Karen took advantage of Thalassa's distraction to free herself and run into Kris's arms.“Kris... sweetheart, please help me. She wants to kill me. She wants to kill me. Just look... look what she has done to me," Karen cried, pointing at her face where Thalassa's slap had left it as red as a beetroot.Kris was stunned at what he was seeing on Karen's face. The slap marks were so brutal that he couldn't believe Thalassa had done something like this. He'd never known her to be a violent person. How could she have changed so much?“What has gotten into you? How dare you treat Karen like this?!” he sneered.“Don't speak to her like that," Zeke demanded as he appeared behind Kris and walked to stand beside Thalassa.Instinctively, he cradled Thalassa's cheek in his hands as he asked, “Are you okay?"Thalassa stiffened at the unexpected touch, but she didn't pull away as she nodded.Kris instantly recognized the man. It was Zeke Mathews, the man Thalassa had gotten involved with just a few
Thalassa felt tears burning her eyes, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. “Are you done?”“You aren't even going to deny it, so it's true?" A bitter smile stretched across his lips as he pointed a finger at Zeke. “You moved in with this man just a few days after our divorce. For someone who was so desperate for me to take you back, you sure didn't waste any time jumping onto your next prey."Zeke realized what Kris was driving at and stepped in to try and clarify. “Thalassa is not the woman you think she is. Things didn't happen the way-”“Zeke," Thalassa raised her hand to cut him off. “I don't owe this man any explanation."Kris's gaze hardened. “If you think you don't owe me any explanation, then you also have no right to come after my family with your bogus accusations."Thalassa sucked in a breath. “It was your child too."“My child? How do I know that?" Kris demanded. “Even if you were truly pregnant, how can I be sure that the child was mine when you
Luisa’s smile wiped off when she turned to the spot and realized that the camera wasn’t there. “Where is it? Or have you already gotten rid of it like you said?”“Yes. This morning,” Thalassa said regretfully.She’d known that her enemies could hack into the camera and use it to spy on her and her plans. That was why she’d decided to get rid of it.“I’m such a fucking idiot,” she cursed as she slammed her hand onto her desk.Now she wished she hadn’t taken out the camera. It would’ve been the perfect evidence to put Karen and Linda behind bars.“Don’t call yourself that. You couldn’t have known what would happen,” Luisa said.“Besides, that footage would’ve also served as evidence of how much you beat her up in case she decides to report you for assault, and that wouldn’t be good,” Zeke added, trying to pacify her.Luisa was suddenly worried. “Lassa, what if that bitch decides to report you?”༺❀༻༺❀༻༺❀༻Karen claimed to still feel dizzy so she couldn’t use her car. Hence, Kris felt for
“Goodness gracious, Karen! What happened to your face?” Aunt Cynthia exclaimed as soon as Karen walked into the house.“Don’t tell me it was that stupid bitch,” Tyler hissed, his face contorting in anger.“She gave you your share too?” Susan said.Karen didn’t respond as she made her way to sit on one of the couches, but they all knew the answer to Tyler’s question.“The marks on your face look horrible,” Cynthia commented, her voice filled with disgust.Karen glared at her. “Why, thanks for making me feel so good about myself.” She looked at Susan. “What do you mean by my share?”Susan turned her head to show Karen the mark on her cheek from Thalassa’s ferocious slap. Then she pointed at her mother’s cheek.Karen’s eyes widened, not believing that Thalassa had laid a hand on Linda. “Where did she get so much boldness from?”“We need to do something to put her in her place,” Aunt Cynthia said.“But what?” Karen whined bitterly. “I wanted to press charges against her, but Kris told me
Kris was furious because his family had lied to him. They’d told him that Thalassa had slapped his mother unprovoked. Now it turned out that it was his mother who had slapped her first.“You lied to me, Mum. Why did you tell me that she hit you first when that wasn’t true?”Regret filled him as he remembered all the hurtful things he had said to Thalassa. He’d gone to her office, angry from what his family had told him, as well as the discovery of her relationship with Zeke. That was why he’d said all those things to her.Now it turned out that he’d been lied to.“Kris, why are you speaking to your mother like that?” Karen said, trying to touch him on the arm, but Kris shook her touch off and ignored her.“I can’t believe you’re really speaking to me like this because of that woman.” His mother suddenly broke into tears. “I only went there to fight for our family because that woman is obviously intent on destroying us. That was why I hit her, but she hit me back so hard.”Seeing his m
At TT Fashion House, paparazzi and reporters from all the major news outlets had gathered in front of the building, waiting to speak to Thalassa.Ever since the real footage was released, public opinion had shifted in Thalassa's favor, but she knew she could take more advantage of this. That was why she'd called for this press conference. As soon as she stepped out of the building onto the street, cameras began flashing, and all the reporters began throwing their questions at her simultaneously. She was accompanied by Luisa, who stood beside her."One at a time, please," Thalassa said calmly but loudly enough to command respect."Miss Thompson, what do you have to say about the anonymous video accusing you of mistreating Linda Miller and her family members?" a reporter asked.Thalassa elegantly flipped her hair before answering. "As has already been proven by the original footage I released, those claims are nothing but false. It was obviously posted by someone who wanted to hurt me,
When Luisa stepped out of Thalassa's office, she went to stand by Juana, the secretary's desk.Suddenly, she felt a stare on her. It was so focused that the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She quickly whipped her head to the side to find the guy who had been walking beside Kris.He blanched, embarrassed at being caught staring, and Luisa glared at him, feeling uncomfortable.Seeing that he’d been caught, Alden decided to move forward, flashing Luisa a smile she didn’t return.“Hey, I’m Alden. Alden Richards,” he said, outstretching his hand.Luisa merely stared at his hand before looking away. “Okay.”Alden was caught off guard by the bit of unfriendliness he sensed. He chuckled lightly to cover the embarrassment of his hand being left hanging in the air.“I’m a friend of Kris’s,” he said.Luisa’s expression soured even more. “Believe me, you shouldn’t be saying that as a flex.”“No… What… I’m not saying…” Alden frowned in confusion before everything clicked in his head. “Oh.”
Thalassa had given Kris that reply out of impulse, but once it left her mouth, she wasn’t willing to take it back. She’d wanted to hurt him, and judging from the forlorn look in his eyes, she’d achieved just that.Kris felt like a knife had been shoved into his chest as he finally stopped pinning her to the wall and stepped back.“I see,” he said slowly, the pain weaving through every syllable and his voice. “If you knew the baby wasn’t mine, then why did you try to use it to stop me from divorcing you?”He shook his head slowly. “What sort of woman are you? You wanted to deceive me into taking care of another man’s child. And just yesterday, you tried to guilt me about kicking you out of my life and not caring what happened to you.”Thalassa ensured that her expression was stoic. “Now that I’ve said what you want to hear, can you leave my office?”“Who was the father?” Kris questioned instead of doing as she’d said. “Was it Zeke Mathews? How long were you two lovers before we divorce
“Don’t worry. You’re not the first couple to ask that, and you definitely won’t be the last.” The doctor said with a teasing note in her voice.She pulled out a disposable wipe and began wiping the gel from Tessa's belly. Tessa sighed in relief.“That should be all for today,” The doctor said warmly. “As I said, for the first few months, it would be best to be checked monthly, so please when you're ready, let me know when to schedule the next appointment.”She began rearranging the equipment. “Please wait outside for a few minutes. Your ultrasound pictures and the recording will be ready soon to take with you..” Gendry helped Tessa sit up and adjust her clothes before they stepped out. They waited in the reception area, their happiness and excitement tangible. Ten minutes later, a nurse handed over the envelope containing the picture and the USB. Gendry took it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. They made their way out of the hospital and back to Gendry's car. Aft
In the afternoon, when it was a couple of minutes to get an appointment, Gendry arrived a few minutes earlier than he promised to pick her up.Gendry leaned against the doorframe, looking relaxed yet effortlessly gorgeous in his button down shirt. His eyes swept over her in that way that always made her feel like the only woman in the world. "You're early," she teased, walking toward him. He beamed. “I'll always be early for you, princes.” Her heart did a little flip at that, but she rolled her eyes to keep her cool. "Such a smooth talker." He grinned and reached for her, pulling her close and covering her lips with his. When they finally broke the kiss, he took her hand. She let him take it without hesitation, their fingers interlocking. It felt so right.As they walked through the office, she felt the weight of dozens of eyes on them. Conversations momentarily halted, only to resume in hushed murmurs once they passed. She knew exactly why. One, no one had ever seen her h
A bitter smile curled Tessa’s lips as she unfolded her crossed arms. "You say you want me back in your life," she murmured, tilting her head slightly. "But let’s be honest, Henry. I was never in your life to begin with."Henry flinched at the use of his name instead of "Dad," but he quickly recovered, forcing a weak smile."Tessa, that’s not true. I’ve always—""Spare me," she interrupted coldly. "What do you really want? Me? Or money?"His face paled. His fingers curled into fists at his sides, but he quickly unclenched them. He let out a nervous chuckle, trying to maintain his composure. "I won’t lie to you. I... I am in a difficult situation right now, financially. But that’s not why I’m here—"Tessa’s expression darkened. "Don’t insult my intelligence, sir." She straightened up, placing her hands on the desk as she leaned forward slightly. "I know what you tried to do years ago, Henry. I know you tried to sell me for a couple of billion dollars."Henry’s head snapped up. His eyes
Tessa sat at her desk in her office, flipping through a few design sketches when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and saw Gendry’s name.Gendry: What have you done to me, Tessa Miller?A small smile tugged at her lips. She set the sketches aside and picked up her phone, quickly typing back.Tessa: What have I done?His reply came almost immediately.Gendry: I can’t concentrate on a damn thing because I can’t stop thinking about you. You left my apartment just a few hours ago, and I already miss you like crazy.Tessa felt a warm, fluttery feeling spread through her chest.Tessa: I miss you too.There was a pause of a couple of seconds, then another message came.Gendry: Waking up with you makes my mornings the most beautiful. I want to experience that forever.Tessa stared at the message for a long moment, her fingers hovering over the screen. She wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It was sweet, but she didn’t want to overthink it. Instead, she just smiled. While she was s
Gendry shook his head. “No, it's not that. It's just... I'm scared we might hurt the baby.”“No, we won’t. I heard it's safe to do it even when pregnant,” Tessa said, chasing his lips again.It had been too long. Too fucking long. And God knew how much she wanted him inside her again.Initially, Gendry kissed her back hesitantly, but his reluctance soon vanished. His lips trailed from hers and ran down her neck while he wedged his hands between them to fondle her breasts. His hard dick was pressing against her thigh, filling her with even more anticipation. But before they could undress each other, the jarring ring of her cellphone shattered the moment.Tessa tried to ignore it, but the sound was too grating. Gendry broke the kiss, and they both sighed as she reached for her phone. It was her brother calling. She answered.“Tessa!” Alex’s relieved sigh came through the phone. “Mum and Dad called me this morning and told me what happened yesterday. Are you... Okay, we know you're safe
Taking in the earnest, almost desperate look in Gendry's eyes, Tessa felt warmth spread through her chest. But she couldn't help but mess with him a bit.“Did I?” She shrugged, turning her gaze away from him. “I don't remember saying that. I must have been really tired.”“Oh.” She saw Gendry's expression sink from the corner of her eye. “I... you said... I thought…” He pursed his lips, struggling for words. “Tessa, you... I...”Tessa couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst into laughter. “Oh, Gendry...” She chuckled, finally looking back at him. “Of course, I remember, and of course, I meant every word.”The smile that crossed his face was the most beautiful thing Tessa had ever seen.“You evil woman,” he growled playfully. “Did you want to give me a heart attack?”And then he pounced, tickling her until she was on her back, peals of laughter vibrating through her.“Gendry, stop,” she pleaded between gasps, but he didn’t listen, dipping his head to nuzzle her neck and using his lips
After Tessa drifted off to sleep, Gendry slowly lifted her head from his shoulder, moving carefully so he wouldn’t wake her.Then, he gently scooped her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style to his bedroom. He laid her down softly, ensuring she remained undisturbed. She stirred slightly, scratching her chin for a second, but she didn’t wake up. Her breathing soon returned to its deep, steady rhythm.Smiling at how adorable she looked, he reached down and carefully removed her heels. She had, hands down, the most beautiful feet he had ever seen. He felt a sudden urge to suck on her toes.But not while she was sleeping. Maybe later.He let out a quiet chuckle at his own ridiculous thoughts. Was there anything about this woman he didn’t find attractive?He could worship every inch of her body for days, especially now that he knew she felt the same way.A heady thrill zapped through him.Oh, God. She loved him.She’d told him she loved him. It was the last thing he had expected. At le
When Tessa didn't respond after some seconds, Gendry pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her protectively as he guided her to the couch. The worry in his chest deepened with every shaky breath she took."Please, tell me," he urged gently, his voice low, coaxing. "What's wrong?"Tessa hesitated for a brief moment, then let it all out.She told him everything—meeting her biological father, the horrible lies he had spun about her parents, and the devastating truth that he had once tried to sell her. Her voice was steady at first, but as the words left her lips, it became raw, filled with emotions she had been holding back.By the time she finished, Gendry sat there in stunned silence. His fingers twitched as he clenched his fists on his lap. “Jesus Christ, Tessa…” His voice was hoarse with restrained anger. He inhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down. “If you hadn’t just told me all that, I would’ve never guessed Kris and Thalassa weren’t your biological parents. You guys a
The moment her eyes landed on Wendy, standing so close to Gendry, dressed in a sleek, skin-tight black dress that left little to the imagination, Tessa felt like she had walked into something she wasn’t supposed to see. Her stomach twisted painfully, and her throat suddenly felt tight.“I...I’m sorry,” she stammered, taking a step back. “I didn’t know you had company.”Gendry’s brows furrowed. “Tessa, wait—”But Tessa was already retreating toward the elevator. It had obviously been a mistake coming here.Just as she turned, Wendy’s voice stopped her.“There’s no need for you to leave,” she said, reaching for her purse on the couch. “The one who will be leaving is me.”Tessa stopped mid-step, glancing back warily. Wendy walked toward the door, her heels clicking softly against the floor. As she reached Gendry’s side, she turned her gaze to Tessa, her sharp eyes scanning her from head to toe.Gendry tensed, hoping that Wendy wasn't planning to say something that would offend Tessa.The