While we are both sitting at the dining table eating breakfast together that morning, Lucas and I can't help but look at one another and share meaningful glances. My eyes are drawn to his bare body like earlier whenever I catch a glimpse of him, and I am unable to prevent this from happening. It would be disrespectful of me to say so, yet it is exactly what comes to mind when I look at him. As I eat my breakfast, Lucas will look over at me sometimes while he stuffs his mouth with food. These brief looks are enough to make me quietly chuckle to myself as if this were my first time too. To clear my mind of the sexual thoughts that were running through it, I gave my head a couple of hard shakes. What exactly is going wrong in your head, Adeline? You have a point; this is the height of obscenity! Get over it!I made an effort to take my focus off of it. And that ultimately led to the weird sense. Coming home after spending some time in the hospital gave me a very different impression th
My feet rushed up as soon as I heard the gentle honking of a familiar vehicle outside the door of our mansion. There's no one else who could do that outside but only Lucas whom I was expecting to arrive at any moment. I had already finished dressing up and taking a shower when he told me in a text message that he would be coming to pick me up at the time he specified. I urgently did that so that when he arrived, I was already prepared. I made sure that I looked decent, even though the dress I'm currently wearing is not at all comfortable for me. I have made an effort to appear as relaxed as possible and presentable, even though it was tough."It looks like my figure is no longer accustomed to the kind of clothing that I am wearing right now, compared to the clothes I used to wear before," I mumbled to myself as I examined my own reflection in the huge mirror that was standing in front of me. I have the sense that the clothes on my body have a completely different appearance in my eye
When we arrived at Luke's school, his nanny was the only one who had come down to pick him up from the classroom. I tried everything I could think of to wake up Lucas, but he was fast asleep and snoring softly on my shoulder, so I ended up not doing that. His two arms are currently wrapped around my waist, which he probably mistook for hugging a cushion. I shouldn't wake him up because it would be embarrassing for him if I did that. He seems to get as much rest as if he were sleeping in our bed."Mommy—"I swiftly put my index finger to my lips to mute Luke so he wouldn't make any noise when he got into the car. He did what I asked him to do. He urgently shut his mouth while looking frightened for a moment. When Luke's gaze was drawn to Lucas, his cheeks went a vivid pink. I knew he had already realized why I was commanding him to be silent. Luke's mouth widened slightly at that sight. Seeing his father in this condition must have come as a surprise to him, as he always saw him from a
Lucas and I sat on the mat next to each other, watching Luke run around the vast meadow. Behind him was his nanny, who was following him relentlessly. We urged her to simply let Luke go around on his own. She doesn't need to follow him, but she implied that he might trip. Lucas and I just laughed and said it was fine if he did. Later, he'll get up and wander again. Luke will certainly weep at first as a child who got hurt, but he will gradually stop. And, thank God, Luke has not yet fallen. He kept on chasing the ball after he unhurriedly kicked it out."Mom! Dad! Take a look at me! Aren't I fantastic?"I merely gave him a subtle nod before returning my attention to Lucas, who was sitting next to me. He was telling me something that I didn't comprehend right away as I was busy peeking at Luke's complimenting activities."What did you say, Lucas? Sorry, I'm sorry, I was entirely focused on Luke the whole time."When he didn't respond, I turned to face him, only to discover that he seem
I kept glancing at Lucas for how many seconds while we were silently sitting inside the vehicle on our way home. He's sitting quietly next to me, but unlike earlier when we were going to pick up Luke, he's not drowsy. I couldn't explain why, and I was unsure whether I should inquire about his parents' whereabouts at this moment. Whether I'm okay as a daughter-in-law with them or not because of the nature of our relationship, I may not have expected anything from them. I don't want to be disappointed in the end.Lucas is, however, preoccupied with something that only he is aware of because he is staring at the screen of his phone. I was expecting him to notice the way I was peeking at him, but he didn't, which disappointed me deeply and silently. Lucas didn't notice my manner, even though I feigned a cough numerous times. I think he was too busy at the time to recognize that.They must be aware that I have amnesia and cannot recall things from the past. Yes, they must know about it, s
LUCAS POV"Are your father and I really seeing the real Adeline, Lucas? When did she start caring about your son? I can't believe what I just witnessed." Mom couldn't help but mutter something in a curious tone.I can't say I can blame them. Her reaction was the same as mine when I saw Adeline doing that after she went out of the hospital. Honestly, it made me happy in some way. This is what I wanted previously, and I'm getting it now from my wife. Isn't it ironic?"Or am I just dreaming right now? Have you seen that, Manuelo? Is that our true daughter-in-law? Isn't it impossible, right?""Yeah, I guess, Lynda."Dad shrugged his shoulders after his remark. He is a man of few words. I lifted my eyes just to see Adeline's back. My parents were alarmed because she was now holding Luke in her arms. This is their first time seeing them this close. The last time she held Luke was when he was still a baby. It wasn't surprising for me, but given Adeline's previous behavior, it was difficult f
"Will you please calm down, Mom? She had changed a lot, as you mentioned. Please stop talking nonsense behind her back. It's not pleasant to my ears. Despite being a nasty woman in the past, I trust Adeline, and I know she will never do that to me. She had numerous opportunities in the past to do so, but she did not. She remains my wife. And what do you think of her plan?" I laughed at my mother's ridiculous thinking; that is out of place. "Believe me, she can't do that, and another thing is that she is constantly guarded by my men. She is the real Adeline, who just happens to have memory loss because of the accident. That's all; she is not a different person."I pretended to laugh at what she said. Even though I considered it, I never admitted that Adeline was an impostor. Yes, she has changed, but she is still the woman I married. I shook my head and returned my gaze to the stairs, where Adeline was no longer present. I turned to face my mother, only to turn away again. Actually, sh
ADELINE POV When Luke and I get downstairs, they are already in the dining room of the mansion. My parents were also present. They probably arrived while we were in Luke's room. Luke strode enthusiastically toward them, hugging them one by one as a greeting. I walked toward my seat silently, especially when our son's nanny arrived to take care of him. Everyone at the table was watching my every move. I could feel it, and even Lucas' gaze was fixed on mine."How are things going with you, Adeline?"My mother is the one who has asked. I'm not sure, but I can't bring myself to be near them, even though I know they're my parents. It's still a little strange for me."I'm just fine, Mom."When Lucas instructed everyone to sit, the maids began bringing the food and placing it on the table. It drew my attention for a moment after I returned my gaze to my parents' position when they asked me another inquiry."Isn't your head hurting? Do you still have no recollection of the past? We are wonder
ANNIKA POVWho would have thought that all the ordeals Lucas and I encountered in the journey we could overcome by moving to another country?“Mom, hurry up!” Luke got my attention as I looked after them from my instance. “We must take some pictures before the increasing snowfall destroys snowmen,” he continued.My lips parted to give them a genuine smile. It almost reached my ear. My parched and cracked lips became painful due to the freezing weather in the country. The season is winter.“Yeah, I'm coming.”“Be careful, Wifey! You might fall. It's slippery!” Lucas yelled, who was there with Iris and Luke.“Instead of worrying, why don't you come here and lend me a hand? It's dangerous, right?” “You need help?”I rolled my eyes heavenwards. Does that even require to be asked? He could see that I was struggling to step closer to them. Why are the snowmen they made so far from o
The next day, I decided to visit Uncle Elias in the prison. His sentence is life imprisonment, and there is no chance of parole, but for me, that's not enough. He deserved more agonizing and severe punishment for him after knowing what he had done to Annika. He never did anything reasonable in his life anyway.“Why did you do that?!” I yelled as soon as I saw him approaching. If I could have broken his bones at this moment, I would have done it. “What's done is done, Lucas,” he answered calmly. To my ears, it sounded like he was proud. Sitting before me, I hit my hands on the table. If there were no police guard in the area, I would have already broken his neck and killed him. “There's no benefit in any regrets—”“How many more innocent girls have you robbed of a chance to live a normal life? Aren't you ashamed of what you did? You are disgusting! Most of them are minors! Didn't your body even tremble after you did that horrible thing to t
LUCAS POV I was heartbroken, and my heart seemed to break into a million pieces as I scrutinized the anguish reflected on my wife's face. I clenched my fist while I couldn't help but tighten my jaw. I was devastated as I assumed we would have no more challenging situations. But look at this: I was dumbfounded to find out that there is more. Heart-wrenching is the best way to describe my feelings towards my wife, not pity. At this moment, I really want to punch Uncle Elias face until it bleeds and see wounded pain so I can get revenge on my wife's behalf. If I can do that now, I will undoubtedly do it without regret.“Don't do anything dangerous that you will wish undone later, Lucas. Let's just let it go. That will also give us precedence over other information about us within the country. I'm embarrassed to ask you this, but I don't wish everything to get major problem of our family.”I didn't make a reply, but at the back of my mind, I wi
In two weeks of our honeymoon, Lucas and I made the most of it. We truly made the most of every moment, indulging in delicious food and intimate moments, taking some rest, and occasionally, taking a dip in the seawater to restore our bodies for long endurance. We are sole, so having intimate moments was not that tough. By reason of that, on the day that we had got to leave the place and return to reality where our two children were waiting. We didn't have anything to regret. Coming to have a vacation in this place is worthwhile and also priceless, to be accurate. It is worth the price: money, ambiance, and precious time with my husband.“Tell me honestly, Wifey, did you enjoy our two-week vacation? Or was it not enough?”I nodded in response. We are packing our things now, putting them back in the traveling bag. Tomorrow, we have an early dawn flight.”Do you want to have an extension period?”“No, this is already enough.”
So proud of myself. I gave back a cheerful and broadened smile at Lucas for his every word of acclaim. Am I mistaken in my response? I am different from other women because I have him. Why did he respond like that? Does he have a twin without me knowing? It might be as cliche as it may sound, but for me, he was the only Lucas Romanov in the world. “Am I incorrect?” I asked him and was almost about to crack up at his surprising and unimaginable reaction. “I have you, Lucas, which made me unable to be typical of another woman. Is it difficult to figure out?”“Yes, sure. You are right, Annika. I'm only only.” Lucas replied, slightly ripping off my cheeks. Despite the fact that the beginning of our love story was not significant in most people's eyes, I can only say one thing. We both felt love that was pure, even though it transpired at the wrong time with the wicked reasons behind it. Lucas and I were wounded in our cores and separated for quite a while. It taught us countless life le
Seizing for air, my eyes darted away while turning red. I'd instead stare out the car window to cover up my face. Lucas surely knows a lot of gibberish things. He kept getting on my nerves even though it was not his intention. As I spoke, my heart pounded with pressure. I felt Lucas motion to my side, probably to continue what he was doing, but I ignored him. My eyes remained outside as if he was not with me. Unhurriedly, I bit my lower lip to reduce the uncertainty that I felt. My body reacted and heated up at Lucas actions. If anyone else saw that, they might think he was out of his mind and a maniac. Lucas cannot close his pointed tongue and does not know the boundaries about speaking such things. I mentally roll my eyes. He cracked up so hard when he saw my response to what he spoke out. He was very pleased with the unexpected retort he got from me. Consistently, I ignored him. I didn't dare to look him in the eye as I learned my whole being was bewildered.“Don't worry, Annika.
As I expected, Luke's nanny Emily still resided in the mansion. Her appearance did mature but she was still the affectionate nanny of Luke. I didn't know if she knew my real identity because she always smiled at me from the day that we met and every time she made eye contact with me. To think about it, that seems impossible. My face is now reversed. I'm in my real appearance. There are no specks that once in the past five years, I pretended to be Adeline. Not unless Luke who is chatty like Iris, will tell her who I am. In that case, the reason was acceptable. “Mom, don't worry about my sister. I can take care of her too. Just enjoy your vacation with Dad. You don't need to think about us.” Luke stole my attention by expressing that as he rubbed his sister's back presumably to comfort her. “I'm a big boy now. I won't leave her alone or behind. You can depend on me right, Mommy?”“Alright Luke, thank you for your concern. I appreciate that.” I replied and
Our honeymoon vacation is organized for two weeks. At first, I did not approve when Lucas told me to decide which country I wished to go to. To be honest, I don't like to go out of the country, especially without our children so Lucas chose to have a honeymoon on one of the well-known beaches within the country. If we ever go and schedule to have a fun vacation in another country, the children must be with us. In my honest opinion, we don't require this. It's not necessary to do this after all we are already old. I believe the honeymoon is only for newly married couples who don't have children yet. And we are not counted among them. “We already have a child, Lucas. Is that still essential for us?” I appealed to him when he opened up about this concern to settle in. “Yes, that's a normal thing Annika to the couple after marriage. Even if we have a child, we can still do it. There is nothing wrong with that.” “But, we won't be required to
Adeline's parents also attended with so much excitement at our wedding. They never criticize me as a replacement for their daughter in Lucas and Luke's life. Lucas was correct. He already dealt with everything before he set a dinner with his entire family. They cannot stop saying gratitude and compliments for the greatness of my soul. At this moment, I feel like they are genuine for saying those words. They're not acting up just to please me. Unlike when I was in the shoes of Adeline, their words were full of bitterness and remorse towards me. I did not expect that their behavior would not as tough and rough as before, especially Lucas's mother. The level was diverse then.“Welcome to our family, Annika!” she exclaimed, she kissed me on both of my cheeks after hugging me.I just emphasize a slight smile. I couldn't halt my lips from trembling as I was frightened of them on the day that Lucas introduced us. Like even if Lucas told me to calm down because h