Soon, Ellora and Nikolai moved to their new house in another state. It had been three days since their move and Nikolas had joined them to help them settle. Roseanne was alone at home with the children. During this time, she had been thinking much about what Ellora had asked her. If she were being honest with herself right now, she would have missed Nicholas so badly. If he came before her now, she would leave everything and hug him tightly. It had only been three days but she was missing everything about him. From his annoying presence to his calming scent. She wished that he was there. “Mommy!” Coco came to her room. “Leon is not playing with me! Ask him to play with me!”Roseanne was so busy being lost in Nicholas' thoughts that she didn't listen to what Coco was saying. The little girl huffed and puffed and left. “Mommy is not even listening to me,” Coco muttered. Suddenly, Roseanne's phone dinged. It was on very low volume but she still heard it. In the morning, she had sent
“You told me that you are going to Mexico,” Roseanne said. “Oh did I?” He acted nonchalantly. She lightly punched his stomach but didn't ask any questions. “I'm hungry,” He suddenly said. “I will ask the kitchen to prepare something for you,” Roseanne said. “I don't want chef's food,” Nicholas said. “I want you to cook me something. Even if you cook me a simple meal or just butter my toast, I'll have that. I don't want anyone else to touch my food and ruin the taste and feel of your food.”Nicholas knew that it didn't make any sense but he wanted food cooked by her, not any world-class chef. He craved her and everything related to her. Even if she would make him instant noodles, he would have it. “How big is your appetite?” She asked. Nicholas opened his arms like Coco did and indicated that it was a lot. Roseanne's eyes softened seeing him acting so unguarded with her. She softly asked, “Did you get enough sleep?”“I didn't,” Nicholas answered. Roseanne understood the reason
“You should take the bed tonight,”Roseanne said as she saw Nicholas coming out of the washroom. They didn't not share the same bed as he usually sleeps on the couch and she took the bed. “No, I'm fine,”Nicholas said. He didn't want her to sleep uncomfortably on the couch. Although the couch was big enough to make him sleep comfortably every night, he didn't want her to leave the comfort of the bed. “You are tired,”Roseanne noted. “I feel guilty making you sleep there. It's your bed. You should sleep here.” She stood in front of him with her arms crossed. “I will not budge.”Nicholas smiled at her helplessly. “How about we both sleep on the bed?”Roseanne stared at him. He added, “I'll make a pillow wall between us. Trust me, I won't try out anything naughty.”Before she could react, he added, “Even if you want me to, I won't touch you. I swear!”Roseanne rolled her eyes. “Fine.”A few moments later, they settled on the bed. Nicholas was checking his mails before going to bed while
The following day, Roseanne was busy with some work related to her children. Nicholas had asked her to choose any room that she liked to shift there but she was avoiding this matter. From the morning, she was immersing herself in one task after another so that she did not have to think about selecting a new room for herself. It was raining the entire day and Nicholas was not home. For her, the day lasted an entire century. He returned home during dinner time. The family of four were seated at the dining table having food. Nicholas liked the feeling of having dinner with the four people he loved the most in the world. He was not tense in any way and could act the way he wished. There was no pressure on his performance over him. The meal was very light and hearty. “How are your classes, Leon?” Nicholas asked. He remembered that Leon was grumbling about his classes. “They are boring,” Leon answered. These days, the relationship between these two has smoothed a lot. Although he liked
As Roseanne was anticipating Nicholas to kiss her, she was breathing heavily. His finger came to touch her face but before anything could happen, he wiped her nose and said, “You have moisturizer stuck to your nose.”She felt like someone poured a bucket of cold water on her. She had an urge to be angry at him. But she had no reason to act like this. In the end, she just nodded and gave him a small smile. She said, “I think we should go to sleep.”He said, “What's the hurry?”“You have to wake up early for work–” Roseanne tried to speak but he softly cut her off to say, “No, I don't. I think we should talk.”Roseanne felt restless. Was he going to ask her about shifting to another room? What if he asked about it? How would she answer him? She had not been uneasy and awkward before him for five years. She didn't know what changed between them and that she had to act in such a way. This was frustrating her to no end. “Nicholas, I didn't find the time to see another room. I was busy th
“You look beautiful,” Nicholas said as he came to his room to find Roseanne beautifully dressed for the party. She looked phenomenal in the rose-pink silk dress. She had opted for minimal makeup but had given a subtle emphasis to her eyes. He was so mesmerized by her look that he didn't wish to go to the party thrown by Vance Taylor but rather stay at home and worship his beautiful woman's beauty. “Thank you,” Roseanne said. “Let's go. We are getting late. Coco and Leon are already waiting for us in the living room. More than us, they are excited for the party.” Vance and Bella had given special emphasis to bringing Leon and Coco with them. Roseanne thought that Leon was close to Bella, and that was why they urged them to bring the children. Anyway, she didn't have any problem bringing children to the party as she wanted them to learn social skills that she lacked as an introvert in her childhood, and later, she had to face a lot of inferiority issues due to the same. When they
“I put the children to bed,” Nicholas said as he came to the room and saw Roseanne pouring a glass of wine. She still had not taken off her dress. “I thought you were too tired to move.”Roseanne gave him a lazy smile. “I am. But I'm also feeling good.” As she poured another glass of wine, she handed it to him. He took it without saying a word and occupied a comfortable place in the room to relax. As they were silently sipping on the wine, she asked him a question, “Do you think Vance knows Coco is his granddaughter?”Nicholas said, understanding her trail of thoughts. “You should not worry about him.”Roseanne smiled and said, “I feel bad for him. If he doesn't know that Coco is his granddaughter, he is very unlucky. He likes her so much.”Nicholas took her hand and said while caressing it, “Oh sweetheart, you shouldn't feel bad for a man like him. You should be happy when he is miserable. If he knows the power that he holds, he will destroy us.”“I don't understand,” Roseanne whisp
“Rose, wake up!” Roseanne heard Nicholas waking her up. Since they slept late at night, she wanted to sleep more. However as she opened her eyes, she noticed that he looked very worried. “What happened?” Roseanne asked in worry. “Are kids okay?”She knew that something was certainly not right because he looked very worried at this time. He answered, “The kids are fine. We have to go to the hospital.”Roseanne asked, “What happened? Who is sick?”Nicholas took a deep breath and answered, “It is your dad. His condition is serious and we need to reach the hospital.”Roseanne was frozen for some time as she didn't know how to react. “How sick is he?”“I have no idea about it, Rose,” Nicholas told her. “Baby, I want you to be prepared for the worst. It may be the last time—”Roseanne shook her head and said, “No! Don't complete your sentence. Please. I'll get ready in a minute and we can leave.”When they reached the hospital, Mr Swift's condition was deteriorating. Nicholas had flown th
EpilogueThree Years Later“Dr. Hart?”Abella turned around to see a nurse hurrying toward her.“The patient in the NICU is responding to the medication,” the nurse informed her. “Could you check on her?”Without hesitation, Abella rushed to the NICU, her heart throbbing fast. That morning, the baby girl’s condition had been critical, but now, as she looked into those tiny, bright eyes, she felt a wave of relief.“Hey there, sweetheart,” Abella cooed, smiling warmly. “You’re such a fighter. You fought so hard to be here with your mom and dad.”The baby stared up at her, and Abella’s heart melted.“Yes, you’re such a strong, big girl,” she whispered, gently touching the baby’s hand.Outside the NICU, the parents expressed their gratitude; their tearful smiles reminded Abella why she had chosen this path. In moments like these, she was reminded of how beautiful it was to help save these little angels. But there were also the heartbreaking days, the ones where some angels didn’t make it.
Meanwhile, Kate and Rhys were sitting with Anne.“Why is Aunt suddenly changing colors?” Rhys asked.“Because she knows she was wrong and wants back what she lost,” Kate said matter-of-factly.Anne chuckled. “Kate, as much as I love your straightforward attitude, I’d appreciate it if you toned it down in front of Emery. She is… well, very touchy and fussy.”Kate shrugged. “MIL, I have a complaint. Coco and Sia had a girls’ day without me! Can you imagine? I’m trying to be as cool as them, but they left me out!”Rhys suppressed a chuckle. “Yes, Mom, they left my dear Kate out.”Anne played along. “That’s terrible, I’ll scold them,”“Yes, scold them well,” Kate agreed, then added mischievously, “but don’t tell them I snitched. Just say it was Rhys.”Anne smiled. “Alright, dear.” Then, she glanced at Kate. “I saw you have been spending time with Abella. How’s that going? I know you two weren’t close.”Kate sighed. “Everyone coddles her too much. She is living in disillusionment. Coco and
It was a beautiful day that was filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories. Anne and Nicholas’s wedding anniversary had brought the entire family together, and the house was buzzing with warmth and joy.Nicholas turned to Anne as his eyes were soft with affection. “We have been together for forty years,” he said, a gentle smile on his lips.Anne smiled back, a touch of nostalgia in her gaze. “Yes, we made it this far.”Leaning in, Nicholas pressed a tender kiss to her lips. “Thank you for giving me the chance to be your husband.”Anne’s voice was barely above a whisper as she responded, “Thank you for fighting for us.”Just then, Leon and Coco appeared out of nowhere while wrapping their arms around their parents in a tight hug. “If anyone deserves the credit, it’s us!” Leon declared with a grin. “We made sure you two ended up together.”Nicholas and Anne exchanged amused glances before nodding. “Yes,” Nicholas agreed, “and we’re very thankful for your scheming. Turns out, it w
“Did you match into your preferred branch of residency?” Madam Facci asked, excitement filling her voice.Abella swallowed. “Ma, I’m still checking the results,” she admitted. “I’m scared.”“You have nothing to be scared of, my dear. Just look,” she heard. With a deep breath, Abella entered her credentials for the residency match. Her eyes darted across the screen as the words appeared before her.“I…” Her voice caught in her throat.“What is it?” Madam Facci asked eagerly.“Pediatrics…” Abella whispered in disbelief.A joyful gasp came from the other end. “Oh my god! I am so happy for you, dear!”Abella’s chest tightened as she read the rest. “With NYU…” she murmured. “If I accept it, I will have to stay in New York.”Was she ready for this?Madam Facci’s voice was warm and reassuring. “Whatever you choose, we are proud of you. You’ve worked hard for this. Don’t overthink it, just enjoy this moment. You did it, Abella. I’m so, so proud of you.”That evening, the entire family gather
Augustus Hart was born a healthy, chubby baby with a bald head, looking absolutely perfect in every way. His arrival was so sudden that only Callum and Estelle were present at the hospital when her water broke. They barely had time to inform anyone, but Abella rushed over as soon as she found out.The moment Callum stepped out of the delivery room and saw his sister waiting outside, a wave of emotions hit him all at once. Without hesitation, he pulled her into a tight hug.“Congratulations, brother. I’m so proud of you,” Abella whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek.Callum let out a shaky breath, still overwhelmed. “When did you get here?”“Just now,” she said with a smile. “How’s Estelle?”“Tired,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Still cursing me.”Abella chuckled. “And the baby?”“Just perfect,” Callum said, his eyes softening. “Come inside. She is going to be so happy to see you.”When Estelle saw Abella, she let out a small gasp before pulling her into a long, tight
After her divorce, Abella didn’t leave the country. Cillian had given her a staggering sum in alimony, even going as far as naming half of his assets to her, but she refused to take a single dime. She had her own inheritance. More money than she could ever need. But what could wealth do? It couldn’t buy her happiness. It couldn’t fill the void in her heart.Cillian knew her too well; he didn’t push her to accept anything. He let her go, even when it shattered him.When her mother lived in Italy with Coco and Leon, alongside her uncle Nate, she had bought a beautiful bungalow. It had never been sold, left untouched over the years. When Abella married Cillian, Leon had given her the key to that house as a quiet token of their family’s past. There were two bungalows beside each other, one where her mother had raised her two older siblings, and the other where her father had stayed, the place where her parents had met and reunited. One had been passed down to Charlotte, the other to Leon.
Cillian stared at her, his throat tightening as he heard the finality in her voice. He had imagined this conversation a thousand different ways, but none of them had prepared him for the calm and almost serene acceptance in her eyes.“Abella…” He whispered her name like a prayer, like a plea. “Can we please rethink this?”Abella smiled. It was a soft, bittersweet smile that made his chest ache.“Cillian, there is nothing to rethink,” she said gently. “Alessandro came to see me. He told me that he was leaving the country with his mother. He said he doesn’t want to come between us, that he would be happy if you called him once in a while and only if it was okay with me.” She let out a humorless chuckle. “That’s too big of a burden for me to carry. I mean, I don’t care how you navigate your relationship with your son. But I will give you one piece of advice: don’t be a jerk. Don’t hurt one more person. You have already hurt me, you have hurt him, and you have hurt his mother. Stop making
Cillian reached for her hand, his grip firm but trembling as well. “Abella, please listen to me. I’m sorry. I made a mistake by not telling you the truth. Can you please forgive me?” His voice cracked with desperation.She looked at him, her expression unreadable. “I don’t know,” she said softly.Cillian’s breath hitched, and he tried again. “Please, I’ll change. I’ll work on myself. Just give me a chance.” His hands clenched at his sides as if willing himself not to break apart. “I don’t want to see you like this, so shattered. You mean so fucking much to me. Please.”But to Abella, his words felt like echoes in an empty room. They were hollow and weightless. Once upon a time, she had longed to hear them, had dreamed of a moment where he would look at her like this, beg for her, choose her. But now? Now, they felt unimportant. They meant nothing.She exhaled, rubbing her temple. “I heard you. But my head is splitting apart, Cillian. Can you please just go back to your house? I just w
Madam Facci looked at her son, her expression undecipherable. She had seen Cillian walk through storms without flinching, but today, he stood before her looking utterly wrecked. His usually sharp eyes were bloodshot, his arm wound had reopened, staining his sleeve with fresh blood, yet none of that seemed to matter to him or anyone at this point.“What do you want, Cillian?” she asked, her voice firm but not unkind.“I’m here to see Abella,” he said. His voice was hoarse, almost desperate.Madam Facci crossed her arms. “I’m sure you have no idea what happened last night.”“I know,” he admitted, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. “I just want to explain things to her. She is overthinking this, and there is nothing much to overthink. I just—” He exhaled sharply. “I just want to make everything okay.”A wry smile tugged at Madam Facci’s lips, but there was no amusement in her eyes. “Son,” she said, “we can never tell someone what is worth overthinking or not. For you, th