Nicholas had called all the servants in the hall and they were standing in a line. Investigations were being made to them. Johnson and his other trusted aides were helping him in investigating while he and Roseanne were looking over the whole process. “Did you serve Leon?” Nicholas asked the woman who looked to be in her late thirties. She was one of the oldest maids in the house and she was to serve Leon on the order of Ellora who made sure that only her trusted people were near her grandchildren. She was not going to take any chance in the service of her grandchildren. The lady answers, “Yes, Mr Hart. It's my responsibility to look over him when he plays in the garden or anywhere else. I also take care of his other things that Madam tells me to do.”Nicholas asked the woman, “Did you notice anything suspicious around him when he was playing in the garden?”“Nothing much,” The lady said. Suddenly, she added, “He usually plays in the garden but most of the time he looks back as if h
“Emery!”Nicholas opened the door to the room and entered inside. He saw his sister sitting on the bed. He didn't care how the whole room was pitch dark while it was broad daylight out. “Why do you want to hurt my son?” Nicholas asked her.Emery burst into a fit of laughter as she said, “First, I killed your wife. Now, I will kill your son!”Nicholas' eyes burned with anger. He could not see how Emery did not look right at the moment. He could not read the background of the situation and only believed her words. “If you come near him, I will throw you somewhere you can't return,” Nicholas threatened him. Emery smirked at him. “As if I fear you.”“Trust me, you will,” Nicholas said. “I will throw you will that boyfriend of yours. You both can die together!”Emery's eyes burned as she heard him mentioning her boyfriend. “Don't you dare touch him! I will kill you! I will kill your son! I will kill your family!”Emery began shouting. “Shout as much as you can but take it as a warning
“What are you talking about?” Roseanne asked her. How could Emery recognise her? No, she couldn't. “I helped you.” Emery stared at her while she said it. She added again, “Anne, I helped you to escape this hell.”Roseanne said it again, “I don't know what you are talking about.”Emery said again, “I know you.”“Who are you talking about?” Roseanne asked. Roseanne was pretending that she did not understand what Emery was even talking about. Suddenly, Emery began mumbling. Those incoherent words were not making sense to her. She added, “I know you.”Suddenly, the nurse came inside. When she saw Emery awake, she began asking questions but the latter was just mumbling things. “Did she say anything to you?” The nurse asked Roseanne. “If she said, please don't mind her. She has been speaking incoherent things that do not make sense to anyone. You might feel that she is saying those to you but she is not.”Roseanne furrowed her brows and asked, “What does it means?”The nurse said, “Sh
“Then, why didn't you correct it?” Roseanne asked. “I was never in the position to,”Nicholas answered, frustration evident in his eyes. “When my wife died, my sister pushed herself away from everyone. She started a new life and I kept my distance, thinking that it's what she wants. I respected her decision to be away from the family. How would I know that these things are going in her life?”If there was anything missing in his family, it was respect for people's decisions. He was respecting his sister's decision when she declared that she did not want anyone from the Hart family to come anywhere near her. He believed that it was the best thing that happened to her. “As for now, I have no idea how to enter her life again,” Nicholas said with regret evident in his voice. “As for what happened today, it's hard for me to trust this family anymore. My mother hides things from me. My father tries to kill the woman and children I love so much. My brother who left our lives a decade ago and
“You were checking up on her?” Nicholas asked, surprised. “Why?”“What do you mean by why?” Nathaniel asked him. “She is my baby sister. I might have left the Hart family, not her. Although I couldn't meet her, I never stopped checking up on her.”Nicholas felt ashamed hearing this. Nathaniel was doing a better job at being a brother than him. However, he did not like what he was hearing. Why would Nathaniel be checking up on Emery and not on him? If Emery was his sister, he was a brother too, right? Why does this man have to do so much discrimination always? “What happened to her?” Nathaniel asked in a very softened voice. “Did your father have a hand in it?”“I don't know about my father's hand in it,” Nicholas told him. “That man broke up with her. She couldn't bear it.”“Oh…”Nathaniel reacted. “Are you not going to do anything to that bastard?” Nicholas asked him. How could Nathaniel not feel angry at that man? He felt like killing that bastard for hurting his sister. Nathanie
As Roseanne looked out of the window, she smelled a different air. It smelled like Oranges and lemons. She would not say that it was a bad smell. She quite liked it. The landscape was beautiful with vast agricultural lands, filled with citrus trees and other fruits everywhere. The place where they were supposed to stay was a villa in a small town. She had never seen life in a small town in America as she had always lived in New York and was used to life there. Even Italy was different from here. Her life in Italy was not fast as in Italy. However, here she could feel a slowness in the air. It was comforting for some reasons. As they entered the crowded part of the village, she saw the main street occupied by locally owned businesses like family-owned diners, hardware stores, and boutique shops. It was like all those small-town romances that she read came before her eyes. She was getting the same feeling that she would while reading those books. It was weird how memories could be tri
As they were soaking in the hot Jacuzzi, the tiredness of the whole day seemed to have flown away. It was a relaxing experience for both of them and what was more relaxing was the way they were holding conversation over a glass of wine. “What countries did you visit in these five years?” Nicholas asked Roseanne who was telling him about all the beautiful places that she had seen in the last five years. “I visited most of Europe,”Roseanne told him. “I absolutely loved all of it. However, I loved Italy the most and decided to stay there.” Taking a pause, she asked, “Have you ever thought of your dream place?”“What's that?” Nicholas asked him. “You don't know the concept of a dream place?” Roseanne asked him. Nicholas sighed, “It is not like that I don't know what you mean. It's that I don't have the luxury to think about my dream place. I never tried to think this way either. Also, I cannot even fathom uprooting my life from New York.” Taking a pause he went on to say, “Truth be to
After sharing the emotional moment with him last night, she started a new morning, pushing everything to the back of her head. Once again, she began baking and cooking as it provided her with a sense of great joy. Nicholas was not surprised with the long line of items on the breakfast table. If that's what she wanted, he would let her. If eating all of these things would make her happy, then so be it. For her, he would gobble up the whole world. “How is it?” She asked, eagerly. “Amazing,” Nicholas told him. “What's your plan for the day?” Roseanne questioned him. “I'm going to meet that boy,”Nicholas told her. He had made all the preparations for today. That man didn't live far from here. He would go to his house first. “Okay,”Roseanne said. When Nicholas reached the place where Emery's ex boyfriend lived, he knocked on the door. Nobody came for a long time. After sometime, he knocked on the door again. A man opened the door and when he saw who was outside, he shut the door on
His voice dropped lower as he confessed, “Oh, Sia baby, I have dreamed of this every single day.” Leaning in, his lips found her neck, planting a trail of kisses that sent shivers cascading down her spine. Each kiss was deliberate, slow, and tantalizing as his lips explored the soft curves and bumps of her skin. He sucked and nipped gently, leaving her breathless and causing her to arch her back in excitement. His tongue darted out, tasting the warmth of her skin. The sensation was electric, making her clutch the bedsheet to steady herself. She was completely at his mercy, her body responding in ways she didn’t fully understand. Every touch was igniting a fire within her. He moved lower while his lips brushing the space between her breasts. Her hands instinctively found their way to his thick hair, tangling themselves in the silky strands as his touch consumed her entirely. He moved further down kissing his way down to her navel but stopped just right above her pussy area. H
When they reached their room after dinner, his gaze fell on her. She was sitting on the stool in front of the mirror while trying to remove her earrings, but she was struggling. He walked closer to her and whispered, “May I?” She silently gave him permission. He gently swept her hair to one side and carefully removed her earrings. As he worked, his hands lingered on her shoulders and their eyes met in the mirror. A soft blush painted her cheeks. Her eyes, though tired, but sparkled with life. He softly made her stand while turning her to face him. Dipping his head, he kissed her lips tenderly. After a moment, he murmured, “In five years, I see myself kissing your soft lips every day.” He whispered against her lips, “You are so beautiful, Sia baby.” Then, he claimed her lips in another kiss which deeper and more consuming. As he kissed her, her entire body trembled with need for him. She wasn’t embarrassed by the way her body craved his touch, how every fiber of her being begged
The lovebirds were truly basking in each other’s company. Leon had planned a perfect evening, starting with a romantic sunset walk along the beach as their feet were sinking into the soft sand as the waves kissed the shore. Later, they moved to a cozy candlelit dinner he had arranged just for her. The gentle glow of the candles was reflecting in her eyes as he sat in front of her. “Leon,” Sia’s soft voice broke the serenity as she called his name. “Yes?” he responded, his gaze meeting hers with warmth. “Let’s play a game,” she suggested, her lips curving into a playful smile. “Okay, which game are we playing?” Leon asked, tilting his head with interest. “Let’s play twenty questions,” Sia proposed. Leon chuckled. “Quite cliché, but fine,” he agreed. Since the moment felt too magical to let slip into silence, the game seemed like a fun way to keep the mood alive. She pouted in mock offense but pressed on, “Are you a sunrise or sunset person?” “Definitely a sunrise person
“Sia?”“Hmm,” he murmured in reply, feeling his finger trailing along her shoulder. The rays of the sun bathed her body as they lay near the sea. They were on one of the private beaches in the Philippines, one of the most breathtaking places she had ever seen. For the past three days, they had been travelling. The first two days were filled with adventure, but today was a much-needed lazy day for both of them.“I think you need sunscreen,” Leon said, his voice low and teasing. “Hmm,” she replied, her eyes still closed. She felt him scooping sunscreen into his hands, the cool sensation was contrasting with the heat of his palms as he began smoothing it over her body. His touch lingered as he worked the lotion into her neck while gliding down her back, tracing every curve and dip with deliberate care. Then his hands moved lower, over her hips and along her legs. Just as she thought he was done, his hands reversed course and they have begun gliding upward with an unhurried sensuality. S
After a few days of silence, Charlotte was nowhere to be seen. Leon had been patient, giving her the space he thought she needed to handle whatever was going on in her life. But as weeks turned into a month with no sign of her, he had had enough. He grabbed his phone and called her. She picked up just as it was about to go to voicemail. Her tired face appeared on the screen. “What’s up, little brother?” she asked, her tone lacking its usual energy. “Charlotte Hart, where the hell are you?” Leon snapped. “Somewhere on Earth. Why? What happened?” she replied nonchalantly, though her eyes betrayed exhaustion. Leon’s frown deepened. “Do you know how frustrating you are? You told everyone you were painting, but this doesn’t look like your apartment, and you look like crap.” He paused, taking a closer look. Her hair was longer, browner, and wavy which was completely different from her usual style. His brows furrowed as something else caught his attention. “Wait a minute… are you
Sia smiled widely at Abella and gave her an encouraging pat on the back. “I like it, girl,” she said with genuine warmth. Abella lowered her head, her voice tinged with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I just… I made the plan, but they ditched me because Cade was interested in me. And, well, Leslie has a crush on him too. You know… the usual college drama.” Sia tilted her head sympathetically but kept her tone light. “I’m glad you ended up spending the evening with me instead. Those people made you cry, and they don’t deserve your energy. You should let them know you don’t care about what they think. You have got people who care about you, and tonight, we are going to have a lot of fun! You are in college, and there is no curfew.” Abella muttered with a small pout, “I still can’t drink until I’m 21.” Sia laughed. “I will show you how to have fun without needing a drop of alcohol. Trust me, tonight is going to be unforgettable.” And it was. The two spent the evening laughing, tal
Sia had just wrapped up her work at the office when her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she raised a brow in surprise. Softening her tone, she answered, “Hello?” “Hi, Sia,” came Abella’s slightly nervous voice. “Are you busy?” Sia glanced at the clock, noting the upcoming meetings on her schedule. But she brushed them aside and replied warmly, “Not at all. Just finished my work.” “Cool!” Abella sounded a little more at ease. After a brief pause, she asked hesitantly, “Would you like to go shopping with me?” Sia blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Abella was usually reserved and rarely expressed her wishes so openly. The invitation felt like a rare and meaningful step. “Of course,” Sia said, her voice full of encouragement. “When do you want to go?” “Now?” Abella suggested tentatively. “Perfect,” Sia agreed. “Where are you? I will come pick you up.” “I’m at my dorm. Can you come here?” “Absolutely,” Sia assured her. With that, they ended the call. Sia turned to
After spending the entire night with Sia, Leon decided it was time to visit his parents, whom he hadn’t seen in two weeks. When he arrived, the house was lively as usual. Along with Nicholas and Anne, Rhys, Callum, Abella, and his grandparents, Ellora and Nikolai, were all gathered around the table. It was a joyous occasion for the family to be under the same roof. “Dad, can you take over for a month?” Leon asked, leaning against the doorframe. Well, if he had to be gone for over a month, he needed capable hands to look after his work. Who did he trust more than Nicholas Hart himself? Nicholas raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Do I look stupid to you?” Why on earth would he want to return to that cold office building? He recalled the time when the kids were young and he would find all the opportunity to not go to work. He had waited a lot for his retirement. There was no way, he was going back to work! “It’s just a month,” Leon persisted, his tone almost pleading. Nich
“Leon?” Sia’s voice trembled with surprise and excitement as she spotted him standing at the door of her study. Without hesitation, she ran to him while wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. “You heartless man! You went on a business trip for a whole week! Did you even miss me?” “I’m sorry, Sia baby. I’m a bad man,” he murmured, pulling her closer and kissing her cheek. “I’m sorry. Next time, I’ will take you with me.” She pouted, muttering, “What would I even do there?” He smiled, his voice soft and affectionate. “Stay with me all day. Who cares what place or task it is, as long as we are together.” Her lips curled into a contented smile and she nodded, looking every bit like a satisfied child who had just been given her favorite treat. “I love you, Leon,” she whispered. The words were rare and reserved for moments that carried her true and raw emotions. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I love you more, Sia baby.” Without another word, Leon scooped her i