Two weeks had finally flown by but there was still no sign of Alex whatsoever and that worried Emma. Glancing at the little girl who was so engrossed in playing with her doll with a wide smile on her face, made Emma’s heart clench. The day they found her doll, she was so happy that she couldn’t contain it and fell off a few flights of stairs but instead of crying, she hugged her doll tightly to her chest. Saying, “I really missed you Jenna! I thought I will never see you again” she called her doll’s name. Emma sighed and rubbed the girl’s head then stood up and went to the library to read some educational books. By the time she was done, it was already dinner time but since Mrs. Beena was around that day, she didn’t bother herself and continued to read. “Nanny Emma?” Julia whispered gently, standing by the threshold and holding a tray of food in his hands. Since the day she dressed his wounds and asked if he was being bullied in school and he affirmed it, she gave him a piece of
By the time she could comprehend what he was about to do, it was already too late as he had his arm snakes around her tiny waist pulling her closer to his chest. With his intoxicated breath, he leaned in and pressed his firm but soft lips on her making her shudder slightly. She shifted uncomfortably trying to pry his arms from around her delicate waist but all her attempts were rendered useless, because the more she struggled to free herself, the tighter he held her. “Mr Lightwood…” she started but her voice came out as a sensual moan as he was now kissing his way down her neck. Having a little taste of her made him lose his senses and go wild; he couldn't control himself. His hands skillfully caressed her back pushing her to himself as if it wasn’t enough that their bodies were already too close. Sucking on her earlobe, Emma let out a satisfying moan and wrapped her arms around his shoulder tilting her head to grant him more access. Feeling the heat brewing between them their san
“What the hell?” He mouthed, staring at the computer screen with irritation. What had he done now? He shot the screen closed and sat on his bed thinking of a way to approach Emma now that he knew what he had done to her. No wonder she was trying so hard to keep the truth to herself because it was obviously embarrassing to say it out loud. Finally he made his way to the kitchen and still saw her there seated with a mug in her hand sipping something. “You are back” she stated matter of fact. Sensing his uneasiness she asked, “what happened? Why are you so gloomy all of a sudden?” He turned around walking majestically like a king but only he knew the truth behind his composure. His heart was running a marathon just by staring at her beautiful face. “Ms. Newton…” he started, “what ever happened between us yesterday was a mistake, I was drunk and didn’t know what I was doing so don’t get any wrong ideas okay?” His voice as cold as ice vocalized while his stares sent chills down her spi
The next morning, Emma woke up earlier than usual, her mind clouded by conflicting emotions. She had enjoyed her date with Matt; he was charming and attentive, yet she couldn’t deny the lingering thoughts of Alex that kept creeping in at the most inconvenient moments. She brushed off the feelings as irrational and focused on getting ready for the day.Downstairs, Alex sat at the dining table, his eyes glued to his laptop screen but his mind elsewhere. He hadn't slept much; thoughts of Emma and her date consumed him. Every time he pictured Matt’s smug smile as he escorted Emma out of the mansion, Alex felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy that he refused to acknowledge.As Emma entered the room, the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor pulled Alex from his thoughts. She looked radiant, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail, her outfit professional yet effortlessly chic. Alex’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than he intended, but he quickly masked his thoughts with
Later that night, the house was quiet, the kids finally tucked into bed after a long evening of stories and laughter. Emma sat on the porch swing, a blanket draped over her lap and a mug of tea in her hands. She stared out at the darkened yard, her mind spinning with thoughts she couldn’t quite untangle.The sound of the door opening behind her startled her, but she didn’t turn around. She knew it was Alex.“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, his voice soft.Emma shook her head, taking a sip of her tea. “Too much on my mind, I guess.”Alex stepped out onto the porch, his hands in his pockets. He stood there for a moment, as if debating whether to join her. Finally, he sat down on the swing, leaving a careful distance between them.They sat in silence for a while, the quiet of the night settling around them.“About earlier,” Alex began, his voice low. “I didn’t mean to make things complicated.”Emma glanced at him, her expression guarded. “You didn’t. Not really.”Alex let out a soft laugh, th
Later that afternoon, Emma was tending to the garden outside. The sun was warm on her skin, the rhythmic sound of the shears in her hand keeping her thoughts from drifting back to her conversation with Alex.“Hey, stranger.”Emma turned to see Matt leaning against the fence, his usual confident grin in place. He was dressed casually, his jeans slightly dusty as though he’d just come from the ranch.“Matt,” she said, surprised but smiling. “What brings you here?”He shrugged. “Saw your car parked out front and thought I’d drop by. Hope that’s okay.”“Of course,” she said, setting down her shears. “I was just finishing up.”Matt’s eyes softened as he studied her. “You know, I’ve been thinking about our last date. I had a great time.”Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She knew where this was heading, and while Matt was charming and kind, her feelings felt more complicated than ever now.“I’m glad you did,” she said carefully, brushing a stray leaf from her sleeve.“And I was hoping we could d
The house felt unnervingly quiet. The other kids were downstairs, but Julia found herself holed up in her room, nursing a discomfort she wasn’t quite ready to face. She tossed and turned on her bed, irritated by the odd feeling gnawing at her. She wasn’t sick—she knew what was happening. She just wasn’t ready to deal with it.Her mind kept wandering back to Emma. That girl. Julia had tried to avoid her at all costs, but somehow, she kept slipping in, threading her way into their lives, stealing moments with Abby and Ethan. It was infuriating. Julia liked being in control, and right now, it felt like Emma was taking over, shifting the balance in a way that made her anxious.But today, there was something else. A heaviness in her stomach that wouldn’t go away, making her more irritable than usual. She tossed another pillow against the wall and pulled the blanket over her head, wishing the whole world would just leave her alone.Just then, a knock on her door startled her, followed by a
Alex sat in his spacious office, the skyline of Asokoro stretched out before him. It was late into the evening, the city lights casting a soft glow on his face as he stared at the stacks of paperwork in front of him. The glow from his computer screen was the only light, yet it didn’t seem to matter; he wasn’t really seeing the documents or emails in front of him. His mind kept drifting back to Emma, to the quiet, fleeting moments they had shared.The air in the room felt thick, suffocating, like the weight of his own emotions had transformed the space into something unrecognizable. The files in front of him were no different from the thoughts he kept trying to suppress. Everything about his day—from handling business matters to dealing with the children—had been a distraction, a poor attempt at keeping his mind occupied.But the more he tried to focus on his work, the more his thoughts kept circling back to Emma.It had started the moment Matt had appeared, asking Emma to prepare for
It was late, and the house had quieted down for the night. Emma stood in the kitchen, tidying up after dinner. The faint hum of the dishwasher filled the silence, but her thoughts were louder. Matt’s message had lingered in her mind all day, making her stomach churn with unease.Just as she reached to turn off the kitchen lights, she heard footsteps. Turning around, she saw Alex standing in the doorway. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his tie slightly loosened. He looked tired, but there was something more—a weight in his gaze that she couldn’t quite place.“I didn’t think anyone was still awake,” Emma said, her voice soft.Alex walked in, his hands sliding into his pockets. “I couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d grab some water,” he replied, though the way his eyes lingered on her made it clear she was the reason he’d come downstairs.Emma hesitated. She had been avoiding him since the awkward tension Matt had stirred. But now, with Alex standing so close, his presence felt magnetic.“You
The phone buzzed faintly in his hand, but Alex didn’t dare look at it. His pulse thundered in his ears as he tossed the device onto his desk like it might burn him. Suddenly, the room seemed too quiet, the stillness amplifying the weight of what he had just done.What if she doesn’t reply?The thought lingered, bitter and sharp. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room like a caged animal. For someone who made billion-dollar decisions daily, this was unnervingly paralyzing. Business was predictable; people, especially someone like Emma, were not.Alex’s mind spiraled with possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last. Maybe she’d laugh it off. Or worse, maybe she’d ignore it altogether, leaving his carefully constructed message to fester in the void of her inbox.But what if she replied? What if she was honest, and the honesty wasn’t what he wanted to hear?He sat back down heavily, his elbows braced on the desk as he leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. The l
Alex sat in his spacious office, the skyline of Asokoro stretched out before him. It was late into the evening, the city lights casting a soft glow on his face as he stared at the stacks of paperwork in front of him. The glow from his computer screen was the only light, yet it didn’t seem to matter; he wasn’t really seeing the documents or emails in front of him. His mind kept drifting back to Emma, to the quiet, fleeting moments they had shared.The air in the room felt thick, suffocating, like the weight of his own emotions had transformed the space into something unrecognizable. The files in front of him were no different from the thoughts he kept trying to suppress. Everything about his day—from handling business matters to dealing with the children—had been a distraction, a poor attempt at keeping his mind occupied.But the more he tried to focus on his work, the more his thoughts kept circling back to Emma.It had started the moment Matt had appeared, asking Emma to prepare for
The house felt unnervingly quiet. The other kids were downstairs, but Julia found herself holed up in her room, nursing a discomfort she wasn’t quite ready to face. She tossed and turned on her bed, irritated by the odd feeling gnawing at her. She wasn’t sick—she knew what was happening. She just wasn’t ready to deal with it.Her mind kept wandering back to Emma. That girl. Julia had tried to avoid her at all costs, but somehow, she kept slipping in, threading her way into their lives, stealing moments with Abby and Ethan. It was infuriating. Julia liked being in control, and right now, it felt like Emma was taking over, shifting the balance in a way that made her anxious.But today, there was something else. A heaviness in her stomach that wouldn’t go away, making her more irritable than usual. She tossed another pillow against the wall and pulled the blanket over her head, wishing the whole world would just leave her alone.Just then, a knock on her door startled her, followed by a
Later that afternoon, Emma was tending to the garden outside. The sun was warm on her skin, the rhythmic sound of the shears in her hand keeping her thoughts from drifting back to her conversation with Alex.“Hey, stranger.”Emma turned to see Matt leaning against the fence, his usual confident grin in place. He was dressed casually, his jeans slightly dusty as though he’d just come from the ranch.“Matt,” she said, surprised but smiling. “What brings you here?”He shrugged. “Saw your car parked out front and thought I’d drop by. Hope that’s okay.”“Of course,” she said, setting down her shears. “I was just finishing up.”Matt’s eyes softened as he studied her. “You know, I’ve been thinking about our last date. I had a great time.”Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She knew where this was heading, and while Matt was charming and kind, her feelings felt more complicated than ever now.“I’m glad you did,” she said carefully, brushing a stray leaf from her sleeve.“And I was hoping we could d
Later that night, the house was quiet, the kids finally tucked into bed after a long evening of stories and laughter. Emma sat on the porch swing, a blanket draped over her lap and a mug of tea in her hands. She stared out at the darkened yard, her mind spinning with thoughts she couldn’t quite untangle.The sound of the door opening behind her startled her, but she didn’t turn around. She knew it was Alex.“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, his voice soft.Emma shook her head, taking a sip of her tea. “Too much on my mind, I guess.”Alex stepped out onto the porch, his hands in his pockets. He stood there for a moment, as if debating whether to join her. Finally, he sat down on the swing, leaving a careful distance between them.They sat in silence for a while, the quiet of the night settling around them.“About earlier,” Alex began, his voice low. “I didn’t mean to make things complicated.”Emma glanced at him, her expression guarded. “You didn’t. Not really.”Alex let out a soft laugh, th
The next morning, Emma woke up earlier than usual, her mind clouded by conflicting emotions. She had enjoyed her date with Matt; he was charming and attentive, yet she couldn’t deny the lingering thoughts of Alex that kept creeping in at the most inconvenient moments. She brushed off the feelings as irrational and focused on getting ready for the day.Downstairs, Alex sat at the dining table, his eyes glued to his laptop screen but his mind elsewhere. He hadn't slept much; thoughts of Emma and her date consumed him. Every time he pictured Matt’s smug smile as he escorted Emma out of the mansion, Alex felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy that he refused to acknowledge.As Emma entered the room, the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor pulled Alex from his thoughts. She looked radiant, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail, her outfit professional yet effortlessly chic. Alex’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than he intended, but he quickly masked his thoughts with
“What the hell?” He mouthed, staring at the computer screen with irritation. What had he done now? He shot the screen closed and sat on his bed thinking of a way to approach Emma now that he knew what he had done to her. No wonder she was trying so hard to keep the truth to herself because it was obviously embarrassing to say it out loud. Finally he made his way to the kitchen and still saw her there seated with a mug in her hand sipping something. “You are back” she stated matter of fact. Sensing his uneasiness she asked, “what happened? Why are you so gloomy all of a sudden?” He turned around walking majestically like a king but only he knew the truth behind his composure. His heart was running a marathon just by staring at her beautiful face. “Ms. Newton…” he started, “what ever happened between us yesterday was a mistake, I was drunk and didn’t know what I was doing so don’t get any wrong ideas okay?” His voice as cold as ice vocalized while his stares sent chills down her spi
By the time she could comprehend what he was about to do, it was already too late as he had his arm snakes around her tiny waist pulling her closer to his chest. With his intoxicated breath, he leaned in and pressed his firm but soft lips on her making her shudder slightly. She shifted uncomfortably trying to pry his arms from around her delicate waist but all her attempts were rendered useless, because the more she struggled to free herself, the tighter he held her. “Mr Lightwood…” she started but her voice came out as a sensual moan as he was now kissing his way down her neck. Having a little taste of her made him lose his senses and go wild; he couldn't control himself. His hands skillfully caressed her back pushing her to himself as if it wasn’t enough that their bodies were already too close. Sucking on her earlobe, Emma let out a satisfying moan and wrapped her arms around his shoulder tilting her head to grant him more access. Feeling the heat brewing between them their san