At the exit of the airport.
A woman dressed in a long black winter coat walked elegantly towards the exit gate. Her long legs were looking sexy as she was rocking her winter boots. Her long red hair was kept open and to make her more attractive she was wearing a beret cap. She exuded a confident and alluring aura as she walked past the crowd who couldn't help but look at her.
The woman was so gorgeous with her fair skin, pale blue eyes, long beautiful and healthy red hair and freckles trailing her cheeks and nose that one couldn't help but wonder if it was stardust.
It wasn't just her who was capturing all the attention, it was also the cute toddler who was holding her finger. Leon knew that his mommy was the prettiest woman in the world and it was fine with him when people stare at her because beautiful things are meant to be seen. Just like his mommy.
The people were in awe of the little boy who walked as if he owned the world. The little prideful boy was too much for people's hearts to handle.
"Mommy, Coco!" Leon pointed out at the other side where a little girl appeared with a tall and handsome man.
"Coco!" Leon yelled.
Coco heard her brother's voice and looked at him. She saw both her brother and mommy standing together. She gave a quick glance at her father asking if she could go to them and Nathaniel nodded his head.
"Mommy, "The adorable girl ran towards her mommy. As she reached her mother, the latter engulfed her in a big hug. "Mommy, I missed you."
"I missed my Little Fairy too, "Roseanne answered. "How was your vacation?"
"Mommy, please scold daddy later for me. He didn't take me to a lot of places. I had to stay in hotels a lot, "Coco complained, cutely.
Roseanne looked at Nathaniel with fake anger and asked, "Nathan, how can you do this to our Coco? You should have brought her to all the places. We three will go on vacation and leave you in hotel rooms."
"Yes, mommy, "Coco harrumphed. After a while, she said, "Mommy, I wanna visit the restroom." "Why didn't you tell me? We just walked past one on the way, "Nathan asked his daughter.
"Daddy, you can't enter the ladies washroom, "Coco sighed. "When will you follow the rules? Coco feels embarrassed to go to the restroom with Daddy."
Nathaniel let out an exasperated sigh, "
Roseanne said to him, "Nathan, why don't you load the luggage in the car while I take Coco to the restroom. Leon, be with Nathan. Don't wander here and there."
"Okay, mommy, "Leon spoke like a good boy.
While Nathaneil was loading luggage in the car Leon wandered off to the other side of the airport as he saw a very eye-catching car parked there. He was addicted to car racing and loved all the coolest cars. This car was the same car that his favorite racer drove. It slipped his mind what his mother asked him to do and walked to the other side.
As he was walking to that side, he collided with long and hard legs and fell on the ground. "Ah, "Leon groaned.
"Are you okay, kid?" A very dark and scary voice asked him.
As Leon looked up, he saw a man dressed in a black suit. This man was very tall and robust just like Nathaniel, Leon noted. He exuded a cold aura when he looked at the boy.
When the boy looked back at the man, he was struck by the familiar face that brought him to his deepest and painful memories. He found himself caring for the boy just because he reminded him of someone very close to his heart.
"Where are your parents?" The man asked.
"I didn't get lost, "The boy replied. "I am here to see this car."
The boy pointed at the red Ferrari. "Is it yours?"
"No, " the man answered. He didn't use such flashy cars.
"Okay, then move, "Leon said and went to look at the car from close.
"Do you like this car?" The man asked the boy whose face scrunched up to show his annoyance. For some reason, he liked annoying the little kid acting like a man.
"If I didn't, why would I be here?" Leon rolled his eyes and said flatly.
"Fair enough, " the man's lips twitched.
On the other hand, when Roseanne and Coco came from the restroom, they didn't find Leon with Nathan who was still loading the luggage.
"Where is Leon?" Roseanne asked.
"He will be here seeing the cars, "Nathan answered. "He is a smart boy. He will not wander off anywhere."
Roseanne sighed. "You are right." She saw her son with two men whose only silhouettes were visible to her.
"Coco, go call your brother, "Roseanne said.
"Okay, mommy, "Coco went to call her brother .
"Leon!" Coco came shouting. "Mommy is calling for you!"
When she saw that her brother was talking to unknown people, she said, "Why are you talking to strangers ? Didn't mommy ask us to not do that? What if he kidnaps you and calls our mommy for ransom? Our mommy will have to sell our coffee shop to free you, dummy."
Leon exasperated with his sister's loud mouth. "Let's go!"
On the way back, he chided her, "Coco, we can't tell people that we are poor. It's a secret that stays in the family only."
"Oh, is that so?" Coco asked, thinking deep.
"Yes, next time don't do this."
Behind him, the man named Johnson asked, "I wonder what amused Mr Hart?" Nicholas let out a hearty laugh. "Kids can be quite adorable."
"I have three. All I can say is that they are pain in the ass, "Johnson answered with a sigh.
Nicholas didn't say anything. He just looked at the family of four from far away. He could not make out the faces of the parents as they were facing the other side. All he could say was that the mother had red hair and the father looked like a handsome man. He saw the father putting kids in the Cadillac and then sat in the passenger seat while the woman sat in the driver's seat. For some reason, he couldn’t help but want to see the woman's face.
Perhaps, it was the boy who resembled his late wife so much that he couldn't help but wonder if his mother was her. Before he could delve in Anne Rose's memories, he heard Johnson say, "Mr Hart, Miss Taylor is calling you."
Nicholas' face broke into a small smile as he heard that Sabrina was calling him. "Tell her that we are leaving the airport and will be reaching her soon."
Meanwhile, Coco and Leon were sitting on the backseat while Roseanne was driving and Nathaniel was sitting in the passenger seat.
"How is the cafe doing?" Nathaniel asked. Five years ago, he fabricated Roseanne Deluca's identity and gave a new life to Anne Rose. He created a solid background for her. Whereas she changed her physical looks entirely by dying her hair red and changing her style over all. He could no longer guess that she was the same woman from five years ago.
He not only made a fake identity for her but invested in a cafe which she had been running. She had worked quite hard and made it a successful business. Today, the cafe had ten branches in the country that she was running. The woman surprised him with her business mind.
Anne Rose was a woman who was deprived of opportunities to showcase her best talent but Roseanne Deluca knew her worth and talents. Single handedly, she had raised two kids and was managing a successful business. In the world's eyes, she was a mother to two children while he was their father. Some years ago, they got divorced and now they are co-parenting
their kids together. When the truth was that Leon was her son with Nicholas Hart and Coco was his biological daughter. Coco lacked a mother and Leon lacked a father and both Anne and Nathaniel came to a decision that they would become parents to these children.
On the backseat, Leon whispered in Coco's ears, "What did you find out?"
"Your biological father lives in the USA, "Coco whispered in Leon's ear. "I tried to spy on my father but it became very hard. Our parents don't treat us as babies. They are always very careful in front of us."
"I tried to inquire about Gmaa but she is a hard nut to crack, "Leon whispered back. "Coco, I know that your real mother is in the USA too. That's why Daddy didn't want to take you there."
"Will we ever find out about our father and mother?" Coco whispered, sadly.
"We will, "Leon said, stubbornly. "We will find them and ask them why they hurt our mommy and daddy. We will show them that just because they abandoned us we still lived a good life."
"I want to meet my father and tell him that it is his loss not mine and mommy's, "Leon said, pridefully.
Coco sadly whispered, "I just want to ask my mother why she hurt my daddy."
The two kids hugged each other and vowed to find those two people and make them regret their decision.
“We reached home,” Coco and Leon said as they entered the doors of their home. Roseanne looked at the kids and said, “Leon and Coco, go and wash up while I set the table for lunch.”“Mommy, what about cookies?” Leon asked his mother. If his mother was thinking that he forgot about his cookies then she was very wrong. He never forgot about things that he liked. He got his sweet tooth from his mother and he loved any kind of sweet dish. Among all, his mother's cafe’s cookies were his favourite.Roseanne let out a sigh, “Yes, Leon, Mommy did not forget about the cookies.”This boy! His obsession with sweets runs deeper. “Can we have it after lunch?” Leon asked quickly. Roseanne told her son, “Sure but first go wash up.”“Coco, let's wash our hands and then we will have cookies,” Leon said excitedly. Coco ran behind him after hearing this. When the kids went to wash their hands, Roseanne turned to Nathaniel and asked, “How is Regina?”The reason why Nathaniel went to the USA this time
“Nick?” Sabrina said his name with a wide smile as he entered the door. She ran to hug him. “I can't believe you are here.”When the door rang, she was hoping that it was him. She had heard from his assistant that he was coming but now that he was in front of her eyes she could not believe it. Nevertheless, she was extremely happy to see him here. Nicholas held her and said, “How can I be not here? You invited me of all people. If I won't come, who will?”His tone was full of tenderness and patience. A few days back she sent him an invitation calling him for the grand inauguration of her fashion house. She had been working on it for quite some time. He was happy to be a part of her success. Thus, he wanted to be a part of her success. Sabrina smiled widely at him. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”His words touched her heart and she could not help but hug him again. When he did things like this for her, it became very difficult for her not to worship this man who was noth
"I personally killed all of them," Nicholas reminded her, the fear evident in his eyes sending shivers down her spine. The memory of the moment he took revenge on the man responsible for his wife's accident haunted her.At that time, Nicholas was relentless. He embarked on a ruthless killing spree to avenge his wife. The number of men he killed with his bare hands in his quest for justice was immeasurable."If you're doing this for her, I doubt she would approve," Sabrina cautioned him."You don't understand her," Nicholas retorted quickly.Sabrina responded, "I may not have known her personally, but from what you've shared, Anne Rose seemed like a compassionate woman. I don't think she would want more bloodshed in her name."Nicholas fell silent. Anne Rose remained a mystery to everyone, overlooked and taken for granted by those around her. Her kindness was underestimated, and no one predicted the day she would disappear from their eyes.“Anyways, you can't stay here for long. If the
Meanwhile, at Nathaniel's request, Roseanne was about to search for Miss Taylor's details on the phone. But just as she was about to click the search icon, a scream echoed. It was Coco, crying out in pain. Roseanne swiftly left the phone on the table and rushed to find Coco.“Ah!” Coco's cries filled the air as she painfully moved her hand. Roseanne discovered that hot soup had spilt on Coco's tender hand, causing a burn. Everyone hurried to provide first aid to the distressed little girl. Nathaniel was the first to react, picking up Coco and carrying her in his arms. Roseanne followed them to the kitchen, where Nathaniel ran cold water over his daughter's burnt hand. Roseanne had brought the first aid kit and applied ointment to soothe the injured hand.“It's okay, baby,” Nathaniel cooed to his baby girl. “Mommy is applying medicine. It will be okay soon.” Even though he could be cruel, especially towards others, when it came to his daughter, he was the most caring dad. He couldn't
“Yes, Mom?” Nicholas sighed for the uncountable time. “Can you please hang up? I have an event to attend.” “Nicholas Hart! Are you even listening to your mother?” Ellora asked him, angrily. “When will you take me seriously?”“Mother, when have I not taken you seriously?”Nicholas asked his mother while tying his necktie. “Nick, my sweet boy, why are you not thinking about marriage?” Ellora asked him with a frustrated sigh. “Your father is getting frustrated. He is looking for an heir. It is becoming hard for him to convince the elders that you will be responsible enough to have an heir soon. Do you know how important it is for you to have an heir? Your position is like that of a king. If you don't have an heir, people will start conspiring against you to push their son to your spot. Things have not been smooth for a long time. Please think about it. Accept the marriage proposal of one of the girls your father chooses.”Nicholas let out a sarcastic sigh, “Why don’t you ask Father to s
“They bought more snacks, desserts and drinks from us,” Maria told her happily. Since the orders were increasing, it would bring more profit to the Cafe. That meant their Cafe was getting famous in the city. Although their cafe was already famous in the area, it was a big deal for them to exclusively cater to a big company in the vicinity. She was just pondering if this business opportunity would bring a similar business opportunity in the near future. If it happens, in the near future, they would have to expand. Roseanne was happy to hear about it. She shared her thoughts with Maria, “What do you think about an exclusive partnership with the Fashion House? We could offer them a good deal if they collaborate with us.”Even before this, she had been thinking about this collaboration with Miss Taylor. Today's events just strengthened her resolve. She was right when she said that Miss Taylor was about to change her life. This big order today just proved her assumptions right. “What doe
In the evening, Roseanne, accompanied by her two kids, eagerly prepared for a party. Upon reaching the venue, they were assigned a table. As the party started, four of them were already settled. Coco engaged herself in the beautiful fashion show organized by the brand, showcasing her interest in style and trends. Meanwhile, Leon relinquished in the tasty delights, savouring the delicious desserts brought by attentive waiters. In the middle of the hustle and bustle, the kids had already discovered their source of entertainment.While her kids were engrossed in their respective entertainments, Roseanne took on a more observant position. She was analysing everything about the environment with keen eyes. Although the kids were enjoying themselves, she knew that she did not come here for the same purpose. She was here for work and she had to finish it. The party was good but it did not entertain her that much. For some reason, she was having ominous feelings. She could not understand wh
“No, I can go outside. My mom and sister might have gone to the ladies’ washroom.” He wanted to say something snarky to this man but stopped himself as he realized that he couldn't say it as the latter only helped him. Reluctantly, he added, “Thank you, Mister!”Of course, he would not take any more help from this man. Moreover, he did not want Coco to tease him more by knowing that he could not even pee alone. Nicholas raised his brow at the boy's mannerisms and before he could say anything, the boy ran from there. As Leon reached outside, he saw his mother and sister waiting for him. “Let's go, Leon,” Coco said. She grabbed his hand and began running towards the venue. “Kids, don't run!” Roseanne said. “I can't catch up with you.”At this time, Nicholas left the washroom and happened to hear the voice. The voice left him in a trance. No matter how much he wanted to ignore that Anne Rose was not on his mind, he could not help but notice how similar it was to hers. Shaking his head
“Are you nervous?” Charlotte asked, glancing at Sebastian as they stood outside the grand Hart estate.“A little,” he admitted, adjusting his collar.She leaned closer, whispering, “I’m more nervous than you.”He squeezed her hand. “I’m here with you.”“Dummy,” she muttered. “I’m nervous for you. My father might just eat you alive.”Sebastian paled slightly. “Great. That’s reassuring.”She smirked. “Don’t worry, I will bring you back alive.”He let out a nervous chuckle. “Maybe we should just walk in blindly and hope for the best.”With that, still holding each other’s hands, they stepped inside the Hart mansion. The housekeeper led them to the family room where a formidable audience awaited. Nicholas and Anne sat together, exuding quiet authority. To their left, Nathaniel and Sabrina watched with interest, while on the right Ellora and Nikolai observed with mild amusement.Sebastian greeted them one by one. He was trying to sound calm but his palms was damp.“You took a whole month t
The front door swung open, and Anne’s eyes widened in surprise.“Belly?” she said, barely masking her surprise.It had been a month since Abella left for her Europe trip, and she hadn’t mentioned anything about returning. But here she was, standing at the threshold, looking very exhausted. Without a word, Abella stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother in a tight hug.Anne was taken aback. She gently rubbed her daughter’s back. “Sweetheart, is everything okay?”Abella’s voice was small. “Estelle and Ronan got divorced.”Anne’s heart clenched.“She moved to London,” Abella continued, her grip on Anne tightened. “She is never coming back, Mom.”Anne held her even closer. “Oh, baby,” she murmured. “I know. I know. Come inside.”As they stepped in, Abella whispered, “I lost my best friend. She will live oceans away now. And the worst part? I can’t even cry about losing her because she is going through something so much worse.” Her voice trembled. “I don’t know what to do.”A
“What is this?” Emery asked as Ronan threw a file onto the table.Ronan’s jaw was tight, his hands clenched into fists. “Divorce papers,” he said flatly.Emery blinked in shock. “What?” She quickly picked up the papers, her eyes scanning through them. “Why?”“She wants a separation,” Ronan said, his voice laced with disbelief. “She already signed them and sent them to me. She wants me to process them so she can officially file for divorce.” His voice was eerily hollow as if he still couldn’t comprehend the situation.Emery’s expression hardened. “Then go to her. Fix this.”Ronan shook his head. “She is gone. Her mother told me she left for a vacation. No one knows where she is, not even her own family. They didn’t even know she filed for divorce until I told them. They are trying to reach her, but she is nowhere to be found.”Emery turned her attention back to the papers while flipping through the pages carefully. The documents were precise and every detail was written well. But when
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