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
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
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
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?”“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.
Anne Rose entered the tall building of Hart Enterprises. She recalled the last time when she came here to see her husband. Never. She had never entered the threshold of this building. "I'm here to meet Mr Hart, "Anne Rose said to the receptionist. Although she had never been to his office, the reception instantly recognised Mrs Hart. "I will inform the CEO that you are here to meet him," The receptionist said with a polite smile. "Don't ring him," Anne said with a smile. "I'm here to surprise him." "Alright, Mrs Hart, " the receptionist answered. Anne walked to Nicholas' office with a lot of thoughts in her mind. She was thinking about how he would react seeing her in his office. Things between them had been cold for a year as the incident that happened one year ago changed the entire dynamics of their relationship. If she hadn't given up on him then, things wouldn't have gotten bad with them. Clutching her purse tightly in her hand, she imagined how he was going to react to the
The following morning Anne Rose was lying on the bed naked next to her husband who was sleeping peacefully. Her pale skin was covered with hickey marks. She remembered the fervor of the lovemaking– no– sex that she had done with her husband. He had never shown his animalistic instincts until this life when she proposed divorce to him. If he thought sex would repair the cracks in their shattered relationship, he had another thing coming. She decided to submit the signed divorce papers in the court and then meet her father in the jail. Her entire world was wrecked when she married Nicholas. She married him with great dreams in her eyes. But a day after their marriage, her father was arrested for having involvement with the mafia. She begged Nicholas to let her meet her father but he refused saying that his wife could never have connections with a man having been arrested for such charges.Since she was divorcing her husband, there was no reason for her to stop visiting her father. Th
It was the day when Anne Rose Swift Hart was killed and Roseanne Deluca was born. Time flew instantly and memories were slowly fading. Yet, there were times when she would wake up with tremors and nightmares. Five years were not enough to forget the twenty five years that she had lived as Anne Rose. "Rosie, the customer on table five is creating a ruckus. She is saying that she asked for an extra extra hot coffee but we served it extra extra cold. It's been thirty minutes since we served her coffee while she was busy on her phone, " Maria, the barista said to her. "She is disturbing other customers too. A few even left seeing a commotion inside. It's still morning and she is affecting our business." "Let me handle it, "Rosanne said, looking at the said lady scolding the other barista. "Bring your manager. I want to meet her. What kind of services this place has!" At the same time, the lady's phone rang. "Jackson, I told you to not call me. Can't you understand what I want…." The
“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.
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
After an entire month since his accident, Sebastian finally opened his eyes. As if Charlotte’s life wasn’t dramatic enough, she soon discovered that Sebastian had lost his memories. The only thing he seemed to recall was that he was married to the love of his life. A week had passed since he woke from his coma and Charlotte was still struggling to adjust to this new reality. Sebastian with a radiant smile that could make anyone’s heart ache, said to her, “Wifey, when can we go home? I am so tired of being here. I want to sleep on our bed, hug you, and just be with you.” Charlotte would only smile in response while hiding the turmoil in her heart. She glanced down at the ring on her finger and sighed. This was her reality now. She had taken on the responsibility of caring for him, even if the man she was looking at wasn’t entirely the same. The doctors assured her that his amnesia was temporary and a result of both physical and psychological trauma. His memories would return
“So, Sebastian is connected to New York’s King family?” Charlotte asked, her tone sharp. Jimmy nodded. “Biologically, yes, but Athena never wanted them involved in his life. There is no connection between them.” Charlotte hesitated before asking, “How bad was Elizabeth’s abuse?” Jimmy handed her an iPad and displayed the evidence. Charlotte’s breath hitched as she scrolled through the images. “That’s...horrible.” Jimmy nodded solemnly. After a moment, she steadied herself and asked, “Who tampered with Sebastian’s motorbike?” “George Monet,” Jimmy replied without hesitation. Charlotte’s eyes darkened with cold fury. “I want George Monet crippled,” she said, her voice like ice. “And as for Elizabeth, the mastermind... I want her paralyzed. Let her mind stay sharp while her body becomes useless.” She laughed mirthlessly. “And Daphne Monet? Tie her to those disabled and crippled for life. That will be the worst punishment for her.” Charlotte leaned back in her chair, her g
As Sebastian was airlifted to the best hospital in France, Charlotte followed closely behind, ensuring no detail was overlooked. The top surgeons were flown in at her request and they operated on him immediately to pull him back from the brink of death. Yet, even after their efforts, he remained comatose for an entire week, with no sign of waking. Charlotte hadn’t left his side since the accident, refusing to return to her apartment. Exhausted, she called for an update from his team. “Jimmy,” she began, her voice calm but icy, “Did you gather all the information about my husband’s accident?” Jimmy stood before her, hesitant but prepared. “Yes, Madam. The brakes on Mr. Monet’s motorbike were deliberately tampered with, and the car that caused the accident was part of the plan.” Charlotte’s jaw tightened. “Who?” “It was George Monet,” Jimmy revealed grimly. “He paid the driver to orchestrate the crash. The entire accident was a plot by the Monet family. After your marriage to M