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 POVI come down from the car and bring out my phone from my pocket to give Chelsea a call.I have been thinking about what happened between Antonio and me this morning before I took Alexis to school and I can see my fault in what happened just as aunt Kayla had pointed out.To be honest, I was relieved when she told me I still have my job and she will talk to her son. Even though I wasn't moved by Antonio's threat because of my confidence in his mother's promises to me.I want to talk to Chelsea about my fears. I haven't spent a week here but I am already having issues with Antonio whom I will be sharing a house.If only he can just ignore me like I am not in his house so I can be on my lane and we don't have to bicker words at each other all the time, it would have been much easier for me. And him too. And Alexis.Seeing Alexis defend me instead of her father brought tears to my eyes and I love her for that. This is not about loyalty but the truth.Chelsea doesn't pick and I
Antonio's POVI turn my left hand to gaze at the Rolex wristwatch for the umpteenth time, shifting my legs uncomfortably under the coffee table in impatience.Chelsea is keeping me waiting. I have work to do. She told me to call her once I get to this shop and I did. She said she was coming out but I haven't seen her yet. I have been sitting here for 30 minutes without the sight of her.Where the hell is she? Has she forgotten that I am here waiting for her?I grab my phone with a growl, so I can give her a call to know if she is coming or not. I don't need to waste my time here if she isn't available.It isn't worth it for a stupid person like Harley. I just need to satisfy my curiosity and clear my doubts.I stopped my private investigator from finding out more information about her since I saw her in my mansion as the nanny my mother employed for my daughter. We had better things to do and I felt all I needed to do was fire her. It was harder than I expected. Mother was in the way
Harley's POV"Hi", the familiar voice that I have been craving to hear from says from the other side as my mouth drops open in shock and disbelief that Jim is calling me after many days of being silent on me.This is a man that I have been trying to get off my mind so I can live a normal life despite what we have shared, how much we have planned, and how intertwined our lives are.I can barely do anything without Jim's interference. I can barely go a day without seeing or talking to me but here I am hearing his voice after many days of not hearing from him or even giving our break up any more thoughts.I am not moved by his voice. I am just shocked by the bones.Why the hell is he calling me? Why the hell is he sounding like he cares about me after breaking my heart into shreds? Just when I am learning to heal and move on, he is calling me again. Why? To torture me by remembering me of the good times with him? How can I even forget what he did and forgive him so easily for letting go
Antonio's POVI pull a clean blue shirt over my head, thinking about how to start a conversation with someone I don't like and have never thought of talking with civilly.But now, we can't escape it. Harley and I need to talk. I have come to terms with what my mother had said and what had happened and I have decided to let her be, test her for a while and if she doesn't pass, she will leave. I am sure mother will let me fire her then if I let her stay for a while by testing her capabilities. If I am satisfied with her work and she is really good just like Chelsea had said, then she will stay.All I need to do is talk to her about what I want from her and tell her to do her best for her to retain her position here as my daughter's nanny, then apologize.I can't let that go so easily. My ego was bruised and it needs restorations. I need her to apologize for me to let go completely. For me to forgive her and let her stay.If she still doesn't apologize, then we have just started. I won
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