SAVANNAHI sobbed on Rafael’s shoulder for what seemed like forever. His embrace felt good that a silent comfort rushed through me. I fit against him perfectly. He stroked my back, hushing me softly. His hold was strong but careful that it was comforting, making my heart beat faster.When a bit of the ache diminished, I broke back first.“I’m sorry. That’s very unprofessional.”He chuckled, and the sound was light and genuine.I furrowed my brow, confused if he thought this was funny. He probably saw everything back there. I pouted. “Don’t laugh.”“I’m not.” He smiled. “I just think you’re cute.”I hid my face in embarrassment. “It’s just... I want to go home.”“I’ll drive you.” He sprang up and pulled out his phone from his pocket.I stood back up to my full height so I could react. “Wait.” I held his arm, but I wasn’t sure I was allowed, so I released him.I had so many questions. I wished to know if he was Carter’s brother. There should be no other Rafael Sebastian at this party, r
SAVANNAHThe River Café was a restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge. Its riverside location exhibited the gorgeous New York City skyline views. They offered classic American cuisines and various outstanding wine lists on the menu. The place was one of my favorite spots where Edward bent on his knee and proposed. Everywhere I went, the ghost of my past followed me.Live piano music was playing when we entered the elegant fine dining room. Daniel, the maître d’, greeted him with a firm handshake and a good evening. Rafael answered him warmly.“Have you been here before?” I asked.“Yes, once.”The headwaiter greeted me politely and then led us to the back of the side, where he provided us with his best and most romantic table for two by the window. It took Edward two months to get a table at this place, but Rafael could enter here without one.Daniel asked me if I would like a bottle of their vintage red wine. Rafael answered he would be delighted with whatever he would offer. I thanked t
RAFAEL“Hey, bro.” Carter entered my office after a knock. “You disappeared from the party. Emilio was looking for you.” He pulled a chair in front of my desk and sat.“I went somewhere.” I passed the documents I was working on to Billy. “Give this to Adam.”“You have a ten o’clock today with Mr. Oliver Katrakis of G&E Enterprises, sir. He’s already in the meeting room,” my assistant reminded me, trying to say I didn’t have much time to chat with my brother.“Five minutes, Billy.” G&E Enterprises was a potential partner to open my technology division. Their reputation in the industry was close to my requirements.My assistant nodded and greeted Carter before he left.“I had to make reasons, do you know that?” my brother went on with the questioning. He looked somewhat pissed. I could imagine his restlessness in front of the Mexican businessman. He was still young in the business, after all.“What did you say to him?”“What else should I say? That you had a more pressing matter to atte
SAVANNAHI sat across from Edward in the restaurant where he ended it all and the same place where I saw Sofia and insulted me. There was no way I’d ask Edward to meet me near my office.“Is this necessary?” he asked after a few minutes of gawking.“You know why I asked to come here.” I folded my arms across my chest. “We’ll talk eventually, anyway, and I’m ready for whatever this is. I just need you to tell me everything.”“You’re looking better. You’re getting used to this,” he said out of nowhere, staring at my face. Then he picked up his cup of espresso and took a sip. “What do you want to talk about?”I could say the same thing. Edward’s features looked younger than I remembered him. It wasn’t his skin or the outfit since he always wore suits; it was the expression. He looked well-rested and... well, happy. That was exactly what shattered me: that he was obviously not happy with our marriage anymore.“I’ll say what I want to say first. I need my house back. Michael gave almost ev
RAFAEL I struck out my racket, took a split-step in the center of the court, and then hit the ball back to my opponent. The rhythm of our rallies kept going; neither my competitive challenger nor I were backing down. Tennis was my best sport whenever I needed to clear my head. There were a few of them that kept messing with my rationality: Dad’s retirement and his impossible request, PeekFlix, and Carter’s delectable assistant. I’d avoided my father over the past few days. I deliberately didn’t come to their house over the weakened when I usually did to evade further discussion about marriage. I still thought it was ridiculous. I had a meeting with Emilio tomorrow evening. Carter arranged it for me with Sue, so it was all good. It seemed they were interested in what I’d been offering them so far. He still couldn’t decide, which meant he was still considering New Star and Dragon’s Gate. As for Savannah, I still had difficulty getting her out of my system, knowing she was just a flo
SAVANNAH“This is outrageous!” I tossed my phone on the bed, frustrated at seeing the article about me and Rafael Sebastian. There was even a picture of Micheal’s house on the page. “This is my fault. I dragged him into my mess.” I walked back and forth across Riley’s bedroom. I was staying in the Allen sibling’s apartment in Manhattan until I found a place to move in.“Can you please sit down? My head feels like breaking watching you right now. This can’t be just your fault. The guy is practically a celebrity,” Riley said. I told her everything I had already spoken to Wesley, so she knew the whole story about Rafael and then Sofia and Edward’s infidelity.I perched next to her. “Well, my face is blurred. I shouldn’t have let him drive me home. Michael will be furious if he sees this.”“He won’t find out. You know Michael isn’t interested in internet gossip.”“I’ll apologize to Rafe tomorrow.” I buried my face in my palms. “God! It’s embarrassing.”“Or don’t.” Wesley entered, already
SAVANNAHIt wasn’t Carter sitting in the backseat when I slid into the car in front of our office building. It was Rafael.“Good evening, Savannah.” His voice was cultured and smooth.“H-hi. Good evening. Carter didn’t say—”“Are you surprised?” He smirked playfully. I felt his gaze on me, but I refused to look. Rafael looked charismatic, as always. He could even put on a sack and would still look impeccable. He was draped in a blue three-piece pinstripe suit, expensive watch, and custom oxford shoes. It was incredible how he managed to look pristine from carrying the company’s most demanding and challenging position.I instantly became highly conscious of how good he smelled. I breathed him in, welcoming his mild spicy and musk perfume that I’d missed after we parted that night in front of my brother’s house last week.Lust sparked on my skin. Images of me on his lap, sucking his tongue, and his long-fingered hands on my bare back instantly appeared in the back of my mind. I’d go cra
SAVANNAH After dinner, Jocelyn and I sat on the couch while Rafe and the Estrella men spoke. Jocelyn asked more about me: my age, family, and job, so I talked about Michael and how I landed a post in Carter’s office. She also mentioned Sofia, who she said was the same age as me. Little did she know, I knew her daughter so much that she even betrayed me and stole my husband. But of course, I couldn’t tell her that. She seemed so proud of her. How would she feel if her daughter, a rising star, had become a mistress? I wouldn’t be able to forgive Sofia. However, I could imagine now how she became the way she was. After leaving the states, she was all alone in Mexico. Her parents wanted her to be an actress or a singer. But she had no friends or siblings, couldn’t speak her dad’s language fluently, and had been bullied while her parents were always busy with work. She told me she never wanted to leave New York. Mexico was where she was born, but she grew up in the US. “She’s skeptical t
SAVANNAH Two years later... I expected to see this day but didn’t expect to feel melancholy. Carter was packing his stuff in a big blue box, like someone who got fired from his job. But his expression was too joyful for someone leaving his post. I was happy for him at the same time. We’d worked together for a couple of years now, and we were so productive. Seeing him step down as CMO would make a drastic change for the office and the entire management. Well, he was following his dreams. He was leaving the entertainment world for a new career journey. He had finally built the perfumery company that he had wanted all along. As for me, I would be the new CMO and Rafe’s partner in life. Yep, that was the proper name for it. “Take care of my office, will you?” Carter said as he transferred his pile of old binders to a box. “You know what to do with these?” “Yes, when I needed ideas from our previous work. Visit us, okay?” He chuckled. “Come on, Savi. We’ve been practically a family e
SAVANNAH“A toast. For all of us!” Rafe lifted his champagne glass as we gathered after the program. The Estrellas and some familiar faces in the company had also joined us at our table. With that, everyone raised their glasses and then drank their champagne.“Thank you, darling.” Rachel put her glass down and clasped her hands. “You see, everyone. I’ve always asked myself whether this time will come, and I’ll be present to witness it.”Everyone turned silent.“But here I am, seeing all of you, celebrating our success. I can’t ask for anything more.” Her gaze stopped at Michael, and she smiled. “I’ve never felt so happy again until this moment. And to my husband and children. Thank you for making this possible, and congratulations to us all.”Everyone at the round table applauded and sipped on their drinks again.“Congratulations to the additional family member, too,” a sophisticated-looking woman in a blue gown commented. She seemed about Rachel’s age.“Oh, Anya is giving birth six m
SAVANNAHThree weeks later…After convincing Michael to officially meet the Sebastians, he hardly had any sleep. I could tell by the dark shades underneath his eyes and how he always asked me what to say to them. He looked nervous but was still very handsome, just like his brother. They were fraternal twins, but was it ironic that I was seeing a resemblance now?Someone knocked on the door, and then Rafe let himself in. “Is everyone ready?”Last week, I moved into his penthouse, which I basically consider my personal space now. We hadn’t told anyone about our engagement since we wanted his parents to meet Michael first and then our announcement. It should be private. He also insisted I invite Michael here yesterday so they could talk.In addition, Michael didn’t know there was a huge celebration in the company tonight. It was the sixtieth founding anniversary of Sebastian Entertainment Group and Rafe’s appointment as the new chairman. Michael had changed his ties many times now in fr
RAFAEL“A week after Mikhail went missing, and the news spread to the school,” I began the story I never told anyone. It tortured me to share this part of my life with someone, but not this me. Surprisingly, I felt fine. My tranquility was her doing.Savannah was now leaning on my chest with my arm on her shoulders on the bed. I loved smelling her vanilla-scented hair. We fucked and made love in the last three hours, but I still couldn’t get enough. I needed more of her.“The kids watched, the teachers felt sorry, and that was when Brett’s friends came to me. They told me what happened at the amusement park. We came back every day. Dad hired people to find him, but he was gone. He didn’t speak to me for a while.”“So you blame yourself because you thought he blamed you. Your dad mentioned something about it,” she said. That was probably when they spoke at the beach. “Why do you think he blamed you?”“I brought him there after school. Mikhail didn’t speak, but he understood me. I asked
RAFAELI couldn’t imagine their faces when I told them Mikhail was alive. Dad had lost hope. My mother still mourned in her sleep. Julian was young when Mikhail went missing, so he couldn’t remember much. My twin was a lost boy who never found his way back home. It had been three decades.I thought it was impossible. I thought when Brett showed me the papers, he was messing with me again, trying to destroy the sanity left in me. But when I saw Michael Gibson, the man who raised the only woman that brought me back to life, when he told me how he got lost before I could say anything, I knew it was him. It was a small world, but it took us time to find each other.It was her. Savannah brought him back to me.Mikhail wasn’t as he was twenty-nine years ago. I worried because of his speech disability, the world would be cruel to him, but he grew up as a man better than I’d become. He stood on his own and became a self-made man. He loved Savannah and protected her. I should be ashamed.I hur
SAVANNAHMichael and the girls were in the living room when Rafe left a few moments ago. They were staring at me with a googly as if waiting for me to say something. I wondered if my brother had told them anything. In addition, it was still strange to see Sofia sitting in our living room.I sat on the sofa across from them.“What now?” Riley said.I looked at my brother. “Do you mind me telling them?”Michael tensed up, folding his arms across his chest. “I supposed they already know, so there’s no point asking.”“Sorry,” I murmured.I started explaining from the beginning—about how Michael told me he was still looking for his family. My friends knew my brother was adopted, but we didn’t speak about it because it seemed unnatural. Michael was already there when I was growing up. My brother even surprisingly answered Riley’s questions.“Please, don’t tell anyone about this yet. Even with your parents, Sofia,” I pleaded.“Of course. I understand,” she said softly.
SAVANNAHMy whole body shivered. Rafe’s question only meant that they were talking about Michael. Gradually, I understood what was happening.There were things Rafael didn’t tell me. Things about him he couldn’t entrust others yet, especially to someone like me whom he had just met. That was human nature, so I understood and was still waiting. But things between the two of us kept getting deeper.It wasn’t just any person who’d accidentally become a part of his life.Rafe had a sibling (a twin) he’d lost many years ago, and it was my very own brother. The same person who raised me, the same person who carried and fed me as a child. It wasn’t just about his family—it was mine too.Rafe and I’s connection to the Reeds was already problematic. I wasn’t sure what to believe because the coincidence was too bewildering; it almost seemed impossible.Unable to answer or move, Rafe snatched my hand and dragged me to his car with brute force. My wrist was hurting, but the noise in my mind from
SAVANNAHThe past few weeks have been busy in the office. I missed Rafe terribly despite my anger at what happened in Long Island. His absence had me overthinking things about him and Erin—things he refused to tell me.I hadn’t heard from Rafe since his last message and only followed him on the news. He was in many meetings and conferences, but Billy and Carter assured me everything was going fine. They didn’t tell me when they were returning. I’d just take what I could get and let him explain when he returned.But today, I stood before his brother because I needed to leave early. Brett was picking me up to take me to Brooklyn, eagerly looking forward and hoping I’d meet Michael’s family. However, Carter had to bring another piece of news.“Rafe’s returning today.”A pool of emotions lifted up my heart. Excitement? Restlessness? I wasn’t sure. “He is? What time?”“Not sure, but he has probably left the office now.”I heaved an exhale. “Thanks for giving me an update every now and then
SAVANNAHI spent the next hour talking to Michael about Rafe. He’d love a bit of honesty, although I kept some privacy for myself. He listened, but he was frantic. My brother wasn’t the type to show it all throughout.“Savannah, that is not okay to leave a girlfriend alone at god knows where for any reason,” he pressed.“I know, but I don’t want to make an issue about it before hearing his explanation.”He shook his head. “You’re too kind.”“Well, I was raised this way.”He arched his eyebrow. “So it’s my fault.”“No! Because you’re too kind to me.” I held his hand. “Michael, we’re still new. He’s still figuring things out because the last time he had a relationship was over a decade ago.”“And you believed him?”“Yes. Why would a man lie about his relationship? As far as I know, men like to brag about it.”“Well… You’re not wrong, although I’m not the type,” he defended. “But please know that if he ever hurt you, he’ll have to face me.”I gave him a smile. “Thank you, but I’ll figure