|Penelope’s POV|What other profession would you excel in aside from the profession you chose?Well, mine was a Private Investigator or Professional stalker.My mind was an internal battle between me trying to think that I was suddenly being paranoid and being suspicious of someone who I shouldn’t be. But I pushed them away, once bitten twice shy.I refuse to let Aria be bitten again. Which is what led me to tiptoeing and acting like a ghost while trailing Zion.My trust in him had begun to waver after I was told that he had allowed Mia Collins to be all over him. I have paid attention to Zion enough to know that he is generally nonchalant, so if he allowed someone to be so close to him, then it was suspicious.He got a box of chocolates and some stuff that looked like a period care package.‘Aria never said anything about being on her period, so who the hell is he giving that to?’I’ll just assume it’s his sister or aunt, but that is just an assumption and I don’t do well with them,
|Aria’s POV|It’s finally the most anticipated day for me and my loved ones.Yes, it was my engagement party and the butterflies in my stomach doubled as we journeyed to the garden where it would be held.Something nagged at me for not bringing my children along to the party, but that meant they would be exposed to people I really didn’t want them to know.Celebrities' lives were hard enough because they had to do things according to what society deemed right, or else they would be criticized by the same society.My skin tingled with excitement as we drove into the garden. My gaze flickered towards Zion’s, and his reassuring smile slackened my hunched shoulders.‘I am doing this with Zion, nothing would go wrong.’But despite the reassurance, I can’t help but worry and feel the knot in my stomach growing within me that something might go wrong today. Something big, but maybe I was overthinking it.My memories had been returning in fold, so I didn’t bother rehearsing how to react to gu
|Aria's POV|Have your hands ever shaken so violently that you knew the only way the tremor would stop was if you slapped someone?That was what I felt as I looked at Ace. The fucking audacity he had to tell me what to do and what not, was infuriating.“Who the fuck do you think you are to have a say in my life?” I seethed, my eyes blazing with anger.With a voice shaking with anxiety, Zion demanded. “Why did you say we can't get married?”“Because she's still married to me,” Ace stated, calm and matter-of-fact, with a hint of smugness.“What the fuck do you mean by that?” I exploded, my face red with anger.“Married?” Zion echoed, surprise and confusion etched on his face.Zion’s eyes flickered between us, he asked slowly, with curiosity mingling in his voice. “You guys were married? I thought both of you are just friends.”“I would not be so pissed that she didn't tell you about our relationship, considering I was an asshole when we were married,” Ace admitted, a hint of self-deprec
|Aria’s POV| What would you do if the same thing happened to you twice? Would you give up totally or continue trying till you get it right? A deep exhale escaped his lips and he ran his hand through his hair. “Babe… I swear, it is not what it looked like.” “This is the second fucking time I have heard that today, and it is starting to really get on my nerves and piss me off. Tell me what the fuck happened before I call off this engagement now.” I seethed. Was it that I was cursed with cheating partners? As if I didn’t have bad luck enough! “What happened wasn’t meant to happen and Penelope did not want to worry you,” He muttered. “Did you sleep with my best friend?? Is that it??” I accused, my voice trembling with rage. “Or why are you suddenly talking for her? Just go straight to the point and let me know what decision I will make because I won’t tolerate a cheating partner the second time!” I gritted out, wiping the tears that were falling uncontrollably. Taking a deep breath
|Ace Kings| Life is generally hard, but it is harder when you're a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. My eyes were sore and I felt like shit. The weekend was really terrible and heartbreaking for me. But it was Monday and I had to show up in a suit and have a fake smile plastered on my face even if I felt like shit. Tugging my tie down to loosen the little shit that seemed to be after my life, I leaned backwards on the chair and went through the file that needed to be signed. And of course, it was a mountain of files. Didn't I sign these shit last week? With a sigh, I dialled my receptionist's number, eager to escape from the file. I hissed through my teeth when she didn't pick. ‘I need to start a hunt for another receptionist because she had only one damn job, which was to pick up the phone, and yet she couldn't!’ After about two rings, she picked up the phone. “Hel— Hello, sir. I'm sorry for not licking up earlier, I went to print out some documents.” She ru
|Aria's POV|Do you know why most people hate their exes? Because they become troublesome once they realize that you have dropped them from their high horses and moved on with any person.Zion's face had remained stoic, and he had volunteered to follow me everywhere I went for the past two days.It doesn't take a genius to know that the meeting didn't go well.*Flashback**Rushing into the garage after hearing the sound of an engine in the driveway. My eyes widened with concern and I asked anxiously the moment he opened the door. “Babe, you are back. What did you guys discuss? Did he agree to sign the divorce papers?”“Hi babe.” He mumbled.He pulled me closer and kissed me on the lips. The kiss was more of an ownership claim than the passionate ones we usually shared.“Is there any possibility of you leaving me for Ace?” He asked softly, his voice heavily laced with vulnerability..“No, why did you ask? What did he tell you?” I fired back.“I just don't want to fight for someone who
|Aria's POV|You all know that apart from toddlers, best friends are the most annoying set of people, right?Just like how you can never get angry at toddlers for a very long time, you hardly get angry at your best friends either.Especially if they have big brown eyes.“Aria, you know I wouldn't want to hurt you. You've gone through a lot in the last month and I knew he didn't do it deliberately." She whined, tugging my pants at the waist while we sat at the living room.“Penny, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't tell me. Do you know who I heard that from?” I asked, my eyes narrowing at her.“Yes, Ace fucking Kings. I didn't hear it from you or Zion. It just had to be my archenemy!”Her face fell, and she looked at me apologetically. “I know you wouldn't want to accept our excuses because we were wrong. But the two of us not telling you meant we didn't want to hurt you.” She confessed.“Penny, what if he had done something more grave than that? Would you keep quiet in an attempt no
|Aria's POV|The weekend was over, and guess whose short holiday was over? Yes, mine.It's Tuesday, and I was already praying for Friday commencement. It's almost a week since Zion left, and it hurts so bad that I didn't think I would miss him as much as I did.I was all alone by myself and there was only little Brianna could do. Penelope's boss has resumed being a bitch and giving her extra work, but guess who still made time to pull up in the children's school yesterday with their favorite car?Yes, Penny. Her level of pettiness needed to be studied because she wanted them to be so embarrassed and when they all got home yesterday, they gave me hell with their red faces.~Flash back~“Mama, there is no way that Aunt Penny should be allowed to pick us up in that thingy,” Zoe groaned.“Yes, seriously. She had better spray it with black paint.” Zachary grumbled, consenting to his sister's words.“Maybe my next choice would be hot pink. Since you little shits are so in love with the colo
|Aria’s POV|“Aria!!”“Aria, are you awake?”My eyelids fluttered as my vision slowly adjusted to the brightness of the room. A groan escaped my lips as I forced myself into a sitting position, my head pounding.“Wh-where am I?” I croaked out, my throat dry and scratchy.Penelope quickly passed me a glass of water. I accepted it gratefully, my fingers trembling as I brought it to my lips. The cool liquid eased the hoarseness in my throat, but it did nothing to clear the fog in my mind.The room felt familiar, yet I couldn’t quite place it. White-painted walls. A beeping monitor. An IV tube was connected to my arm. My fingers brushed against the tape securing the needle in place.How did I get here?I looked around, my gaze landing on Penelope, Brianna, and Zion. They sat in the chairs beside my bed, their faces etched with worry.“Penny,” I tried again, firmer this time. “What happened?”Penelope hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “Aria, you passed out. You’re
| Aria’s POV |I wiped my face quickly as the door closed behind Zion. The sound of little footsteps padded across the hallway, and I quickly sniffled, fixing my appearance before my little judges could scrutinize me.“Mama, did you and Uncle Zion have a fight?”I turned to see my daughter standing there, her big, curious eyes studying me carefully.“How did you know about that?” I asked, attempting a casual tone.“Mama, you weren’t exactly quiet… and we had to cover our ears because you said bad words.”I gasped. “Oh my goodness, I’m sorry.” I crouched down and placed my hands on her tiny shoulders. “Yes, we had a little misunderstanding, but it’s normal for adults to argue sometimes.”She pouted, looking unconvinced. “Mama, I think you should forgive Uncle Zion. He apologized to us… and he cried.”A sharp pang hit my chest. I inhaled deeply and forced a smile. “Don’t worry about him, sweetheart. We’ll sort it out.”“How was your day?” I quickly changed the topic.Her face lit up. “I
| Aria’s POV |"And who do we have here?""Oh yeah, my step-sister, who also happens to be one of Seattle’s biggest whores.""At least I’m not jumping into a married man’s bed," I retorted sharply.Satisfaction curled at the edges of my lips as her nose flared and her eyes narrowed. But as my gaze swept over her outfit, my brows furrowed. Of course, she was wearing something that barely qualified as a dress—more like lingerie. But I wasn’t surprised. Gabriella would do anything for male attention."What did you sa—""What are you doing here?" Ace’s sharp voice cut through, his irritation clear. "Last time I checked, I told you not to step into any of my office buildings unless you were prepared to face the consequences.""Oh, sweetheart," Gabriella crooned, tilting her head mockingly. "Are you still bothered by my presence? Does Aria know I still affect you this much?"Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "More like repulse." The words slipped out before I could stop myself.She scoffed and s
|Ace’s POV|My chair squeaked as I turned it around, my focus shifting from planning my office layout change to Harper, who had just barged in. At first, I assumed it was one of his usual visits, but the way he paced, chewing on his lip, told me otherwise.Then he spoke.I regretted asking what was wrong because this was not the kind of news I expected.“What?!” I yelled, disbelief washing over me.My head tilted slightly, and a smirk tugged at my lips. “She’s marrying Richard Banks? Damn, that’s a bold move.”“But hey, she’s marrying rich. I guess her personality suits her husband—at least she won’t take nonsense from Richard.”Harper’s jaw tightened. “You’re missing the point. It’s not about the marriage. Penny is pregnant—with my baby.”My breath hitched. I whipped my head toward him, blinking. “Wait… are we still talking about Penelope Collins?”His tone was gruff. “No, Alison Herbert.”"hahaha.. funny." I snickered but the expression got wiped when I saw how serious he looked.I
|Aria's POV|“Ughhhh… I can't believe him.”“He doesn't mix business with pleasure.”“I'm marrying her, and that's final?”These men have lost it. They're clearly out of their senses—assuming they had any to begin with.“Aria, calm down. You're letting these people stress you more than they should. You have your own things to look after.”“Bri, you weren't there. That old bastard threatened my kids and said he doesn't give a damn if Penny goes missing.” I reported.“I understand you, and I know how much you care for her. But don’t you think she wouldn’t approve of the stress you're going through now because of something you can both change?”“I thoug—”A sudden knock on the door interrupted me. I exchanged a glance with Brianna, suspicion creeping into my mind.“Are we expecting anyone?” I asked, my gaze locked on the door.Could it be the same person who dropped that letter last week?Without thinking, I strode to the door and yanked it open. My breath hitched when I saw Penny standi
|Zion’s POV|“Are you out of your goddamn mind, Zion? What the fuck is wrong with you?”“Have you been sniffing something weird that’s making you act like an uncultured animal?”“Why would you talk to your fiancée like that? What has she done to deserve such cruel words from you?”“Dad,” I tried, my voice barely above a whisper.“Don’t call me that until you screw back the bolts that have clearly loosened in your head. You have no excuse.”I swallowed hard. “I met her ex-husband.”His gaze didn’t waver. “Okay? And how does that concern me or justify your actions?”“He told me I was just wasting my time. That he has every right to get her back whenever he wants because technically, she’s still his wife.” My fists clenched. “And she’s been acting like my existence irritates the hell out of her. She won’t even let me hold her.”Dad scoffed. “Trust me, if I were her, I wouldn’t let a crazed man like you hold me either. Look, son, I understand what it feels like to be insecure, to fear tha
|Aria’s POV|"Not because your ex-husband has broken off his engagement with your sister and is acting like the perfect daddy?"I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the words that had been haunting me for the past twenty-four hours. No matter how hard I tried, Zion’s voice still echoed in my head, circling me like a vulture waiting for its prey to drop.I sniffled and lightly patted my cheeks to ensure no more tears were falling. My throat was dry, my face blotchy, but I needed to be strong—for Penelope.Maybe I’d been making reckless decisions lately. That thought was confirmed the moment I received a message an hour ago, confirming my appointment with Richard Banks.Penelope didn’t know about this meeting. She had no idea I was about to face the man she was being forced to marry. But I intended to surprise her with good news—because there was no way I would let her be married against her will.As I pulled out of my compound, my eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, catching sig
||Aria’s POV|“Aria!!!” Mr Jimmy yelled and barreled into my arms as I climbed the patio.“Big man, how are you doing? You haven’t aged a day!” I grinned, wrapping my hands around him.His smoky, coffee-scented aroma filled my senses as I buried my face in his chest. A sigh escaped my lips as I relaxed into his embrace. He smelled like home and felt like the comfort I needed for everything I had gone through these past few days.“I know right, you have just abandoned me. Where are those little munchkins?” He asked while patting my back and searching for my kids.“They’re right—”“Papa!!!!” Zoe yelled as her little pigtails bounced in the air while she ran in our direction. Zachary let go of Zion’s hand and immediately ran after Zoe. My eyes became blurry, and my heart swelled with pride. Everything felt complete seeing my children have people who love them and always want to see them around.I rolled my eyes at the trio that refused to leave themselves, especially when their papa star
|Aria’s POV|A snort slipped past my lips and I quickly placed my hand on my mouth to muffle the unladylike sound.“Girl, what the hell are you on?” I pondered out loud.“Nothing. I’m getting married babe,” She repeated.This time, I couldn’t help but bellow in laughter while clutching my stomach. Tears gathered at the corner of my eyes and my belly hurt from laughing so much but I couldn’t bring myself to stop.This was exactly the joke I needed to get out of the terrible mood I was in. By the time I was done laughing, I cleared my throat.“Thanks for making me laugh bestie. That was exactly what I needed. Your impeccable sense of humour.” I complimented.Taking in a deep breath, she whispered shakily. “I know right, just that I’m goddamn serious and I have two weeks left before I become a baby machine to someone who is of the same age as my father.” The huge grin slipped off my face and I sat up quickly. “Penny, this humour is going too far. What the hell? How didn’t I realize tha