How do you like this chapter?
In Sia’s office, the endless bickering between Kate and Rhys was in full swing once again. Kate couldn’t stand Rhys’ flirtatious ways and his nonchalant attitude, while Rhys found great amusement in riling her up."Since Mr. Rhys is so capable of performing tasks," Kate said with a sly smile, "I have another task for you!" She dropped a large file on the desk, "Please go through all these resumes, narrow it down to fifty candidates, and then interview them with the HR department. We need to select three secretaries for the Presidential department."Rhys scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Who do you think you are for ordering me around?"Kate's smile grew wider. "If you have forgotten, I'm the Executive Assistant to the CEO. You have a whole team above you, but I only answer to the CEO. So yes, you have to do what I say."Rhys grumbled. "You can't bully me," he muttered, walking out the door.Kate sat back in her chair while taking a sip of her tea and feeling victorious.Later that evening
When Sia was alone in her office, she gazed out the window and watched Rhys flirt with the new employees and couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. "This boy..." she muttered under her breath, shaking her head in amusement and slight frustration.She picked up the phone and dialled Kate's number.“Kate, who volunteered for the Mexico project?” Sia asked. Kate’s voice came back with a slight hint of disappointment. “Boss, nobody wants to lead it. It is such a messy project and no one wants the headache.”Sia’s eyes narrowed as she thought for a moment. “Send Rhys and Mr David for it.”“Is Rhys a good choice?” Kate questioned, quite unsure.Sia’s voice was firm. “He is talented but his only flaw is his distraction by women. Give him five difficult projects with almost no female contact. I want him to crumble under the weight of the burden.”Kate’s grin widened. “Yes, boss.”After hanging up, Sia settled back in her chair. But before she could get lost in thought, her phone rang and a s
In the Hart House,Nicholas had moved Nathaniel to the Hart mansion, as the family agreed that his health was too fragile to take any risks. Nathaniel was now in his old room in the wing where he had spent his younger years, and since Charlotte also lived in the same wing, it had been decorated by her in an artistic way.Nash, however, was not pleased with the change. He had not been consulted about his father's move, and he felt a sense of anger and resentment toward the whole family. He couldn't understand why they had decided this for Nathaniel without asking him and it bothered him deeply.Late one evening, after spending most of the night quietly watching over his father and crying in sorrow, Nash fell asleep after taking a break to freshen up. When he woke up, he was absolutely starving. He had no particular destination in mind but began wandering through the mansion and lost in his thoughts. He ended up in a garden so enchanting that it looked like it could have been plucked s
Abella nodded. "I have got you covered. Just sit tight." When she finished, she handed him a steaming bowl of ramen. Nash picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. "Woah, why do you have all this stuff in your room?" he asked, clearly impressed by her resourcefulness.Abella chuckled, sitting down beside him. "I live in a dormitory. I need these things to survive. I actually packed these to take with me to cook sometimes. And this electric kettle," she gestured toward the small appliance on the desk, "I just bought it today."Nash slurped down another bite of noodles. "You cook pretty amazingly."She grinned, pleased with the compliment. "That is one of my talents."He couldn’t help but smile back at her, feeling more at ease. "Where do you study?""Huh?" Abella blinked, surprised by the question.He clarified, "You told me you live in a dorm.""Oh! Yes, I study at NYU Medical School," she replied, her voice filled with pride.Nash looked impressed. "That was my dream school."Abella’s
“When will you come back?” Leon asked Sia as they stood outside the airport.“It will take me some time,” Sia sighed. “My team messed up the project. I need to handle things before the government gets involved. I can’t face this lawsuit.”If this was not urgent, she would not go to that damned state back. But some things could not be helped even if she wished. Leon nodded and pulled her into a hug. “Take care.”Sia smiled. “I’m just going to LA. I will come back soon. And if you miss me, you can drop by anytime.”Leon hesitated before speaking. “I’m just not comfortable with you going back to California. It has been a nightmare for you.”He knew how much she was hurt in California. One night, He and Coco sat and talked about her life in California, all the little and big things that she did not deliberately tell him because she did not wish to cause him any stress. However, when he asked his sister, she told him about everything in detail. If it was upto him, he would have killed Mat
“Mom, he is getting obsessed with Alessia!” Olivia said angrily. She could see what others could not. She could see Alessia returning to their life and ruining everything. She wanted to protect her husband and her position as his wife. “What makes you think that?” Stephanie asked, confused.“What’s my daughter’s name?” Olivia snapped. “It is Alicia! Can you see that? He named my daughter after his ex-wife! And, as bad luck has it, she looks like Alessia! Why did she have to look like that bitch?”She yelled and kicked at air when Matthew named their baby girl Alicia in the hospital. He told her that he gave it to punish her as the day on her labour, she was out drinking and smoking with her friends. She was doing it to spite Matthew who left to find Sia to be obsessed with her. He named her daughter Alicia because he wanted her to remember her worst nightmare everyday because she put her daughter in danger. Stephanie sighed, trying to remain calm. “Sia has green eyes like me, Oli. A
“Charlotte?”Charlotte quickly turned to look at Sebastian. He was sitting up in bed, holding his head in pain. They had been sleeping beside each other but now he was shouting out in agony.“My head is blasting!” he cried out, his face full of pain and tears streamed down his face. Charlotte’s heart raced as she saw how much he was suffering. She immediately sat up, trying to stay calm.“We are going to the hospital now!” Charlotte said, her voice showing some calm even when her heart was not. She grabbed her phone and called for help. A few minutes later, a helicopter landed on their property, and Charlotte helped Sebastian outside. She quickly led him to the helicopter while her mind was racing with worry.In the hospital, they rushed Sebastian in for tests but things took a sudden turn. Before they knew it, Sebastian had fallen into a coma.“What do you mean?” Carter shouted at the doctor, his face full of shock and confusion. “How could my son be in a coma? He was fine just a whil
For weeks, Sebastian remained in a comatose state. The doctors were unable to find a solution to his condition. During this time, Emily and Carter stayed at the hospital, while Charlotte was occupied with cleaning up the mess of his life.When Sebastian finally woke up, Emily and Carter rushed to his side.In a hoarse voice, Sebastian asked, “What are you doing here?”Emily froze, fear flashing across her face. Was he angry at her? She had refused his proposal and ended their relationship. He had every reason to resent her.Tears streamed down Emily’s innocent-looking face as she whispered, “I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have come…”Sebastian furrowed his brows. “What are you saying, love? I’m talking about him…” he said, his gaze shifting to Carter.Emily looked at Sebastian, confused by his reaction. Why was he upset to see his father? Weren’t they on good terms before? She tried to explain, “Your dad has been here for you the whole time. He saved you, Sebastian. That awful Monet family t
"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
Another month passed in the blink of an eye.Sia was now fourteen weeks pregnant. The doctors had assured her that the baby was healthy and it was only she who remained weak. With the end of her first trimester, her nausea and mood swings had subsided. She was finally feeling a little better and getting some much-needed relief.Despite being fourteen weeks along, she still had no visible baby bump. Her stomach remained as flat as ever, and she often joked about having an "invisible baby."Leon had completed his project in Switzerland, and the two of them had grown even closer. Living there had also strengthened Sia’s bond with Bella who had been a great support during her pregnancy. Now, the couple was finally ready to return home to New York.Charlotte had also returned from her honeymoon, and she and Sebastian were settling back into their home which was conveniently located right next to Sia and Leon’s.Throughout the flight, Sia and Leon discussed how they would break the news of