ESTELLE “Sorry for the unexpected visit.” “Are you kidding me?” Jaymes hugged me. “I always love having my children around on weekends, but since they’re older and have busy lives, I’m lucky if they visit me once a month. They went to the restaurant, though, or talked over the phone.” When he noticed just a car parked outside his house without my driver, he didn’t have to say a word. “I drove here.” “Alone? All by yourself?” His eyes widened. I saw the shock and panic cross his eyes. I nodded. “Yeah.” “Does Gabe know? I heard he’s back.” I shook my head. “Look, I don’t wanna get you in trouble. Um, I can go back.” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder toward the car. “No, honey. Get inside before my neighbors see you.” “Are you sure?” “I would love nothing but your company. I’m cooking dinner. Do you eat roasted lamb?” “Yeah. I’m sure it’s delicious.” I dropped my bag on the couch and followed him into the kitchen. “Why didn’t you get married again or date another woman?” “
ESTELLE I slept soundly and woke up in peace. One thing I learned and realized was nothing that a good talk could not solve a conflict. I had breakfast with Jaymes, and damn, this man prepared breakfast for ten heads for American breakfast to Greek and Middle Eastern. After freshening up, I found him packing baked goods into a box, which smelled divine, sugary, buttery, and vanilla. “You don’t have to do that. I was already overwhelmed with the breakfast tray you prepared. Did you even sleep?” “I always wake up at five and go to a farmers market. And the breakfast wasn’t even a lot.” “Thanks so much, Pops.” I looked at Willa’s pajamas. “Can I take this home? I will return once it’s washed.” “I’m even surprised you’re still wearing that. You can keep it.” “It’s comfy. Thanks.” “I will take this to your car.” He took the box wrapped in plastic with him. “Are you sure you don’t wanna call Qamar and drive you home?” “No. I’m going home anyway. They didn’t call you?” I followed h
LINDEN Fuck! This was what I was scared of, but I couldn’t tell her it was her fault. She wouldn’t have left the house if it wasn’t for me. I pushed her hard, and now he and our baby were in danger. When I called my father last night, and he told me not to come, I had to honor his wish. She wanted space. She was safe there, but I should have gone there in the morning the moment I woke up. I was thinking of not ruining her mood. But everything happening around her was my fault. “I made everything worse.” I fixed my comm and rolled my shirt sleeves above my elbows. “Don’t go there, brother.” Sax gripped my shoulder. “I’m going to break every face whoever is in that car. I swear to God.” “We’re three minutes out,” Lynx interrupted to update us as he glanced down at the iPad, monitoring our vehicle to Estelle’s location. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I should have watched her. I failed in my job again. I’m quitting once Mrs. L is safe.” Qamar had been blaming himself since y
LINDEN I wouldn’t give them a chance to flee. The moment they chased my wife, they knew they couldn’t get away with it. And I would use all available resources to find them. I didn’t give a fuck. I wanted them found and locked up. “Copy that,” Lynx affirmed. “Brother.” Sax gestured. The ambulance just arrived. “We let you get checked.” “I’m fine.” She still managed to refuse, but not today. “No, baby. You just got into an accident. I will be with you.” Even if she protested, I was already taking her to the coming stretcher. “Put her down, sir,” the redhead woman said. I put her on the stretcher. The EMT secured her up and put an oxygen mask on her. “Can you do it in the ambulance? I’m coming with her. I don’t want anyone taking pictures of her.” “Of course.” She nodded, pushing the trolley back to the ambulance. “What’s her name?” “Estelle Bladwyn - Linden.” “Your relationship, sir?” “Husband. She’s pregnant. 16 weeks.” They checked her for bruises and wounds. “Your name,
ESTELLEI jolted awake when I felt like I was falling while in my sleep. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Linden sleeping on the chair.He stirred and rubbed his eyes. He might have felt that I was looking at him. “Hey.”“When I told you to stay, I didn’t mean you stay on the chair. You can go out of this room or sleep in bed.”He smiled even if he looked tired. “How are you feeling?”“Better than you, I guess. You will get a stiff neck if you keep doing that. I’m fine. Get some rest.”“I actually went to the bathroom to piss and checked Lynx for the update.”“And then you sat back on the chair and fell asleep.” I got up and saw what I was wearing. I must have been so tired after that accident. I didn’t know I had fallen asleep quickly.“Where are you going?”“Don’t tell me you wanna watch me in the bathroom, too.”“Go ahead. Call me if you need anything.” He stretched out.“I’ll be fine.” I entered the bathroom. I suddenly felt like soaking in the tub, but at the same
LINDEN What was I thinking? Probably, I wasn’t in the right mind. I was just overwhelmed by the fact that I was making progress in getting my wife back. I was still stirred by what was happening around us lately. Estelle almost died. I mean, our lives were definitely not normal like everyone else. But if she said yes, I would marry her in an instant. But she neither said yes or no. We arrived home, and she pretended I didn’t exist and walked inside the house. And here I thought I was making progress. I take that back. “You okay?” Pissed off, I looked at Sax. “Yeah. Why won’t I be?” “Then what just happened?” “I wish I knew.” I left him and climbed upstairs. Maybe I should take it back or pretend it never happened. Thankfully, our bedroom door wasn’t locked, so she wasn’t completely shutting me out. “Estelle?” “I’m here,” she answered from the nursery. The room wasn’t closed to be done. I found her sitting on the chair with an iPad in her hand. “I’m probably like a broken
ESTELLE“So I did research about you, Estelle. Everyone knows you as the founder and chairman of Star LLC. For you guys who don’t know about the company, Star LLC is behind Star Cosmetics and Star Activewear. So, I found in my research that you just started the company four years ago. What do you think is the reason behind this success?”I had a few invites for an interview after what happened on the TikTok videos. Still, Leon Terry had credibility and a good reputation, so I accepted his invitation to his podcast.Talking before the camera in front of many people sometimes terrified me. I was scared that I might say something that gave negative feedback to the audience or the words just slipped from my mouth, and there was no way to take it back. But I agreed to this Podcast interview because I thought I had something to say to the people who still believed in me.“Yeah, that’s right. My father is a capitalist. I was raised in two homes between my dad’s and my mom’s. I won’t sugarcoa
LINDEN “Guys, I just came into your life months ago, and you took me and welcomed me with warmth and open arms. This morning, I’ve been thinking of what to say because there are no words enough to express how grateful I am to meet you all. Thank you for being there for us.” She looked at me as I stood next to her in front of our family, loved ones, and friends. “Do the honor.” I smiled at her. “Enjoy the dinner.” The surprise was about to be revealed. “Oh, my God.” London was the first to react. Her eyes were wide. The moment she took the table napkin, the words It’s a girl were written on the plate. “I thought it was a boy. Congratulations.” Everyone gushed and applauded as we revealed the gender of our baby to them. “I know it.” Estelle’s mom had a teary eye as she lifted the plate that would be their gift from us, customized in Paris. “It’s beautiful, honey.” Estelle went to her mom to hug her. “Thank you, Mom.” “Well, we have a job to do, guys,” Kye told Lynx, Sax, Qamar,
ESTELLE Sixteen months later “Hey, baby.” I couldn’t help but smile. Who would have thought I could be this happy and contented with life? I had a thriving company. I had friends, families, and my baby Rae. And my parents turned out to be good as best friends. And my husband, my best friend, my lover, my anchor. God, how could I be so lucky to have a man like Gabriel Linden? “I’m on my way home. Where are you?” “I’ll be home in one hour. I’m still at Osmium. Do you need anything?” Linden’s company had three times more employees and opened two HQs in Dubai and Qatar. I was so proud of him. No matter how busy he was, he made sure to have time for me and his daughter. “Nope. Just checking how long you would be home.” I took over the chairman chair from my dad, but I always got so excited to go home to him and to be with our baby. “Why?” There was an excitement in his voice. “I could wait a few minutes in the tub. I thought you might wanna join me.” He groaned out a curse. “
ESTELLE“Gabriel Rembrandt, do you take Estelle Rae Solace to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”“I do.”“Estelle Rae Solace, do you take Gabriel Rembrandt to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”“I do.”“I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.” He put the ring on my finger.“I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love,” I repeated as I slipped the ring into his finger.“By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of Isola di Marettimo, Italy, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”Linden in a solid beige suit was a sight to behol
LINDEN It was still surreal watching my father talking with Gustav. I didn’t think it would happen sooner, but looking at them getting along was fulfilling for me and Estelle. “You okay?” Estelle placed her hand on my thigh under the table. “Yeah. You?” I didn’t have to ask because I saw it in her eyes. She looked happy. This must have been her dream for a long time, not seeing her parents at each other’s throats. Willa gave me a questioning look, sitting next to Dad. I slightly shook my head and smiled. “I’ve been to many restaurants, but your food has a distinct taste that I didn’t find anywhere. What’s the secret? Am I allowed to ask it?” Dad chuckled. “It’s all the same. The ingredients we choose but how we prepare and cook are different.” “I also try cooking at home if I have time, but not as close to good as this. Edible, though,” Gustav said. “I can’t cook anything fancy, but I know a few pasta recipes. I just don’t have time, I guess.” Deirdre also enjoyed the menu.
ESTELLE“Just follow the design and make sure it’s childproof, but the furniture will arrive on Wednesday,” I told one of the guys from K&B Designs.“Understood, ma’am.”“I’ll leave you all to my staff. If you need anything, just let them know so they can call me. I have an errand to run.”“Got it. Thank you.”I left the house, hoping I could get to talk to Dad before he got swamped with work.I couldn’t shake the guilt off my body. And I felt ashamed of how I handled the situation earlier. Instead, I overreacted when my husband was right the whole time. I was five months pregnant and just risked my baby. I could have reacted worse if I was in Linden’s position. “Well, hello, preggy.” I was glad to see Micah. Honestly, I missed her, but I couldn’t keep her with me since Dad needed her more than I did.“How’s your new boss?”“Awfully good. He doesn’t demand and makes my job a little easier.”“Unlike me?” I arched a brow.She laughed. “Your work is the one demanding. You’re here to see
ESTELLE Standing stark naked before me, his big cock rested with pride. Linden joined me in the tub and made a low, masculine, sexy sound as he dipped into the water. We stared at each other— the intensity set my body on fire. I let my foot trace his thigh until I found what I was looking for. My pulse quickened as I rubbed it with my foot. He grew instantly hard. Linden moved his hand, tracing his fingers over my knee, moving circles. I was instantly wet. He flicked his gaze to my bare chest, turning me intensely on. My breasts were heavier. My nipples were hard. Heat rose in my cheeks. Arousal thickened my throat. As he leaned close, he cupped my head and took my mouth. I gasped. He started kissing me slowly but quickly turned hot and greedy, kissing me like he was starving. Not breaking the kiss, he pulled me, encasing me so I could sit astride his thighs. The water splashed. Wrapped my legs around his waist, I sat, rocking my hips against him. I could feel him so hard, pokin
LINDEN I knew this would happen. The fucking pillow was getting in our way. I lay on my back while Estelle curled into her pillow. She looked comfortable, though. I only wished she found that kind of comfort in me. A moment later, her body shook. She made fun of me. “I can hear your brain cursing the hell out of this pillow, Gabriel.” She turned her head, grinning. “It’s all right, baby. If only I could take all your discomfort, pain, and weight from you. I already did. What a little comfort you found in your pillow that I wouldn’t give.” “Really?” “Why do you sound so surprised?” She turned to face me. “I don’t know. Couples don’t wanna have babies immediately because they want to spend time together, cuddle, travel, do something fun before they want another responsibility.” “Do you want that?” “Before we got married, you knew what I wanted, but things changed, and I don’t have an ounce of regret for having a baby. Though I’m still scared of this huge responsibility, but I kn
ESTELLE Dad and I flew back home as soon as he was cleared to travel. I missed my husband, too. Aside from the overdue board meeting, I had a job that could not wait. “What the— !” Linden’s eyes widened in surprise, lifting me up, but he was also careful not to put pressure on my growing belly. “Baby.” “You didn’t miss me that much, huh?” I wrapped my arms around his neck as I kissed the side of his head. “You have no idea.” He put me down and hugged me. “You smell amazing.” “I’m sorry, husband, but I have to get ready. I’ve moved the board meeting once and can’t be late.” “Wait. Is it today?” He looked at me before he kissed me on the lips. “Yeah. See you later over dinner.” “Yeah. And I have something for you. It’s in your closet.” “Oh. What is it?” I beamed at him. “My long-delayed birthday gift.” I chuckled. “You don’t have to give me a gift.” “I feel terrible already, but I will make it up to you next year.” “It’s okay, Gabriel.” I hugged him. “But I’m gonna be too l
LINDEN My team just landed two hours ago from London. Estelle agreed to stay with her father, which made me happy with her decision. I only took a quick shower in the hotel and changed into a white shirt and dark blue pants before meeting Ilya. As fear thickened my throat, I forced a deep breath as I walked into the local bar in Austin. I entered alone, but I trusted my men to do their job. I roamed my eyes and quickly found a white male around my age with buzz-cut dark-brown hair sitting at the corner. He was confident and wasn’t facing the door. Judging by his wide shoulders and broad back, it was indeed Ilya. The only image I had of him was from Gustav. I didn’t want to know how he got into the country undetected. “May I join you?” His gaze lifted from the half-full pint of beer on the table. He stood up and offered his hand. Ilya didn’t smile, but his eyes expressed recognition and appreciation. I shook it firmly before I joined him on the table and motioned and gestured a
ESTELLEI blinked in disbelief. And Willa had never been tempted to check his brother online or go to Osmium to visit him. Either she trusted him so much, or she couldn’t endure the agony of knowing how dangerous her brother was facing every day.I mean, gathering intelligence was a risky business. I’d seen movies where people get killed and tortured for information.“She does, but only about the firm, and she doesn’t have to. I’m just protecting her from the risk of knowing the nature of my work.”“Now, I’m more curious.” Willa frowned further.“That’s all you have to know.”“No. I want to know everything.”“Honey, Willa.” Moses drew a deep breath. “The Hover Company has subsidiaries. Hover Defense and Hover Space and Security. They are the largest private gathering information agency. They gather intelligence and information around the globe. We detect threats, support decisions, and share with our government contract agencies. And these guys and among others who work at Osmium are