"Hello, Sia baby," Leon's cheerful voice echoed through the room as he entered, carrying a massive bouquet of flowers. With a wide grin, he set the bouquet on the table and began arranging it in the vase. "You won’t believe it, but the florist stopped me today for a little chat. These days, I’m practically her favorite customer. I drop by two or three times a week to pick up different bouquets."As he worked, he continued, "Today, she asked me what your favourite flowers are. I told her you don’t have a favourite."He chuckled at the memory. "She was shocked. She couldn’t believe it. “How can someone not have a favourite flower?' she asked me. And I thought, how could you? They are all so beautiful. Isn’t it boring to keep getting the same ones every time?"Humming softly to himself, he added with a smile, "But I have noticed you love me just a tiny bit more when I bring you dark roses. There is something about them as they are a little more special, don’t you think?"Leon laughed, sh
The dinner at the Hart house was lively, filled with laughter and chatter. Luke and Emery had arrived with their two kids, adding to the warmth of the evening.In the kitchen, Anne was stirring a pot of soup while Emery stood beside her, letting out a heavy sigh.“I noticed a bit of tension between you and Estelle,” Anne said gently, glancing at Emery. “Is everything okay?”Estelle, Rowan’s wife, had been the topic of many conversations since she and Rowan had eloped to Vegas and returned as a married couple.Emery frowned. “My son is making a mistake and he doesn’t even see it.”Anne smiled softly. “Now you are sounding like a typical mother-in-law.”Emery shook her head, her expression thoughtful. “It is not about disliking Estelle. I don’t have anything against her. She is a sweet girl and I have always liked her. The issue is their timing. Rowan and Estelle were on the verge of breaking up, and then, out of nowhere, they came back married. Doesn’t it feel like a rash decision to s
Dinner was proceeding smoothly at the Hart mansion when the sound of a car stopping outside drew everyone's attention. A woman who was dressed impeccably in a fine dress, stepped out. Behind her, a line of bodyguards marched in unison and their uniforms were bearing a familiar crest.Abella turned her head toward the commotion. The moment her eyes landed on the crest, she let out an excited yell. “Mommy, Bella is here!”Without hesitation, she jumped up from her seat and ran to greet her grandmother.Ellora muttered under her breath, “She is never that excited to see me.”Even after all these years, she did not like Bella. She find it even more unbearable that her grandchildren loved Bella more than her. Emery chuckled and patted her arm. “Mom, relax. Everyone knows Bella’s the kids’ favourite. They practically worship her.”As Bella entered the grand hall, Abella flung herself into her arms with the kind of enthusiasm only a child could muster. To her, Bella was like a flame and she
Ellora immediately stepped forward, her protective instincts flaring. “Are you out of your mind?” she snapped, positioning herself beside Rhys. “How dare you lay a hand on my grandson? Even his mother has never slapped him! Who do you think you are?”“Mom,” Nicholas interjected, his tone firm and laced with warning. “Step back.”He was not saying it because Bella was right and his mom was wrong but because in anger, Bella might end up hurting his mother. He did not wish for his mother to be subjected to Bella’s anger. Bella rarely showed such emotions and when she did, she would wreak havoc. And Vance was not even here to appease his wife. Ellora turned to her son in shock. “What are you saying, Nicholas? She slapped Rhys! She has crossed a line.”But Bella wasn’t listening. Her piercing eyes remained fixed on Rhys and her expression was unreadable but charged with emotion that was just anger and frustration. Whatever storm was brewing within her, it was far from over. He could tell,
A faint sound broke the heavy silence. It was a baby’s cry.A man stepped forward from Bella’s entourage, cradling a small bundle in his arms. “Madam,” he said, his voice soft but urgent, “The baby is crying.”When this baby start crying, he never stop. He would cry until he gets fed. Bella’s gaze didn’t waver as she said, her voice simmering with restrained fury, “Give him to his father.”The words struck like thunder.Rhys froze as the child was placed in his arms. He looked down at the baby, a tiny boy with wide and curious eyes that mirrored his own.Bella’s voice cut through the stunned silence. “Gracie was a black woman with no history of the blonde genes in her family tree,” she began. “She died during childbirth. Her husband, also black man, was devastated to lose him and the child he thought was his turned to be white and blond. Imagine his grief when he saw a blonde baby, proof of his wife’s betrayal. The man was broken but honourable, tracked down his dead wife’s affairs,
Coco’s voice was heard over the phone. “Leon, this time Dad is really mad. I swear, I have never seen him like this before.”Leon’s heart sank. “How is Mom?” he asked, his voice edged with worry.When he refused to attend the dinner party, he did not know that such a thing would take place tonight. Had he known he would have been there to do the damage control? “She was barely holding back her tears,” Coco whispered. There was a pause before she continued, her voice quieter. “Bella was with Mom and Dad. Can you believe it? She actually slapped Rhys.”Leon inhaled sharply. “Bella? She slapped Rhys?”This sounded completely serious. “Yes,” Coco said, disbelief still evident in her tone. “I mean, we all know how much she has spoiled him over the years. They have always been two peas in a pod, partners in crime. But this… I just can’t wrap my head around it.”“Bella can be strict when she needs to be,” Leon said thoughtfully.Coco sighed. “I’m really worried about Rhys right now. How’s
As his sister hung up, Leon decided to call his father. The screen lit up with Nicholas’s dishevelled face, his weariness was clear.“Old man, what’s up?” Leon greeted casually. Nicholas sighed, his tone exasperated. “Come to the point, Leon.”“Ouch, Dad,” Leon replied, feigning offense.Nicholas rubbed his temples. “How did you remember me today? I thought you were busy hating the world.”“I hate the world, not you, Dad. I actually quite like you,” Leon quipped with a grin.Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”“But, just so you know, I didn’t like you when we first met,” Leon said with a serious expression. Suddenly, he broke into laughter. “By the way, did you congratulate Rhys on keeping up with the Hart family legacy? You know, fathers not being informed about their kids’ births, it is practically tradition.”Despite his foul mood, Nicholas couldn’t help but chuckle. Leon had a way of lightening even the heaviest situations.“If Bella had found the baby a few years later, we
“Did you find anything about Alessia?” John asked Matthew, his voice heavy with frustration.For the past three months, Olivia had been locked in jail. No lawyer, no amount of money. Nothing was enough to bring her out. He had tried everything, yet nothing worked. To make matters worse, his wife, after miraculously surviving her fall, had lost her sanity and was now confined to a mental asylum. This was far from the life he had envisioned for his family.His family was now a joke in the entire society. First, they abandoned their daughter. When the daughter was living a normal life and was married, the family appeared out of nowhere. The younger daughter then stole the husband of her elder sister. Then, the elder sister grew richer than all of them. While the elder sister was doing well in life, they kept on ruining her reputation. Now both mother and the younger sister tried to kill her. These were the rumours that the media was portraying these days. He could not even show his face
The two mischievous best friends were at King’s residence today as their parents were busy with work. Whenever they were alone for a long time, they would request to stay with Carter, as he was the only one who could put up with all their antics. Since his children had inherited his business, he had focused all his attention on being a good and available father and grandfather.He loved it when his grandson Silas and granddaughter Athena visited him for the whole day. He loved it even more when it was just Athena and her best friend, Aurora or the stormy Aurora, as he called her.A few months after Sebastian got married, Serafina fell in love with a man named Drake, but the two did not work out. However, Serafina got pregnant and gave birth to her son, Drew, who lived with her mother. He was not a social child at all. The only person he could talk to, aside from his mother and grandfather, was Silas and no one else.For some reason, it was Aurora’s first time meeting Drew. Actually, s
"Dr. Hart?"Callum turned back to see his lab assistant running towards him with a coffee in her hand. She was a young and pretty woman in her late twenties who had recently completed her Ph.D. and was now working as a lab assistant in his lab. With her qualifications, she could have secured a better job, but she had decided to stay for the next two months until her project ended. "Yes, Dr. Maise?" Callum said. "Umm, coffee?" she offered him with a small smile. "Actually, I am about to head for lunch," Callum said. "If you wish, you can join me." Honestly, he was just being polite. "Okay!" the woman said and began walking with Callum. As they walked towards the cafeteria, they passed several students who were seated there. Callum was a familiar face on campus, as he used to take classes on behalf of his Ph.D. supervisor. Even after joining the university as a scholar, he occasionally covered classes for his supervisor again, as the two shared a deep professional relationsh
Parenthood had changed Sia and Leon in ways they had never expected. Watching Aurora grow up every day before their eyes felt like nothing short of a miracle. She was tiny, mischievous, and so full of light. Her presence would light up the room in a way no one could quite understand. Aurora was just one and a half months old when her biggest nemesis, Silas, was born. Silas was her favorite uncle’s son—the handsome uncle with shiny hair and flawless skin. Everyone joked that Aurora was obsessed with Sebastian’s beauty, while Charlotte would playfully complain that her favorite niece only had eyes for her husband. From the time Silas and Aurora were little, they fought over everything from their grandparents’ attention to every little gift they received. Neither of them wanted to lose to the other. Their endless competition worried their parents, as their families were best friends, but their children were anything but. Charlotte’s dream of having her children and her best friend’
It was a beautiful day when Aurora Swift Hart was born. She had troubled her mother a lot while getting comfortable in her mother’s tummy, but when she finally arrived, she did so without causing much pain. Aurora’s daddy began crying even before she could, as she opened her tiny eyes to a world she wasn’t yet used to. She wondered who the real crybaby was—her daddy or her. “I told you it’s a baby girl,” Aurora heard her daddy say, his voice filled with emotion as he cried fat tears. Her mommy, on the other hand, just smiled at her. If she could smile, she would because her mommy was so brave, loving, and comforting. Oh no, her mommy was the best! Especially when the nurse showed her how to be her food. But that was a topic for another time. “You won, Leon!” Aurora’s mommy said to her crybaby daddy. “What name have you chosen for the baby girl?” the doctor asked with a smile, looking at Leon, who was struggling to contain his excitement. “I want to know too,” Aurora heard he
“Our family is finally completed, ”Anne said with a big smile. She looked at her kids who were bickering as usual on the dining table. Leon and Sia were sitting on one side and Charlotte and Sebastain on another. Sia was in her eighth month of pregnancy and extremely fragile while Charlotte was wuite healthy and even though she was pregnant, she was no fragile woman! Charlotte Hart King could still take down a man or two! “Our family was always completed,”Nicholas said with a smile. “Now it is time for our kids to have family of their own. Leon and Charlotte are already starting their family with their respective spouses. Rhys has Nico. Its just Callum that I worry about.”Anne said, “Actually, I learnt one lesson in life. We cannot control the lives of our kids forever. Although we want to keep them safe from all the harms, it is still not possible. Because they are the main characters of their lives. And main characters always have their struggles. We are nothing but supporting cha
What does forever feel like? Sia and Leon weren't quite sure. But ask them what love feels like—love that’s about trying to be there for each other, even when things are hard, and trying to love each other for as long as they’re breathing—and they’ll look at each other with tender eyes and give you a smile. It was a normal day for Leon. His girlfriend woke up and decided to flip the script. The couple sat at breakfast in their safe haven—home, the place they had built together. The meal was something Sia adored, and Leon couldn’t help but wonder if that wide smile on her face had something to do with the food—her favorite, sent over by his mother, Anne. Ever since Sia and Charlotte were pregnant, Anne had been sending meals packed with love and nutrients. It was a tradition now, one that seemed to brighten their days. Leon was sure it wasn’t just the taste of the food Sia adored, it was the love and care Anne put into it, the same kind of love and care Sia was a sucker for.
Happiness had settled into the Hart family. The two pregnant women were treated like delicate glass, cherished and fussed over by everyone. Sia was six months along but barely looked a day over her first trimester, while Charlotte, at five months, had already popped and was unmistakably pregnant. While Sia’s pregnancy was challenging due to her health issues, Charlotte was in perfect health, glowing with happiness and vitality.Today, Sebastian brought Charlotte to her favourite food spot. She had been craving different foods all day. Sia had once joked that Charlotte was gaining more “food weight” than pregnancy weight which earned her an exaggerated glare from Charlotte.“Did you ask for an extra scoop of ice cream?” Charlotte asked, her eyes glowing with anticipation.“I sure did,” Sebastian replied with a knowing smile. “I may have even ordered a special dish you might like.”Charlotte beamed, her dimples deepened. “Aren’t you the best husband in the whole wide world?”He smirked.
Sia watched as Charlotte and Sebastian cried and laughed together while holding each other in pure joy. Sebastian had arrived with a huge bouquet for his wife, and the moment he saw her, he dropped to his knees and hugged her stomach, whispering over and over how happy and blessed he was to have her.Seeing them celebrate their love and impending parenthood made Sia emotional. Her best friend had finally found the love she truly deserved. Not wanting to intrude on their perfect romantic moment, she quietly walked back home with a soft smile on her lips.As she stepped inside, Leon was already there, waiting for her.“Hi,” Leon greeted. “Is everything okay?”Sia nodded, her eyes still glistening with happiness. “I am very happy. So happy that I cannot even put it into words.”Leon studied her face as warmth spread through his chest. “That is very good to hear. But would you like to tell me what happened?”She wrapped her arms around him while hugging him tightly. “Charlotte and Sebasti
Charlotte pulled something from her pocket and handed it to Sia. As Sia saw it, her eyes widened. She immediately hugged Charlotte. “You are pregnant?”Charlotte nodded, tears welling in her eyes.“Why are you crying?” Sia asked gently. “This is such happy news! Silly girl.” She paused before looking at Charlotte. “You do not want the baby? It is okay, I will not judge you.”Charlotte shook her head through her tears. “No, I do. I already love the baby. But we just got married after only a month of dating, and now a baby. He is not ready for that.”“Did he say that?” Sia asked.Charlotte shook her head. “No, but…”Sia rolled her eyes, smiling a little. “You are being silly. You both need to talk. If you do not talk to him and keep making assumptions, you will ruin your relationship. You need to talk to him.”Charlotte hesitated. “Now?”Sia nodded. “I think it is better to talk now. Otherwise, you will just end up crying more.”With a deep breath, Charlotte took her phone, put it on sp