[Arella] "What's wrong?" Lincoln pulls me closer, his strong arms encircling me like a fortress. My head finds solace against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat grounding me. "She's getting better, Linc. She's actually getting better." My voice cracks with emotion, and my fingers clutch at his shirt as if holding onto this moment will make it last forever. I feel his smile, warm and reassuring, as his jaw rests gently on my forehead. "Is that why you're crying?" he asks softly, his deep voice laced with curiosity and a hint of amusement. A small laugh escapes my lips, shaky and tear-streaked, as I lift my head. "It's the damn pregnancy hormones. I'm actually very happy. Too happy." I sniffle, swiping at my cheeks, embarrassed but too overcome to care. "You're adorable," he says, his eyes glimmering with an emotion so intense it steals my breath. Heat floods my cheeks, and I look away, suddenly self-conscious under his gaze. Why does he always manage to look at
[Lincoln] The whole feel of Sawyer estate changes as soon as my car pulls up to the curb. The air feels thicker here, a stale, heavy weight pressing down like it's been waiting for me. My long, heavy steps echo through the quiet, each one carrying me closer to what feels like an inevitable confrontation. I barely nod at the staff's greetings, too focused, too restless, as I make my way upstairs. My mind races, an angry storm brewing inside me. I turn quickly at the top of the stairs, pushing open the door with little care. The heavy wood groans in protest. "S-sir," the Albert stutters, his voice high-pitched with anxiety. He’s startled, practically jumping out of his skin, when I push open the inner tea room. The sound of the tray he’s holding crashing to the floor. "Where's she?" I growl at him and he looks back up at me, stunned. "Don't act fucking dumb today, Albert. Open that door." My voice comes out cold, too calm for the anger that roils under the surface. I want
[Arella] Twenty minutes earlier. Pushing open the car door, the acrid smell of smoke fills my nostrils. My legs tremble beneath me, shaky and unsteady, as I step out into the chaos. A dull ache pulses in my head like a relentless drumbeat. The driver exits too, a small gash on his forehead oozing blood. Relief floods me as I see he’s otherwise unharmed. “Madam, are you okay?” His voice is frantic, his eyes wide with panic. “Yes, yes, I’m fine. The car?” I mutter, brushing off his worry as I briskly approach our vehicle. Our car seems almost untouched, only minor scrapes visible. But the other car... it’s a crumpled wreck, metal twisted and mangled as if it were paper. The stark contrast makes my stomach churn. A cough breaks through the heavy silence, dragging my attention to the smashed vehicle. Then it hits me—there are people in there. “There are people inside!” I yell, panic lacing my voice as I race toward the wreckage. My driver hurries behind me, and together we st
[Lincoln]My drive to the hospital is a blur of passing speed limits and tightly coiled tension. Zach has been texting me updates every five minutes—says she's fine, says she's getting first aid, says she didn’t suffer any major injuries, says she’s okay. But I’ll believe that when I see it. When I see her.A photo of the explosion was forwarded to me, and I grit my teeth so hard I can almost feel them cracking. When I find out who did this... Dread fills me at the thought of what could’ve happened if I hadn’t reinforced all my vehicles with impact-resistant designs. The thought of losing her gnaws at my mind, sharp and unrelenting. She could’ve been gone. Just like that. The universe seems to enjoy tossing curveballs at me—like it lives to stir up trouble, to see how much more I can take before I snap.“Where’s she?” I ask immediately, stepping out of the car and tossing my keys to Zach.“At the highest floor, sir. Getting her treatment,” he says.I nod gravely, my footsteps carryi
[Arella]"I'm sorry," I mutter in a low voice, my throat tightening as I try to free my hand from his grasp. His hand feels warm, firm, and unrelenting, a silent plea in his grip that makes my chest ache. "I'm sorry, but please let me do this, Linc."His jaw clenches hard, the muscle twitching as though he's physically holding himself back. His hazel eyes burn into mine, a storm of emotions swirling within them—anger, fear, desperation."Let's not go back and forth with this. I won't let you. I said I'll find a way," he says, his voice soft now, almost pleading.The yearning in his eyes is like a weight pressing on my soul. A part of me wants to stop, to listen to him, to let him protect me the way he always does. But a louder, more resolute part of me screams that this is what I have to do—what I should do."Please," I whisper, my voice barely audible.He lets go of my hand, his fingers running through his dark hair in frustration. His movements are sharp, almost helpless. "I don't l
[Lincoln]A week has passed since the blood transfusion scare. A week since I thought I lost her. Hell, I still can’t shake the memory of her scream. The way my heart nearly stopped, the cold sweat on my skin, the crushing weight of fear. But here she is, in my car, with that mischievous glint in her eyes as she reapplies her lipstick. The scent of her perfume mixes with the faint hum of the engine and the soft rush of the morning air through the slightly open window."You're giving me that look again," Arella says, rolling her eyes, the car’s interior light catching the small flicker of her long lashes."What look?" I ask, raising an eyebrow, genuinely curious.She smirks, her lips pressing together with a teasing tilt. "The 'oh, you're so surreal look.""But you are surreal," I say seriously, keeping my gaze locked on her as the car hums along the road.Her cheeks warm with a flush, and I can't help but admire how easily she can go from playful to shy in an instant. She's here,
[Lincoln]I claim her lips again, pulling her back to me, because I can’t let this moment go. I pour every single emotion I feel into it—not because I can't say it, but because she’s too scared to admit it. To us.She’s breathless, her chest heaving slightly as she pulls away, smiling so beautifully that my heart skips a beat. I think I fell for her even more in that second."Good luck on your meeting with the mayor," I add, though I don’t really want her to go."Bye," she whispers, her voice hushed and filled with warmth, as she hurries away with a flushed face, and it’s almost too much. I watch her disappear into the building, a part of me wishing I could just pull her back to me, keep her safe from the world.I reach the office in less than half an hour, my thoughts still lingering on her, all the while ignoring calls from my father. Immediately, I settle into my office, the door clicking shut behind me. Janet places a cup of coffee before me, the aroma of dark roast filling the r
[Arella]There's only one thing I can do right now, and that's hope. Hope for the best. Hope that the old man will get out of his coma. Hope that we can find his family.It’s already a miracle that I haven’t lost my baby. My miraculous baby. The thought fills me with a bittersweet ache, but it also makes me question everything. Would I even be a good mother? I’ve made so many poor decisions already, ones that didn’t put my precious baby first. I almost died. I could feel myself dying that day. The memory makes my stomach churn, but somehow, by some miracle, my baby and I survived.The elevator dings open, the sharp sound yanking me from my thoughts. I push all those melancholic feelings to the back of my mind. It’s time to work.Without wasting much time at the office, Bridget, Sasha, and I head downtown for our rescheduled meeting with the mayor. As I smooth down my burgundy blazer, I silently marvel at how Bridget managed to pull this off. Whatever magic she worked, damn, am I grate
Wow. What a journey it’s been, right? Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me through this wild, emotional journey. Arella and Lincoln's story has been so close to my heart, and I hope it’s touched yours too. Your support means more than words can say, and I’m so grateful for every single one of you, you guys are the real MVPs. ❤️ P.S. If you loved this story, I’d be over the moon if you gave my future books a read. Trust me, more heart-tugging, exciting stories are coming your way!Until next time, Tarina (◠‿◠)—☆
[Arella]I whip around, eyes widening as I practically leap off Lincoln's lap in surprise."You're here!" I blurt, caught off guard but grinning. "I thought you said you couldn’t make it."Standing there, looking sheepish and a little road-worn, is Deric. He scratches the back of his head, wearing that same awkward, harmless smile he has these days."I wouldn’t have made it," he admits, voice a little raspy from travel, "but my flight was delayed... so I thought, what the hell, why not crash the party anyway?""Deric," Lincoln says, stepping up beside me, his hand still resting easy at my waist."Lincoln," Deric replies with a short nod, his voice even.There's a brief pause—more out of old habits than real tension—before Deric extends his hand. Lincoln studies him for a beat, then accepts the handshake without hesitation, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint, civil smile.The tightness I hadn't even realized was clenching my chest slowly eases."This is, uh, for your son," Der
3 MONTHS LATER[Arella]"Grandpa really outdid himself this time, Mila," I laugh under my breath, wide-eyed as I take in the mansion decked out like something straight out of a storybook. I should’ve known better when he said he’d ‘take care of everything.’ With Grandpa, that’s just secret code for ‘go big enough to make even fairy tales jealous.’Mila giggles, but then her face goes pale. "Well, we all know how–"She cuts herself off, rushing to her son, who’s happily stuffing his face with edible flowers."Oh my God, Wayne! Spit that out!" she yells, running after him."No no! Cakeee!" he laughs, trying to run away.I roll my eyes and snatch the small board of tasks from her hands. "Looks like you’ve got your hands full already with this little turd," I mutter, pinching Wayne’s chubby cheeks. He sticks his tongue out at me, playful as ever. I shake my head and take the board from her, walking around the room, coordinating with the staff to make sure everything’s perfect.****"Why a
[Arella]TWO MONTHS LATERThe courtroom is cold, Not physically—but emotionally. It's almost too quiet.My hands sit frozen in my lap, unmoving for the past five minutes. A dull, anxious ache hums beneath my skin, but I can’t bring myself to shift. Lincoln sits beside me, our fingers tightly laced, grounding me. His other hand works swiftly over his phone, typing out what I’m sure are urgent work emails.Work had only gotten busier since he resumed.You’d think having two CEOs would make things easier. It only doubled our workload.I had tried to argue my way into stepping down, maybe becoming his VP or something less suffocating—but Lincoln wasn’t having any of it.Apex Conglomerate was clawing its way into the world’s elite, growing bigger, louder, more powerful by the day—and Lincoln made it crystal clear he wouldn’t let me miss a second of it.I blink myself back to the present as the judge adjusts his glasses, his stern gaze dropping down to the man standing trial.The man who a
[Lincoln]The car pulls up to Witmoore Gardens, a private area owned by the Sawyers for intimate family events, tucked away from the noisy chaos of the outside world. The afternoon sun kisses the neatly trimmed hedges and the white blossoms that line the entrance sway gently in the breeze.I can't help the heavy thump of my heart at the thought of seeing my family again. A real, physical ache throbs inside my chest as the driver cuts the engine and we step out.We exist the car and take a slow walk down the stone-cobbled path, the soft crunch of gravel beneath our shoes filling the warm, floral-scented air. Arella’s hand is securely locked in mine, her presence grounding me even as my nerves threaten to tangle my steps."Your palms are sweaty, Linc. Are you nervous?" she teases softly, giving me a look so warm and tender it makes my heart trip in my chest like a reckless drum."Maybe," I reply, my voice coming out lower and raspier than intended.Her grin only grows. "Aww, they don't
[Lincoln]I mean, sure, Arella and I appeared on TV a few days ago when the Mayor of Chicago wanted to publicly appreciate our efforts, and I knew—rationally—that everyone must know I'm alive now. But I didn't expect this.I didn't expect the entire airport to already be flooded like a damn concert just to catch a glimpse of us. The jet had barely touched the runway, the tires still hissing from contact, and yet-it’s like the whole damn city of San Diego decided to show up for a party.From the distance, the sharp staccato of camera shutters echoes through the thick, humid air, flashes popping like fireworks across the runway. The chaotic chorus of reporters shouting questions and calling our names roars louder with every step we descend.A cheeky, loopsided grin spreads across Arella’s face as we start down the stairs of the jet, her hand still tightly locked with mine, her spirit practically buzzing with unbothered amusement. Her entire energy screams: I own this moment."You're lov
[Lincoln]I never thought I’d be lucky enough to marry a superheroine, but here I am, with the most incredible woman by my side.The night wraps around us like a soft, comforting robe. The jet hums beneath us, its quiet rhythm like a lullaby carrying us away from the chaos. We’d spent another three, exhausting days in Chicago, collaborating with the police and drug enforcement agencies to dismantle one of the city’s most dangerous syndicates, ensuring every production of that deadly injection was stopped in its tracks. But now, as I watch my wife sleeping peacefully-her face bathed in the gentle glow of the cabin lights—a rush of emotions fills me. It’s more than warmth. It's something deeper, something that settles in my soul and touches every fractured part of me. It feels like a healing, like a light that’s always been missing inside me, now shining so brightly it threatens to overflow. Heaven knows, if the roles were reversed, if I’d been the one forced to raise a child alone f
[Arella]“Fuck you, Lincoln Sawyer!” Thompson’s voice tears through the air, cracked and furious, soaked in desperation as he launches backwards with one final burst of rage. His boot slams into Lincoln, sending him staggering back a few steps and before I can even think, he’s charging at me—wild-eyed, unhinged, like something that’s crawled straight out of hell and decided it wants to drag me back with it.But Lincoln doesn’t go down easy.He moves like something deep inside him just snapped back into place. One moment he’s stumbling, breathless, the next he’s lunging like a damn freight train, grabbing Thompson mid-sprint and twisting with enough force to rattle the concrete under our feet. Thompson’s body slams into the ground with a sickening thud, the gun flying from his hand and skittering across the floor with a metallic scream as the punches from Lincoln connects with his face.“Arella!” Lincoln’s voice cuts through the chaos, raw and real.With thinking anymore I run to him,
[Arella]“No no no!” Lisa screeches, stumbling back like the floor beneath her just cracked open. “H-how did you find us?!”Her voice pierces the air like shattered glass, high-pitched and filled with the kind of desperation only obsession can birth. She's shaking now, her wild eyes darting from me to the little vial still pinched between my fingers.“You conniving bitch!!” Thompson barks, his neck veins bulging as his gaze swings to Vivian.His hand trembles violently as he points between us, rage bleeding into fear. Then he sees Deric. And he pales.“It was only a matter of time before I found you, Thompson,” I say, calm, steady, like the reaper arriving with a smirk. “I’m sure you knew that too.”He begins to back away, every inch of arrogance fleeing his body like air from a punctured balloon. He stumbles until his back hits Lincoln’s bed—and that’s when everything freezes. My blood stops in my veins as he suddenly swings a gun out of his pocket, his hand shaking but deadly, and p