Tessa's PovI sat at the table with my parents, Mara and Granny. I had attended an event with my parents, an event where all the clan were in attendance, my father's business associates were all there.The Vargas clan was the wealthiest among all the clans, and the way my father gleamed with pride as he introduced me to everyone. "She's so pretty" a lady from one of the clans complimented me.I flashed her a smile. "You don't look bad yourself…." I said"Elizabeth, you can call me Elizabeth," she said, bringing out her hand for a handshake, I smiled and took her hands."Your dress and that of your friend is so nice, I love it. Do you mind linking me up with the brand that made your outfits" she said."Thanks for the compliment, Elizabeth. I made them myself" I retort, gazing at her with a smile plastered on my face."What? You're not only beautiful but you're talented as well, Lorenzo Vargas must be so proud to have you as a daughter and heiress" she praised."Oh! I'm a proud father,
Author's Pov Over the years, Tessa Vargas had worked her way up to the top, she had become a strong, resilient, and feisty woman, she was not a woman to be trifled with and she made sure everyone she worked with knew that. She was no longer that vulnerable woman that anyone could take advantage of, her charisma and poise made her stand out, among all other fashion goddesses. Her brand has become one of the best fashion lines ever known, with so many wealthy clients, dignitaries, and socialites, everyone wants to get one, two, or more outfits from her brand. They all want to be identified with the talented heiress who had blown the minds of a lot of people away with her talent in fashion. Tessa has managed to pull this off with the help and support of the best photographer, Mara. Mara, on the other hand, was not just only a professional photographer for Tessa's brand but a well-known photographer whom different brands were eager to work with. At first, she had refused to take up
Aaron's PovI shrugged into the couch as I got back from work, looking so tired and exhausted, it's been one hell of a hectic day for me.I made a quick mental note to go shower but as I stood up to leave, Dylan rushed in."Have you seen the news this evening?" Dylan asked, looking all serious, I can't help but wonder what he was on about."No, I haven't. What is it man?, you're clearly freaking out?" I retort, scanning the room for the Tv remote. "You should see the news, gosh! I can't believe my eyes" Dylan urged, getting impatient, he took the remote from me and tuned the Tv.My mouth gasped as I saw Tessa and Mara, smiling and talking to a crowd of people, she looked different, more confident, she exuded class and sophistication, I stepped backward, weak in my bones, my emotions all over the place. Is this really Tessa, or are my eyes playing some tricks with me?I tried to maintain my composure but there she was, as if she was peering into my soul."Oh god! Vanessa was right abo
Tessa's PovI carefully dropped my laptop on the bedside table, turning my gaze to Mara who was so lost in thought while glaring at her phone, she barely even noticed my presence. "You should call him, or perhaps text him," I said, jolting her out of her reverie."What… What are you talking about?" Mara retorts, feigning ignorance. "I'm talking about Dylan, you should reach out to him, with the way you were staring at his number a while ago, it's clear you miss him Mar, just unblock him already" I urged."I don't miss him and I'm not calling him, stop getting silly ideas into my head, plus he's gonna remain blocked" Mara replied firmly. I gazed at her, giving her the "Are you sure about that?" look."Look, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't punish yourself because of me if you like this guy, why don't you unblock him and hear him out, it was Aaron who wronged me and not Dylan, and Dylan is a nice person, trust me" I urged her, trying to convince her but then my phone started ring
Mara's Pov.I had the urge to unblock Dylan, maybe I wasn't fair to him, maybe I should have picked up his call then and probably hear what he had to say, and maybe I was lying to myself that I was no longer into him.I secretly stalked his page all these years, he hasn't really been posting like he usually does, at least the Dylan I know would always flaunt photos of different women on his page.Could it be he was telling the truth when he said he only had eyes for me?But this wasn't me, I've never been into someone since my ordeal with my past relationships. With what I went through in my last relationship, it was hard to move on from what Andrea did to me, and after that I vowed never to commit to any man, never to be vulnerable to any man, never to take any man seriously again, and I've kept to that promise until I met Dylan. I see myself drawn to him even when I tried so hard to stay far away from him. At first, I thought it was the sex, I felt like when I get him on my bed lik
Tessa's PovI heard the pilot announce that our plane was about to land in New York City. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I glanced at Mara and she flashed me a soothing smile."It's so good to be back after all these years" I whispered and Mara nodded.I stared at Xavier and Zoey who were both sleeping, I guess they were tired and needed rest.The fresh air of New York hit my skin immediately as we stepped down from the plane, Xavier and Zoey were now awake and they chanted happily as they licked their lollipop, it was so clear they were excited and I couldn't even place my hands to the reason why they are so excited, I guess they were just been kids, always excited about everything. "I should get us a ride…." Mara suggested and paused when my phone started ringing. "Hold that thought please, I need to take this," I said calmly and Mara nodded, urging me to go ahead."Hi Alex, we just landed," I said."Yes and I'm here to be your ride for today, turn to your right" he uttered,
Aaron's Pov."I swear to God, Alexander crossed the line this time," Dylan says, his voice seeping with anger as we both walk into my office.I gazed at him and I could only agree with him. Alexander is testing my patience, I usually overlook his nonsense but this time he went overboard.Dylan's face hardens the more, his face narrowed slightly as frustration creeps into his voice. "And what does he mean by soon he will take that which you cherish the most?" he asks sharply. "This asshole keeps throwing shades at you and he looks so confident while at it" Now that I think about the nonsense Alexander was spilling from his mouth, do I need to be worried? Or is it just Alex being Alex?"I'm sure he was just blabbing" I replied dismissively, feigning ignorance."It doesn't look like he was just rumbling, Aaron, there's just something about how confident he sounded" he complained and that leaves me wondering,Am I taking Alexander's threats too lightly? I keep asking myself this, especia
Tessa's Pov.Standing in front of the mirror, my face grinned, I looked as gorgeous as always, I was wearing a pink Cinderella satin A-line slit dress that I made specially for this occasion and a pair of black ankle strap heels, and a purse to match. I exuded class and sophistication.It was the grand opening and display of my fashion line in New York. And of course, I knew Aaron would be there.As I stepped out of my room, I met Mara chilling in the living room while she waited for me.Her face lit up with a smile as our gaze met. "You look absolutely gorgeous T" she let out, smiling at me."Thank you, Mars, you look so pretty too" I exclaimed, my eyes scanning her, she was wearing the dress that I made for her, a short plunged bodycon maxi dress, comfortable enough for her photography thing."What can I say? My best friend is the best fashion goddess, of course, I have to represent" she said proudly, which elicited a grin from me, and we both chuckled. Mara has been my hype woman
Tessa's Pov."Okay Tes. Why is everywhere dark?" Mara cuts in, unable to hide her distaste."I'm surprised myself," I lied, fighting the urge to laugh and unveil."I think we should find another restaurant. They've probably closed," Mara countered but before she could say another one, everywhere lights up.Dylan is in the spotlight, he's kneeling with one leg, and holding a red box.Mara's eyes are wide open, she turns and gave me a sharp but excited look. "You knew all along,"I nod, my face beaming with a smile.Aaron and everyone else surfaced, eliciting a chuckle from Mara.Okay, I didn't see this coming. "Tessa I'm holding you down for this. How where you able to pull this off without any loopholes?" she asked, unable to hide her excitement."I try," I retorted, smiling back at her.Dylan's face gleamed as he stared deep into Mara's eyes. "From the first time I set my eyes on you, Babe. I knew you we're the one. Thank you for giving us a chance, thank you for loving me,"Mara is a
Tessa's Pov.It's been six months of Aaron hitting on me. We're still married although we aren't officially together but he insisted he'd do things he hadn't done before, maybe that'd make me love him again.The thing is, I love him. He doesn't even have to do too much but I still agreed, I was enjoying every bit of him hitting on me.The circumstances surrounding our marriage didn't give us the chance to get to know each other before marriage. So why not?The flowers, the surprise gifts, the vacation s, the family outing. Everything was so surreal.Aaron is a sweet man. I knew he was, but now I can see it clearly.So, today Dylan is planning a surprise engagement party for Mara.It was hard to hide this away from Mara. That's what surprises are for anyways.Mara on the other hand is two weeks pregnant, planning to surprise Dylan with the news.It's raining surprises this period.I'm so happy for my girl.She's in her lover girl era. Things are different now, she's more open about her
Tessa's Pov.Aaron is walking hand in hand with Xavier and Jesse, while I carried Zoey who's jingling with joy.I could see they're excited to see us pick them up together.What can I say? Every kid wants a happy family.As we walked to the school parking lot. Zoey chimed in. "Mommy? Are you and Daddy friends now?"Her question throws me off a little. But quickly I recovered and offered a warm smile. "Yes, baby. We're friends. You like that, don't you?"She nods excitedly. "Does that mean Daddy doesn't have to go home after putting us to sleep?" she asked, her voice bubbly.I furrowed my eyebrows, a smile tugged at my lips. "We'd see,"Aaron hastens to open the door for me. I'm not sure if he heard me and Zoey.He helps Xavier, Zoey and Jesse settle into the car, making sure they're comfortable.As he slides into the driver's seat. He turns to the kids, his face laced with a wide grin."Is anyone hungry?" he ask.The kids bounces up and down, full of energy. "We are!" they exclaimed.A
Tessa's Pov.I shake my head, my expression blank as the officers took Lisa away. Vanessa and Dante are on a video call with Mateo.Apparently, Mateo had declared Lisa wanted.And now, he has her.She's in for a big big trouble. Her karma is here.Vanessa and Dante follows the officers out.I glance at Bill, he's still shocked from what has happened.I'm worried for him but I don't show it."I need to start trusting my guts more. I never really liked her. Now, I know why. Such a cunning bitch," Eleanor breathed, letting out a deep sigh."Aaron, are you alright?" Eleanor asked, her gaze shifting to Aaron.Aaron nods."Don't stress it. I have to go now. Sure you're good?" Eleanor asked, her voice soft.Aaron nods again, giving her a small smile. "Yeah,"Eleanor leans over Aaron and kissed his cheeks. "That's a relief. Talk to you later,"She throws a smile my way before heading to the door."Today sucks!" Mara squeaked, the weight of the chaos earlier, pressing down on her.She leans cl
Aaron's Pov Lisa's eyes glint with a disturbing calm. "Dylan, of course you don't know that. I saved Aaron that day and he knows," her voice is firm but lacks its usual confidence.Dylan scoffs. "Oh, stop with the lies, Lisa. You're nothing but a two timing manipulative liar,"Okay now, I'm taken aback by Dylan's words. I knew he never liked Lisa and never shied away from saying it but this is new, what is he driving at?Lisa's face contorts with rage, her composure shattering like glass. "You never liked me, of course you'd say anything to downgrade me," she taunted.Dylan turns to me. "Your accident was all staged by this bitch, then she swobs in and saves the day, making it look like she saved your life. I try to tell you but you wouldn't listen," Dylan said, his words clear and direct.I'm really confused. Lisa lied about saving me, all for what?My whole body explodes on the inside, hearing Dylan's revelation, my mind actually can't calculate this.Lisa staged an accident, this
Aaron's Pov.After I got Lisa's message, threatening to hurt Tessa and my kids if I don't agree to meet up.I knew that was the last straw.I might've ignored these signs in the past because I respected what we use to share.But one thing I can't take from her it's threatening my family.I need to put a stop to her madness. Damn what use to be.I had invited her over, trying to play her little games. I involved everyone, including Tessa and thankfully she didn't decline.I watched Lisa walk into my living room, on a black hoodie, and a shade, looking like she's on the run, a forced smile on her face. "Aaron!" She exclaimed dramatically, taking a seat beside me.Her face falls flat as she didn't get the reaction she expected. She looks at me, waiting for me to speak up.Wanting to play her little tricks, I managed a smile. "So, how's life treating you, Lisa," I ask, my tone more skeptical than genuine.She got the hint."Oh, please. Don't act like you care," she said defiantly.I smirk
Tessa's Pov Aaron hugged me tightly, his hand trailed my hair, stroking them softly.I bury my face in his chest, letting the tears flow. The shock, the anxiety, the weight of Alexander's confession– it all comes pouring out."Everything is going to be fine, I assure you," he whispered into my ears.His words are soothing, making my nerves calm a little, but the shock is still there, bubbling under the surface.But for the first time in a long time I want to believe that everything will be fine.Still in Aaron's arms, my mind raced.Why does he have to smell and feel so good?After a moment, I pulled back and wipe my eyes. Being this close with him it's too dangerous with my feelings for him.I looked at him for a while, his eyes are soft and filled with understanding. My expression faltered. Suddenly I felt the need to apologize to Aaron, for refusing to listen and being so stubborn.I can't even begin to imagine what my stubborness would have caused me. My kid's safety!I didn't kn
Tessa's Pov.With Aaron's evidence in hand, I stride into Alexander's company, a surge of anger courses through me, I could feel my blood boiling.The elevator chimes and I walked out heading towards Alexander's office front door, I walked past his secretary and pulled the door open, ignoring her bickering.She follows me into the office hastily, unable to stop me.Alexander raised his eyebrows, surprised to see me. Quickly he raises his hand, telling his secretary it was okay and she could leave.As his secretary left, he steps in immediately, beating me to it. "Tes, I wasn't expecting you,"I arched my eyebrows at him. "The night you came to my house. Didn't you say you left almost immediately?" I queried, my patience wearing thin.He gulped hard and then his expression gave him away."You perv! How didn't I see through you?" I groaned frustratingly. "How could you do such a thing?" I snapped, playing the video on my phone and showing it to him.His eyes flickers but it wasn't of gui
Tessa's Pov."Tessa!" I heard my name and I turned to see who was calling.The face clicks. Vanessa, Aaron's sister.I've seen her a couple of times on video calls but trust me, she looked way prettier in person, she's just a female version of Aaron.A man walked behind her as she approached me, I figured out that was her husband, he looked calm and gentle.I didn't know how to react at first, especially when I shut her out too. I've been meaning to reach out to her one of these days but I guess fate beat me to it."Vanessa," I called out as my face lights up a little and then it falters as guilt crept in.Vanessa notices and nudges my shoulder. "Hey, it's fine, trust me I understand," she assured.Quickly she turned, facing the tall man behind her, her eyes sparkling. "This is Dante, my husband," she introduced.Turning to me, she added. "This is Tessa, Uhmm, Aaron's wife—-," she stuttered but quickly she rephrase her sentence. "Tessa, the twin's Mom," she concluded sharply.Dante no