ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV I turn on the flat-screen television so there's noise to provide some semblance of distraction from my heated thoughts. I still feel hurt by Wensley's earlier accusations but I do feel guilty for not coming clean sooner. But how can I explain the truth when he is so quick to judge?I know I will have to deal with him sooner or later so I might as well take a drive by his place now and explain everything. The truth might hurt him more though.Twenty minutes later I am arriving at his place. There is limited parking space so I pack one block down by the side of the street and walk over to his apartment, glad to see the lights on.I go up the steps like I am going to jokingly bang inside the house, but something inside stops me. We freely walk into each others places and even as I am about to grab the door knob and let myself in, I think this time it would be prudent to knock, since I'm not sure we are still in good terms. Looking through the door window as I am abo
ABEL'S POV Sasha is beautiful, not nearly as Vanessa, but she is pretty in a warm, inviting way that makes you feel at ease. Vanessa used to make my nerves go wild. A part of me liked that. I still do admire her wits, determination and sheer beauty. But she broke my heart in the worst way possible.“Want some more?” Sasha asks playfully after I finish my first mug. I shake my head as I have started to feel buzzed already. In the past few years I have discovered, my alcohol tolerance is virtually nonexistent. One drink is just about my limit.Just then, a group of her young female customers walk in, giggling and chatting excitedly. I take it as my cue to leave.“I should get going,” I say, and Sasha looks up, her brow furrowing slightly. “Not really in the mood to socialize more today.”She brightens a bit. “Would you mind stepping outside for a walk with me? I'm sure it’ll help with your moods.”I hesitate, glancing back at the giggling girls heading to the other side of the bar.“Do
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV "Making obvious mistakes is so unlike you Miss sterling, I mean you're a business genius and world's richest woman. It's a shock to hear you dumped a diamond only to replace it with fake gold." Miss lane tells."That's true. None of us is devoid of mistakes apparently. But I believe in second chances, or at least in claiming them. I can assure you that my diamond will come back to me soon or later." Vanessa answers confidently.For some reason she sounds very certain that I will reconcile with her. But she is mistaken if she thinks I want to be treated like a doormat again."That's amazing to hear, because I literally cannot think of another man worthy of your precious attention. It's sad that you lost Abel Blackwood once, do you think getting him back now may be a little difficult since he has found a bit of success of his own?" Miss lane asks."If he knows what's good for him , I am certain he will come running." Vanessa states matter-of-factly. The audience la
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV The skin of my hands feels raw after hours of scrabbling off the wine stains that my rich wife intentionally made on our white mat last night. She was mad at me for no reason and just poured the wine for me to clean. I had to wake up earlier so I would have time to make her breakfast, iron her clothes and to get rid of the mess before the stain becomes permanent.She is the billionaire owner of starlight, a fashion brand known to every rich and middle class person. I have been her stay-at-home husband since we got married. Not that I couldn't find a job, but there is so much work at home all the time and my wife has always hated the idea of having a maid. People think that she married me for my looks and I married her for her money. The allegations didn't seem to bother any of us until recently.My wife has been critical towards my joblessness despite the work I do here at home. So I have finally decided to find a job, as a runway model so I can help market fre
VANESSA STERLING'S POVI greet my parents warmly, embracing them as they enter my office. "It's so good to see you both," I say, a smile spreading across my face.My mother returns the hug, then gestures to the man standing beside them. "Do you remember Cyrus? Your father and I thought it would be nice for the two of you to meet physically."I turn to Cyrus, he is dressed in the fanciest of all write crisp suits and looks every bit as I remember, tall and muscular. "Glad to see you again?" I say extending my hand for a handshake. But instead of shaking it, Cyrus gently brings my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of it."Vanessa, you look just as beautiful as I remember," he says, his voice smooth and confident."Thank you." I smile politely feeling a twinge of annoyance at his flattery. Abel once told me, that his brother is selfish and vain, but I know better than to judge him based on information given by my unreliable husband, who was probably trying to impress me a
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV I open the trunk of my car and grab the bags of groceries and the red roses I had picked up for Vanessa before making my way towards the house. Getting close I notice that the front entrance is open. Which is odd because Vanessa said she'd be late today.Or has she decided to surprise me by arriving home early for our anniversary. The thought sends warmth through me and I quicken my pace. This day is getting incredibly good to be true.I hurry through the entryway and head straight for the kitchen first where I leave the groceries. Taking the bouquet of flowers, I head towards the living room where I am sure she will be.I will share the good news about my job before going to prepare our anniversary dinner."Happy anniversary, love!” I call out as I step into the living room. Vanessa is lounged on one of the plush couches, dressed in her comfortable home attire, flipping through a business newspaper."I have something to tell you!" I say, walking toward her. She
THREE YEARS LATER VANESSA STERLING'S POV "Another lawsuit!" William informs, dropping a pile of documents on my desk. "They’re claiming we stole the designs we released last week."Not again!There have been plenty of bad news for the past three years since I made the gravest of mistakes, marrying the worst of men and appointing him as the head designer of my brand. I trusted Cyrus and believed in his designing talent. His countless impeccable designs had brought great acclaim to my brand. I chose to marry him to ensure that he would always work for my brand.However, it soon turned out that he has been stealing designs from lesser known designers and passing them off as his own. Now we're being sued left and right. Customers are outraged, and our competitors are circling like vultures."That's not all. Our sales are plummeting at an alarming rate. Customers are outraged." Amanda, the head of my marketing team, adds as she takes a seat."You should see the reactions to the marketin
VANESSA STERLING'S POV My hands clench with rage as I step into the garage of my villa. I just got a bank notification about a massive withdrawal from my emergency account. Only my lazy, good-for-nothing husband, Cyrus, has access to that account, and the thought of him squandering more of my hard-earned money on his ridiculous luxuries makes my blood boil.Besides stealing designs, he hasn’t worked a day since we got married, yet he spends millions on designer clothes and jewelry. I had cancelled all the credit cards I gave him, but I didn't think he would be so disgraceful as to withdraw from my emergency account.“Cyrus!” I yell as I enter the living room.Mary, the housekeeper I hired after Abel left, rushes in, concern plastered on her face. “You’re back early, Mrs. Vanessa. Dinner is almost ready.”“Where’s Cyrus?” I snap.Mary hesitates. “He’s in the bedroom, ma’am. Is something wrong?”“Leave, Mary. I’ve given you the evening off.” I want her gone before I unleash hell on tha
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV "Making obvious mistakes is so unlike you Miss sterling, I mean you're a business genius and world's richest woman. It's a shock to hear you dumped a diamond only to replace it with fake gold." Miss lane tells."That's true. None of us is devoid of mistakes apparently. But I believe in second chances, or at least in claiming them. I can assure you that my diamond will come back to me soon or later." Vanessa answers confidently.For some reason she sounds very certain that I will reconcile with her. But she is mistaken if she thinks I want to be treated like a doormat again."That's amazing to hear, because I literally cannot think of another man worthy of your precious attention. It's sad that you lost Abel Blackwood once, do you think getting him back now may be a little difficult since he has found a bit of success of his own?" Miss lane asks."If he knows what's good for him , I am certain he will come running." Vanessa states matter-of-factly. The audience la
ABEL'S POV Sasha is beautiful, not nearly as Vanessa, but she is pretty in a warm, inviting way that makes you feel at ease. Vanessa used to make my nerves go wild. A part of me liked that. I still do admire her wits, determination and sheer beauty. But she broke my heart in the worst way possible.“Want some more?” Sasha asks playfully after I finish my first mug. I shake my head as I have started to feel buzzed already. In the past few years I have discovered, my alcohol tolerance is virtually nonexistent. One drink is just about my limit.Just then, a group of her young female customers walk in, giggling and chatting excitedly. I take it as my cue to leave.“I should get going,” I say, and Sasha looks up, her brow furrowing slightly. “Not really in the mood to socialize more today.”She brightens a bit. “Would you mind stepping outside for a walk with me? I'm sure it’ll help with your moods.”I hesitate, glancing back at the giggling girls heading to the other side of the bar.“Do
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV I turn on the flat-screen television so there's noise to provide some semblance of distraction from my heated thoughts. I still feel hurt by Wensley's earlier accusations but I do feel guilty for not coming clean sooner. But how can I explain the truth when he is so quick to judge?I know I will have to deal with him sooner or later so I might as well take a drive by his place now and explain everything. The truth might hurt him more though.Twenty minutes later I am arriving at his place. There is limited parking space so I pack one block down by the side of the street and walk over to his apartment, glad to see the lights on.I go up the steps like I am going to jokingly bang inside the house, but something inside stops me. We freely walk into each others places and even as I am about to grab the door knob and let myself in, I think this time it would be prudent to knock, since I'm not sure we are still in good terms. Looking through the door window as I am abo
ABEL'S BLACKWOOD'S POV I have lost count of how many times I have attempted to talk myself out of calling Vanessa for help. I keep reminding myself Cyrus problem won't solve itself. The man wouldn't leave until I promised I'll will indeed quit my job. I only agreed to that to get him out of my apartment, but I can’t let him drag my name through the mud by going to the media about my marriage with Vanessa.With a deep breath, I dial Vanessa’s private number. Since she married Cyrus he is her problem as much as he is mine. She picks up almost immediately. This will be so fucking awkward.“Hey, Vanessa... it’s Abel.”"I know. Surprised to hear from you." Her tone is so warm and welcoming.“Yeah, it's definitely surprising. Cyrus was here. He was making demands.” I inform.“What? Why did you not call me right then?”"Maybe because he was holding a gun to my head. He wants me to quit my job or he’ll go public about our marriage," I answer.There’s a pause on other end. “And you think tha
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV I wake up to the persistent ringing of my phone. Groggy and unwilling to get up, I fumble around the table, but my hand brushes against nothing. Groaning, I push myself up from the couch to find Wensley looming over me, my phone in his hand.“Why is our boss texting you saying she’s sorry about what happened yesterday and wants to meet and explain?” he questions, brows furrowed. “She’s been calling you all night.”I sit up straight and snatch the phone from him. “Why the hell are you going through my personal texts?” I shoot back, glancing at Ms. Raven's messages flooding my screen.“What happened yesterday? Were you at that fundraiser with her?” Wensley asks just as my phone rings again, Ms. Raven's number flashing on the screen.“Why don’t you answer?” he presses. “Because it’s complicated, and you shouldn’t have picked up my phone in the first place,” I snap.He laughs sarcastically. “You almost had me fooled.”“What?”“You almost had me fooled that you’re cl
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POVWensley pulls up sooner than I expected, and I hop into the front seat, muttering a quick, “Thanks.”“How’d you get here so fast?” I ask, glancing out the window just in time to see Vanessa's bodyguards heading back inside.“I was nearby at a club. Surprised to hear from you at this hour. What are you doing at such a high-profile event?""It's just a fundraiser,” I reply, trying to keep it vague. I know he won’t want to hear that I was invited by Miss Raven.“A fundraiser? How did you get invited to a billionaire's fundraiser?” Wensley presses, clearly intrigued.Fuck, here we go. Damn Aubrey for leaving me at that party. And damn me for being an impulsive idiot that agreed to go with her.“Can we talk about it tomorrow?” I suggest, hoping he won't remember about it by tomorrow.“Sure, no problem,” he replies, driving out of the sprawling estate.“Before we head home, I need to pick this chick up at the club,” Wensley adds, shooting me a playful grin.I raise my e
ABEL'S BLACKWOOD'S POV "Where did I ever go wrong raising her?” Mrs. Raven groans burying her face in her trembling hands. Her husband pulls her close, his own expression a mix of anger and despair. “It’s not your fault. You raised her the best you could. She chose this herself.” Vanessa comforts as if she hadn’t been the one to stir the pot in the first place.Mrs. Raven lifts her head slightly, her eyes red and puffy. “But did she have to be with a criminal? Her father's age?” “I’m so sorry for inviting Senator Jonathan,” Vanessa says. “If I hadn’t .....”“No, thank you for inviting that idiot,” Mr. Raven interjects bitterly. “Otherwise, we would have never known our daughter is a. . . ” He pauses, his voice thick with disgust, “a disgrace.”He turns back to his wife, his tone softening as he whispers, “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” He stands and gently guides her to her feet.As she rises, Mrs. Raven grips Vanessa’s hand tightly. “You should have been the kind of daughter
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POV A few seconds later, the waiter leads in a man in a black suit, that man is none other than Senator Jonathan Luis Green. Things gonna get hot in here. I really wish I can just stand and leave right now.A sharp noise of a crack suddenly slices through the murmurs of the guests and we all look to see Aubrey's champagne glass has slipped from her fingers, shattering on the marble floor. Her expression shifts from shock to fury as she glares at Vanessa, who sits with self satisfied smirk plastered across her face. She did this on purpose. What's for? To cause a scene? Aubrey's parents would love Jonathan, it's even surprising they were acting nice to me after Aubrey introduced me as her boyfriend."Aubrey!” Jonathan calls out, striding confidently toward the table. "Why didn’t you invite me, my love? I’ve been waiting for you to introduce me to your family."Now it's my turn to be shocked. Does her parents not know Jonathan? She claimed her father was the one forcin
ABEL BLACKWOOD'S POVThe room goes quiet as Vanessa walks in, commanding all the guests attention. The black velvet gown she has on, clings perfectly to her curves, accentuating her figure like a work of art. Every man, including me, can't take his eyes off her as she walks down the stairs.Mr. Raven stands up, a broad smile spreading across his face. "Vanessa, so glad you could make it!" His voice is warm, laced with a genuine fondness that was noticeably absent when he spoke to Aubrey. Mrs. Raven rises too, her face lighting up with joy. "Oh, Vanessa, my dear!" she exclaims, leaning in to kiss both of Vanessa's cheeks.I see Aubrey’s knuckles whiten around her wine glass, as she watches her parents fawn over Vanessa. I can’t blame her, they’re treating Vanessa like royalty, but I'm sure they expect her to contribute so much to their charity.Mrs. Raven guides Vanessa to a seat at the table, unfortunately, one directly across from me. A waiter pulls out the chair for her with utmost