CHAPTER 81Alexa turned towards Nolan in bed and asked him a question she had been pondering for weeks now, "Nolan, can I ask you something?"Nolan turned to face her, half expecting a teasing remark or a joke. However, he saw that Alexa was looking at him intently with a serious expression on her face. "Sure, shoot," he said, returning her gaze."How did you find out that you had feelings for me?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.Nolan took a deep breath before answering. "To be honest, I don't really know," he said, "I just started feeling something intense whenever I saw you alone with Anthony."Alexa raised her eyebrows at this answer, "Intense?" she repeated.Nolan gave a small nod, "Yes, it was like something inside me was screaming that I should be the one in his place," he said, feeling disgusted with himself for these emotions.Alexa studied him for a moment before speaking, "Why should you be in Anthony's place?" she questioned.Nolan sighed heavily, "Because I ca
CHAPTER 82Alexa felt a mixture of surprise and fear. She pulled away, her heart racing and her mind spinning."What was that?" she stuttered.Nolan looked at her with a mixture of regret and longing. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice. "I couldn't help myself. I've wanted to kiss you for so long now."Alexa shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "But that's not the point," she said, her voice shaking. "I can't just forget everything and be with you. What about Anthony?"Nolan sighed. "I know," he said. "But I can't help the way I feel. And I think you feel it too, don't you?"Alexa looked away, unable to meet his gaze. She was torn between her loyalty to Anthony and her growing feelings for Nolan."I don't know," she admitted. "I thought I loved Anthony more than anything. But now I'm not so sure. I can't betray him like this."Nolan nodded understandingly. "I know it's complicated," he said. "But you have to follow your heart. And if that means being with me, then I'll do wh
CHAPTER 83 Anthony looked between Nolan and Alexa, taking a deep breath before speaking."I feel like I need to make things concrete for you, Nolan," Anthony said, his voice serious.Nolan furrowed his brow, clearly confused. "What are you talking about? Concrete about what?"Anthony took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "I'm not getting any younger, Nolan. And I don't know how many years I have left. I need to make sure that you're prepared for the future, for when I'm no longer here."Nolan still looked confused, but a hint of frustration was starting to show on his face. "What does this have to do with me becoming an Architect? Why are you pushing me to do what you want?"Anthony sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's not about me wanting anything, Nolan. It's about me wanting to make sure that you're taken care of. Becoming an Architect is a great career, one that can provide for you and your future family. I just want what's best for you."Nolan shook his head. "An
CHAPTER 84Late at night, Alexa was sitting in her room, staring at the ceiling and replaying the events of the day in her mind. She pulled out her phone to message her friend Jade, hoping to get her mind off things."Hey, Jade. Are you up?" she typed in the message and hit send.To her surprise, Jade immediately responded with a voice message. "Hey girl! I'm still up. What's on your mind?" she said.Alexa heaved a sigh of relief, glad to hear a familiar voice. They spent the next few minutes catching up with each other and talking about their day. Alexa laughed at Jade's funny anecdotes, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that enveloped her."I don't know, Jade. I just feel like I've gotten myself into something I can't handle," Alexa confessed.Jade listened patiently as Alexa told her about the three men who were now madly in love with her and counting on her to make a decision. She asked Alexa why she chose to stay, despite the risks.Alexa chuckled nervously. "I kno
CHAPTER 85Alexa had been helping out with the household chores for sometime now. Over time, she had become accustomed to the routine and found herself getting attached to the domestic chores, especially with the meal preparation.On this particular morning, Alexa was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for Anthony and Nolan, the two men who lived in the house. She was greeted by the usual chatter of the housekeeping staff, who were preparing to attend to their respective duties. As she worked, one of the staff members caught her attention."Hey, Alexa, we've noticed that you and Anthony have been getting quite close lately. Maybe you're going to be our next Mrs. Brown," she teased, winking at Alexa.The comment did not sit well with Alexa, who felt it was improper for a staff member to insinuate such a thing. Before she could respond, another staff member spoke up, drawing gasps from the others. She wondered why they were so keen to hear about her relationship life."Well, that woul
CHAPTER 86After a long and tiring week, Alexa was excited for her rest day. As soon as she sat down to relax, her phone beeped with a message from Anthony."Hey Alexa, could you ask your brother to pick me up? Let's spend the rest of your off day together."Alexa couldn't help but smile at Anthony's persistence. Ever since she met him, he had been constantly asking her out, but she had always refused. Anthony was different from the men she usually encountered. She knew he came from a difficult background, but he made an effort to better himself."Anthony, I've told you before that my brother is busy today. I'll come back for you after I spend time with him for a while," Alexa replied."I understand. Just stay safe in your travels," Anthony said, and Alexa could hear the disappointment in his voice.Alexa ended the conversation and continued with her plans for the day. Alexa felt a knot form in her stomach as she stepped into the diner. Her friends Jade, David, and Cody were already
CHAPTER 87 Alexa was spending her morning like usual, enjoying her coffee and scrolling through social media. Suddenly, she felt a tight grip on her arm and she turned to see Cody standing next to her, looking angry."Cody, what's going on?" Alexa asked, confusion written across her face.Cody's voice was low and menacing as he accused her, "Did you convince Jade and David to leave our group?"Alexa was taken aback. "What are you talking about? Why would I do that?"Cody let go of her arm and took a step back. "Don't play dumb with me, Alexa. Jade and David told me that you talked them into leaving after our last mission."Alexa was shocked. She hadn't talked to Jade or David since the mission, and she certainly hadn't convinced them to leave the group."Cody, I swear I didn't do anything," Alexa protested.Cody's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to her again, "They told me everything, Alexa. David killed someone that night because they almost took Jade, and now they're both gone.
CHAPTER 88During dinner, Alexa and Cody were discussing the preparations for their big day. Alexa was slightly nervous about the whole plan and Cody noticed her discomfort."Hey, what's going on?" Cody asked, noticing the worried look on Alexa's face."It's just that I'm nervous about tomorrow. There's still so much to do and I'm not sure if everything is going to go according to plan," Alexa responded with a nervous smile."Well, don't worry about it. We've got a great team and everything will be fine," Cody assured her.Just then, Cody's phone beeped with a message notification. "It's Jade. She and David are coming over to make the final equipment check," Cody said, checking his phone.Alexa's face dropped as she remembered something important. "Cody, I have to tell you something," she said, with a seriousness in her tone."What is it?" Cody asked, frowning."Anthony has brought over security men for a big event," Alexa said, looking down at her plate.Cody's expression turned to d
Alexa didn't hesitate to run into them, embracing him tightly as she buried her face in his shoulder. Nolan's arms wrapped around her just as tightly, holding her close as they both cried.It felt like they stayed that way for an eternity, just holding each other and letting out all the emotions they had been bottling up for so long. When they finally pulled away, Alexa looked up at Nolan, still unable to believe he was really there.Without a word, Nolan leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, the kiss filled with all the love and longing they had been keeping hidden for so long. Alexa's arms wrapped around his neck as she kissed him back, tears still streaming down her face.As they finally pulled away, Nolan took her hand and led her to a nearby bench. They sat down together, still holding hands as they looked into each other's eyes. Nolan took a deep breath before speaking."I'm so sorry, Alexa," he said, his voice filled with regret. "I should have never left like that, I shoul
159Alexa had been carrying the burden of not telling her son Anthony about his father for so long. She knew that Nolan hated her for what happened between them, but she still wanted Anthony to know the truth about his biological father. She had talked about it with her best friend Jade and decided to take matters into her own hands. Days had passed since Alexa wrote the letter to Nolan, and she had been anxiously waiting for his reply. She kept checking her phone for any email or message from him, but there was nothing. She even checked her mailbox day and night, hoping to see a letter from him. But as the days went by, she slowly accepted the fact that Nolan might never respond. Alexa felt heartbroken and disappointed, but she knew that it was what she had expected from him. She had made peace with the fact that Nolan hated her, and that she had to do what was right for her son. Instead of moping around her apartment, she decided to spend the weekend with her kids and Jade. Alexa
CHAPTER 158Alexa woke up to the sound of Nolan's voice singing his latest song, "Echoes of You". She smiled and pressed play again, letting the melody fill her ears. She couldn't help but hum along with the chorus, "You're the echoes of me, the echoes of you, and I'm lost in between, what's false and what's true."As she got ready for her day, Alexa continued to listen to the song on repeat, even while she was in the shower. She was so caught up in the melody that she didn't even realize she was humming along with it until she stepped out and heard herself in the silence.Alexa spent the whole day at school with Nolan's song stuck in her head. She couldn't focus on anything else, not even the lessons, and found herself humming the tune whenever she had the chance to, without even noticing it.As the week passed by, Alexa was approached by a girl at break time. She was minding her own business, eating her meal when the girl came up to her chuckling. The girl pulled out a banner of Nol
CHAPTER 157Three years had passed since Alexa had last seen Nolan. She had only caught glimpses of him on TV a few times since then. In the meantime, she had been busy raising her son, who bore a striking resemblance to Nolan.As Alexa kissed her son goodbye and turned to Jade, she couldn't help but feel grateful for her help. Jade had moved in with her to help pay the rent, and they had been taking turns caring for their children while working. Jade was currently calming down her daughter, who was having a tantrum."Thank you so much for helping me, Jade," Alexa said with a smile. "I don't know how I would have managed without you."Jade laughed and replied, "Don't be silly, Lex. We're like family now. I love your son like my own, and I don't mind helping you out at all."Alexa felt a sense of relief wash over her as she hugged Jade. It was comforting to know that she had someone she could rely on. As Jade pulled her aside, she whispered to her, "You need to tell your son the truth
CHAPTER 156Alexa looked at Bobby and thanked him for volunteering to take care of her son. She couldn't afford a full-time nanny, so she was grateful for Bobby's help. Bobby smiled at Alexa and told her that he understood her need to save money for her newborn. He was surprised that she had just been discharged from the hospital a month ago and was already back to work. Alexa reassured him that she had been through a lot and could endure any amount of pain.Bobby teased Alexa about missing her routine of watching "Rockstar Cutie" on TV. Alexa laughed and said she didn't have time for that anymore. After bidding farewell to Bobby, Alexa locked the back door and went to the counter where the TV was on. She switched the sign to "closed" as she knew there wouldn't be any customers at midnight.As the live performance was announced by the talk show host, Alexa smiled as she watched Nolan sing the same song he sang to her while they ate in the garden. It was a punk version of "Grow Old Wit
CHAPTER 155Alexa woke up to the sound of the roosters crowing outside her window. She stretched and yawned, feeling the weight of her baby bump as she got out of bed. She walked to the bathroom, splashed her face with water, and brushed her teeth. She took a moment to admire her growing belly and wondered what her baby would look like.After getting dressed, Alexa headed to the convenience store she managed. She unlocked the doors, turned on the lights, and started organizing the shelves. Her staff came in one by one, and they greeted her with smiles and hellos."Good morning, Lexie," one of her staff members said."Good morning," Alexa replied with a smile.Alexa loved her job. She enjoyed interacting with customers, organizing products, and managing her staff. It was a fresh start for her, and she was grateful for the opportunity.As the day went on, Alexa's thoughts drifted to Nolan. She wondered how he was doing and if he ever thought about her. She missed him, but she knew she h
CHAPTER 154Tears, pain and aches flew by her as they dwelt in her. Seeing the numerous messages from her colleagues, now ex co workers questioning her about her choice of resignation broke her and she couldn’t help but clench her fists. How was she supposed to explain to them? What was she even going to tell them?“Tell me Alexa, what made you change your mind?”“Did you fight with someone?”“Did someone try to force their self on you!”All these messages kept flooding her phone and she couldn’t take it anymore, she just couldn’t. She switched off her phone as she threw it to the side, she could not answer their questions, not now at least.Tears streamed down her cheeks, one day would come, perhaps she would be able to answer their questions then.She placed her hand in her bag as she took out her wallet, opening it as she checked it thoroughly, she needed to be sure she had enough money. Even if she didn’t want to take care of herself, she had to think about her baby.She heaved a
CHAPTER 153She said few words before sighing and then taking her bags out. She stepped out of the gates and on turning for the last time, she saw Nolan midway at the mansion’s door. She gasped as she tried to call out to him but then, he didn’t even act like he knew her.She narrowed her gaze to his hands and she could see them tightly clenched. She took a deep sigh as she watched him step back before turning away and then walking back into the house. This time, the tears could no longer be held back in her eyes and she turned away before walking out of the gate, finally.She dragged her suitcase on the road as she couldn’t think of anything else but what had just happened. She held on to her stomach, at this moment, there was only one thing on her mind, her unborn child. She swallowed hard as the thought of how she would take care of her baby, alone bothered her.She sat on the bench she had found in the sidewalk, she was tired, she had being walking for so long and she rested her
CHAPTER 152Tears streamed down her cheeks as she knelt before him, “please Nolan, I swear I meant for none of this to happen” she told him as tears streamed down her cheeks even more.She could no longer bear it, he was upset with her, very upset and she knew she deserved it.He turned away from her, he was broken, he didn’t want to listen to whatever it was she had to say. He clenched his fists as he started to walk away from her but then she rushed to him as she held on to his coat, “just listen to me Nolan, please.” She told him. He shook his head as he sighed, “I don’t want to listen to whatever you have to say, Alexa. Leave me alone, please” he told her but she wouldn’t listen. She was already choking from the tears and her head ached her badly but she ignored it, every single pain she felt.“I swear I wanted to call it off but then…” before she could complete her statement, he put his hands to her lips and she stopped talking. She smiled slightly as she stared into his eyes, h