Travis POV The moment I stepped into the restaurant and saw Ayanna in another man’s arms, something inside me snapped. I wasn’t the kind of man who got jealous easily, but seeing Henry holding her so tight? That was a different story. I folded my arms, keeping my temper calm, but my eyes locked onto his. “Interesting way to greet a married woman, don’t you think?” Henry turned around slowly, a smirk playing on his lips. “Oh? I didn’t realize hugs were illegal now. Maybe I should have asked for a permission slip first.” I clenched my jaw, barely holding back the urge to wipe that smug look off his face. Ayanna sighed. “Can we not do this?” I smirked. “Just making sure boundaries are clear. Some people have a habit of overstepping.” Henry chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Oh, don’t worry. I know my place.” He looked me over, his gaze filled with amusement. “But judging from your reaction, do you?” I let out a low laugh, though my fists were itching to hit something. “
Ayanna’s POV After spending five days in Paris, I asked that we return home. I missed my daughter too much. The moment we arrived back in New York, Irene came running toward me, her little feet moving as fast as they could. I barely had time to drop my handbag before she threw herself into my arms. "Mommy!" she squealed, hugging me tightly. I lifted her, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo. "I missed you so much, baby," I whispered, holding her close. She pouted. "I missed you more, Mommy. You and Daddy went away for so long!" Travis chuckled beside me, ruffling her hair. "We weren’t gone that long, princess." "Yes, you were!" she huffed, then turned to me. "Grandma said I could call you, but I didn’t want to disturb you. Were you having fun?" I exchanged a glance with my mother, who stood by the doorway with a warm smile. "Of course, I had fun, but I still missed you every second," I reassured her. "Did you have fun with Grandma?" Irene nodded excitedly. "Grandma
Ayanna’s POV You could imagine my reaction when I bumped into Henry once again. It was almost laughable at this point, and I couldn’t help but ask, "Are you following me?" He smirked. "You really do know how to make an entrance. Why do I keep bumping into you?" "That’s exactly my question," I replied, folding my arms. "Sorry, I’m not following you," he said with an amused chuckle. "I came to see the store owner and pick up a dress for my sister." "You have a sister?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head. "No, actually, I’m an only child. A friend turned into a sister," he explained. "I see. But do ensure I don’t bump into you again. If I do, I’ll take it as a sign that you’re stalking me." Henry tilted his head and smirked. "You know you can’t blame fate, right? Maybe you were meant to be with me, not Travis." I rolled my eyes. "Well, I better start going." "Alright, see you some other time, Ayanna." "I don’t wish to see you next time. Bye," I teased
Travis' POV The moment I got home, I retreated to my study, needing some quiet after a long day of work. Managing a company wasn’t easy, but I had responsibilities, and I couldn’t afford to slack off. I knew Ayanna had returned home, but I had been too caught up in my work to welcome her properly. I figured I’d make it up over dinner. Every now and then, I could hear Irene giggling in the living room. That sound alone made all the stress worthwhile. I had missed so many moments in her life, and now that I had the chance, I wanted to be there for everything. A knock on my study door pulled me from my thoughts. "Daddy, are you done?" Irene's small voice came through the door. I smiled and stood up, opening the door to find my daughter standing there in her pajamas, her arms crossed in a tiny pout. "Aren’t you going to come eat with us?" she asked, looking up at me. I knelt in front of her, ruffling her hair. "I’ll be there in a minute, princess. I just have a little wo
Ayanna's POV After a short while, Dr. Albert and I returned to the office, where Travis was waiting. I sat close to him.Dr. Albert adjusted his glasses as he looked between Travis and me."Mrs Sinclair, based on your medical history and the examinations we conducted, the primary reason you can’t carry another pregnancy is due to damage to your uterus," he began. Travis adjusted himself beside me. "What kind of damage?" "After your last delivery, there were complications that led to significant scarring in the uterine lining. The scar tissue has reduced the elasticity and function of your uterus, making it unable to sustain a pregnancy. The risk of implantation failure or miscarriage would be extremely high." I kept my hands clasped tightly in my lap. "But my ovaries are fine?""Yes," Dr. Albert confirmed. "Your ovarian function is normal, and you’re still producing viable eggs. This means surrogacy is an option if you wish to have another child." Travis exhaled sharply, rub
The next morning, I woke up early as usual, got Irene ready for school, and made breakfast. It had become our routine—just the two of us most mornings, sharing those quiet moments before the chaos of the day began. After dropping her off at school, I headed to the hospital to meet with the doctor. Today was an important day. Travis and I had decided to go through with surrogacy, and after weeks of discussions, medical tests, and evaluations, we were finally meeting the woman who would help bring our baby into the world. When we arrived at the hospital, the doctor greeted us warmly and introduced us to a young woman named Allison Brown. “She’s the one we matched with your profile,” the doctor explained. I turned to Allison, studying her carefully. She had a kind face, her eyes filled with nervousness but also warmth. She looked humble and polite, and for some reason, I felt an immediate connection. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this,” I told her, “but I like you already.
I had no idea why Irene would say she didn’t like Allison. I mean, the girl was a sweetheart. Sure, she was a little quiet, maybe even a bit awkward, but that was understandable given the situation. I kneeled down beside Irene and stroked her hair gently. “Irene, darling, come here. She’s really nice, and she’s my friend. She’s going to be staying here for a while.” Irene crossed her arms and pouted. “But I don’t like her.” I glanced at Travis, hoping he would step in and help. He sighed, rubbing his temples before speaking. “Irene, with time, you’ll get to like her, okay?” he said patiently. “Just come now. Let’s go eat, then you can shower and sleep. Deal?” She hesitated but eventually nodded. “Yes, Daddy.” With that, we made our way to the dining room. As we took our seats, I noticed Allison standing near the table, looking unsure of where to sit. She shifted on her feet, clearly feeling out of place. I could sense the tension—both Travis and Irene were acting stran
I tried to keep myself mentally prepared as best as possible to meet with Henry while the elevator was going up, it hurts so much that I had to keep a secret from Travis. The elevator opened, and I headed towards Henry and he later suggested we went to his apartment which disagreed to but he refused to let me go until I accompany home because what he was going to show me was there. we arrived at the door and rang the doorbell, A man appeared and opened the door, took a breath looking at Henry and the man who opened the door before I entered. As soon as I entered, I could already sense that something was amiss, Henry sat down on one of the couches in the living room, sipping a drink he had gotten and smiling towards me. I noticed a woman and her child there I recognized them to be Tyler's wife and child that detail sunk in as to how he got my contact in the first place. " Come and sit, let's have a drink together." he said . I approached but paid attention to the woman and
Ayanna Pov The drive home from the hospital was quiet, but the air buzzed with excitement. I sat in the backseat with our newborn daughter cradled in my arms, her tiny face relaxed in sleep. Travis drove with careful precision, glancing at us through the rearview mirror every few minutes, as though to reassure himself that we were both safe. Allison, seated beside me, exhaled deeply, her exhaustion evident. Despite everything, there was a small, satisfied smile on her lips. She had given us the greatest gift of our lives, and no words would ever be enough to express our gratitude. As we pulled into the driveway, Travis turned off the engine and faced us. “ we are home” I looked down at our baby, my heart swelling with love. “welcome home baby.” Travis got out first, opening my door before reaching for the baby carrier. He handled it with such gentleness, as if he were holding something impossibly fragile. Allison followed closely behind as we made our way inside. The mom
Ayanna POV After a few weeks, Jenny informed us about her wedding, and everyone was especially happy for her. It was a joyous moment, and we all looked forward to celebrating with her. Although Jenny insisted I help with the wedding preparations, she was clear about one thing—she didn’t want anything extravagant. She preferred a simple yet elegant ceremony. The wedding was set to take place in the garden of the main family mansion at dusk, with the reception held in the same venue. Unlike most brides who invite hundreds of guests, Jenny kept her wedding intimate. She invited only close friends and family—people she knew genuinely cared about her happiness. It was a small but meaningful celebration, and we all admired her for choosing what truly mattered over societal expectations. Finally, after all the preparations, the wedding day arrived. Jenny looked breathtaking in her wedding dress, the happiest I had ever seen her. The ceremony was beautiful, filled with heartfelt vows a
Author's POV At the clinic, Timothy was still waiting for the result of the exam he had done. Even though the doctor hadn't seen anything serious, being who he was, he preferred to be cautious and have the test done even though they weren't really necessary. When the doctor came to give him the test results, they were surprised to see Travis arrive in a hurry with Ayanna in his arms. The doctor immediately requested a mark and shouted for the operating room to be prepared, pushing the stretcher towards the surgical center. The detective followed, explaining the situation and what had happened, as well as Ayanna's pulse during the journey. along with some other useful information for the doctor. When they reached a certain point, the doctor did not allow them to continue. While the nurses continued pushing the stretcher, the doctor tried to reassure Travis, " Sir, you cannot go any further but I promise to do everything in my power and the possible to save her." " No, I don't
Ayanna Pov I woke up early and made a simple breakfast. Just as I was setting the table, Alison walked into the room. “You’re up early,” I said, glancing at her. She gave a small nod. “Figured I should leave as soon as possible.” I placed a plate in front of her. “Eat something before you go.” She hesitated for a moment, then sat down and started eating. After a few bites, she looked up. “I’ll go straight to Travis, like I promised. But I can’t tell him where this place is. I’ve already betrayed Henry once by going against his plan. I won’t do anything that might put him in more danger.” I studied her for a moment and nodded. “I understand.” And I did. But deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be long before Travis and the cops came looking for me. My necklace had a tracker, and I had no doubt they were already on their way. Alison sighed and pushed her plate away. “Well, I should get going.” I stood up as she did. “Be careful.” “You too, Ayanna.” With that, she left, and I
Ayanna Pov A memory clicked in my mind. "Wait… you’re Travis Sinclair—the adopted son of Mr. Sinclair?" Henry’s lips curled into a sinister smile. He clapped mockingly. "Wow. Good guess." So that was why Henry was angry at Travis. "But he didn't leave you in the fire on purpose. He also lost consciousness, and his face got burnt. It's not as if he was in a position to help you and refused," I tried to defend my husband. "You're so fast, Ayanna. Why don’t you hold on and let me finish my story?" "I'm sorry. Go ahead," I said, not wanting to make him angrier than he already seemed. "Thank you!" Henry said before continuing. "While I lay there unconscious for some time, I eventually woke up—still dizzy—and saw that the intensity of the fire had increased. I tried to reach out to Travis, but the fire had created a barrier between us. I couldn't get to him, so I just lay there, struggling. "Not long after, the firefighters arrived and tried to control the damage. But I w
At a certain point that night, I left the room and found Henry lying on the couch still shirtless.On a side table next to the couch, there were several lit candles. I had to admit that he was making an effort. If only he used this to do something good for someone, maybe he would have found someone who could give his life a different purpose., other than destroying Travis. I went near the glass door and looked outside , wondering if my family members had been rescued, but until that moment, there was no sign of Travis nor the cops and I just wanted to leave this place and get away from this man as soon an possible. I was pulled out of my thoughts when Henry approached with a drink in his hand and a smile on his face." Care to join me? I took the glass to avoid being rude to Henry. He was calm and I didn't want to irritate him any further, for whatever reason. I took only two sips and made an excuse saying that I was going to the kitchen to get something to eat. if I had an empty
Ayanna Pov Luckily, the phone wasn’t broken. Travis picked it up and read the message. His expression darkened with fury. He immediately showed the content to the detective, who turned to me. “What were you not supposed to tell Travis?” I repeated what I had said earlier. The detectives instructed me to send a text confirming that I had only informed him about Timothy and had said nothing about the divorce. I did as they asked. Moments later, a reply came in: Henry: I know there are cops in your house. Do you think I’m stupid? The detective urged me to stick to my original statement. I obeyed, sending another message: Me: I only told him about Timothy, nothing about your request. Henry: Are you sure? Me: Yes, I’m sure. Henry: Alright. I want you to leave the house and come to West Road Junction. Someone will pick you up and bring you to me. And remember—use a taxi. To avoid suspicion, the detective installed a tracker inside my necklace. I changed into a turtlenec
Ayanna Pov It had been three months since Henry stopped contacting me, and I decided it was time to tell Travis everything. I was nervous because I knew he would be angry. But I couldn't stay silent any longer—at this point, I had no idea what Timothy was going through. Travis was still asleep. I hesitated, unsure if I should wake him up or wait. Fortunately, he stirred and gradually sat up. "Aya, why are you still awake at this time of the night?" he asked. "Uhm... I'm just thinking." "About what? Is something wrong?" Travis asked, his voice laced with concern. I hesitated before mustering the courage to speak. "Do you remember the day I went out and told you I wanted a change of scenery?" "Yes, I remember. You didn’t take any bodyguards with you." "Well... I, um... I went to meet Henry." "What?! Why?" "He texted me and threatened to hurt Irene and Allison if I didn’t show up. I had no choice." Travis just stared at me in silence. "I didn’t know how he foun
Travis's POV I had no idea why Irene didn’t like Allison. The girl was harmless, maybe a little reserved, but there was nothing about her that should’ve made Irene act so cold. Still, I knew my daughter well—she wasn’t the type to dislike someone for no reason. I sighed, rubbing my temples as Ayanna tried to reassure Irene. “Irene, with time, you’ll get to like her, okay?” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Just come now. Let’s go eat, then you can shower and sleep. Deal?” She hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. “Yes, Daddy.” At least that was settled—for now. During dinner, I kept an eye on Allison, who was lingering by the table, unsure of where to sit. Ayanna invited her to sit beside her, but the moment Allison spoke, addressing Ayanna so casually, something in me snapped. “Why are you calling my wife by her name?” I asked, my gaze locking onto her. “Shouldn’t it be Mrs. Sinclair to you?” I knew my tone was sharp, but I didn’t care. I had no patience for un