After finishing their meal, Sebastian and Charlotte decided to take a short walk together in the beautiful garden of the hotel. They had spent the last two days doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company, and now the fresh air felt nice.As they strolled, Charlotte noticed Sebastian repeatedly declining an incoming call.“Who keeps calling?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.Sebastian sighed, a small and helpless smile on his lips. “It’s my dad.”Charlotte frowned. “It might be something important.”He shook his head. “Trust me, it’s not.” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “Earlier today, he asked me about my plans, and I told him I was going out with you. Now he won’t stop calling and texting, trying to find out if we got back together. He is more excited than a kid on Christmas morning.”He does not know what to do about his father who seemed to be more interested in his relationship with Charlotte. His dad had been given his long lectures over the texts on how to win a wom
Charlotte took a deep breath and met his gaze. “I’m sorry for not telling you about Cillian Facci. I wanted to, but the timing was never right.”When she met him, she forgot about everything. All she could recall was her. Sebastian studied her for a moment before shaking his head with a small understanding smile. “We never really had the time, did we? I don’t blame you.”Relieved, she reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you for understanding.”He tilted his head slightly. “So… your parents know about me?”She nodded.“Will they like me?” he asked. His tone was light but she caught the hint of nervousness in his voice.A laugh bubbled out of her. “Maybe, maybe not. But does it really matter?”“A little,” he admitted. “I would rather not be the guy your family wants to strangle.”Charlotte smiled, understanding his worry. “My family is complicated. I was raised by two sets of parents.” She paused, then explained, “My birth parents are easier. My mom is probably over the moon t
“Abella, you can explore the campus while I meet Scottie,” Estelle said as they arrived at Oxford University. Her cousin was running late for a conference, leaving little time for their meeting. Wanting to see her first before heading to the hotel, Estelle decided to make the most of their brief window.“Oh, I like the idea,” Abella replied enthusiastically, already intrigued by the historical grandeur of the university.While Estelle went to meet her cousin, Abella took her time admiring the beauty of the Oxford campus. She had always loved the elegance of its architecture. Its ancient stone buildings stand proudly, ivy creeping along their walls, and students walk with books tucked under their arms. It was just like the movies that she had watched. Finding a quiet spot outside the Oxford Law School, she settled onto a wooden bench and pulled out a thick medical book. It was a contradiction, she knew, reading about anatomy in the heart of a law faculty but it didn’t bother her. She
“I’m a first-year medical student at NYU,” Abella answered, a proud smile playing on her lips. “I love my life there.”Cillian muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for her to hear, “So young and untainted.”Her eyes narrowed. “What was that?”“Nothing,” he said smoothly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.She crossed her arms. “And what about you? Oh wait, let me guess a fancy lawyer fighting high-stakes battles for the immoral capitalists of the world?”Cillian let out a laugh at her sass. “I guess you are not entirely wrong.”Just then, his phone buzzed with a message. He glanced down at Carina.It will take me a bit longer. Wait for me. Don’t leave.He swore under his breath. That woman had some nerve while giving him orders.Shaking his head, he turned back to Abella, his gaze appraising. “Would you like to grab a coffee?”She arched a brow. “Aren’t you a little too old to be asking me for coffee?”His lips twitched in amusement. “How old do you think I am?”She t
Abella straightened up and stretched a little. “I think I will have iced tea instead of coffee. Coffee feels too serious for me,” she said with a smile.Cillian chuckled, his gaze softening as he watched her. “I will get you the coffee then.”Before he could reach for his wallet, she was already ahead of him while placing the order and turning to him with a grin. “It’s on me.”He raised an eyebrow, taken aback. Cillian Facci was a man who had always prided himself on taking care of his own bills and had never let a woman pay for him. He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already off to get their drinks.When she returned with the drinks and a tray of food, she asked, “Are you hungry? I am! What do you suggest?”Cillian pointed toward a combo meal that had been his go-to in his college days. She picked up two of them, and they sat at an empty table with the warm food in front of them. What is this alternate reality? he thought.As they dug into their meals, Abella took a bite of
Anne Rose entered the tall building of Hart Enterprises. She recalled the last time when she came here to see her husband. Never. She had never entered the threshold of this building. "I'm here to meet Mr Hart, "Anne Rose said to the receptionist. Although she had never been to his office, the reception instantly recognised Mrs Hart. "I will inform the CEO that you are here to meet him," The receptionist said with a polite smile. "Don't ring him," Anne said with a smile. "I'm here to surprise him." "Alright, Mrs Hart, " the receptionist answered. Anne walked to Nicholas' office with a lot of thoughts in her mind. She was thinking about how he would react seeing her in his office. Things between them had been cold for a year as the incident that happened one year ago changed the entire dynamics of their relationship. If she hadn't given up on him then, things wouldn't have gotten bad with them. Clutching her purse tightly in her hand, she imagined how he was going to react to the
The following morning Anne Rose was lying on the bed naked next to her husband who was sleeping peacefully. Her pale skin was covered with hickey marks. She remembered the fervor of the lovemaking– no– sex that she had done with her husband. He had never shown his animalistic instincts until this life when she proposed divorce to him. If he thought sex would repair the cracks in their shattered relationship, he had another thing coming. She decided to submit the signed divorce papers in the court and then meet her father in the jail. Her entire world was wrecked when she married Nicholas. She married him with great dreams in her eyes. But a day after their marriage, her father was arrested for having involvement with the mafia. She begged Nicholas to let her meet her father but he refused saying that his wife could never have connections with a man having been arrested for such charges.Since she was divorcing her husband, there was no reason for her to stop visiting her father. Th
It was the day when Anne Rose Swift Hart was killed and Roseanne Deluca was born. Time flew instantly and memories were slowly fading. Yet, there were times when she would wake up with tremors and nightmares. Five years were not enough to forget the twenty five years that she had lived as Anne Rose. "Rosie, the customer on table five is creating a ruckus. She is saying that she asked for an extra extra hot coffee but we served it extra extra cold. It's been thirty minutes since we served her coffee while she was busy on her phone, " Maria, the barista said to her. "She is disturbing other customers too. A few even left seeing a commotion inside. It's still morning and she is affecting our business." "Let me handle it, "Rosanne said, looking at the said lady scolding the other barista. "Bring your manager. I want to meet her. What kind of services this place has!" At the same time, the lady's phone rang. "Jackson, I told you to not call me. Can't you understand what I want…." The
Abella straightened up and stretched a little. “I think I will have iced tea instead of coffee. Coffee feels too serious for me,” she said with a smile.Cillian chuckled, his gaze softening as he watched her. “I will get you the coffee then.”Before he could reach for his wallet, she was already ahead of him while placing the order and turning to him with a grin. “It’s on me.”He raised an eyebrow, taken aback. Cillian Facci was a man who had always prided himself on taking care of his own bills and had never let a woman pay for him. He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already off to get their drinks.When she returned with the drinks and a tray of food, she asked, “Are you hungry? I am! What do you suggest?”Cillian pointed toward a combo meal that had been his go-to in his college days. She picked up two of them, and they sat at an empty table with the warm food in front of them. What is this alternate reality? he thought.As they dug into their meals, Abella took a bite of
“I’m a first-year medical student at NYU,” Abella answered, a proud smile playing on her lips. “I love my life there.”Cillian muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for her to hear, “So young and untainted.”Her eyes narrowed. “What was that?”“Nothing,” he said smoothly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.She crossed her arms. “And what about you? Oh wait, let me guess a fancy lawyer fighting high-stakes battles for the immoral capitalists of the world?”Cillian let out a laugh at her sass. “I guess you are not entirely wrong.”Just then, his phone buzzed with a message. He glanced down at Carina.It will take me a bit longer. Wait for me. Don’t leave.He swore under his breath. That woman had some nerve while giving him orders.Shaking his head, he turned back to Abella, his gaze appraising. “Would you like to grab a coffee?”She arched a brow. “Aren’t you a little too old to be asking me for coffee?”His lips twitched in amusement. “How old do you think I am?”She t
“Abella, you can explore the campus while I meet Scottie,” Estelle said as they arrived at Oxford University. Her cousin was running late for a conference, leaving little time for their meeting. Wanting to see her first before heading to the hotel, Estelle decided to make the most of their brief window.“Oh, I like the idea,” Abella replied enthusiastically, already intrigued by the historical grandeur of the university.While Estelle went to meet her cousin, Abella took her time admiring the beauty of the Oxford campus. She had always loved the elegance of its architecture. Its ancient stone buildings stand proudly, ivy creeping along their walls, and students walk with books tucked under their arms. It was just like the movies that she had watched. Finding a quiet spot outside the Oxford Law School, she settled onto a wooden bench and pulled out a thick medical book. It was a contradiction, she knew, reading about anatomy in the heart of a law faculty but it didn’t bother her. She
Charlotte took a deep breath and met his gaze. “I’m sorry for not telling you about Cillian Facci. I wanted to, but the timing was never right.”When she met him, she forgot about everything. All she could recall was her. Sebastian studied her for a moment before shaking his head with a small understanding smile. “We never really had the time, did we? I don’t blame you.”Relieved, she reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you for understanding.”He tilted his head slightly. “So… your parents know about me?”She nodded.“Will they like me?” he asked. His tone was light but she caught the hint of nervousness in his voice.A laugh bubbled out of her. “Maybe, maybe not. But does it really matter?”“A little,” he admitted. “I would rather not be the guy your family wants to strangle.”Charlotte smiled, understanding his worry. “My family is complicated. I was raised by two sets of parents.” She paused, then explained, “My birth parents are easier. My mom is probably over the moon t
After finishing their meal, Sebastian and Charlotte decided to take a short walk together in the beautiful garden of the hotel. They had spent the last two days doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company, and now the fresh air felt nice.As they strolled, Charlotte noticed Sebastian repeatedly declining an incoming call.“Who keeps calling?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.Sebastian sighed, a small and helpless smile on his lips. “It’s my dad.”Charlotte frowned. “It might be something important.”He shook his head. “Trust me, it’s not.” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “Earlier today, he asked me about my plans, and I told him I was going out with you. Now he won’t stop calling and texting, trying to find out if we got back together. He is more excited than a kid on Christmas morning.”He does not know what to do about his father who seemed to be more interested in his relationship with Charlotte. His dad had been given his long lectures over the texts on how to win a wom
"Be careful," Anne said over the phone."Mom, I'll be fine," Abella reassured her. "Thank you for letting me go.""This is for Estelle. I want her to be happy," Anne said gently. "If you need anything, let me know."Abella and Estelle were going on a trip to Europe. Their first stop was London, where Estelle wanted to visit her cousin, who was studying at Oxford. They planned to stay in London for a few days before continuing their journey across Europe. It was a long plan and she was going to spend her semester break by travelling with her best friend. "Have a safe journey, girls!" Anne added. "Call me when you land in London."Although they could have traveled by private jet, Abella and Estelle wanted an independent adventure just like any other young women. However, Anne insisted on booking them first-class seats, ensuring their comfort and safety.Now settled on the flight, Estelle and Abella took their seats, with Abella sitting directly behind Estelle.Just as they were getting
When Cillian arrived at his car, a woman reached out to hug him.He caught her hand before she could which made her hesitate."It was tiring," she said in a perfect British accent. She was a classic Italian beauty, her refined features framed by the elegance of her voice.Cillian responded in Italian. "Not now, Carina."She bit her lip, watching him with knowing eyes. Slowly, she reached for him again, her fingers trailing lightly over his sleeve while testing his resistance. After a moment, she whispered, "You know what? I will ask the driver to give us privacy, and I will make you forget about everything."The moment the car door shut behind them, Carina straddled him with her fingers slipping into his hair. Her lips ghosted over his tensed jaw."You are tense, Tesoro," she purred, her accent slipping between Italian and English, a seductive blend of the two. "Let me help."Cillian exhaled sharply when her lips met his, the taste of whiskey lingerd between them. He should have pushe
The scent of aged wood and candle wax filled the room. The dim light flickered across the long mahogany table where two mafia families faced each other and the other had yet to enter.Charlotte Hart entered the room with calculated confidence, wearing a tailored black suit. The cold click of her heels echoed through the space while commanding attention before she even spoke. Hardened men straightened in their seats.Cillian turned to look at Luca Moretti, the third mafia family who controlled the Mexican region. He said, “Nicholas Hart was supposed to come.”Luca laughed. “Facci, I told you Nicholas does not look after the business. The new boss does.”Cillian said, “Bullshit. A woman cannot control our business. He is using her as a bluff.” Across from him, Luca leaned back lazily, fingers wrapped around a glass of whiskey, his expression filled with amusement.“That’s the queen herself,” Luca said, loudly. “Miss Hart, thank you for gracing us with your presence.”There was amuseme
For some reason, Sebastian had to go and meet a client. It was a short meeting and he called the client in the hotel restaurants. While leaving the room, he left her a message that he would be back soon. When Sebastian returned, he found Charlotte dressed in his clothes—his white shirt and shorts fitting her perfectly, almost as if they were made for her. She sat on the couch to read something on her phone while sipping coffee. Her face looked tense, but the moment she noticed him, her features softened into a breathtaking smile.“Hi,” she greeted.His own lips curved into a smile as he walked toward her. “Hey there.” Without hesitation, he pulled her into a warm hug. “I’m sorry I had to leave you here alone.”As he held her, he caught the familiar scent of his body wash on her skin. His heart stuttered. “Someone took a bath,” he teased, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. His deep steel-blue gaze locked onto her vibrant green ones.Charlotte smirked. “Are you really that happ