Nicholas is such a girl dad.
Coco was right. As Nicholas led his daughters toward the door, he cast one last look at Anne and Leon who remained locked in their own world. Frustration churned within him but he pushed it aside as he focused instead on the laughter and excitement of his little girls and two stinky brats.As the kids headed out for breakfast with Nicholas, the atmosphere was lively with Rhys laughing as he remarked, “Callum is such a middle kid.”Callum shot back, playfully tossing a piece of fried potato at Rhys’s face. Without missing a beat, Rhys caught it and took a bite. He said, “Leon is Mom’s favorite son. Charlotte is Mom’s favorite person. I’m Dad’s favorite son. What about you, Callum? Did Dad pick you up from the trash?”Nicholas said, trying to hide his amusement. “You are mistaken. I am your mom’s favorite person. And parents don’t have favorites. As for Callum, no, he wasn’t picked from the trash. You can’t hurt your brother's feelings. He is older than you, so you should respect him.”
When Kate entered the office, Sia emerged out of nowhere and hugged her, laughing like a little girl.“Katiee!”Kate shivered. Her boss was high in the bright daylight? What does she had to deal with today? “Katiee!”“Guess what?” Sia giggled. “I have a boyfriend.”Kate let out a sigh of relief. Her boss was just high on love. Wait, what? A boyfriend? When did this happen? Why did it happen? No, no… what on earth was happening tehse days? Since her boss came to NewYork things were getting weird each day. “Boss, who is it? Who trapped you in the web of love?” she asked, then recalled a certain handsome man and added, “Is it Mr. Hart?”Sia replied, “Who else?”Who else but Leon Hart can make her fall in love? Kate was amazed. “Wow, boss.” Leon Hart had a reputation for being untouchable. There were even rumors that he was asexual. In one interview, he had been asked if he liked men or women, and he answered that he preferred aliens. This clip of his was still famous on internet and
In the bustling streets, as the sun dipped below the horizon and stars began to emerge in the twilight sky, two people strolled hand in hand while savoring their ice creams as they walked. They stood out, not only for their dazzling appearance but also for the effortless grace they exuded, even when dressed in their formal work attire. People couldn't help but glance their way as they sensing the quiet but attractive romance that surrounded them.The man looked at the beautiful woman beside him and softly said, “Sia?”She hummed in reply, looking up at him.Leon smiled, his eyes warm. “How are you liking our date?”Her lips curved into a smile. “It is amazing.”Leon chuckled. “Isn’t it?”She looked down the street, wondering aloud, “Will our date end when we reach the end of the road?”“It will end when we want it to,” he replied with a gentle confidence.Earlier that evening, he had driven to her office building and was waiting patiently by his car. When she came down and saw him, th
Sia glanced at Leon, who was grinning innocently and nodded with a laugh. “I completely understand. He is far too charming to say no to.”Maria chuckled, a nostalgic gleam in her eye. “Even back then, he was such a little charmer. It was impossible to refuse him.”Sia smiled, feeling a warmth that made her feel part of something special.Maria gestured to the table. She said, “Now, enjoy the special dinner. I will take my leave, but call if you need anything!”As Maria walked away, Leon leaned closer, noticing the curiosity in Sia’s eyes. “You are probably wondering why you never met Maria before, especially since you spent so much time in the café garden,” he said.Sia nodded, intrigued about the identity of the woman who treated leon so intimately. “Maria was my mom’s first employee,” Leon explained. “She started working at our café back in Italy and she helped my mom build the business from the ground up. She used to babysit Coco and me, too. Then, about ten years ago, her son st
Leon leaned back with a smirk, letting his gaze linger on her face. “There is an annual conference in a few days. Would you like to be my plus one for the gala?” he asked, his tone casual but his eyes gleaming with excitement.He so badly wanted her to be his plus one for the night. Sia raised an eyebrow, matching his energy. “I have a company to represent there, Mr. Hart. Why don’t you be my plus one?”He chuckled as he was entertained by her playfulness. He said, “Competitive, huh? I like it.” He leaned in closer his voice dropping with a hint of mischief. “But, jokes aside, would you be my date for the evening?”She tilted her head while crossing her arms with a smirk. “Who says I am joking? Why don’t you just be my plus one?”Leon’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he pretended to consider it. “Alright, how about this, we send our assistants to represent us and we use the gala as just another excuse to date?”His real intention slipped through his planning as he wanted to walk int
Just as Leon had thought, he felt too empty heading back to his apartment alone, so he drove to his parents' house instead. When he stepped into the living room, he was greeted by the sight of his parents still awake and sitting on the couch with a movie playing. His mother, Anne, was casually munching on popcorn while watching the movie, while his father, Nicholas, had his arm around her, and both of them looked too cozy with each other. Nicholas raised an eyebrow at him, feigning surprise and said mockingly. “Dear, doesn’t our eldest son have his own place? Didn’t he move out a long time ago?”Anne, barely looking up from her popcorn, nodded. Oh, she liked the drama on the screen and did not care about the one her husband was causing, “Yes, honey, he did.”Nicholas continued, “Then why is he here?”Without missing a beat, Anne replied, “Maybe he is too sad to sleep alone now that he has a girlfriend.”Nicholas let out a dramatic sigh. “So, he is planning to crash here until she let
Nicholas was too elated to care as he was already daydreaming. He turned to Anne with a gleam in his eye. “Sweetheart, where should we hang Callum’s doctorate degree when he gets it? I want it in a big frame, right in the living room.”Coco leaned over to Leon, whispering in feigned sadness, “Dad is so biased.”Leon just shrugged with a resigned smile. He said, “What can we do? We had our chance. You became an artist and I chose business. Now we can only sit back and watch Callum soak up the spotlight.”Rhys suddenly stood tall and announced, “I will do a Ph.D. too!”He could not bear Callum taking all the attention. Well, it was a kind of big deal that his twinwas pursuing a Ph.D at twenty one. But so what? He would follow his twin on the path of greatness too. Everyone burst out laughing as they unable to contain their amusement.Rhys looked around as he was hurt. He responded, “What? Why are you laughing?”Coco smirked, crossing her arms. “Do you even know what a Ph.D. stands for?”
The siblings congratulated Abella and retreated to their respective rooms. It was close to midnight, but Leon sat down at his study desk and dialed a familiar number. As the call connected, he couldn’t help but smile as he saw her face appear on the screen. He was a little surprised to find Sia, like him, still awake at her own study desk.“Hey,” she greeted him with a soft smile. “You are still up?”He returned the smile, a hint of happiness evident in his eyes. “How could I sleep without wishing you goodnight?”She chuckled. “You know, it is not really that important.”But his tone turned serious. “How is it not? I want you to know when I’m sleeping and when I’m awake. What if you are waiting for me at night, and I’m asleep? Isn’t that wrong?”Sia looked at him, a bit confused. “Is it?”She did not know that it was wrong. She was planning to go to bed if he has not called in the next five minutes. She was just checking some last minute reports. She had never been in a relationship an
Charlotte walked into the room and noticed only a grand piano, nothing else. She looked around, confused. Did not he say that he wanted to show her the birthday gift for his father? Or was he saying it just to spend time with her? Then again. Why would he even want to spend time with her? "Where's the gift you wanted to show me?" she asked Sebastian after a while when she could not control her thoughts.He pointed at the piano with a soft smile. "There."Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "You want to give your dad a piano?"She could not think of another explanation of why would he want to bring her to a room that only had a piano in it. Sebastian chuckled and shook his head. "No," he said, walking toward the piano. He sat down on the stool and placed his fingers on the keys.The music started, and Charlotte stood frozen. The sound was so beautiful and emotional like the piano was telling a story all on its own. She couldn’t describe how it made her feel, but it was like a deep sadness m
"Sebastian King. Pleased to meet you," Sebastian introduced himself, his voice smooth as he extended his hand to the Hart brothers."Likewise.”Sebastian smiled an enigmatic expression with no hint of malice or curiosity but still carrying an unmistakable poise that made it hard to look away.The introductions concluded just as more guests began to trickle in. Alessia, Leon, and Callum made their way to their designated table, while Charlotte excused herself to take a call. “So?” Leon asked, glancing at his brother. “What do you think?”Callum leaned back slightly, his sharp eyes flickering with thought. Unlike Rhys and Leon, Callum had an uncanny ability to read people. He was the observer, blending into the background while Rhys commanded attention and Leon’s charisma drew people in. It gave him the advantage of seeing what others often missed.“He’s... something,” Callum admitted, his tone measured. “Even I’m a little starstruck, to be honest. The guy isn’t just handsome, he is be
Today was the day of Carter King’s birthday party. Along with Charlotte, Sia was invited too, and since she decided to attend, Leon was her plus one. It was not a big event but a very intimate birthday party. Still the guests surpased a few hundred. Charlotte was nervous the whole way. Thankfully, she was attending with her brother and best friend. She dragged Callum as her plus one since she didn’t want to appear alone.Sia and Leon entered first.All the while, Sebastian’s gaze was on the door as if he was waiting for someone to enter. When that person arrived, his eyes lit up, but it soon diminished as he saw her holding a man’s arm. The man looked younger, but he couldn’t tell much.When Charlotte appeared to greet Carter, she intentionally didn’t look at Sebastian, but she could feel his gaze bore a hole into her head. As Carter saw Charlotte, he forgot all the guests.He didn’t bother with formalities and hugged Charlotte. “My girl. How are you? It has been months since I last
From across the room, someone was watching the entire scene unfold with an amused glint in his stormy grey eyes.Sebastian leaned back as his lips curled into a half-smile, clearly enjoying the drama, but there was something else in his gaze. Something deeper and darker.“Mr. King, what are you watching?” one of his business partners asked, noting Sebastian’s lingering attention.Sebastian’s eyes never wavered from the group. “Mr. Jones, I hope you don’t mind, but I just spotted an old friend. Would you mind if I went over and said hello?”“Not at all, we are done here,” Mr. Jones replied, excusing himself as he walked away.Meanwhile, Charlotte, having just made her point to Ronan, turned to rejoin her girls. But as she did, she froze. Her gaze met a pair of stormy grey eyes. Eyes that seemed to burn with a quiet intensity.For a moment, Charlotte thought it was just another mirage, a trick her mind was playing on her. She moved as her steps were hesitant, but those eyes followed her.
Tonight, the Hart girls had planned a much-needed night out. Charlotte and Abella took the lead, guiding Sia, Kate, and Estelle to one of their favourite clubs. Over the past few days, Estelle had been spending time with Abella, and despite their age difference, the two had become fast friends. So, when Abella invited her to join the group, Estelle didn’t hesitate.Estelle had a naturally chill personality. Even though she was a bit more reserved, she knew how to let loose when the moment called for it.“Boss, I missed you!” Kate exclaimed as she threw her arms around Sia, hugging her tightly and refusing to let go.“Come on, Kate, I’m not your boss here,” Sia said, laughing as she tried to pry Kate off, but Kate clung to her like glue.“I know that! But calling you by your name still gives me the shivers,” Kate grinned mischievously. “You are scary.”Charlotte raised a brow and teased, “How can Sia baby possibly be scary?”The girls burst into laughter as Sia shot them a glare. Normal
“Where are you taking me, Leon?” Sia asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and amusement. He had covered her eyes with his hands and was carefully guiding her along the path. From the moment they met that morning, she could see the anticipation in his eyes. There was excitement, almost boyish, but beneath it there was a hint of nervousness, as if he wasn’t entirely sure how his secret plan would unfold.“Just a minute,” Leon replied his voice brimming with eagerness. “Once we are there, you will see.”They walked along the winding and uneven path, Sia grumbling at every step. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to her and just a blink to him, he stopped.“We are here,” he announced softly. Then, his voice took on a deeper and more heartfelt tone. “Before you open your eyes, I want to tell you—I love you so much, and I can’t wait to start this new chapter of our life together.”Sia felt her heart skip a beat at his words. Slowly, Leon removed his hands, and she opened her eyes.
“What do you want to know about her?” Carter asked, his tone measured as he observed his son’s restless demeanour. He wondered if his son recalled anything about her? As much as he knew that stubborn yet kind woman, she would not come to him again. “Who is Charlotte?” Sebastian asked directly, his voice tinged with both curiosity and apprehension.Carter leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together. “She is your wife. Or rather, she was your wife.”Sebastian frowned. “Our divorce isn’t finalized yet,” he corrected.“Great,” Carter said with a small satisfied smile.Sebastian raised an eyebrow, surprised by his father’s reaction. “Are you happy that we are still married?”“You bet I am,” Carter replied with a nonchalant shrug.Sebastian leaned forward, his confusion evident. “As much as I know you, you are an overprotective man. How on earth did you approve of a woman who married me after what was, by all accounts, a drunken mistake?”Carter chuckled, his expression softening.
“What’s up?” Sia asked, leaning casually against the doorframe. Charlotte was sitting quietly in her room, staring at nothing in particular.“I met Sebastian,” Charlotte said flatly, her voice devoid of any emotion.“Oh?” Sia raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. “How did that go?”It was as if she was not sitting with Anne and scheming about Charlotte. Charlotte gave her a look. “Knock it off. I know you already know everything. Whatever you are thinking, it’s not going to happen. He asked me to sign the divorce papers, not to be his wife.”Sia stepped into the room, sitting across from her. “The real question is, do you want to be his wife?”Charlotte’s gaze faltered. “He doesn’t even remember me, Sia. And don’t forget—he loves Emily. Always has, always will.”“Did you ask him if Emily is still in his life?” Sia pressed, tilting her head.Charlotte shrugged. “How does it even matter?”“Coco,” Sia said, “How does it not matter? Why are you being such a coward? We both know you still
“So, Saturday night at Apollo’s? It’s a date,” Andrew said, taking a chance with the woman of his dreams. They were standing on the porch of the café. With Charlotte’s high-heeled boots, she stood an inch taller than him.Before she could respond, a smiling hunk with his arms crossed over his chest approached and said, “No, it’s not.”Charlotte froze at the sound of the deep, husky voice that had haunted her dreams. She didn’t dare turn around. What if it was him? What would she do? And if it wasn’t him, how would she handle the crushing disappointment?Andrew frowned at the interruption and asked, “Who are you, man?”“Why don’t you ask the lady?” the stranger replied, cocking an eyebrow.Andrew turned to Charlotte. “Do you know him?”Without even glancing at the man, Charlotte said firmly, “No.”Andrew wasn’t convinced. There was an undeniable tension between them with her avoidance and his unwavering stare. It was as if an unspoken history filled the space between them.“Well,” And