I heard the voice of people talking near me. My eyes felt heavy, but I forced myself to open them. My vision was blurry, so I closed my eyes and opened them again. My vision slowly improved. I was in an all-white room.What was going on? Why was I lying in such a strange place? The people's voices weren't in the same room as me. I saw a white curtain surrounding me. Where was I? It was not my room."Ma'am, are you awake?" said Sasha, who opened the curtain and approached me. "Do you need anything? You fainted earlier. So, we took you to the emergency room.""I'm fine." I tried to sit up. Sasha helped me and got me a glass of water. "Thank you.""I'll call the doctor. Wait a minute," she says. She left before I could respond.I dragged my feet to the ICU. The nurse on duty said that the doctor who treated Blaze had gone home. So, she called the man and let me talk to him. I was speechless when the doctor told me Blaze's condition was still the same.If that was the only information he
Sasha stood up quickly, preventing the folder from hitting my face. She put the folder on the table, approached the woman, and dragged her out. Since she kept yelling, I asked everyone to get out.I didn't want her to reveal my secret in front of everyone. She wouldn't do that because her reputation would be ruined. But I knew who she was if she felt threatened. She would do anything to protect herself."Are you sure, Heather?" asked Faye worriedly.I nodded slowly. "I have Sasha looking after me. Continue the discussion in the other room, then let me know the results." I smiled at her.Although she doubted about leaving me alone, she walked over to the door and closed it. Sasha let the woman go as she didn't stop struggling, then stood by my side. I invited her to sit down, but she refused."Don't think I don't know your intention. You want to take away our treasure, don't you!?" the woman said irritably."Our treasure?" I retorted, half mockingly. "You and your husband were ordinary
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I was such an idiot! How could I not differentiate between a real Blaze's bodyguard and a fake one? I should have been suspicious when he was wearing a hat. All his bodyguards were wearing all black and masks, but no hats. I wasn't concentrating because I was busy thinking about the findings of the doctor and lawyer who were with Kyle. I was entrusted with looking after Blaze. Oh, my God. I hope he was okay. I'd feel bad if he got hurt again. Blaze's bodyguard opened the ICU door just as someone came out. Looking at his clothes, I didn't need to tell him. Blaze's bodyguard immediately pulled the man's collar and removed his mask. The Blaze guard turned to me. "Yes. He was the one who entered the room earlier." I nodded my head. "Who sent you?" the man asked the mysterious man. Instead of answering, he glanced at me. Suddenly, he attacked Blaze's bodyguard. A fistfight was inevitable. I backed away, taking a safe distance to avoid a stray blow. I looked arou
[Blaze] I didn't understand what had happened, but I was in an unfamiliar room when I opened my eyes. One of the bodyguards stood by my side and hurried away before I could say anything. A man in a white coat came with him, and several others dressed similarly. The man checked my eyes and heartbeat, then asked me to do a few things I could easily do. I was relieved when they removed the IV needle, catheter, and oxygen mask. I could breathe more comfortably and didn't have to be afraid to move my left arm. Most soothingly, I could move my arms and legs well. "You are recovering quickly. It's good news. We still need to check the effects of administering the sleeping pills to you. But you don't need to worry. All your organs are functioning properly from the medical examination results," the doctor said kindly. "Sleeping pills? What do you mean?" I asked. "You have been put to sleep for six days since the major surgery on your head. Today is the seventh post-surgery day. You don't
On Sunday, Heather came in a more cheerful state. She brought a large bouquet and placed it on the nightstand. When she arranged them in a vase near me, I didn't take my eyes off her.She glanced at me and smiled, realizing I was watching her movements. When she was done, she took out a food box. I groaned softly at the contents of fresh vegetables. She invited me to enjoy them, but I refused."Did you think I'd bring steak, bacon, ham, or pizza? You can only enjoy those after you get out of the hospital. I'm pregnant, so I get hungry easily. This food is healthier for me and the little one," she explained."By the way, did you have an ultrasound?" I asked."I did." She took something out of her bag and handed it to me.I took it and looked at the photo. "What did the doctor say about his condition?" Even though we didn't know the gender yet, I followed the word she used to refer to our baby."He's healthy. He's seven weeks old, almost eight weeks on Tuesday.""Almost eight weeks?" I
[Heather]I checked my store account to prepare for the payment of the employees' salaries. Fortunately, the store's condition had normalized. So I could give them a bonus for their hard work selling outdoors during the critical period.After preparing everyone's salaries, I checked my private accounts. I wanted to organize the expenses I would need for the trial. The lawyer's fee was going to be huge. I was surprised to see the amount of money in my bank account.I opened my Internet banking and found a large transfer last Friday. I recalled what happened on that day. Oh. I met Blaze at the apartment to give him the shares he wanted.I sighed with relief. Even though I gave the shares for free as per the agreement, Blaze kept his word. He paid me handsomely. I needed that money so I wouldn't refuse or return it. 'Wait for me, Mom. I'll release you.'I got the happy news on Monday. The doctor allowed Blaze to go home. Of course, I wasn't going to waste the opportunity. I shut down the
The picture passed through a complex editing process, but they didn't change the model's face and body shape. The woman confidently smiled while holding the handles of her sunglasses. Only the right side of her face was on display, while her left cheek was on the other side that the camera didn't capture.I couldn't believe that the woman on the giant billboard was me. The company Elliot worked for was remarkable. They were willing to spend much money to put up that image. The location was no joke at the intersection of the city center.Not only the billboard but also some public vehicles had the same picture. Oh my god. I looked so pretty. I felt my face heat up. I couldn't believe that the face that had been the object of people's jokes could appear in a big advertisement.People must have looked in awe at the model's beauty. Her cheeks were flawless, her golden blonde hair shimmering, her lips dazzling with soft red glossy lipstick, and her blue eyes confidently shined.Tears fell
Faye served drinks on the coffee table for me and my guests. She looked at me before walking out, so I nodded. I didn't need her presence here. Although I didn't know who she was or what she wanted to talk to me about, I had Sasha to keep me company.She must be young, maybe the same age as Sasha. She was beautiful with a sharp nose, large gray eyes, and thin lips. Her hair was long brown, contrasting with her pale skin.She wasn't a customer of the shop or a colleague of mine. So, I didn't know why she wanted to talk to me. She couldn't have come to propose to me as a model because everyone knew who my agency was. They wouldn't speak to me without going through Roger."My name's Willow Johnson," she introduced herself. "My father, Patrick Johnson, is one of Blaze's business partners. Since the rumors about him, my father has lost contact with him. You guys don't live together or communicate, but you must know where he is. Please give me his current address. There's an urgent matter w
Hi. I've found the Epilogue's author's note on the website but not on the app on my phone. So, in case some of you wonder why I didn't write any note at the end, I did. Here is my gratitude to all of you, dear readers. ♡♡♡ ___ Thank you so much for reading Heather and Blaze's story from start to finish. You have no idea how your support is helping me to complete this book. I realize people nowadays don't like stories about the main lead who has flaws and often makes mistakes. I've found and read some comments, even a review expressing disappointment. I'm sorry I can't make everyone happy. Therefore, I appreciate the support of readers who enthusiastically followed the book and witnessed the development of Heather and Blaze's characters. It's nice reading a story about a badass and unbeatable main lead. However, the imperfect one wants to be heard, too. Their story has ended here, but it won't stop our imagination from continuing the new chapters in our minds. Once again, thank yo
I stopped walking and watched their interaction from afar. We were just far enough away to hear their conversation. Blaze had never met Roger before. Since my modeling career, he had never accompanied me on a photo shoot or filming. "My wife can only appear in modest clothes. What is this photo? Why is her cleavage showing? Do you want people to get horny looking at it?" Blaze scolded. Oh my. He had my boss come to see him to talk about that? "Heather didn't mind. I discussed everything before executing her outfit." Roger defended himself. I nodded in agreement. "I told you to help her model not for this but to boost her confidence. If she has to show off her body, you better cancel your agent contract with her," Blaze threatened. What? So, Roger didn't approach me on his initiative? Roger was silent, so I used the opportunity to approach them. "Well, well, well. So, you were the one who told Roger to offer me a modeling contract." My boss turned his head, and his face turned pale
I could feel her watching me intently. I was wearing R&R's latest black dress and shoes loved by the public. To top it off, I was wearing a diamond necklace and bracelet that Blaze gave me. "No matter how perfectly dressed, an ugly person can't cover her flaws." She walked over and stood by my side. Sasha swiftly stood between us. "After Blaze changed his name, you did the same. Do you think bearing Harrington's name will make you one of them?" I took a tissue, dried my hands, then threw it into the rubbish bin. "Darcy, instead of intervening in my life, why don't you search where your parents are?" She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? They're in their house." "Really? When was the last time you visited them?" She smirked. "You don't like hearing the truth. That's why you changed the topic. Right? Those who smile in front of you, don't trust them. You don't know, but they may mock you when you're not around." "Is that what you think of your friends?" I retorted. "I no longer
I took a deep breath as the car entered the car park of a luxury hotel. I thanked the bellboy, who opened the car door and waited for Sasha to stand beside me. The valet parking attendant parked the car.I told my name, and the receptionist handed me a special visitor card. A man escorted me to an executive elevator. I didn't have to worry about choosing a floor because he did it. Sasha and I waited for the doors to open on our destination floor.I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the doors opened. With my chin up, I walked out and followed the lady who greeted me. The hotel was truly luxurious with its elegant interiors."Please come in, ma'am," she politely said as she opened the door for me."Thank you." I entered the room and was further amazed by the spacious and luxurious meeting room. It was far different from the simple meeting room in my store.The people in the room suddenly fell silent upon my arrival. I had deliberately arrived at the last second to avoid intera
[Blaze] I didn't care if people hurt me, but I wouldn't forgive them for daring to drag my wife into our problems. What that woman did was unforgivable. She sent people to shoot me when I was with Heather. I was surprised to find out who it was and relieved she gave me a fun new assignment. The peaceful situation was boring. I needed something to do on the side besides taking care of work and caring for my family. Unbeknownst to me, Reuben was also outraged at what that woman had done to his granddaughter. He encouraged me to retaliate by taking over all of Anderson's wealth. This man was truly more sadistic than me. I was happy to have his full support. "Clark is delighted with the DNA test results. I'm sure his wife and three daughters won't stay silent. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll give you everything you need to defeat them," Reuben said after our second meeting with my father. "Thank you, but I can handle it myself. I want that family to know I can face them w
Blaze wrapped his arms around my body, and we ducked as deep as we could in the back seat. James drove the car, not caring about the traffic lights. I closed my eyes in anticipation of us crashing into another vehicle. However, what I feared didn't happen. The car continued to move quickly, away from the shooting scene. My chest felt tight from the rapid beating of my heart. We had just passed through death. Who would want to hurt Blaze? Blaze loosened his embrace, but I didn't let him get away from me. I hugged him tightly. Not caring about the tears rolling down my cheeks, I pressed my face against his chest. I almost lost him had this car not been bulletproof. "Heather, everything is safe. My men are going to find out who the shooter is. Jericho managed to change the traffic light. That's why we can get away from that place," he consoled. What? Jericho could do that? Did that mean he hacked the traffic lights earlier? How could he have such a great crew? But we're not safe yet.
[Heather]I didn't expect him to announce our relationship in a press conference. I didn't ask for such a big thing. What I had in mind was him announcing it on his social media accounts. I didn't care if he posted a picture of us or not.But the surprise was very touching. My chest was so full of happiness that I couldn't explain it. The women who doubted our marriage would see and believe Blaze and I were serious about our marriage.I kissed him and let the reporters' cameras take as many pictures of us as they wanted. It would make a good photo on the front page of the news later. Unfortunately, he didn't smile like I expected him to. Was he just so in his sleep, not in his consciousness?I didn't want to be greedy, so I didn't let the cold relationship between me and Mom get me down. I enjoyed the event that Blaze had prepared as best I could. I chatted with Charity, Taylor, and Faye, then returned the greetings of every employee of my store and our house."Blaze still sleeping?"
"Mom," Gemma said as she turned to Renee. "I'm sleepy."Renee glanced at us before looking at her daughter. "Of course, dear. Come, let me take you to your room."They stood up and walked towards Gemma's bedroom. I turned to my wife sitting by my side. Her eyes were teary, and her lips were trembling. I held her hand that was on the table. She must have been devastated by Gemma's reaction."I'm fine," she mumbled. "She just needs time to digest the information.""She's just shocked. Thirty years is a very long time. She remembers you as a baby. Seeing you suddenly this big must have been shocking." Reuben gave her ID card back to Heather."What if Mom hates me?" she asked worriedly. "It's a good thing I changed my name to Knightley. If I still had Bailey's surname, she'd be mad.""Your mom won't be mad. Trust me." Reuben held Heather's free hand. "I'm her father, so I know her character. As for your name, we'll discuss it later. I won't allow Harrington to drop her name even if she's
[Blaze] Reuben Harrington was ruthless. There was no mistaking the nickname given to him by the media. With his power, all he had to do was call the right people, and he could get even the most confidential information. I just sat next to him, watching him in action. We had already strategized with his attorney about our charges on Bailey. He didn't give the couple any mercy. What I respected about his actions was he let the clueless Darcy go. Next, we discussed the right way to bring down the other family who had done so much harm to Heather. On that very day, he managed to trap the person he was after. The man was speechless when Reuben asked him to sell his shares. "Heather's birthday is over," I reminded him. "I missed thirty birthdays and Christmases. Isn't it time to pay down my debt from now on?" he said casually. I was stunned for a moment. Didn't I hear it wrong? Did he seriously want to give his granddaughter thirty birthday and thirty Christmas presents? How lucky my w