wonderful and huge they are, James!" Becca exclaimed, causing me to smile. It was the day after our first engagement on the beach, and I was happy to relax. At the moment, we were looking at some giant tortoises with a deep sense of awe.She was right; they were the size of side tables. A guide handed Becca some lettuce, which she held out to the tortoise. She squealed with delight as the animal took a leaf from her and began munching, causing my smile to widen even further. I was so happy to be able to relax. Security had reported nothing odd happening, and they seemed to be having a ball as well. I was relieved, though I shouldn't have expected anything bad to happen. Not like the Cartwrights tracked our every move. At least, I hoped not. I shook that thought out of my mind as Becca continued to give a ton of attention to the tortoises. One of the security men walked over with a camera in his hand, beaming at us. "Let's get some pictures of
Becca.This was it. The perfect honeymoon, the one where James and I would have the time of our lives. I was thrilled, my heart singing even as I looked out the window of the airplane we were taking. With the money I had, we were able to charter a private jet. Even after all these months, I'd never completely gotten used to always being able to afford the best of everything. The staff was very kind, including the flight attendants who catered to our every need. Our money came with a lot of advantages. I tried not to think about that too much, though. It made me feel guilty.Rather, when my worries became too heavy, I reminded myself of the charity that I was starting off. I realized I couldn't physically go to Guatemala, but with my wealth, I reached out to locals for the best ways to run a charity for kids there. The representative I spoke with had been wonderfully helpful, and it made me beyond happy that I could still help while not being there. I had decided I
James."This is going to be such a wonderful trip, James!" Becca exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled, returning the hug and holding her close. When she pulled away, I gave her a tender kiss.At the moment, we were sitting in the living room of the compound with a laptop open on the table showing all the activities we could do in Seychelles. The pictures of beautiful, pristine beaches with shining sand and deep blue water got me excited, too."I think we should see the tortoises and dolphins," Becca said, giving a smile. "The kids are going to love those pictures. Someday, we need to take them with us, to a kid-friendly area." No doubt she would be paying attention to that during our honeymoon. "That is an excellent idea, my love," I said to her, giving her another squeeze. We exchanged another kiss as she continued to scroll through the pictures and destinations. Thankfully, the trip was taken care of flight-wise and hotel-wise. Having money was
Neal.A few weeks had passed since I met Mariano, and the strong sense of attraction I had to both his looks and personality had not faded. In fact, we were hitting it off even harder now, and I couldn't be happier. Thankfully, I was brave enough to call Becca and say I wanted to visit as a friend. I meant it this time. There was no ulterior motive, not that there had been one, to begin with. She may have been stuck in my head a little, but that wasn't an issue anymore. After some hesitation, she agreed to see me. Likely because I wanted to introduce her to Mariano, which put her at ease for me not actually being after her anymore. I accepted that she was with James. Mariano and I were sharing lunch before heading out. I gazed into his eyes, my own full of adoration for the man. "We're really hitting it off, aren't we?" I chuckled, breaking the silence that had formed between us as we ate sandwiches. Mariano winked, saying, "I think we are, yes. I am thrill
James.Still feeling beyond happy about the news of the baby still being healthy, I walked over to the fridge to get myself a quick snack before meeting with Giovani. Becca was dripping with joy, which made me relieved, to say the least. She had no idea what was going on in the background, and I didn't want her to, either. She shouldn't suffer the stress of anything anymore. My wife was looking forward to a wonderful life with our expanding family, and I wouldn't let worry settle in her mind. At least, despite the stress on my end, we were going to have our honeymoon soon. The kids were happy, and that's all I could ask for. Speaking of which, I stopped into the nursery for a visit before heading off to discuss things with my cousin. Alessandro was playing around with a few cars and stuffed animals. Dahlia sat in front of him, doing the same, making happy cooing noises threaded in with a few words. When they saw me, they let out squeals of happiness and hobbled o