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SIXTEEN: The Man Outside
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Lila tried to focus on the book she was repairing, her hands gently smoothing the dampened pages as Marcus had shown her, but her mind kept drifting. The thin brush in her fingers that was meant to spread the adhesive across the edges, trembled slightly. She hadn’t slept much the night before, and the reason for her sleepless night.
It was the call.The man’s voice still lingered in her mind, haunting her. Each moment she dared to close her eyes, it threatened her, telling her that no matter where she went, he would find her. The memory made her fingers tighten around the delicate brush until the bristles bent. She forced herself to relax, but the tension refused to leave her body.“Are you alright?”Marcus’s voice snapped her back to reality. He was watching her closely, a faint frown of concern marring his usually carefree face. Lila plastered on a weak smile, trying to push the memory of the call to the back of her mind.“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, her voicRelated chapters
Tangled Destinies SIXTEEN (2): The Man Outside
Dominic lingered, his eyes soft as he watched Lila fiddle with a stack of newly arrived books. She glanced up at him, feeling the warmth of his gaze, and before she could stop herself, a small smile tugged at her lips. He had a presence about him that made the quiet moments feel comfortable, as if the space between them wasn’t empty but filled with something unspoken. “So,” Dominic started, rubbing the back of his neck, a gesture that struck Lila as slightly nervous, “I was wondering if you’d be free sometime soon… maybe to have lunch with me and the kids?” Lila blinked, pleasantly surprised by the invitation. She hadn’t expected him to reach out so soon after their dinner, and certainly not with an offer to spend more time with his children. Her heart warmed at the idea of seeing Aaron and Winnie again, especially sweet little Winnie with her chubby cheeks and wide-eyed curiosity. “I’d love to,” Lila answered, her smile growing as she imagined Winnie’s
Tangled Destinies SEVENTEEN: Bad, Bad News
Annabelle leaned back in her plush office chair, her gaze drifting from the documents scattered on her desk to the beams of sunlight streaming through her window. She had been completely buried in work for the better part of the morning and her mind constantly whirring with figures, contracts, and meeting agendas. But the flow of numbers and corporate business faded as a soft chime from her phone caught her attention. She reached for it, her mood lightening at the thought of a distraction from all her work. A notification lit up her screen, and she smiled when she saw that it was from Lila. The message was simple but filled with a kind of wonder that made Annabelle’s heart lift. "Look what I found on my walk this morning! Isn’t it gorgeous? I think it’s a lavender field... it smells heavenly! You’d love it here. Miss you xx" Attached was a picture of a sprawling lavender field, the purple blossoms stretching far into the horizon, almost blending into the soft blue of the sky. The i
Tangled Destinies SEVENTEEN (2): Bad, Bad News
Annabelle’s phone slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor with a sharp crack, but she barely registered the sound. All she could think of was the devastation that awaited them if Andre truly broke ties. She swallowed hard, her heart racing. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she breathed, her hands trembling slightly. “Dad is going to kill you.” James nodded miserably, his face pale. “I know. Believe me, I know. But I don’t know what to do, Annabelle. I’ve tried everything. I’ve been going to Andre’s office every day for the past week, but he refuses to see me. His secretary won’t even let me in the building! And he’s not answering any of my calls. I’m completely shut out.” Annabelle’s anger flared, her hands balling into fists as she tried to steady herself. Her initial shock was giving way to a cold fury. “What the hell did you do, James?” she demanded, her voice sharp. “How did you manage to piss off Andre Winters, of all people?” James
Tangled Destinies EIGHTEEN: Annabelle's Solution
Dinner at the Robinson mansion was usually an elegant affair, that had quiet conversation and the soft clinking of silverware against fine china. But tonight, the atmosphere was far from peaceful. The tension at the table was so thick, it seemed to choke the very air. The large dining room that was usually warm with the glow of candlelight and pleasant company, felt cold tonight. Each member of the family sat in their place, the silence stretching like a taut wire, waiting for something or someone to make it snap.David, their father, sat at the head of the table, his face thunderous as he picked at his food without appetite. His dark brows were drawn low over his eyes, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. The veins on the back of his hand stood out as he gripped his fork, making no effort to engage in the meager conversation happening around him. Tonight, they were all puppets waiting to dance to the tune of the piper, and silently, each of them knew without needing to be told
Tangled Destinies EIGHTEEN (2): Annabelle's Solution
Margaret’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, clearly delighted by the idea of Rachel and James getting away from all the recent stress. “Oh, that sounds lovely, dear! Where were you thinking of going?”Rachel began to rattle off the names of expensive vacation destinations as though they were groceries on a shopping list. “Maybe Santorini or the Amalfi Coast,” she said, her eyes bright with excitement. “I’ve heard such wonderful things about both. Or perhaps the Maldives—those water villas look divine!”Annabelle, sitting quietly, looked from Rachel to James, waiting to see how he would react to the idea. Sure enough, he took the bait, his posture relaxing slightly as he finally seemed to engage with the conversation. “We’ll go wherever you want, Rach,” James said, smiling at her. His voice was more animated now, more like his usual self. “You deserve it.”At that moment, David barked out a laugh—loud and derisive, filled with more disdain than humor. The sudden sound echoe
Tangled Destinies EIGHTEEN (3): Annabelle's Solution
Margaret’s lips parted, but no words came out. The accusation struck her like a blow, and she visibly recoiled from the intensity of his words. Her eyes darted toward James, who was fidgeting in his seat, clearly caught between embarrassment and fear.David’s anger surged again, his voice rising as he slammed his fist on the table, rattling the plates and cutlery. “No son of mine,” he thundered, “could have lost the Winters contract! No son of mine would be this much of a goddamn failure!”The heat in his words, the sheer disgust in his tone, seemed to burn the air around them. The Winters contract was everything to their family’s business—an anchor, a lifeline. And now, thanks to James’s incompetence, it was slipping through their fingers.James, affronted by the attack, sat up straighter in his chair. His face flushed with a mixture of humiliation and frustration. He opened his mouth, and when he spoke, his voice came out in a whiny, defensive tone that only made thing
Tangled Destinies EIGHTEEN (4): Annabelle's Solution
Annabelle pressed on. “Winters might not take James’s calls, but he’ll take mine. And if he won’t, I’ll ambush him at his country club. I’m not going to let this contract slip away without a fight.”The room was deadly quiet again as her words settled over the table. David stood there, his chest still heaving, but the sheer force of his anger seemed to have lessened, if only marginally. His fists, which had been clenched at his sides, slowly unfurled, though the tension in his shoulders remained.For a long moment, no one spoke. David glared at Annabelle, his face still stormy, but the fire in his eyes was slowly dying down, replaced by something closer to resignation. He knew Annabelle meant business. She was the only one in the room who had both the composure and the will to fix what James had broken.Finally, with a rough, dismissive sound, David threw his napkin onto the table and turned away, stalking out of the dining room without another word. The sound of his foo
Tangled Destinies NINETEEN: Simply Lunch
Lila stood frozen in front of her closet, eyes darting from one dress to another, her pulse racing faster than she liked. Today was the day. Lunch with Dominic and his kids. It wasn’t as if this was a date. It wasn’t. Just lunch. Her fingers traced the hem of her dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles.Still, her heart wasn’t getting the message. She had agreed to it so casually when he first asked, thinking it would be a nice afternoon to spend with Aaron and Winnie, but now that the moment was here, her heart hammered against her chest.She couldn’t ignore the warm feeling that had bloomed inside her when Dominic sheepishly admitted that Aaron and Winnie had been asking after her. Especially Winnie, with her sweet, cherub-like face. Lila smiled to herself, her fingers lingering over a soft, pale blue dress she hadn’t worn in a while.She snapped her hand back. What was she doing? It wasn’t a date. She didn’t need to impress anyone. And yet, the thought of sitting acro
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Tangled Destinies TWENTY SIX (3): Harsh Words
Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at it absently—it was a message from one of the servants, asking if she wanted tea before bed. She quickly sent a polite decline. Tea wouldn’t fix the turmoil in her chest. Instead, she sent Lila a short text, telling her she might come and see her this weekend. Right now, Sea’s Edge seemed more inviting than ever.She sat down at the small vanity by the window, staring at the moonlit reflection of the garden outside. Her mind wandered again to Andre. What was it about him? She hadn’t intended to let the kiss happen. She was confused and unsure of her own emotions. But then, his presence had been so consuming, so undeniable. And now she was left trying to piece together what that kiss meant. Why had she let it happen? Why had she felt so drawn to him? Her thoughts were spiraling. She knew she shouldn’t have kissed him. She didn’t even know him, not really. He was just another complica
Tangled Destinies TWENTY SIX (2): Harsh Words
“I won’t go back to being some filthy mistress, James!” Rachel screamed, her voice rising in pitch with each word. “I won’t be the one people look at with disgust every time I walk into a room. And now you’re going to leave me too? After everything I’ve done for you?”James finally turned to face her, and for a brief moment, Annabelle saw something in his eyes—a flicker of something soft, something desperate, as he held her shoulders gently. He rubbed them in an attempt to calm her down, but Rachel was having none of it.“I don’t want to go back to Lila,” James said, his voice low and strained. “I’ve already told you that. But you have to be patient. We’re in a tough spot right now. The Winters contract... if we don’t get it back, the company... everything’s at risk.”Rachel’s face twisted in frustration, and Annabelle could see the way her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She was clearly not in the mood for patience.“Patience? Patience!?” Rachel
Tangled Destinies TWENTY SIX (1): Harsh Words
Annabelle’s mind was a storm as she drove home, the quiet hum of the car’s engine doing little to settle the chaos raging inside her. She couldn’t stop replaying the kiss with Andre. Her body still remembered the heat of it, the sharp edge of his hands on her skin, the firm press of his lips against hers. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to forget how quickly it had ended—how swiftly she had pulled away from him, shoving aside any budding feelings as if they were a distant and irrelevant threat. She had told him it meant nothing. She had forced herself to believe it.The kiss had been a mistake. There was no way around that. She knew better than to indulge in anything that could cloud her judgment. Andre Winters had the power to make or break her family. And for all the chemistry that had crackled between them, for all the ways he had made her feel seen and wanted, it was dangerous. His interests were tangled in business, in a world where emotions didn’t belong.The nagging voice i
Tangled Destinies TWENTY-FIVE (4): A Night of Confession
Lila froze, the spark of recognition lighting up her eyes as she remembered seeing the scandal splashed across headlines. The media had dubbed it “The Lowes Low”—a twisted play on Dominic’s last name, and a reference to how low a person could sink. She remembered how every tabloid and news outlet had latched onto the story: Maria, desperate to secure more money, had orchestrated her own children’s kidnapping, thinking it would help her case. Dominic watched her as the memories came flooding back.“She planned it all,” he murmured, exhausted. “But Marcus—he hired a private investigator to follow her. That’s how we found them.”The images from those articles were still fresh in Lila’s mind, the ones that detailed how Maria had left her own children in a rundown apartment with nothing but candy to eat, only seeing them every few days as she took their father to court for every penny he had. Her throat
Tangled Destinies TWENTY-FIVE (3): A Night of Confessions
But as the movie approached its end, Lila’s smile began to fade. She noticed that something seemed off. A subtle shift in tone crept in—a quiet, haunting sense of melancholy that lingered just under the surface. It was almost unnoticeable, and Aaron and Winnie, still engrossed, didn’t seem to notice. Elara and Finn eventually reached a tower hidden by fog, where, they were told, an evil witch had imprisoned their mother. The children, with the help of the friends they’d made, bravely faced the witch, banishing her and freeing their mother at last. But when the mother embraced her children, the animation took on an odd, faded quality, the colors dulling slightly, though the characters’ joy remained. The final scene showed the three of them reunited, a snowy landscape stretching out behind them.Then came the twist, so subtle that only an adult could catch it: a soft voiceover from Elara, whispering to her brother that everything would be okay now,
Tangled Destinies TWENTY-FIVE (2): A Night of Confessions
When they returned, Dominic had just finished setting their plates on the coffee table. The slight tension in his face eased when he noticed Lila carrying Winnie, and when the little girl sleepily murmured, "Daddy," he seemed to visibly relax, his lips curving into a quick, grateful smile aimed at Lila. Dominic reached out, gently lifting Winnie from Lila’s arms and setting her on his lap.Aaron, far too focused on the movie to pay attention to dinner, darted toward the DVD player. He expertly removed the disc from its plastic case and popped it into the player, moving with the kind of confidence that showed he’d done it a hundred times. As he nestled himself between Lila and Dominic, he seemed to barely contain his excitement, his small frame practically vibrating with it.As the opening scenes of The Waiting Place began to play, Aaron leaned over to Lila, whispering, "You’re so gonna enjoy this."Winnie, who was now wide awake, shushed him im
Tangled Destinies TWENTY-FIVE (1): A Night of Confessions
In the kitchen, Dominic focused on making a simple, familiar dinner—spaghetti with a mild tomato sauce and homemade meatballs, suitable for both the kids and Lila. He chopped fresh basil and sprinkled it into the sauce, stirring until the aroma filled the room. It was easy, quick, and one of the kids’ favorites. Winnie, who had a fussier palate, would at least eat the noodles if the mood struck her, and Aaron always loved rolling the spaghetti onto his fork like a pro.Meanwhile, in the living room, Lila sat with Aaron on the floor, sorting through Dominic’s impressive DVD collection of animated children’s films. It was a surprisingly massive selection; with nearly every popular kid’s movie she could think of—and many she hadn’t even heard of. It felt like a small treasure trove, like Dominic had quietly built up his own library to keep Aaron and Winnie entertained."How about this one?" she suggested, pulling out a bright gree
Tangled Destinies TWENTY-FOUR (3): Unexpected Meeting
Just as Annabelle was about to take a deep breath and relax, Andre reappeared with two mocktails in hand, his expression one of feigned innocence."Here we go," he said, setting the drinks down in front of her. "I thought you might need a little something after that... torturous exchange."Annabelle raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to save me."He smirked, the glint in his eye mischievous. "Oh, I was, but I changed my mind. You see, I had to sacrifice you to her. She’s obviously really into me, and I had no choice but to let you face her alone to save myself. But you survived, didn’t you?"For a moment, Annabelle stared at him, not quite understanding. And then, the meaning of his words hit her. Her lips parted in a surprised laugh, the sound bubbling out of her before she could stop it. Andre’s mischievous grin was contagious, and before she knew it, the weight of the day seemed to lift, if only for a moment.As the laugh
Tangled Destinies TWENTY-FOUR (2): Unexpected Meeting
They found a nearby bench, surrounded by hanging plants and soft sunlight streaming through the glass roof, and settled down. Annabelle felt her tension begin to ease. It wasn’t as if she was unaware of the dangerous position she was in—she couldn’t forget for a second that Andre had the power to crush her family with the flick of his wrist. But for now, in this quiet space, she allowed herself to pretend she lived a much more normal life. She forgot about her father’s frantic desperation and the threat Andre posed. In the bubble of their easy banter, the power dynamics seemed to blur, leaving just two people talking in a quiet garden.The hours seemed to slip by as they talked— business, the weather, small things that made her forget the weight of her responsibilities. Annabelle found herself surprisingly at ease with him.It wasn’t long before she realized that she was enjoying his company. There was an undeniable chemistry between them, something that made her feel
