Nathan's POV "Are you certain that you really love this woman?” Father enquired as we retreated into his study."Yes, father, I am deeply in love with her,” I answered affirmatively.“I’m not going to object to it. I understand that there's a huge difference in class, but since you are so resolute and genuine in your affection towards her, I'm going to support it," he declared.“Thanks so much, father. "I thanked him. “I hope you will be able to protect and love her better than I did for your mother,” he said, his expression sorrowful. “Your mother went through a lot with my family. She was humiliated, but despite all that, she stood by me still. When I was told she eloped with another man, I should have tried to look for her and ascertain the truth," he lamented with regret.“I was a fool. I didn't trust my woman enough. I wish I could turn back the hands of time; I would have made a better choice. She wouldn't have died just like that,” he said, and he adjusted his glasses. ”I hop
Felix’s POV“The managing director of Everton Medicals, Nathan Everton, just proposed to his girlfriend with a diamond ring worth several thousand euros in a five-star hotel. His girlfriend, Judith Summers, is an exceptionally beautiful woman, and she agreed to his proposal. We wish them a lifetime of happiness," I overheard the reporter say from the television in the bar where I was seated, drunk and wasted."Hey, bring me more drinks!" I shouted, my voice filled with intoxication.It was so difficult to believe that Judith wouldn't even give me the chance to explain myself, let alone consider the notion of reuniting. She seemed so different; she isn't naive anymore. She must have gotten stronger after her ordeal. After all, who would go through such an experience and not become tougher?The fact that my feelings for her remain vehemently left me in a devastating state. No matter how much I try to forget her, I find my thoughts drifting back to her, longing for and constantly concern
John presented the paternity test results before me, and to my uttermost surprise, it was a match. The realisation that he had been the one who had invaded our home and assaulted Judith wasn't anything I could have imagined in a thousand years. The mere possibility of it was unthinkable.I found it difficult to believe, but the evidence was right in front of me. I felt a mix of emotions for Judith—on the one hand, a surge of happiness, and on the other, profound sympathy for Judith. Her wedding wasn't going to be held again. For the second time, she would be heartbroken. I was torn between pity and an unknown selfish satisfaction.Nathan Everton disrupted our wedding, and now he wants to marry the same woman. No wonder the affection and care for the kids were so evident—they were his own after all. Judith is unaware, and I'm sure she envisioned him as a kind man."How do you get the samples? I asked, and my curiosity piqued.“I’m an Everton; I always get whatever I want,” he replied w
Judith’s POV Nathan proposed to me at one of the luxurious five-star hotels in London. The media, an event planner, a live band, and almost everyone significant in society were involved since I was about to get married to the most eligible bachelor in London."Would you do me the honour of marrying me and making me a complete man?” He asked as he got on one knee, holding an exquisitely crafted diamond ring. According to the media, the ring could easily purchase two Rolls-Royces."Yes, I will," I replied, slipping the ring onto my finger as the music band played a serenade.It was beautiful beyond anything I had ever imagined—Nathan had shown another side of himself I hadn’t seen before or ever expected, one filled with romance. I felt immensely grateful for his gift.Even the twins were so happy. They came to love Nathan and relied greatly on him. They were so glad I'm getting married and that they would also gain a father.Everything unfolded at a fast pace; it hasn't even been up t
How I managed to get home still amazes me. My hands trembled, but I tried to maintain composure as I still refused to believe Felix. I felt like he was just trying to keep us apart and sabotage our wedding, yet the certainty in his tone and the conviction engraved on his face left me unsettled."Hey, babe, where have you been? Nathan asked, his face overshadowed with worry. I stood there, momentarily speechless, scrutinising his face as if I could somehow detect the truth from his expression."Judith?""Judith?""Judith," he called out, gently shaking me from my stupor.“Yes," I answered, snapping back to reality.“Are you okay, baby? You look exhausted,” he asked, his voice etched with deep concern.“Yes, I'm fine, baby. Just a little rest will do," I said, forcing a convincing smile."The housekeeper told me you went out. Where have you been?" he asked again, his concern unwavering."Yes, I went out for a walk. I was bored indoors,” I lied, hoping my voice and expression didn't betr
Nathan's POV Life has never been so favourable for me. I have never experienced such happiness as I have recently. Getting engaged to Judith has made me a content and fulfilled man, which I scarcely believed was possible. I was scared while proposing to her, fearing that she might reject my proposal since she seemed so sceptical about marriage. A great surge of relief washed up on me when I slid the ring into her fingers. Now we are about to get married.Preparations for the wedding have already started, and in less than a month, we will be finally and legally married. It seems too good to be true. It all feels almost surreal, like a dream I wouldn't want to wake from. At long last, I will be with the woman I have always cherished and desired.Yet, despite my happiness, it has been clouded by constant fear and discord. The assault case keeps drifting into my mind, changing my mood. My father's words resonate in my ears: "Secrets always have a way of coming out in the end." I need to
The subsequent three days unfolded more smoothly than I could have ever expected. It was surprising to see how effortlessly my mind drifted away from the paternity results, allowing me to fully concentrate on the whirlwind of wedding preparations.My schedule was filled with appointments. I met with the event planning company, consulting a renowned fashion designer to select a custom-made, hand-beaded wedding dress. I wanted something unique, beautiful, and breathtaking, so I opted to create my own design. Everything went smoothly, and I enjoyed every bit of it.After preparing dinner with the chefs, I ventured into the room to take a shower. I was about to undress when I received an email notification from the hospital. I wasn't anxious about opening the message. Instead, I went on and took my shower, putting on a simple dress afterwards."Alright, let's check the paternity results," I muttered to myself as I settled in front of the laptop to check the mail.I opened the message, qui
Nathan's POV"Check the mail on the laptop," she said, handing me the laptop.It was just as I had speculated. My suspicion was confirmed. I opened it to find the paternity results from the hospital. At this point, I knew that Nemesis had caught up with me. There was no hiding place or any explanation I could give that would make sense."Judith, I'm sorry. I can explain," I said, attempting to move closer to her."If you try to come closer to me, I swear I'm going to kill you," she warned, her voice laced with fury. Is this true or not?" She demanded, wiping her tears, her anger and pain evident."I'm sorry, Judith. Please just let me explain," I pleaded, my voice breaking. "It was all in the past. I was stupid and ruthless then," I conceded. "I'm a changed man now."She continued crying, sank to the floor, buried her face in her lap, and grasped her head with her hands. All I could mutter was "I'm sorry." That was all that came to mind."So the reason you loved me and the kids, the r
Judith's POVThe astonishment on his face as I kissed him was unparalled. He, along with everyone else in the office, were left speechless. As my eyes drifted to where Felix was seated, I could see anger deposited on his face."Who are you?" The chief asked, his tone laced with curiosity."Oh, apologies, sir. I'm Judith Summers, Nathan's fiancé, and the supposed victim of the alleged assault."Oh, Mrs. Summers. I was under the impression, according to Mr. Felix's statements, that you were out of town, hence the reason we did not summon you for questioning," he said, directing a scrutinising glare at Felix. By this time, Felix's expression exhibited utter disappointment."Oh, I found it peculiar that I wasn't called in. The fact that he told you I was out of town should tell you that he's a despicable liar," I spat, wondering how I managed to keep my act together."I wanted to wait for your return, but these were serious allegations that necessitated urgent attention. That was why I c
Judith's POV Immediately, I called Nathan, and he came running over and arrived even before I knew it. It was so comforting to have him around. I could feel the sympathy and regret in his voice and eyes as he occasionally shot glares at me.Throughout his stay, my heart kept racing. I could feel his heart beat too, especially when I cried on his shoulders. I kept wondering why the universe is so unfair to us. We both loved each other, but we can't be together.The solution Nathan had come up with wasn't exactly a good one, and I couldn't help but imagine the worst-case scenario that would emerge from this whole situation. This could end him and everything he had worked hard for.The choice he made was a hard one, but he did it anyway. He did it to protect us and take responsibility for his past actions. I felt pity for him and wished there was another way out of this problem.Convincing him to look for a better solution seemed futile as he became resolute, explaining that he didn't w
Nathan's POV Despite all the humiliation I had felt from the broken engagement, I was able to swallow it all, and only the thoughts of Judith's forgiveness filled my mind. I stopped calling or visiting her, not because I had moved on but because I wanted her to heal. Constantly seeing me might hurt her further.The last thing I had ever expected from her was for her to get back with me. Everything I had done to her was enough to make her miserable for a lifetime. I just wanted her forgiveness, and that's all.Lately, my life has been a rollercoaster of bad news. Judith's casting me aside has affected my whole being. I couldn't function and focus properly on work. It had gotten so bad that I even lost a business deal because I kept discussing it absentmindedly while the meeting was ongoing. The investor got angry and cancelled the whole project.Father had gotten so angry at me over the phone when he heard that I had lost a project worth millions of euros. He yelled, telling me to mov
Felix's POVThe bombshell I dropped cast an eerie pall over the environment. She stared at me with a mixture of confusion and hatred. However, my mind was resolute, and I felt no remorse for my actions. Her behaviour had driven me to the point where I forgot everything we had shared in the past.Despite my efforts to be considerate and avoid making things difficult for her, she seemed determined to shut me out of her life completely."What did you mean, Felix?" she asked, her voice barely masking the pain."You have to marry me, or the world will know how your kids came into existence. They will know they are a product of assault," I declared harshly.She was speechless for a while, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Overwhelmed and anxious, she stood up from the couch, paced around the living room, then sat down again.I could feel her uneasiness as she asked, "And how do you intend to do that? Felix, you're making my blood boil. I just want you out of my sight.""You must think I
Judith's POV Constantly consumed by an unexplainable feeling of dread. I became more sensitive than ever. For no tangible reason, I kept feeling insecure and sometimes trembling like a fragile leaf. I grew suspicious of everything and everyone, especially strangers. It was alarming at the rate my heart raced, and I kept praying I wouldn't succumb to a heart attack.An unknown feeling lingered within me, telling me that Felix hasn't given up yet. He is so blinded by rage that he won't stop until he gets what he desires.Despite the hurtful things Nathan has done, I never cease to love him. The feeling has extended so much that I miss him badly and also dream about him occasionally. The thoughts of him lingered in my head, day or night.Downcast and unsure of what to do to make the thoughts go away, I vowed never to get back with him, no matter how much or how long the feeling lingered.I ran my hands through my hair and walked outside to the balcony, hoping to enjoy the sun that shone
Felix's POVTruthfully, John's plan doesn't seem like the wisest course of action. I would have opted for a better and safer option on how to make her bend to my will, but deep down inside me, I knew it was the only card I had left to play in order to reclaim her affections.The desperation I'm feeling isn't something to be proud of; it is highly disgraceful. I know fully well that I have become too desperate or probably obsessed with her, but at this point, I no longer mind. We compliment each other perfectly, yet it seems she is blind to see that.Perhaps, against my better judgement, I have to agree with John's suggestion. Since the woman I'm trying to be considerate of isn't reciprocating the same feeling to me, she isn't interested in me; despite the fact that she knew I wasn't to blame for the wedding that crashed, I still didn't pique her interest, and that saddened me a lot.Still devastated, I recalled all the affectionate words and stares she gave Nathan the other day; they
Judith POVI find myself utterly bewildered by Felix. He looks totally different from what I had presumed him to be. The man whom I loved in the past was a better man who had good morals and virtue. It amazes me to the point that I felt like his soul was switched, and he has now been replaced with that of a spiteful entity.I'm shocked at how I never sensed the shift in his demeanour in the past. Perhaps he was pretending then and now to be his true self because he kept saying and doing hurtful things without feeling any form of remorse."Thank goodness, we didn't get married. I would have been married to the devil, unaware and headed to peril, I murmured as I tucked the kids to sleep.As I gazed upon the kids tear-streaked faces, a wave of pity washed over me. Their small, tender hearts had been burdened by the events of the evening. They keep getting more mature every day, and now they are even protective of me. I will eternally be grateful for the gift of them. I'm really lucky to
I'm still struggling to understand how Judith can still be so naive and foolish. I had anticipated that she would demand his arrest and let him rot in prison, but instead she's still very much in love with him. It still baffles me that she cannot sever her ties with him completely. I need to act fast and exploit this situation wisely to my advantage; otherwise, all of my efforts would be futile.I'm so frustrated at the moment. I feel like a loser who can't seem to get anything right. I don't regret addressing her in such a rash manner. She should feel the same pains I'm going through."Hi, can we meet at the Essence Palace Club House?" I said this over the phone to John while parked at the clubhouse."Alright, I will meet you there in a while," he replied and hung up.I headed inside the clubhouse. The inside of the club house is furnished with neon lights that cast vibrant colours into the room. The air is filled with a mixture of perfumes, colognes, and a thick hint of smoke.In a
Felix's POV I have been visiting Judith regularly in an attempt to console her and rekindle our love, but all my efforts proved futile. It was as if she was resolutely unwilling to give me a second chance at all. I recognised that she was still grieving, so I decided to give her the time she needed to heal before approaching her with the possibility of rekindling our love."I'm not giving up because I'm sure we are fated to be. It's only a matter of time before she realises I'm the only man for her," I muttered with a determined smile as I navigated through the heavy traffic.However, my determination wavered as soon as I parked in front of Judith's house. I saw Nathan emerging from her front door, which sent a wave of fury crashing on me. He was tall and handsome; he appeared gaunt and a shadow of his former self—haggard and unkempt."Why would she still allow him into her home after everything he has done to her? I questioned him as I got out of the car and walked towards him. He g