Arlo’s POVI fought back the urge to run after Lori. She had clearly mentioned the bathroom. I repeatedly glanced at my wristwatch, it was more than twenty minutes since she left. What was the emergency? Was it just an excuse? Unease set in as I unconsciously glanced at the doorway waiting for her to reappear. Unexpectedly, my phone buzzed in my inner pocket. I sighed with frustration, bringing it out to silence it, but as soon as I saw Willis’s number displayed on the screen, my expression softened. “Excuse me, dad.” I said, “I have to take this.”I walked out of the room as quickly as I could, pressing the phone to my ear.“Sovrano, sir…” he began. I paused, the voice sounded too loud, too real. I peered at the hallway, and there was Willis, standing with a bag in hand.“What are you doing here?” I asked, hiding my surprise. “Lori called sir,” Willis said, “She’s in a bit of a situation.” “What’s wrong?”Willis swallowed, looking uncomfortable as he handed me the bag in his
Ivory’s POVHe left, but I was still rooted to my spot, frozen. Unable to move. I made a joke and completely forgot about it. Could that be the reason he was grumpy all day? Because he thought I was pregnant? My hands weakened from the intensity of his voice— deep and piercing. I didn’t mean it, I promise. But now I realize that it was a mean joke. I cleaned up quickly, hoping to meet him and explain myself better. But by the time I was out of the bathroom, the hallway was empty. I heaved softly— a sigh to calm myself. I made a turn for the dining hall, hoping to see him there but just as I turned, I bumped into someone. The vanilla-scented figure apologized first, her voice just as refined as her looks. “My bad, I didn’t see you there.” She smiled. I nodded, returning her smile. “I’m alright, thank you.”She was at the table, I remember clearly. Arlo’s father introduced her as Crystal. “I’ll uh… I’ll head inside now.” I said, feeling a new wave of unease. “Congratulations o
Arlo’s POV“It will be the last time you ignore me, do you understand?” I growled, my gaze burning with anger.It was infuriating, at every level, what she did in front of Henry. She lied to me, she upset me, then ignored me?“Do you understand, Lori?““I don’t!” She retorted, “Stop yelling at me, I didn’t do anything wrong.” “You ignored me too, I don’t remember roaring at you.”I was taken aback. At this point, I couldn’t even tell if I was infuriated or impressed. I looked away, and my eyes caught Willis’s smile on the rear view mirror. We were now couples who argued in front of my friend. I sighed, massaging my forehead gently.Silence settled between us for a moment. Just when it was getting comfortable. Just when I had finally regained control of my mind, she said,“I met your ex-fiancée.” Shit! I groaned inwardly.“Apparently you’ve been engaged to her for three years. She threatened to displace me.”Willis stepped on the brakes, turning towards us as shocked as I was.
Arlo’s POV“Very well then,” she retorted, storming over to the contract on the table. As she penned down her name, it suddenly hit me, this was beyond the contract, beyond our past, it was a new phase— we were officially married. The corners of my mouth curved into a smile, and I was left stunned, wondering why I was feeling happy about this. Her voice snapped me back to reality, soft yet tainted with disappointment. “Goodnight” she said. My brows furrowed, a mix of confusion and irritation rising within me.“What you signed is a marriage certificate, Lori, pack up your bags, you’re moving to my room.”Lori gasped, her lips parted in surprise. “Another argument?” I cut in before she could speak, “Is that another argument you want to start?” She swallowed, looking away, her shoulders slumped in defeat.I watched her pack, slowly and reluctantly, one dress after another, until she was done. Together, we moved to my room. “You can take a bathe, while I get you something to eat.”
Ivory’s POV“My name is Ivory Hollis. I am twenty four years old. I graduated SNU top of my class, turned down a job offer as a production manager in one of the biggest companies in my town, married a cheat, got divorced, kidnapped in the same day, got mistaken for someone else, then got married to Arlo Covelli, and now avoided by Arlo Covelli.”“Isn’t it the other way around?” Willis spoke, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Aren’t you the one avoiding him?”“Willis, none of this is funny. Look at my profile, there’s nothing interesting about it.”“I beg to differ, you got divorced and remarried a few days later. That’s interesting to me.”“Stop, Willis. I’m serious. I’m slowly losing my mind. I can’t just sleep, eat, wake up on repeat like a baby. I need a job. Please talk to him.““Huh,” Willis sighed softly, finally raising his gaze to meet mine. “If I dare say this to Arlo Covelli,— that his wife demands a job outside being his wife— I don’t think I’ll live to tell you the feedb
Arlo’s POVThe sight of her— torn, fragile with tears staining her cheeks made me feel like a monster. Was this because we hadn’t spoken in five days? She was just talking with Willis, what went wrong. I wanted to wipe her tears all away, take her in my arms and comfort her until she was better. But that seemed like the last thing she wanted. She begged me to let her go, her voice so small and broken that it gripped my heart, squeezing it cruelly.“We talked about this, Lori..”“Stop calling me that! I am not Lori. My name is Ivory.” She said, breaking down now. “I am taking blows and jabs for a crime I didn’t commit and you say you can’t let me go? This is illegal, you know that?”“You signed a contract that says you agree to being here.”“Well, I take it back!” Her voice louder now. “I take it back, I don’t want to do it anymore. Please, please, Arlo, I’m not her.”I swallowed hard, my heart trembling in my chest. “I told you, I can’t just let you walk away, Lori.”“It’s Ivory!”
Ivory’s POVThe words came out. They were too good to be true.“I’m free to go?” I repeated, eyes widened in surprise and excitement.Willis nodded, his expression was hardened yet his eyes held the sincerity of his words.“Can I really go?” I asked again, just to be sure.“Yes, you’re free to go.” Willis confirmed. With that, he slid a few documents across the breakfast table toward me. I picked them up, brows furrowed with concern.“What’s this?”“Your marriage annulment. The Sovrano doesn’t want anything holding you back.”Sovrano. “He sent you to annul our marriage? That’s how much I’m worth to him? Nothing.”Willis let out a deep breath, and handed me a pen, “Sign the papers, ma’am” he said gruffly.“Okay that’s it!” I snapped, tossing the pen across the table. “You’ve been rude to me all morning. What did I do to you, Willis? I thought we were friends.”“We aren’t friends, ma’am. You’re my boss’s ex-wife.”“Ex-wife? Ex-wife?” I repeated, frustration building on my insides. “Ho
Ivory’s POVWhatever Willis meant by that, I knew it wasn’t good. Not only did it mean Julian was in trouble, it also meant she would hate me even more—they all would.“Quit smirking,” I snapped at Willis, jolting to my feet as I hurried toward Arlo.His steps were brisk, by the time I caught up with him, I was breath hard, my mouth open to suck in air.“Arlo” I called out. He stopped and turned.“Wait in the car.” He ordered, turning his back on me. “No, wait.” I interjected. “Get in the car, Ivory!” He roared, his voice crackling like a thunder through a storm. I recoiled, taking a step back as if his voice had struck me physically. I stepped backward, eyes widened. It took a moment for me to realize what he had said. He called me Ivory. “Wait, what?!” I blurted out, my lips broadening in a smile wider than I could control.Willis came to view and I went to his side at once.“He called me Ivory! He called me Ivory!” I sang unable to contain my excitement.Willis didn’t look as
Chapter 74“How could it be for show? You kissed me first!” Arlo insisted. You see when you are desperate for something, you want to hold on to anything that gives you hope. It may have been pathetic but holding on to that kiss, clinging onto that gesture was Arlo’s only hope. “I was only proving a point,” she shot back, walking past him. But Arlo was not having. Before she could pull the door open, he pulled her by the arm, pinning her to the wall. His gaze lingered on her eyes before dropping to her lips. “You’re driving me crazy,” he confessed, “You don’t know what you’ve just done.”Ivory wriggled from his hold, aching to be free from his suffocating presence.“You drove me to prison, I guess we are even now.”At that accusation, Arlo narrowed his eyes shut, clenching his jaws.“Would I ever be forgiven of that sin?” He asked, his voice barely audible. “I don’t know, Arlo. Would you forgive me if the cases were reversed?”If he said yes, then he would have been lying.But he
Ivory clenched her fists, suppressing all the emotions brewing within. Arlo was unconscious from his own heart injuries, and Marvin was hooked up to machines but all they could think about was whether or not the child was Arlo’s.What happened to the kind-hearted Mr. Luca Covelli who accepted her with kindness on the first day? What happened to the warmth she felt with him? Was it a Covelli thing for them to show kindness only when it was favorable?“I pray the DNA results show that Marvin is not a Covelli. I will single-handedly take care of my son.”Just then, the ward door opened slowly and Ivory raised her gaze to find Arlo staring back at her. His gaze on her was firm and unwavering. “Arlo!” Crystal and Mr. Luca Covelli chorused, taking his side quickly.Arlo slowly pulled away from their grip, closing the door behind him before stepping into the doorway fully. His gaze remained on Ivory, unwaveringly.“What did I just hear you say?” Even though his voice was still weak, his
Chapter 72Ivory was shocked that the first thing that popped into her mind was if Marvin was dead or alive. Maybe it was that incident five years ago, she began to think the worst case in any scenario. She wasn’t certain what she would have done if Marvin was reported dead, but again, why was the first question on her mind? Too shocked to move, or to cry, the phone had slipped from her ear, even Arlo couldn’t get himself to hang up. He was more shocked than everyone concerned. For a minute he thought he was doing a good job with Marvin. He thought being a dad came naturally, so he allowed himself to bask too much in the pleasure of how easy it was and then lost it all. As he stood there in the emergency room with his son connected to beeping machines and all, another thought that devastated him completely would be the look on Ivory’s face. How would he face her? What would he say to her that would make her forgive him?His phone still pressed to his ear, the silence between them
There was no denying that Ivory would rather punch him in the gut than live with him, so he trashed the idea as soon as it came.From a few feet away, he could see the cabin— the only color in an expanse field of green. As he stepped out of his vehicle, his son followed closely behind him, with no idea that the property he stood in was his. Arlo looked down at him, smiling to himself. His father had passed down the Covelli name to him, but he, he was going to pass down properties all of over the world to Marvin. He was sure of it.As they ventured into the woods, headed for the stream Marvin was so eager to see, Ivory was venturing into a world of possibilities. “I’m going to host a fashion show… we are going to host a fashion show!” She announced, her excited gaze flicking from Miranda to Denise.Miranda tilted her head, taking in both her excitement and the feeling behind her excitement. For the past couple of days, Ivory had been on an energy burst. She was planning one even
TWO WEEKS LATERClenched his jaw.Grabbed her ass a little. A smirk formed on his lips. Damn. He thought. He wished this was real. He’d been having wet dreams from the day he kissed her. A kiss should end a curse. In this case, a kiss became his curse.He dreamt of her every night, her form flashed in his eyes every time he blinked them close and he didn’t mind. No he didn’t mind it at all He went to bed every night, expecting to be tortured by her lingering presence, woke up the next morning tired from doing things to her no one else knew about.The door creaked open and Marvin’s light footsteps echoed as he neared his father’s bed.Some days, he stayed with his mom. Other days he stayed with Arlo. Today was one of those lucky days he got to spend with his father.Without a word, he slid into the bed next to him, and Arlo’s arms wrapped around him. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Morning, buddy.”“Good morning daddy,” Marvin replied. He and his son had gotten closer. Over t
Chapter 69Just when he thought his evening could not get any worse. Just when he thought he couldn’t be in a worse mood than this, an uninvited visitor showed up.“We’ve been waiting a while!” The intruder’s voice sounded in his ears, a strangely familiar sound that he wasn’t ready for.“What are you doing here?” Arlo thundered, his expression darkened with anger.His father stepped closer, his gaze equally dark and brooding. “I should be asking you that question,” he fired back, “What do you think you’re doing here?!”Just when Arlo thought it couldn’t get any worse, someone else joined them. Someone he hated. Arlo’s fist clenched beside him. “Is this a joke?”“Does it seem like a joke?” Crystal’s smooth voice echoed in the room, sending a ripple of rage over him.His jaw clenched as hard as his fist. “I want you two to get out of my house…” “Daddy?” Marvin’s groggy voice interrupted him, “I want to pee,” the boy said softly, half awake, half asleep.Arlo softened without a choic
Ivory’s breath caught in her throat. She had waited years to hear those words, but now that they were spoken, they felt hollow, like an apology long overdue. She was unable to reconcile his words with the pain she had lived through. “I…” her voice faltered, “You can’t even imagine how much I wanted an explanation, Arlo. I came up with so many reasons as to why you did what you did…” Her hand gently brushed his grip away, as she turned to face him. “I couldn’t understand any of them, not even the one you’re giving me now.” Arlo’s chest frightened as he rose from the bench, stepping closer to her. “I can’t let you go…” he whispered, his voice barely audible. Ivory scoffed painfully, her eyes searching his face. “Willis is right, you haven’t changed Arlo. You’re still inconsiderate and blindly persistent.”“Willis knows nothing, Ivory!” Arlo fired, his voice growing desperate. “He is not the judge of my character. I’ve changed, I swear.”Ivory shook her head, biting her lip as tear
Chapter 67As the door closed faintly in the distance, Arlo released a deep sigh, his chest heaving with frustration. He watched Willis leave, his words lingering in the air like smoke after fire. But most importantly, the weight of Ivory’s words pressed down on him, suffocating him.He wanted to lash out, or scream. He wanted to do anything to release the pent up emotions clawing at his insides, but instead he remained still, rooted to the spot, torn between anger and the gnawing ache of regret and heartbreak.Ivory, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her composure. Her heart still pounded in her chest. Arlo was an old wound, and the fact that he ignored the hurt he caused her added to her hurt. Her gaze flickered toward Marvin, who sat wide-eyes at the table, probably trying to wrap his head around the party. “Mommy, do I have two dads?”Ivory buried her face in her palms, massaging her forehead tiredly. “You’re right, Marvin,” Arlo intervened, his voice shaky betraying
Arlo stood, speechless. The divorce letter in his hand pinned him to a spot, suffocating him.When Crystal had served him divorce, he felt nothing. Not even a bit. But standing here, next to a woman he hadn’t seen in five years, it felt like the world was crashing down on him. The tears of a man they say, never reaches his eyes but Arlo felt them rush to his eyes. For the first time, he experienced how it felt for the heart to tighten— his breath narrowed, the ground shifted beneath his feet.He leaned against the wall behind him, seeking support. “Ivory…” he called. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say, her name was the only thing he could mutter.“Let’s not drag it any further,” Ivory said. “I already signed my part, I’ll be expecting the same from you.”It was a surprise that she didn’t explode from Arlo’s sudden kiss. Her heart raced in her chest but it wasn’t the same feeling as before— the one where she would completely be mesmerized. This time she still had her senses