Why would he be at a bar so late looking for someone? With Heath and Lysander out of the city, and Zane under Soraya's constant watch, who else could Alaric possibly be meeting?Vespera gave a bitter smile. She realized she had no idea who Alaric's other friends were. When he wasn't at home or at office, she never knew where he went. Yet somehow he always seemed to know exactly where to find her. She had laid herself bare before him while remaining completely in the dark about who he really was.She tossed aside her phone, only for a new notification to pop up - a social media check-in from Elowen at a bar, posted just fifteen minutes ago.Suddenly, Vespera let out a hollow laugh. Now she understood the source of that mixture of alcohol and perfume she'd smelled on him. The late-night bar visit made perfect sense now. How utterly predictable - the same old patterns, the same old lies.Though perhaps "lies" wasn't quite right this time. He hadn't actually lied, and she hadn't pressed h
After dinner, Vespera quickly wiped her mouth, mumbled something about needing to run an errand, grabbed her bag, and rushed out. Alaric, watching her leave, thought she must be going stir-crazy from being cooped up at home, so maybe getting out for a bit would do her some good. But then he remembered Evelyn and her persistent meddling, so he discreetly sent two bodyguards to follow Vespera.Alaric sat down to browse the latest news. Not long after, a servant rushed in, announcing, “Zane’s back!”Alaric blinked and saw Zane stride into the living room. “Oh? Soraya finally let you go?”Zane kicked off his shoes, collapsed onto the couch, and groaned, “Don’t even mention that woman. She makes me sick. If it weren’t for Cheryl, I’d have tossed her off the balcony ages ago!”Alaric chuckled, “Soraya’s a goddess to some, you know. What’s she done to make you hate her so much?”Zane rolled his eyes. “Elowen’s someone else’s goddess, too, and yet you can’t stand her either.”Alaric’s express
Vespera had already stepped into the hospital. She had her number in hand and was waiting in line. When the bodyguards came in, she was sitting on a chair, staring blankly. Since walking into the hospital, she had felt numb—like a shell of a person. She didn’t want to talk or think, just sat there, her mind in turmoil.She wanted the baby. She wanted to take care of it. But the thought of bringing this life into the world, only to face the stigma that would follow, made her hesitate. As much as it hurt her, she knew the consequences of keeping the child.One of the bodyguards caught up with her and said, “Miss, Mr. Strider asked you to come home.”Vespera blinked in surprise, replying, “He sent you to follow me?”The bodyguards exchanged glances before one replied, “No, no… not to follow you. He asked us to protect you.”“Oh,” Vespera lowered her head, “Then wait here.”Just as she spoke, her number was called. She stood up and walked towards the room. The bodyguards rushed to stop he
Alaric loosened his shirt collar, glaring at Vespera as he tried to hold back his anger. “Have you completely lost your mind? You went behind my back to get an abortion?!”Vespera glanced at him blankly. “I didn’t. I wasn’t even pregnant.”Alaric just stared at her. “…”He was so frustrated he could practically feel the blood boiling inside him. Was that really the point? She’d gone to have an abortion, even if it hadn’t happened. And then there was the fact she wasn’t pregnant at all—and that she thought she had been but hadn’t told him!Alaric’s mind was spinning. He couldn’t even decide what mattered most anymore. His brain felt like it had been hit by a bomb. First, learning she was supposedly pregnant, then thinking back to their night together, then hearing she’d gone to abort the baby, and finally finding out she hadn’t been pregnant at all. It was like four bombs had exploded in his head in one day.He sat down on the couch, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself before loo
Vespera stared at Alaric, momentarily speechless. Alaric smiled gently, nudging the spoon toward her. “Time to eat,” he said.She opened her mouth, accepting a spoonful of porridge. Alaric looked genuinely happy, feeding her a few more bites and offering some side dishes along the way. This meal stretched to nearly half an hour, remarkably without any arguments. Alaric would occasionally chat with Vespera, and she’d respond, surprisingly at ease.After they finished, Alaric tidied up and said, “Rest here; I’ll bring you some milkshake.”Vespera nodded, watching as he carried the tray out. She felt a bit off-balance. Was Alaric apologizing? Was he actually changing? This pampered heir, known for his luxury and pride, had never cared for anyone like this before, let alone admitted fault.As Vespera pondered, she remembered Alaric's recent words. Did he really no longer care for Elowen? If he didn’t, why did he go to the bar to see her? And if he knew she was pregnant, why did he propose
Lately, Vespera has harbored a lot of resentment toward Alaric, convinced he's unreliable, unstable, and dishonest with her. She feels he’s always tangled up with Elowen, that he doesn't understand her, and she can’t seem to see anything good in him—without ever stopping to look at her own flaws.Maybe Alaric really is just an immature guy who struggles with a lot of things, constantly leaving her feeling disappointed and hurt. But is she really so blameless?Standing back, Vespera realizes she’s actually been a pretty lousy girlfriend. Alaric’s dishonesty? A response to her sensitivity—he hides things to avoid hurting her. His lack of understanding? Because she never clearly expresses what she wants. As for Elowen… that’s a whole other mystery, one she’s never really tried to unravel.The first time they nearly broke up, it was over some photos Yvonne posted. She hadn’t even asked Alaric for an explanation; she’d just condemned him on the spot. The second time, it was the smell of sm
Alaric stood in his office, with Elowen right in front of him, her hand tugging at his tie, a faint smirk hidden beneath her slightly indignant expression.Seeing the scene, Vespera nearly turned around and left right then and there. But she reminded herself of her purpose for coming today. She was done hiding from Elowen. Even if Alaric wasn’t hers in the end, she’d be damned if he ended up with someone like Elowen.So Vespera strode into the office, fixed her gaze on them, and asked, “What’s going on here?”At the sound of her voice, Alaric spun around, fumbling to free his tie from Elowen’s grip. But Elowen held tight, glancing over at Vespera with a slight smile. “Miss Thornfield? You’re here?”Vespera closed the door behind her, gave a slight nod, and asked again, “What exactly is this about?”Elowen smirked. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to ask Alaric if I could borrow a few people to help promote my new fashion line. Not sure if he’s on board with it, though.”“Not a chance,
Vespera walked ahead, casual and carefree in a T-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and even bare of high heels, while Alaric trailed close behind with a jacket in hand, grinning like a fool. Everyone in the lobby couldn’t help but notice—their usually composed CEO was tagging along, practically beaming.Catching up to her, Alaric draped his jacket over her shoulders. “How could you leave without dressing warmer? You’ll end up with a stomach ache tonight,” he said, his voice soft with affection.Vespera felt a warm flutter in her chest but stayed quiet, letting his jacket settle around her as they walked out. Alaric was thrilled she hadn’t brushed him off; emboldened, he slipped his hand into hers, wrapping her cold fingers in his.For a moment, she stiffened, then relaxed, letting her hand nestle securely in his. Together, they headed to the parking lot, Alaric practically floating with joy. This felt better than winning the lottery!Bringing her home, Alaric felt out of his depth—things h
The next morning, Vespera was woken up at dawn, barely getting a few hours of sleep. Known as a dedicated designer, she was usually the first one awake, but today she could barely keep her eyes open. As the stylist worked on her hair and makeup, Vespera sat half-dazed, drifting in and out, completely unaware of the hands tugging her in all directions.Two hours later, with her hair and makeup done, Vespera finally slipped into her wedding dress. The reality hit her, and for the first time, she fully realized she was about to get married.Memories flooded back, particularly that first encounter with Alaric. He’d been sprawled on the steps outside, a bit too tipsy, looking up with half-closed eyes, asking, “What’s wrong with me?” Vespera, surprising even herself, had replied, “Nothing at all.”Back then, he was just a bright, headstrong young man, carrying so many dreams and frustrations. Somewhere along the way, he’d grown into this strong, grounded man. And somehow, after everything,
It wasn’t until a few days after their engagement that it even crossed Vespera’s mind to ask about the villa.Alaric confirmed he’d bought it, explaining that he’d thought she might like it and decided to go for it. As for renovations, he wanted to wait until she officially agreed to everything; after all, they’d eventually need their own place—living with Zane forever wasn’t exactly an option.By now, the news of Alaric and Vespera’s engagement had spread everywhere. Alaric was practically ready to announce it to the world on social media, but thankfully, Aurora stepped in, suggesting he keep things low-key since he was the company CEO. Plus, Vespera wasn’t exactly a fan of the public spotlight.Alaric reluctantly held back but couldn’t resist dropping hints in his friend group chat every other day. Heath and the rest were used to it by now—except Lysander, who constantly complained that he was drowning in a sea of "lovey-dovey vibes," being the lone single guy among them.When Auror
The next morning, Alaric woke up, remembering last night’s events. He pinched himself—no, it wasn’t a dream. Vespera had actually said yes.He jumped out of bed, showered, changed, and even straightened his tie before driving to her studio. There she was, focused on work, wearing a stylish dress and light makeup, looking absolutely radiant.When he walked in, Vespera looked up, surprised. “Finally awake?” she asked with a smirk.Alaric simply nodded, taking her hand without a word and leading her downstairs. She stumbled after him, asking, “Where are we going?”Alaric gently nudged her into his car, driving her toward a villa. Vespera was clueless and a bit shocked, glancing around, unsure of what was happening.They finally arrived at a beautiful villa. Alaric opened the door, and she asked, “Did you just buy this?”&n
The next morning, Alaric was finally over his fever. When Vespera woke up, he was already waiting in the living room. After breakfast, they both headed to their respective offices.Aurora’s team reported they’d successfully returned to the Whitmore family’s estate. For her, that had been a fierce battle. For Vespera, however, the real challenge lay ahead: the design competition.Ever since her last conversation with Yvonne, where Yvonne had hinted that everything she had was due to Aurora and Alaric’s support, Vespera had been determined to prove herself. She wanted to be worthy of Alaric and was pouring all her energy into this competition.After submitting her designs, Vespera anxiously waited at home for results. When the winners were finally announced online, she saw her name in second place. The relief and pride were overwhelming. She had finally achieved something worth sharing with Alaric. Now, with the award ceremony in the UK, she had no choice but to let him know.Expecting
Vespera had reclaimed her brand, and Alaric seemed to be maturing by the day, treating her like she was his entire world. Everything seemed to be falling into place.After that showdown in Alaric’s office with Elowen, she hadn’t shown her face again. Vespera figured it was over, that Elowen had finally given up. Everyone else thought the same.But on the day they took graduation photos, Aurora disappeared. Heath and Alaric eventually tracked her down — Elowen had taken her. Vespera was frantic, blaming herself for not protecting Aurora better.Heath and Alaric couldn’t stop Aurora’s flight at the airport, so they booked tickets to the UK to get her back. Vespera had too much to handle here to join them, so she only saw Alaric off at the airport.He held her close, whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon, and Aurora will be safe.”Vespera hugged him back tightly. She trusted him. Alaric and Heath would get this done — Elowen had crossed a line that couldn’t be ignored, and she knew
This past week, Aurora had been tirelessly setting up to counter Evelyn and her allies, Yvonne and Elowen. Meanwhile, Alaric, working alongside Aurora to reclaim Elowen’s brand.A week later, the press conference went ahead as planned. Alaric helped Vespera pick an outfit, stayed until she’d finished her makeup, and then drove her to the venue himself.The conference, led by Evelyn, was a disaster for her team. They failed to take over Aurora’s company, couldn’t drive her out of the Pendleton family, and made no progress in placing Yvonne and Elowen as CEO and head designer. Their plans had backfired entirely.Leaving the venue, Yvonne, clearly shaken, stepped in front of a car without looking and was hit, blood pooling around her. Vespera, stunned and dizzy at the sight, would have collapsed if Alaric hadn’t steadied her.Frantically, Vespera fumbled with her phone to call home, stammering, “It’s Yvonne… she’s bleeding so much…”As someone unaccustomed to such violence, Vespera was t
Alaric looked at Vespera with an innocent expression and said, “It’s not what you think. I’m not a creep.”“Not a creep?” Vespera glared at him. “Then what were you doing in my room?”Alaric almost groaned. “If I told you I was here to give you a massage, would you believe me?”“Total creep!” she shouted. “Sneaking into my bed while I was asleep!”Alaric shot back, “I did not! When I woke up, you were the one curled up on me!”Vespera paused, recalling the moment she woke up. Okay, maybe she had been cozying up to him. Wait a second—was he implying she was the one acting out of line?Seeing her hesitation, Alaric grinned smugly. “See? You were just as comfortable with it!”“Get out!” Vespera yelled.Alaric left the room, trying not to smile too much. Sure, nothing happened, but just getting to hold her felt amazing. Although… his shoulder was sore from her leaning on him all night, so he headed back to his room to grab a few more hours of sleep.Vespera, alone in her room, listened as
Vespera walked ahead, casual and carefree in a T-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and even bare of high heels, while Alaric trailed close behind with a jacket in hand, grinning like a fool. Everyone in the lobby couldn’t help but notice—their usually composed CEO was tagging along, practically beaming.Catching up to her, Alaric draped his jacket over her shoulders. “How could you leave without dressing warmer? You’ll end up with a stomach ache tonight,” he said, his voice soft with affection.Vespera felt a warm flutter in her chest but stayed quiet, letting his jacket settle around her as they walked out. Alaric was thrilled she hadn’t brushed him off; emboldened, he slipped his hand into hers, wrapping her cold fingers in his.For a moment, she stiffened, then relaxed, letting her hand nestle securely in his. Together, they headed to the parking lot, Alaric practically floating with joy. This felt better than winning the lottery!Bringing her home, Alaric felt out of his depth—things h
Alaric stood in his office, with Elowen right in front of him, her hand tugging at his tie, a faint smirk hidden beneath her slightly indignant expression.Seeing the scene, Vespera nearly turned around and left right then and there. But she reminded herself of her purpose for coming today. She was done hiding from Elowen. Even if Alaric wasn’t hers in the end, she’d be damned if he ended up with someone like Elowen.So Vespera strode into the office, fixed her gaze on them, and asked, “What’s going on here?”At the sound of her voice, Alaric spun around, fumbling to free his tie from Elowen’s grip. But Elowen held tight, glancing over at Vespera with a slight smile. “Miss Thornfield? You’re here?”Vespera closed the door behind her, gave a slight nod, and asked again, “What exactly is this about?”Elowen smirked. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to ask Alaric if I could borrow a few people to help promote my new fashion line. Not sure if he’s on board with it, though.”“Not a chance,