Adrien Norman found me seated on the sofa in the living room of our hotel suite at two am. "Are you alright, sir?" He asked. Despite it being early morning, my lack of sleep was evident. "I thought you'd gone to bed.""I did," I sighed. "But I couldn't sleep.""Did you forget your sleeping pills?" He questioned, concern evident in his voice."No, Norman," I replied. "They don't work.""Should I schedule another appointment with your doctor for a new prescription?" He inquired, already working on his tablet."There's no need," I shook my head. "I know why I've been having trouble sleeping for the past five years."Norman looked up from the screen of his tablet to me in surprise. "You do?""Hmm," I nodded.Putting his tablet on the table, Norman joined me on the sofa, patiently waiting for me to express my thoughts. He was the only person I felt comfortable confiding in, and perhaps it was time to unload everything."It's guilt," I confessed. "I wasn't a good husband to Rosalie. I trea
AdrienDiscovering Rosalie's marriage two weeks ago brought a pain ten times more intense than the betrayal I experienced when I found out about Yvette. I regret losing Rosalie to another man because I failed to appreciate her when she was with me, and the blame rests solely on me. The only mementos I have of my children are the pictures I captured during the first and final time I saw them. Alessandra had dropped her spoon, prompting her request for a new one. As I went to retrieve it, I impulsively snapped several photos of them on my way back to our table, little realizing that it would be our last moment together.A knock on my office door interrupted my thoughts, prompting me to lift my head. Norman entered with his tablet, prepared to assign more tasks. Despite my recent lethargy post-Cardenia, Norman empathized with my grieving process for the loss of my family and gave me the necessary time to recover.As Norman transitioned into his efficient personal assistant mode, signali
AdrienRosalie's absence from home indicated that she had a morning shift and was already at work. To efficiently manage my time, I headed to the mall to meet Nielsen and finalize the sale of his only property, as he was relocating to his mother's home country after her passing. Afterwards, I planned to check on Rosalie, hoping to convince her to join me for lunch and have a civil conversation."It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Vasanten," Nielsen remarked as we shook hands."Likewise, Nielsen," I responded. "I'll honor our agreement and maintain the name as Haven Mall.""Thank you," He smiled. "My lawyer will send you the legal documents to finalize the sale. I'm glad I chose to sell it to you.""I share the sentiment," I said. "It's a solid investment, and I'm confident in my decision.""How about lunch?" He asked."I must decline; I have another lunch appointment," I replied. "You're not departing tomorrow, are you?""No.""Perhaps tomorrow, then.""Absolutely," He nod
RosalieI'm quite concerned about sharing the news with my kids about their school's career day, especially since Kevin can't assist due to Zara's imminent due date. I can't bring myself to ask him to leave her, so I'll handle it alone and comfort them with their favorite things later. Thankfully, Adrien seems unconcerned that my kids are his, although I noticed a hint of adoration in his eyes as he looked at them. It's unusual for him to show emotions, as he usually keeps them hidden, except for the hatred he had displayed toward me while we were married.If he despised me, how could he love our kids, even though they were both his and mine? I wished to never encounter him again, hoping he had truly forgotten us. It's been weeks since he found out, yet he hasn't reached out. "I'm relieved," I thought. "I don't want him to disrupt my life again. I'm content here."Startled by the doorbell, I pondered the unexpected visitor, as I rarely had guests apart from Laura, who was currently
Adrien "This is the moment of truth, Rosalie. What will you tell them?" I thought to myself as I gazed at her. I could justify kissing her as a momentary lapse of judgment, blaming anger for clouding my thoughts, but deep down, I knew I'd be deceiving myself. Every day since our reunion, thoughts of having her in my bed consumed me. My desire for her frightened me, and had she not reacted as she did, I might have succumbed to seducing her. The slap served as a stark awakening – the Rosalie who once aimed to please me had vanished. The new Rosalie despised me to the core. Lucky me! "Come on, Rosalie. Tell them, please." I silently urged her. "Feel free to hate me, but spare them from my mistakes." "Mama?" Mason questioned. "Is he really our dad?" Rosalie shot me a resentful glare, grappling with the decision to either eject me and weave a web of lies or disclose the truth. Hoping for the latter, I feared I might have to reveal it myself. "Yes." She let out a resigned sigh. "He's
AdrienRealizing Rosalie couldn't refuse my terms except she intended to go to court, I needed to persuade her to relocate to Aldovia for the sake of our family. It seemed impractical to keep flying and harming the environment just to see my kids, and I was confident they wouldn't appreciate it either. Exiting the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and another around my neck upon hearing my phone ring in the bedroom. Rushing to answer, I was pleasantly surprised to see Rosalie's call, glad she remembered my number after all these years."Rosalie? What a surprise." I remarked."Believe me, I truly wish I've forgotten your number." She responded in a frigid voice. "The kids want you to tell them a story. I offered to read them one but they said that they want you to tell them one.""I don't have any stories to tell.""You don't have to tell me." She stated flatly. "Kids...""Wait!" I called out, unwilling to disappoint my children. "I'll tell them a story, but I would like to se
Rosalie "So, what's up with you and Adrien?" Kevin asked me. "How did the meeting go?" "I had to let them know." I sighed. "I couldn't keep it a secret." "I told you." Kev said. "How did they take it?" "Very well, they were very happy to meet him. They showed him their bedrooms and made him watch an animated film with them. We had dinner and then he requested visitation rights." I rolled my eyes. "That's hilarious. I thought he'd take you to court." Kevin stated. "Well, he almost threatened to do just that if I refused to let him see the kids anytime he wanted." I rubbed my temple. "He was so... infuriating." "Did something else happen?" He inquired. "He kissed me! Can you imagine that?" I exclaimed. "He totally took me by surprise. One time I was yelling at him and next thing I knew, his mouth was stuck to mine." Kevin burst out laughing. "This is not a laughing matter, Kevin Lockhart!" I snapped. "It is so funny." Kevin protested. "Tell me you kissed him back." "It was
Adrien "Tracking the culprit behind the embezzlement has proven challenging, Sir," The CFO reported. "The perpetrator made sure not to leave any traces." "In other words, a ghost siphoned money from the company, cannot be traced and there's no way to find out which recipient accounts all of that money was transferred to?" I clarified. "Yes, sir." "Of what use are you, then?!" I bellowed. "It's your job and that of the audit team to find out who is behind this. I give you two months, Wallace. Two months or your position will be given to someone else, do you understand me?" "Yes, sir. I'll do my best," Wallace stammered. "Good." I said and hung up. As if to add my growing frustration, my phone screen lit up with a call from Brandon and I let out a hiss as I answered the call. "What do you want, Brandon?" "Woah, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what?" Brandon teased. "I'm hanging up." "Wait! I just called to ask about the money. I'm yet to see your people." He sai
Rosalie A week later Upon opening my eyes, I was surprised to find myself in a hospital room. The last memory I had was standing before the fridge with the door open, ready to grab the freshly squeezed orange juice I'd made earlier. Suddenly, a screeching sound inside my head made me clutch it, and the events that followed were a mystery. "Baby?" Adrien's anxious voice made me turn towards him. His hair was tousled, evidence of him running his fingers through it, and he appeared as if he had aged ten years since this morning when I last saw him. "What am I doing here?" I inquired, attempting to prop myself up using my elbows, but he insisted I rest. "You need to rest," He urged. "I found you unconscious in the kitchen, panicked, and brought you to the hospital. The doctor explained it as fainting due to stress." "I'm fine," I reassured him. I studied his face in silence, making him uneasy, yet he didn't avert his gaze as I expected. "What?" He grumbled, arching a delicate eyebr
Rosalie Wet heat flooded my core the moment I felt his soft, warm, silken lips touch mine. Adrien's desire for me permeated the air, his passion evident as he consumed my mouth as if it were the sole sustenance necessary for his survival. As my hands delved into his hair, I opened myself up to him, sensing that all the elusive fragments of my life had finally aligned. There was an unexplainable sense of déjà vu in this room, in this country, as if we had traveled this path before. Months ago, when he casually inquired about our honeymoon destination, I mentioned France without surprising him. It felt like he already knew my choice, and now, in this moment, I realize I never pondered on it until now. Despite never having visited France, its familiarity eludes me, leaving me unable to pinpoint the source of its recognition. I gasped as his mouth came down to my breast and he bit lightly on my hardened nipple. I sucked in another breath as he soothed it with his tongue and teased the
AdrienDespite promising myself not to propose to her in front of a crowd to avoid potential humiliation if she said no, my mind decided otherwise as soon as I stepped onto the stage. She appeared stunning in the white halter neck dress she wore, complemented by the platinum teardrop earrings I had gifted her.The first time we got married, I hadn't proposed, and the second time, despite my sincere words, she took them skeptically. Now, I'm confident that every word I express in front of this crowd will be wholeheartedly embraced by her, as we embark on this third and final marriage rooted in genuine love. I couldn't be happier.Feeling a sense of commitment, I couldn't leave what I'd begun unfinished. Her gaze, as if I were her entire world, fueled my determination and fostering hope that she would agree. Her expressive look conveyed a shared desire; she wouldn't regard me this way if she didn't want it too."For as long as I can recall, Rosalie, you've been the only consistent presen
Rosalie A month later Today, November fifth, the day I gave birth to my children, would have been special if I could remember anything. Unfortunately, I don't recall anything about it. Ronald had planned a big party for our children, who were turning six years old. All their schoolmates, along with some kids from the charity foundation co-founded by Adrien and his father, were invited. With more kids than adults, one can easily imagine how loud the party would become. Children were running and screaming with excitement everywhere I turned. Adrien's backyard had been turned into a mini amusement park for their entertainment, and they appeared to be enjoying themselves to the fullest. Initially, I was unfamiliar with Alissa Dawson, but Adrien informed me that he'd invited her and her kids to celebrate with us. Notably, she had triplets also celebrating their birthday today, so I thought it was fitting. Later, Kevin revealed that Alissa, a police officer in Cardenia and one of my fr
Adrien Rosalie and I initially began as friends with benefits, but over the following months, our connection transformed into a deeper bond, leading us to start dating. Despite the initial strangeness of seeing her as my girlfriend after years of being my wife, I was grateful for the second chance she gave me to make amends for my past actions. A few weeks into our relationship, I validated my dad's suspicions, confirming it both in a personal conversation and during an interview with Urban Pulse. Despite the unfavorable reception from many, we remained indifferent, knowing that people were uninformed about our situation. I even issued warnings of legal action against anyone spreading slander about Rosalie, which effectively put an end to the online hate speeches. Rosalie became the assistant to the head of the PR department in my company, which significantly eased our relationship. However, the only drawback was the frequent and extended business trips I had to undertake. At tim
Rosalie "You're smiling an awful lot." Kevin observed, narrowing his eyes at me. "Did something happen with Adrien Vasanten?" "Like what?" I feigned ignorance. "I don't know, you tell me." He chuckled. "You have this dazed look in your eyes like you can't believe how awesome he is. Let me tell you that women only look at men like that after an amazing time in bed with them." He stated. "And you know this because it's the same way Zara looks at you?" I joked, chuckling. "Maybe." He muttered. "Don't change the subject. Tell me something new; are you back together with your ex?" "I don't know." I sighed deeply. "I asked him for forgiveness, he told me there was nothing to forgive because it's what one does when you're in love with someone; his words, not mine." I remarked. "He told me he loves me, I kissed him and one thing led to another." My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "You initiated the kiss?" Kevin looked shocked. "It was done on Impulse. I did it before I realized what
Adrien Despite knowing it was entirely wrong, I couldn't resist kissing her, and against my better judgment, I wrapped one arm around her waist, lifted her off her chair, and let her straddle my lap. I ripped my mouth from hers, my breath coming in heavy pants. She was just as breathless as she let her head fall back, giving me access to the sensitive skin at her neck as I explored it with my tongue. "Rose, we can't do this." I whispered in her ear as I nibbled at her earlobe, making her giggle. "Why not?" She asked. "I want this and you obviously do too." She let her hand trail down my chest seductively, past my belt buckle and let her fingers brush the front of my pants, making me jerk in surprise. "That is saying otherwise." "You were almost..." I paused, gritting my teeth. "I don't think it's wise." I stated. She drew nearer to me, pressing against me, her chest meeting mine. It dawned on me that she wasn't wearing a bra, and I silently groaned, pondering if she was aware of
Rosalie I was ashamed of myself for behaving like a fool. I was equally ashamed to face my ex-husband, unable to meet his judgmental gaze or endure his triumphant smile saying 'I told you so.' The signs were there last week when Adam treated me curtly and practically threw the documents I had reviewed for him in my face; I should have realized what was going on then. Initially, I believed he was just having a bad day, and his apology at the end of that day reinforced that notion. The following day, our lunch together seemed to erase the events of the previous day. He treated me fairly until today. Yesterday, after he dropped me home, he asked for assistance with a Monday presentation at the hotel, and I agreed. If only I had known it would unravel like this, I would have distanced myself from him. "I left a document in my bedroom. Can you please get it for me?" He asked. "I think it's on my nightstand." "Yes, sir," I said with a smile as I stood up and headed to his bedroom to r
Adrien "Where did you go this early?" Dad questioned as I walked into the house. "The kids were asking for you." "I went to see Rosalie." I mumbled. "Why?" Dad arched a brow. "I went to talk to her about her boss but she refused to believe me. She called me a liar, a manipulator and practically told me that if she were a magician, I would be the only person she'd erase from existence." I responded. Reflecting on our conversation, her words stung more than the slap, and I doubted I'd ever be able to erase them from my memory. It marked the instance when I felt Rosalie's unbridled hatred directed squarely at me. "She said that?" Dad was shocked. "And more." I said. "All I know is, I'm done." I dusted my hands. "I know you love her and you want her to be in this family, but I don't think I can do this. She's happier away from me and I don't want this version of her." "She probably didn't mean anything she said." Dad said in her defense. "She said and I quote; "I curse the day I