Thalassa sat on the couch in her bedroom, flipping through pictures of an old, wrinkled woman, her face adorned with a beautiful laughter and warm, welcoming eyes. Some of the photos were of the two of them together, capturing moments of shared joy and laughter.She was so absorbed in the memories that she didn't notice Luisa's presence until she placed a hand on her shoulder.“You really miss her, don't you?” Luisa asked softly.Looking back at the picture on the screen, Thalassa felt her eyes sting with tears. They'd lost Granny six months ago to dementia, which had worsened significantly in her final year.On her deathbed, the old woman had taken Thalassa's hand in her frail ones and confessed that she had realized, somewhere along the years, that Thalassa wasn't truly her daughter, Agnes. Yet, she was still so grateful for all the love and light Thalassa had brought into her life in her last few years on earth.Right after that, she had passed away, still holding Thalassa's hand.
Kris froze. That voice... it sounded familiar. Too familiar. It sounded like the voice of the woman he'd tried his hardest to get out of his heart and mind for the past three years without any success.Suddenly, he was anxious to put a face to the voice, to see the face of the masked woman.“Wow, what an entrance!" His sister, Susan, gushed but instantly shut up when his mother gave her a hard glare.“Meet again?"“What does she mean by that?” the guests whispered among themselves.“Oh, my apologies," the masked woman on the stage said. “You must be confused by what I said. All I meant was that you don't know who I am yet, but I already know most of you.”This got the guests even more curious. Who was this woman who was the owner of TT Fashion? What was her name?“Please, enjoy yourselves at this party," the woman on stage said before the lights finally turned back on.Kris noted that she hadn't even mentioned her name.As soon as she stepped down from the stage, the guests surrounded
It had been three years, and yet when Kris grabbed her by the arm, Thalassa felt the same current as before. It irritated her because she wanted nothing to do with it.“I don't appreciate being touched without my permission, so let go of me, Mr. Miller. And what did you call me?” she said calmly.Kris narrowed his eyes at her. He'd felt her tense up when he called her Thalassa, but now he wasn't so sure, hearing the nonchalance in her voice. He wished he could see the expression on her face, but the damn mask she was wearing made that impossible.Reluctantly, he let go of her arm. “I don't like how you spoke to my mother.”“And how did I speak to her?” she asked.“You were rude,” he pointed out.Thalassa gritted her teeth. He knew the kind of woman his mother was and yet still defended her.“Well, good thing I'm not here to cater to what you like or don't like," she stated. “Besides, I wasn't rude to her. I merely told her what I would tell anyone who wants a meeting with me. She need
“I didn't threaten you with it," Karen sniffed. "I was just scared. I didn't want to give birth out of wedlock and watch our daughter grow up without the stability of a family.”“You know what, let's just end this conversation. It won't—" Kris was still speaking when a soft, sweet, tiny voice cut him off.“Daddy, why are you fighting with Mommy?"Kris turned to find his daughter standing in the doorway, realizing they'd forgotten to close the door. He immediately went to her and dropped to his knees, feeling his chest swell with love as he cupped her small face in his hands.“No, sweetie. Mommy and Daddy aren't fighting. We're just talking.”“Tal...king?”“Yes," Kris nodded with a smile, kissing her on the forehead.His baby. His Tessa. His little bundle of joy. She was the best thing that had happened to him in the past three years. There was no one he cared more about than her.She was the reason why he couldn't call what happened between him and Karen three years ago a mistake. Tha
When it was time for the appointment, Kris fetched his mother and drove to the Baltimore branch of TT Fashion. The building was magnificent, with stunning interiors and exteriors. They took the elevator to the top floor, where the CEO's office was located.They stopped by a desk in the most sophisticated area of the floor, and his mother asked, “Is this the CEO's office?”“Yes," the secretary responded. “How may I help you?”But his mother didn't wait. She turned and tried to open the door when the secretary rushed to stop her.“You can't just enter as you wish!”Indignation filled his mother's face. “How dare you speak to me in that tone? Don't you know who I am?”“Mum!" Kris quietly chastised her, feeling like she was frustrated with everything going on. His mother had always been a proud and self-sufficient person, so having to seek the help of someone else was hard for her.He turned to the secretary. “We have an appointment with the CEO.”“Of course. You must be the Millers. Plea
"Humiliate you? I wonder why you would even think that, Mr. Miller," Thalassa said in her ever-so-sweet innocent voice."You didn't even allow my mother to explain what kind of alliance she had in mind. And since we met you yesterday, all you've done is disrespect her—us."Thalassa raised a brow. "I am a businesswoman, Mr. Miller. I only form alliances where I see profits. Be honest with yourself. If you were in my shoes, would you have wanted to be associated with a company that's on the cusp of bankruptcy?"Kris gritted his teeth, knowing she was making sense, but at the same time, he felt this wasn't just about business. It seemed personal."If you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do," Thalassa said with the intention of opening the door for him, but she had only taken two steps past him when he suddenly grabbed her by the arm, pulling her close to his body. Too close."What are you doing?" she questioned as calmly as she could when her heart was pounding inside her chest."Who are yo
Thalassa stared at the man in front of her. She was surprised but not shocked, because she knew he was coming.Having known him for more than two years even before they got married, she knew how impulsive he could get. That was why she told her security guards not to stop him if he sneaked into the house. She just hadn’t expected him to do it so soon.“Welcome, Kris. I have been expecting you,” she said calmly.He let out a laugh that had no warmth whatsoever. “Is that the excuse you’re going to use now that I’ve caught you?”“Now that you’ve caught me?” She rolled her eyes. “Oh please, don’t be such a drama queen. It doesn’t suit you.”Kris’s eyes blazed as he stared at her. Three years. He finally had her in front of him again after three years. He’d spent so many restless nights thinking about her, wondering where the hell she was, hating himself for it.Yet, now that she was in front of him, he felt a conflicting ball of emotions.“What did you think you were going to achieve with
A few minutes after Kris had left, while Thalassa was sitting on her bed taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart, Luisa rushed into the room with a worried look on her face.“Lassa, I just saw Kris being escorted out by the guard. What happened? What was he doing here?”“He sneaked into the house to verify his suspicions,” Thalassa answered.Luisa’s eyes widened. “So now he knows it’s you?” Thalassa nodded, and Luisa asked, “How did he react?”Thalassa shrugged. “As expected, he was furious.”Luisa’s eyes darkened. “Don’t tell me he tried to hurt you. Did he dare to touch you?”“No, Luisa,” Thalassa clarified, but a wry smile stretched across her lips.Yes, Kris hadn’t touched her or hurt her physically, but that hadn’t stopped him from doing everything he could to hurt her with his words. But the funny thing was that she had expected it.“How do you feel now that he has found out?” Luisa asked.“Nothing.”It was true. After her confrontation with Kris, all she felt was numb. She
Tessa’s breath hitched. Her heart pounded so hard it drowned out the noise of the cars around her.No. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be real.She stared at the man before her—the man who had just called himself her father. Her mouth felt dry, but she forced herself to speak. “No. That’s not possible.”The man let out a shaky breath, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “It is, dear. I know I must look different now, but it’s me. I swear it.”Tessa took a step back, clutching the car door for support. Her mind whirled, her pulse racing.She knew Kris and Thalassa weren’t her biological parents. They had never hidden that from her. But this man, this stranger... he couldn’t be telling the truth.As far as she knew, her biological father had never been in her life. She'd assumed he was deceased. Otherwise, why would he have been out of her life for so long without ever trying to find her?The man took a hesitant step forward. Tessa flinched, her body tensing.“I don’t want to scare
Gendry stared at her, waiting for her to say something.Unbidden, a single tear slid down Tessa's cheek. “You're only saying these things because you found out about my pregnancy. It's not necessary, Gendry. You don’t have to force yourself to be with me out of obligation.”A growl of frustration rumbled from Gendry’s throat. “Jesus, Tessa. Why would you think I’m forcing myself to be with you?”“Because I know you don’t consider me good enough for a relationship with you!”For several seconds, Gendry just stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. “What? Where did you get that from, Tessa?”“The day we went to help set up the photo booth, you told me in the car that because of everything your dad did to your mom, you never slept with any woman unless you were in a relationship with her. I was the only exception. The only woman you agreed to have a meaningless fling with.”Gendry exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “And from that, you assumed I don’t think you’re good enough for a relation
“You… you’re pregnant?”The world seemed to tilt on its axis for Gendry. His pulse raced. The word pregnant felt almost foreign because it was the last thing he had expected Tessa to tell him.“Tessa, are you saying you’re expecting a child?”“Please don’t act like you didn’t know,” Tessa gritted out, her voice laced with indignation.Gendry stepped closer. “No. I didn’t. Of course, I didn’t.” The impact of it all suddenly crashed into him, and he let out a stunned chuckle, filled with wonder. “Oh God, you’re pregnant. You’re expecting our child.”The sheer joy in his eyes made Tessa’s vision blur with unshed tears. “How are you so sure it’s yours?”Gendry’s smile didn’t falter. His hand came up to rest on her cheek, his touch warm and familiar. “Because I know I’m the only man who’s ever had that privilege, Tes.”“You can’t be sure of that,” she countered, her voice quieter now. “We haven’t seen each other in two months, Gendry. Maybe Kevin and I—”“Kevin and you, nothing.” Gendry le
“…our revenue dropped by 8.6% last year. But as we can all see, our performance this year has improved to the point that we're projected to make up for 6.6% of that percentage drop.”Tessa addressed the board of executives in the conference room, pausing to let the information sink in. “That's quite an achievement, but I think we can all agree that it’s not enough. Two percent is a big deal, and TT Fashion has to be able to recover that and more. We…”She trailed off as her vision blurred. Gripping the backrest of her chair for balance, she blinked rapidly, and the dizziness passed.“Tessa, are you alright?” the marketing department executive asked, a frown creasing her forehead.“Yes, I’m fine,” Tessa responded.And she was. Mostly anyways. She’d been experiencing dizzy spells for the past two weeks, chalking it up to fatigue. But now that she knew she was pregnant, the spells had become more obvious, especially when she stood for too long.Plastering on a composed smile, she swept h
Their eyes met.Gendry’s jaw tightened. His fingers curled into his towel as tension coiled in his muscles. Across the gym, Kevin’s expression was unreadable, but his posture stiffened ever so slightly. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.Then Kevin broke the silence, striding toward him.“Long time,” he said.Gendry gave a small nod. “Yeah.”He couldn’t help but wonder. Before Jamaica, he and Kevin would occasionally run into each other at the gym, but after the wedding trip, he hadn't seen the other man at the gym.He was probably too busy enjoying his time with his girlfriend.That thought alone made Gendry’s chest tighten. He reached for his water bottle, taking a slow sip as Kevin shifted his weight.“Well,” Kevin cleared his throat, “I’ll head for some runs now.”He turned, but something in his movement was hesitant, like he wanted to say more. After only three steps, he spun back around, his expression no longer neutral.It was now filled with bitterness.Gendry lowered h
TWO DAYS LATERGendry ran, putting one tired foot in front of the other. He had set the treadmill to the highest speed, hoping it would help him outrun the memories of Tessa that refused to leave his head. But the more he ran, the more they stayed ahead of him.Her mesmerizing brown eyes. Her smooth, clear skin. Her dazzling smile and cute laugh. The way her gorgeous hair stuck to her flushed face. The warmth of her body as he drove into her. Those sweet moans of pleasure as she came.Oh, for Pete’s sake.Trying to stop thinking about her was an exercise in futility. He had been trying for the past two months without success.Not even the fact that he knew she now belonged to someone else could stop his mind.Gendry ran until the burn in his legs became too intense to ignore. He slammed his fingers om the stop button, keeping pace until the treadmill finally slowed to a halt.Jumping off, he limped toward the bench where he had hung his towel and sank down. Around him, people were ste
Tessa was sure that if she had been standing, the impact of the doctor's words would have sent her crashing to the floor.For several seconds, she just stared at him, frozen, her mind scrambling to process what he had just said."You're two months pregnant."The words echoed in her head. She understood them. They made sense. But at the same time, they didn’t.The doctor’s smile faltered when she hadn't said anything after several seconds. “Miss Miller?” he said hesitantly. “Is everything alright?”Tessa blinked, then shook her head, letting out a sharp, disbelieving snort, because that was the only thing she could do to hold back the panic threatening to steal through her.“What are you saying, doctor? I can't be pregnant.”The doctor’s expression shifted from professional composure to slight uncertainty at her reaction.“When you described your symptoms to me, I strongly suspected it, but I didn’t want us to get ahead of ourselves. I performed several tests, including a pregnancy tes
After driving home, Tessa stepped into the house, shutting the door behind her as she let out a deep breath.To her surprise, her mother was still awake, sitting on the couch with a book in her lap. Her reading glasses were perched on her nose, making her look serious in such an endearing way.A small smile tugged at Tessa’s lips. It wasn’t uncommon for her mom to stay up reading, but tonight, it felt like she’d been waiting for her.A lot of her colleagues wondered why she was still living with her parents at this stage when she had enough to get herself a house or apartment like her brother had done. The truth was, to Tessa, she'd rather always be surrounded by family love then to love alone.“You’re back,” her mother noted, looking up from her book. “How was your date?”Tessa hesitated, forcing a smile. “It was… great.”Her mother raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. Without a word, she tapped the empty space beside her on the couch.Sighing, Tessa walked over and sank onto the couch. S
Tessa waited.She waited for the spark, for the heat, for the slow-burning fire that would make her knees weak and her stomach flip. She waited for the explosion, the one that had always come whenever Gendry kissed her.But there was nothing.Kevin’s lips moved against hers, soft, careful, but her body didn’t react. There was no rush of desire, no hitch in her breath, no trembling fingers aching to pull him closer. Just... stillness.When he pulled back, his lips curved into a slow smile. “I knew your lips would taste amazing,” he murmured. “And I wasn’t wrong.”Tessa forced a smile.Kevin let out a quiet chuckle, then he rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry.”Tessa stared at him. “What are you apologizing for?”He gave her a sheepish smile and gestured vaguely toward the lower half of his body. “You must think I’m a total weirdo, but it’s just... when you’re this close to me, I can’t help myself.”Tessa tilted her head, still not understanding. Then, as she followed his gaze downward,