Harley's POVSitting back in the car seat and releasing a sigh, I lean backward and say to the driver. "Please take me to Aunt Kayla's mansion", I instruct, looking out of the car window as he roars the car into action and drives away from the school premises.I usually make sure to accompany Alexis to her classroom before going back to the car. There is always another car behind us but I am not bothered about that because I know it is the bodyguards. It makes me feel safe. Antonio is a billionaire but he got shot three weeks ago. This is enough to make me ask if I am safe working with him. Wealthy men have their fair share of life's problems and I don't want to be involved. I am not ready to die.As much as I don't want to be bothered by Antonio's hatred towards me, I am worried that he is going to influence his mother and make her change her mind about keeping me. I am truly sorry for coming to work late and I am damn relieved that Alexis wasn't mad at me. In fact, we chatted all
Antonio's POVI stare coldly at Amelia as she stands with arms akimbo and an angry expression on her face. What the hell is wrong with everyone that they seems smitten with that barbaric girl called Harley?I wonder when Amelia will get it into her fucking head that I am not attracted to her nor am I attracted to any girl. "Those girls are here to seduce you, Anton", she cries out with a painful expression.I shake my head, biting my lips to stop myself from shouting at her. I would never stoop so low to get into an affair with my employee. I have self-control and I can't even remember the last time I thought of sex."Don't you get it?" Her hard gaze softens as I continue to watch her in silence with my back to the swivel chair."So June is also here to seduce me?" I ask."Don't put words into my mouth, Anton. All I am saying is that...""They are dressing seductively just to get me into their bed or what?" I growl in anger, interrupting her. Why is everyone doing something to anno
Harley's POVKayla's suggestion echoes loudly in my ears, making me realize what she is demanding of me. Come live here? With her or with Antonio and Alexis? That is impossible!Antonio hates me, we can't stay under the same roof.I gawk at her in disbelief, wondering why she is bringing this suggestion knowing full well what her son thinks of me. He hates me. But the feeling is mutual. It's just so sad that his mother and daughter are the total opposite of him, they are accommodating and sweet."That way, you won't have to rush out every morning just to come here. Also, I will be traveling tomorrow morning and I want you to be available to take care of Alexis even at night. She dislikes Ann so much and she doesn't want her to bathe her. I can't remember the numbers of quarrels I had to settle between them", she laughs. "Alexis behaves like an adult.""Your son doesn't like me", I remind her. This is the major problem. Coming to live here will be convenient but Antonio is the proble
Harley's POVJust when I am about to give up waiting for Chelsea who told me an hour ago that she was on her way here, the door to the coffee shop opens and she rushes in. She glances around looking for me until she spots me beside the window.There is a frown on my face as she approaches. I am pissed that she kept me waiting for an hour after telling me to come and wait for her here at the coffee shop which is close to the company where she works. She is dressed in a brown pencil skirt, a white blouse, and black stiletto heels."I'm so sorry I kept you waiting", she flashes me an apologetic smile before sitting in front of me."Your office is just a few distances away from here, what kept you so long?" My frown deepens."I'm sorry", she places her hand on mine on the table.I lean backward and fold my arms around my bosom. She flashes me a grin, drops her bag on the table, and leans back too. "So what's up?"After leaving work, I called Chelsea to tell her that we needed to meet. I w
Antonio's POVI groan as I flutter my eyes open, moving my hands towards the alarm clock.My head is banging and I feel like I haven't had enough sleep. I came back late last night because I went over to Brandon's house. We spoke about Xavier till it was late and I left. I guess the alcohol I took in his house is also the reason for my banging headache.Heaving a deep sigh, I sit upright and grab my phone, holding my head in one hand.My head aches a lot.I need to take a hot bath, maybe I will be relieved a bit. Besides, I need to go to work already.I sit up and walk slowly to the bathroom door, wishing I can just stay here for today without going to work. But I need to go to work, I have a lot to sort out today. I push the bathroom door open and enter. When I came back from Brandon's place last night, I was extremely tired and worried about the information I got. Brandon had also employed the services of a private investigator which he invited over to the house.The information
Harley's POVI watch his face turn pale all of a sudden, with a mixture of surprise and panic.I gave all his mother said some thoughts and decided to give this a try. Besides, I will be the one to benefit from all of these. I need the money, grandma needs it too to survive. All I need to do is make sure I do my very best so his mother can pay me as promised.I don't care whether he let me do my job or not, I will do what I can and leave the rest. But about making sure that he is fine whenever he needs his inhaler, I will do that wholeheartedly, not because of the money but because of Alexis, his mother, and for humanity.I will no longer go ahead with my plan to deal with him for suffering me and refusing to give me a job when I deserved it. He deserves whatever punishment I accord to him but I won't do that.Whatever good I do to him is because of his mother and this pretty daughter of his, watching me and shifting her gaze to her father at intervals.I want to shape her to become a
Harley's POVAlexis rushes to me and I embrace her as she sobs in my arms. I am on the verge of crying too because of how tightly she is holding me.I haven't spent many days with her but I am already attached to her the same way she is with me and it moved me to tears.It reminds me of my past. What it takes to be alone without a mother or a father. Alexis has no mother but she has a father.I had nothing since I was little. I had no mother and no father, I was left alone with my grandmother who means so much to me now. She is my father and mother, she tries so much to play these two roles well enough despite her ill health and I love her for being strong for me.Jim tried to play that role too but he failed in the end, making me realize there is nothing like family.Love from your family is unconditional. If a stranger loves you, it can be either temporary or permanent. I would never have believed that Jim would leave me."It's ok, baby. We are late for school, let's get going", I
Antonio's POVThe door opens again the moment Amelia goes out and my mother comes in, looking gorgeous in her single-piece maroon dress with long sleeves and a black designer handbag.Amelia and I just had a brief conversation about the Australia deal without talking about what happened between us yesterday.I know she is mad at me from the way she was acting professionally all of a sudden. Amelia barely acts professionally for hours. She is professional this minute, chatty and friendly the next minute.I guess I just need to set limits to our communication so she won't get the wrong idea and begin to think she can have me wrapped around my fingers."Anton", mother calls, standing by the door and folding her arms around her bosom, watching me intensely."Mother?" I stand upright in respect, wondering why she is here, dressed this way. I can't remember the last time my mother visited me."I am travelling this morning", she saunters closer and drags the chair out before sitting in.I fl
Harley's POVTWO MONTHS LATERIt is rainy outside and my insides are in disarray.As soon as Antonio steps beside me, my hands shake vigorously and my heart thumps wildly in my chest as if it will soon burst out.He entwines his left hand with my right hand and squeezes it in assurance. I snap my head to exchange glances with him.His eyes hold more than assurance and it makes everything more surreal. It holds hope. For a good and promising future.I hope for happiness. Till eternity.I hope for joy. Everlasting.His eyes hold love. True love.And it holds peace. It feels as if a bowl of water has been poured all over me the moment I turn away from him, taking deep slow breaths, wanting to push down the nervousness and face the reality of what is about to happen today. And now.I am a bride.A bride dressed in a white, sleeveless wedding gown, the silhouette of the dress is fitted through the bodice and starts to flare out at the waist in a triangular fashion. Antonio is dressed in
Harley's POVAntonio didn't say what I wanted to hear. He didn't talk about making babies and that was the exact thing I needed to hear from him to assure me that this baby is accepted and I have no problem whatsoever.This is the only thing stopping me from accepting this proposal. This is what I have always dreamt of.A proposal.To be married. To him.I didn't expect this but I guess it was meant to be a surprise. Grandma is even here but she isn't looking happy.It was when Antonio helped me up from the floor and carried me in a bridal style to take me up to his room that I was able to wipe my tears and stop crying.Alexis wouldn't stop asking me why I was crying.We have been sitting in silence in his room for more than 20 minutes and I am sure the guests downstairs would have gone home.I don't want him to do ahead with this because a baby is involved. This is why I didn't accept him but went ahead to tell him that I was pregnant. This way, he can quickly change his mind about g
Antonio's POVThe moment Brandon and Stanley left the mansion to go get Harley's Grandma, I moved out of the house too and began to pace the courtyard in anticipation.I am as nervous as hell!And it's taking too long. Mother is worried that Harley won't come and I wonder why the driver I sent to her place is just leaving.He just called me a few minutes ago and he has been gone for almost an hour.I feel like calling Jude again, the driver who must be on his way to the restaurant by now but I don't want to distract him. Should I call him to just come back?I turn my back with folded arms when I see my mother coming out through the front door with a glass of wine in her hand.Her face was shining with delight earlier on but now there is worry etched on her expression. I can see her face with the help of the bright glow light which Chelsea suggested we use to decorate the whole place.I was against it at first because I don't want Harley to get suspicious the moment she comes in. I wa
Harley's POVI stare into space, tears rolling down my eyes as Grandma watches me with a face devoid of emotion.I don't know what she is thinking but I am also disappointed in myself. I didn't plan for this and I'm sure Antonio isn't expecting this either and it breaks my heart more.Antonio and I have never talked about kids or pregnancy and I don't know how to view it.Now that I have been confirmed pregnant, I am scared this will be the end of us. What if he doesn't want the baby? What if Alexis doesn't want another child to grab the attention of her father, thereby reducing his love for her? What if Antonio isn't ready for this kind of responsibility yet?He is just healing from the wounds of his past. He was left with a child who was barely a month old to care for, how sure am I that Antonio is ready to go through this again?I begin to wail between my palms, to hide my face from the woman who thought I am still a virgin. She must be so disappointed in me.A hand touches me and
Harley's POVI move swiftly across the kitchen, making an effort to finish up this cooking before Antonio's driver comes to get me.We are going on a date tonight, but without Alexis, this time, and I am excited about it. I just hope there will be no form of drama today. The first date came with drama and the second date's drama was unexpected. This time, I hope Antonio and I will have a quiet time to discuss and talk into the night before coming back home.I don't know why he is super excited about it too but I guess it is because this is going to be our first date alone. Alexis was with us during the first and second dates.The way he has been going on this date since Thursday is hilarious. He even insisted on getting me a dress but I protested but he wouldn't listen. Just this morning, he brought the dress on his way to work, reminding me about the date.It made me smile. And proud. Happy. Lucky. Special.I just finished boiling the macaroni and I want to make a roux. I melt the
Antonio's POVI knock again on the door, waiting impatiently for Harley to open up for me. I am freezing cold out here and I can't wait to see her face.Should I ask her to follow me to my place today? Will she agree? Should I sound pathetic? Shit!I don't know what is wrong with me. I am crazy about Harley and this feeling keeps increasing with each passing day. Now that she is no longer staying in my house, I love her more and want to always see her.When she told me we would see tonight, I knew it was her little way of inviting me over to the house. Well, I haven't spent a day without coming to visit after leaving work, ever since we reconciled.It has become a routine now.The door is thrown open and she jumps into my arms as though she already saw that it was no one but me or because she is happy about something."Hello to you, sweetheart", I say with a raised brow as she hugs me more. Confusion clouds my expression when she giggles.She releases me from her hold and cups my fac
Antonio's POVThe elevator dings open and I walk out with my briefcase swinging beside me. I walk towards my office, trying to take my mind off Xavier.I have just a week to provide evidence that he was responsible for my father's death and I really do not know how to go about it.I want to concentrate on work today because I am going to be signing a new deal today by noon.Immediately Harley left, I got up from the bed to get dressed and come to work so I won't end up masturbating because of my hard-on.I'm not supposed to be at work this early because of the deal we are going to sign by noon but I decided to come in and work on a few things before that time.I walk past my secretary's desk and get to the door. I insert the key to open it but surprisingly, the door opens itself.I raise a brow with the keys in my hands, trying to recall if I was the one who closed the door yesterday or if it was my secretary.I remember I was in a hurry to leave work yesterday because I was going out
Antonio's POVHarley snuggles closer into my arms, making it so difficult for me to let go and go to work.I do not feel like going to work today, I wish we could spend all day in bed. I never expected that she would spend the night with me last night but I was overjoyed when she said she would.This is what I have been dying to hear from her ever since she left the house. I am not saying anything about it anymore because I don't want to push her further. Besides, I am willing to wait for as long as she wants to come back to the house. I will keep waiting.I have been thinking hard and long about our relationship and what I want from this. Ever since I admitted my love for her, I knew I wanted her for life. This isn't meant to be a casual relationship. This is something that speaks of our future and I want that future with her.I want her to be my woman, my wife and I want us to always wake up in each other's arms.Harley doesn't want to come back to the house and I am more than despe
Harley's POVAs the car drives into the courtyard, I notice the car behind us take a U-Turn and drive off.The car behind is the one the guards were driving and now that they know we are home safely, they have gone back to meet Antonio in the restaurant.It feels as if the ride back home was slow and Alexis had fallen asleep in my arms after crying for so long.I am supposed to go home but I can't go home without knowing if Antonio is safe or not. I can't leave without seeing him walk through the front door safe and sound.My heart is heavy for no reason and I am scared. Why will Antonio not listen to me? The cops can handle it, he doesn't need to be there or involved. Can't he just come back home already and let Xavier be?The car stops and I jerk my head upright when Felix opens the door for me. Alexis's head is on my lap so I pick her up and I step out of the car carefully.I am glad she had fallen asleep. I couldn't console her when she was wailing because I was crying inside too