“What the hell? I bought those for her. Why would you just throw them away?” Clark looked offended and upset.Realizing the attention that was now on them, Thalassa finally snapped back to the situation and quickly pushed Kris away from her.“What right do you think you have to throw my flowers away? What is wrong with you?” she hissed.“No. What is wrong with YOU?!” Kris retorted. “Why would you take the flowers and keep them so close to you when you know that you have a reaction to them?”“Reaction?” Clark frowned and turned to Thalassa. “What is he talking about?”“She’s allergic to them, idiot. They give her headaches. You would’ve noticed she wasn’t alright if you had studied her reaction instead of talking like a fucking parrot.”“You bastard, you tricked me. You told me they were her favorite flowers.” Clark accused before turning to Thalassa. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”Thalassa nodded, even though her hard eyes were directed at Kris. “Yes, I’m fine,
“The dress is beautiful, no doubt, but I feel like the bust could be a little less extra,” Thalassa said, her forehead creased thoughtfully as she stared at the model on the rotating showcase platform.The model was wearing a recently completed and unreleased design. The dress was a deep mauve color with flares around the bust and silky appliques at the bottom.“What?” Luisa looked at Thalassa as if there was something wrong with her. “This is perfect. It looks so good on her and would look absolutely good on anyone as long as the right adjustments are made.”They were in the showroom where their models tried out designs for release or remodeling in order to ensure the best outcome. But this showcase was particularly important because they were gearing up for a fashion exhibition show that was coming soon.It was one of the biggest exhibition shows, giving several designers the chance to showcase their works. So they couldn’t just pick any dresses. They had to pick the best of the bes
“What the hell, Lassa? What is taking you so long? We’re going to be late,” Luisa whined as she burst into Thalassa’s room after knocking.“Calm down, jeez. I’m almost done. Besides, it’s not nearly time,” Thalassa complained but couldn’t help the smile on her face, knowing Luisa was this impatient because she was a nervous wreck.She ran the brush through her hair one last time and picked up her clutch, declaring, “There. I’m all done. Shall we go now, Miss Nervous Wreck?”Luisa glared at her and rolled her eyes, causing Thalassa to chuckle as they finally made their way downstairs. Heading to the door, they opened it only to find Zeke on the porch, his hand raised as if he was about to ring the doorbell.“Oh, hey. I was just coming to take you guys out for dinner, but I see you’re already going out,” he said.Turning to Luisa to survey her hair and the dress she was wearing, he raised a brow. “Damn, sis. You’re looking gorgeous, but who is this for?”Luisa blushed. “We’re just going
Alden was annoyed but forced a smile as he looked at Zeke. “No problem. You can sit anywhere you like.”As much as he would like to tell the man off for his interference, he knew he needed to be wise. Zeke was still Luisa’s brother, and if he was going to pursue Luisa, he needed to get on the man’s good side.Luisa was also fuming as she sat down in the chair Alden had pulled back for her. She couldn’t believe that Zeke was interfering even after promising he wouldn’t. Thalassa and Millie both rolled their eyes.“So how long have you and Millie known each other?” Alden asked Zeke.“Since she began working for Kris two years ago. We’ve been close.”Zeke’s eyes narrowed, not liking the way he said it. What did he mean by ‘close’?“I see,” he said simply while glaring intensely at Alden.An awkward silence settled over the table, but they were saved when a waitress approached them.“Hello, are you guys ready to order now?”“You can order anything you want. I’ll take care of everything,”
After leaving the table, Luisa hadn’t even gotten past the hallway leading to the washroom when Alden suddenly grabbed her arm and held her back. “Luisa, please let me explain.”Luisa stiffened, then jerked her arm from his hold. “Explain what? You don’t owe me any explanation.”She tried to appear aloof, but she couldn’t keep it up for long before she hissed. “You told Millie to invite us here because of Kris, didn’t you? He made you bring Thalassa here because he was going to be here, didn’t he?”Seeing the need for honesty in her eyes, Alden couldn’t bring himself to lie. He ran his hand through his hair as he admitted, “Yes.”Luisa took a step back. She couldn’t believe she’d been foolish enough to think he’d sent the invite because of her.She knew she was being unreasonable because Alden never told her he was organizing this hangout for her. It was she and Thalassa who had assumed his intentions, so she had no right to feel this way—so betrayed.She felt even more foolish becau
Gasps echoed across the room at the man’s declaration. Even Zeke was shocked and confused because the women hadn’t told him any story about the pictures. He turned to Thalassa, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Naked pictures? What pictures is he talking about?” No one attempted to answer him. Thalassa’s gaze was fixed on the man who might have raped her, too focused to even spare Zeke a glance. Kris finally let go of the man and stepped in front of Karen. “I’m going to give you one chance to defend yourself. Just one.” His voice was cold. So cold that it sent a shiver of panic down Karen’s spine. “That man is lying!” she quickly said. “How could I have paid him to do anything when I’ve never even seen him before?” Kris’s lips curled wryly. “So now you don’t know him? I thought you were the one who took the pictures when you caught Thalassa…” He used his index fingers to air-quote the next word. “...‘cheating.’” Karen panicked, realizing she’d messed up, but quickly thou
Their eyes locked. For several seconds, they stared at each other—Kris’s eyes filled with all the desperation in the world, while Thalassa’s eyes were filled with... nothing. She hadn’t said a single word since he exposed Karen, and every second of her silence made him feel like he was dying inside, desperate for her to say something—anything. The moment was broken when Luisa suddenly stormed over to Karen. “You stupid bitch!” Two violent slaps landed on Karen’s face, causing her to stumble as Luisa continued to fume. “What kind of woman are you? How could you pay a man to do something like this to another woman? Someone who loved you and considered you her best friend? You’re despicable.” Another slap landed on Karen’s face, followed by another, and another. Karen’s ears were ringing and her head spinning from the pain radiating through her. She felt too overwhelmed to even attempt to hit Luisa back. All she could do was grab onto Kris’s arm and cling to it. “Kris, save me.
Kris stared at Karen incredulously, his lips curling with rage. “How dare you?! How dare you try to involve my mother in this?”“But I’m not lying. She was the one who suggested the plan to me,” Karen insisted.“My mother didn’t even know anything about the pictures until you gave them to her on my wedding day to pass on to me!” Kris hissed.“That’s what she told me to tell you. She wanted you to believe that,” Karen said bitterly.Looking back, she realized Linda Miller had made her do all the dirty work so that if the plan failed, she wouldn’t be implicated.She sniffed. “I didn’t want to do it, but Linda convinced me. You know she never liked Thalassa and always thought she wasn’t good enough to be her daughter-in-law. That’s why she hatched the plan.”“Keep my mother’s name out of your fucking mouth!” Kris snarled, his voice ringing with a savage warning. “If you tell another lie about her, you’re going to be even sorrier.”Thalassa felt bitter as she listened to it all. She knew
My dear supercalifragilisticexpialidocious readers, I won't ever get tired of expressing my gratitude for all the support you guys have given to this book. I know the way I write isn't always similar to the most popular books on the app, but I'm so glad you guys love it nevertheless. This is my most successful book yet, and it's all thanks to you guys. Love you so very much. Now, for those interested in what I plan to write the next, we're done with these characters. The next book will be about completely different characters. It's so hard to let these characters go, but we need a fresh start. No, wait. I was only joking. Don't bite my head off! Haha. (Really wish this app allows emojis so I can show you how I'm grinning like an idiot, lol) I don't intend to desert Alex like some of you fear. The next story will be about him and his lovestory. Will he ever get over the betrayal and allow himself to love and trust again? After some discussions with my editor, we came to the agreeme
Tessa stood frozen for several seconds before her hands flew to her mouth in shock. “Oh my God…” she whispered. She didn't even have to ask if he was sure because she could tell he was. Guilt clawed at her chest. Alex had told her before how most of the women who came onto him were only after his wealth which was also part of the reason he'd always been so careful about dating. And now it seemed he had been proven right. Tessa felt like it was her fault because she was the one who had set Alex on that blind date with Hillary. “Alex,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea she was that kind of woman.” He shook his head. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice calmer, his expression blank. “You were just trying to look out for me. But don’t do it again, Tessa.” There was no anger in his tone toward her, but she could sense the bitterness. Tessa swallowed hard, guilt still pressing down on her. She watched as Alex turned toward one of the cabinets, moving like he already knew exactl
After breakfast, the whole family moved to the shores to enjoy the beach. the whole family moved to the beach where a variety of games and fun had been set up.Tessa took a deep breath, feeling at peace.But peace never really lasted long when when her mischievous twins were around.The four-year-olds were balls of energy, running up and down the sandy shore, splashing water at people, and playfully disturbing anyone who looked too relaxed.“Girls!” Tessa called after them as they ran past, giggling. “Don’t bother grandpa Zeke!”Too late.Zeke had been lying on a lounger, sunglasses on, probably dozing off, until a handful of sand landed on his chest.His head snapped up. “Hey!”The twins burst into laughter and ran away before he could catch them.Gendry, sitting next to Tessa, shook his head. “Your daughters indeed.”Tessa turned to him with a dry look. “Excuse me?”“The mischief? That’s all you. I'm sure that's exactly how you were at their age.”She huffed, crossing her arms. “And
FIVE YEARS LATERThe morning sun peeked through the white curtains, casting golden light across the bedroom. Tessa stirred, instantly feeling the warmth pressed against her back, a familiar arm draped over her waist. A smile crept onto her lips as she blinked sleepily.She didn't have to turn around to know Gendry was awake. His slow, steady breaths against the nape of her neck gave him away.A soft kiss landed on her bare shoulder."Happy anniversary, Mrs. Graham," he murmured, his voice husky from sleep.Tessa hummed, pressing back against him. "Happy anniversary, Mr. Graham."Gendry tightened his hold on her, rolling her onto her back so he could hover over her. The intense look in his dark eyes sent a familiar shiver down her spine."Last night wasn't enough," he whispered, running his fingers down her side. "I need more."Tessa let out a soft laugh. "Didn't we exhaust ourselves already?"His lips brushed against her neck. "Not even close."They made love again, slow and deep, as
Tessa’s heart thudded as her father stared at Gendry, his brows furrowing deeper by the second. "Of course I figured that out already." her father finally scoffed, shaking his head. "It's just... Tessa is two months pregnant. Two months. I—" He blinked rapidly as the realization dawned. "Unless..." Tessa took pity on him. She sighed and decided to just put him out of his confusion. "Dad," she said carefully, "there was… something between Gendry and me. When we were in Jamaica." Her father's frown only deepened. "I don’t understand. Since we left Jamaica, I haven’t seen you two together until yesterday. How could there be something between you when–” Beside him, Thalassa let out a small chuckle and placed a hand on his chest. "Leave them alone, Kris," she said, eyes twinkling with amusement. Kris turned to her, narrowing his eyes. "You don’t seem surprised." Thalassa shrugged. Kris’s jaw dropped. "Lassa. You knew?" She gave him an innocent look. "I had my suspicions." "And yo
All eyes turned towards Tessa and Gendry as they entered. In the living room were her parents, Alex, Rita, Maya, Jace, Aunt Luisa, Uncle Alden, and their youngest 17 years old daughter, Tessa's cousin, Emma.The moment Rita spotted Gendry, she gasped. "Gendry!" she squealed, jumping up from her seat and rushing toward him.Gendry barely had time to react before Rita crashed into him. He let out a soft chuckle, crouching slightly to meet her height as he ran a hand through her hair.“Missed me that much, huh?” he teased, the corner of his lips lifting in amusement.Rita huffed and pulled back, immediately smoothing down her hair. “You're ruining my hair,” she grumbled, glaring up at him.“My bad,” Gendry said, his voice dripping with fake remorse. His amused gaze flicked toward the others, and laughter rippled through the room, even from Alex.Despite the lighthearted moment, Tessa caught the curious look in her father’s eyes. There were unspoken questions swimming in his gaze.“Good e
“Marry me, Tessa.”Tessa stared at him, her lips parting as she tried to process what he had just said. Her voice came out in a breathless whisper. “What?”Gendry didn’t hesitate. He looked straight into her eyes, his expression open and sure. “Marry me, Tessa.”She felt like her heart had stopped. Her mind raced, but no coherent thoughts came. “You—” She swallowed, utterly flustered.Gendry chuckled at her shock, rolling onto his side so that he was partially on top of her. His fingers traced lazy circles on her arm, his touch soothing.“Hear me out,” he murmured. “I know it sounds crazy. Maybe it is. But I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”Tessa’s breath hitched, her pulse drumming in her ears.“We just made things official, like, yesterday,” he admitted, his lips curving into a small, sheepish smile. “But it doesn’t feel new, does it? It feels like I’ve known you forever. We’ve been through so much. Hell, even we were against each other at some point. And yet, here we
“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