The Robinson Mansion was alive with movement, the air filled with the delicious aromas of expertly prepared dishes and the quiet hum of last-minute preparations. The grand dining hall, always impressive, had been set to perfection—fine china gleaming under the golden glow of the chandelier, fresh floral arrangements adding warmth to the formal setting, and an air of anticipation thick enough to be cut with a knife. This wasn’t just any dinner. This was a dinner with Artemis. For years, Bronson and Angela Robinson had dreamed of having their family whole again. And now, with Artemis finally stepping back into their lives, they wanted to make sure he felt welcome, not as a guest, but as their son. Klarisse had spent the afternoon keeping Alex calm. Her husband was nervous, though he would never admit it. Instead, he had kept himself busy, overseeing the kitchen staff, double-checking the seating arrangements, and, at one point, even arranging and rearranging the wine selection. “Ale
Days passed, and though Artemis hadn’t openly declared his decision to stay, his actions spoke louder than words. He had yet to move into the mansion, still choosing to stay in a luxury hotel in the city, but he was no longer avoiding the family. He was attending more family dinners, spending time with the twins and, more significantly, he had agreed to attend a business meeting at Bronson Industries. It was a step forward—a cautious one—but a step nonetheless. Alexander arrived at the Bronson Industries headquarters earlier than usual that morning, checking the final details of the meeting scheduled for later in the day. It was an important one, involving several high-profile clients who had long-standing ties to their family’s business empire. The meeting was supposed to be a routine discussion about ongoing contracts, but for Alexander, it meant something more. It would be Artemis’s first official introduction to the business—a chance for him to observe and understand the empire
Allie was seated at the counter, her fingers quickly flipping through the pages of the café’s accounting books. She was nearly done with her monthly earnings report, a task she had done countless times before, but tonight, she felt more exhausted than usual. Maybe it was because Klarisse wasn’t around as much, or perhaps it was just the weight of responsibility pressing down on her shoulders. Either way, she was more than ready to call it a night. Then, the doorbell chimed. At first, she didn’t look up, assuming it was just a late customer hoping for a last-minute coffee. But when she finally lifted her gaze, her breath hitched slightly. Artemis. Standing tall in the doorway, dressed in a sharp black suit that made him look effortlessly sophisticated, he exuded confidence. His presence alone shifted the atmosphere of the café, drawing attention without even trying. Allie blinked, momentarily stunned. Klarisse hadn’t mentioned that Artemis would be stopping by. In fact, Klarisse h
“Alex!” Klarisse shouted, her voice trembling with desperation. She gently closed her eyes and collapsed, her body giving in to exhaustion and despair.“Boss, what are we going to do with her?” one of the men asked, looking down at Klarisse’s unconscious form.The boss smirked, a sinister gleam in his eyes. “Alex, you have no idea. You chose to save your ex over your wife. What a wonderful scene,” he sneered, relishing the unfolding drama.Alex was stunned, realizing the gravity of his mistake. No one had even mentioned Maxine until he rescued her. “No, something’s wrong,” he mumbled, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.Maxine opened her eyes, her vision blurred with tears. Seeing Alex, she sobbed, “You came, thank you so much.” She reached out and hugged him tightly, her relief palpable.But Alex was torn, his heart heavy with guilt and confusion. He stared into the distance, barely acknowledging Maxine’s embrace. “Klarisse,” he whispered, his voice filled with regret.*******
Allie felt miserable for Klarisse, who had done everything to avoid her fate, but it kept chasing her, forcing her to choose between her family and herself. “Allie, if I go through with this marriage, what about my business? I don’t want you to get tired managing it,” Klarisse stated. Allie chuckled. "Klarisse, you don’t have to worry about me. Besides, you are paying me," she replied with a laugh. Klarisse playfully slapped her arm."Yeah, but you’re still my best friend. I don’t want to see you all haggardly; it’s not good for your beauty. I hate seeing you tired. You’re losing glamor points." she teased. Allie rolled her eyes and shot her a mock death glare, but Klarisse hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek."Eww, gross!" Allie exclaimed."Duh, I’m just so sweet," Klarisse retorted. Their banter was interrupted when a new customer entered the café. Both of their eyes turned to the glass door, now held open by a man dressed in all black. "Wow, he’s cool," Allie commented
“I’m sorry, Mom. I need more time to figure out my decisions in life,” Klarisse mumbled as she parked her car and headed to another branch of her café. She owned multiple branches of Klarisse’s Café around the area.“Good morning, ma’am,” the guard greeted her.She smiled warmly. “Good morning. I’m just going to check some things here.”The guard nodded as she walked inside. The café was bustling with customers, which brought her a sense of pride. It made her happy, but a wave of sadness washed over her as she remembered her twin sister, Klara, was no longer alive to share in her success. The happiness was bittersweet.“Klara, if you were here, I know you’d be happy to see how well the café is doing, I know you’d be proud to see my hard work paying off,” she whispered to herself.Just then, the manager spotted her and called out, “Klarisse! It’s great to see you here.”Klarisse forced a smile and walked over. “Hi, I just wanted to see how everything’s going. It looks busy.”“Really we
It was already dark, and Klarisse was on her way home to their mansion, a knot of anxiety tightening in her chest. She knew she needed to speak with her parents about her decision regarding the arranged marriage. Lost in thought, she spotted a car stopped at the corner ahead, with a man waving urgently as if in need of help.“Who is that?” she mumbled to herself, curiosity piqued. Her initial instinct was to keep driving—strangers on dark roads often meant trouble. But as she approached, the man stepped into the center of the road, forcing her to come to a halt.“Hey! Are you crazy?!” she shouted, feeling a mix of irritation and fear.The man, wearing a cap that partially obscured his face, responded sharply, “I am not crazy, but you are. You’re ignoring someone who needs help.”Klarisse squinted, trying to place where she might have seen him before. “Wait, do I know you?” she asked cautiously. But her curiosity got the better of her.The man looked up, and recognition flickered acros
"Alex, you're here again," a man said, greeting Alex with a friendly bump of fists.Alex smiled, his expression warm. "Of course. Is Maxine home?"The man nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "Yeah, she's inside."Alex made his way to the small, humble house, knocking gently on the door."Who is it?" a woman's voice called out from within."It's me, aunty," Alex replied, his voice tinged with familiarity and affection.The door opened swiftly, revealing an older woman whose face lit up with excitement. "Alex! What are you doing here at this hour?" she asked, her eyes twinkling."I came by to see Max. Is she here?" Alex asked, a note of urgency in his tone.The woman's expression shifted subtly, a mix of hesitation and concern. "Oh, she's inside her room," she said, stepping aside to let him in."Thank you," Alex said with a nod and made his way to the small, humble house. He gently knocked on Maxine's door before pushing it open.Inside her room, Maxine was sitting at a small wooden de
Allie was seated at the counter, her fingers quickly flipping through the pages of the café’s accounting books. She was nearly done with her monthly earnings report, a task she had done countless times before, but tonight, she felt more exhausted than usual. Maybe it was because Klarisse wasn’t around as much, or perhaps it was just the weight of responsibility pressing down on her shoulders. Either way, she was more than ready to call it a night. Then, the doorbell chimed. At first, she didn’t look up, assuming it was just a late customer hoping for a last-minute coffee. But when she finally lifted her gaze, her breath hitched slightly. Artemis. Standing tall in the doorway, dressed in a sharp black suit that made him look effortlessly sophisticated, he exuded confidence. His presence alone shifted the atmosphere of the café, drawing attention without even trying. Allie blinked, momentarily stunned. Klarisse hadn’t mentioned that Artemis would be stopping by. In fact, Klarisse h
Days passed, and though Artemis hadn’t openly declared his decision to stay, his actions spoke louder than words. He had yet to move into the mansion, still choosing to stay in a luxury hotel in the city, but he was no longer avoiding the family. He was attending more family dinners, spending time with the twins and, more significantly, he had agreed to attend a business meeting at Bronson Industries. It was a step forward—a cautious one—but a step nonetheless. Alexander arrived at the Bronson Industries headquarters earlier than usual that morning, checking the final details of the meeting scheduled for later in the day. It was an important one, involving several high-profile clients who had long-standing ties to their family’s business empire. The meeting was supposed to be a routine discussion about ongoing contracts, but for Alexander, it meant something more. It would be Artemis’s first official introduction to the business—a chance for him to observe and understand the empire
The Robinson Mansion was alive with movement, the air filled with the delicious aromas of expertly prepared dishes and the quiet hum of last-minute preparations. The grand dining hall, always impressive, had been set to perfection—fine china gleaming under the golden glow of the chandelier, fresh floral arrangements adding warmth to the formal setting, and an air of anticipation thick enough to be cut with a knife. This wasn’t just any dinner. This was a dinner with Artemis. For years, Bronson and Angela Robinson had dreamed of having their family whole again. And now, with Artemis finally stepping back into their lives, they wanted to make sure he felt welcome, not as a guest, but as their son. Klarisse had spent the afternoon keeping Alex calm. Her husband was nervous, though he would never admit it. Instead, he had kept himself busy, overseeing the kitchen staff, double-checking the seating arrangements, and, at one point, even arranging and rearranging the wine selection. “Ale
The soft chime of the café’s entrance bell rang as Alexander and Klarisse stepped inside, the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee wrapping around them like a comforting embrace. The café had always been Klarisse’s safe haven—a place where things felt lighter, where conversations flowed easier, and where difficult truths were somehow easier to digest. Tonight, she hoped it would have the same effect on Artemis. Alexander had arranged for them to meet here, away from the weight of the Robinson estate and its legacy. Here, they weren’t heirs or businessmen—they were just people trying to make sense of their tangled pasts. Artemis was already there, seated at a corner booth, his posture relaxed but his sharp eyes watching their every move. He had always exuded a quiet intensity, a presence that commanded attention without effort. His dark suit contrasted with the rustic charm of the café, making him stand out even more. As they approached, he gave a slow nod, his expression unreadable
The drive to the Fowl Estate was quiet but thoughtful. Alexander kept one hand on the steering wheel, his other resting on Klarisse’s thigh as she gazed out the window, deep in thought. Their conversation with Bronson and Angela the day before had left them both shaken, but not lost. Instead, they had gained clarity on what they needed to do next. “We should reach out to Artemis ourselves,” Klarisse finally said, breaking the silence. Alex kept his eyes on the road, but she could see his grip on the wheel tighten slightly. “You really think he’ll listen?” She turned to him, reaching for his free hand. “I don’t know. But I do know that if we let more time pass, he might disappear again. And if we don’t try, we’ll always wonder what could have happened.” Alex sighed, his fingers lacing with hers. “I just… I don’t know what to say to him.” Klarisse gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Then we figure it out together.” Alex nodded, appreciating her support. He had spent years resenti
The next morning, the Robinson estate was quiet, but tension crackled in the air like a brewing storm. Alex and Klarisse arrived at the family mansion, both knowing that this wasn’t going to be a simple breakfast gathering. They have dropped off the twins at the Fowl’s Estate to stay with their grandparents there, Alan and Kareen. The events of the previous night still lingered in their minds—Artemis’s sudden appearance, his cryptic words, and then his abrupt departure without an explanation. As they walked hand in hand through the grand hallway, Klarisse gave Alex’s fingers a reassuring squeeze. She could feel the barely contained frustration radiating from him. “I still don’t understand why he just left,” Alex muttered under his breath. “What was the point of showing up just to walk away?” Klarisse glanced at him. “Maybe he wanted to see if he was still welcome.” Alex scoffed, shaking his head. “If he wanted to be welcome, he should have stayed and explained himself. But Artemis
The grand birthday celebration of Lucas and Liana was winding down. The laughter of children had softened, and guests were beginning to exchange parting words and warm goodbyes. Some of the high-profile business associates of the Robinsons and Fowls had already made their exits, while close family and friends still lingered in the elegantly decorated garden, sipping the last of their champagne under the twinkling fairy lights. Klarisse sat with Alex on one of the cushioned benches near the stage, exhausted but happy. Her fingers laced through his as she leaned against him, watching as their children giggled in the arms of their doting grandparents. “Today was perfect,” she murmured. Alex kissed her temple. “Because you made it perfect.” Just as Klarisse was about to reply, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught her attention. A low murmur spread among the remaining guests, like ripples on a calm lake after a stone had been tossed into it. Heads were turning toward the entrance of
The Robinson mansion had never been this festive. From the grand entrance adorned with pastel balloons to the sprawling garden filled with elegantly decorated tables, everything was set for the most anticipated event of the year—the first birthday of Lucas and Liana Robinson. It wasn’t just a simple family gathering; it was a statement. The Robinson and Fowl families, two of the most influential names in business, were showcasing the next generation—their heirs and the future of their legacy. But beyond the business implications, today was about celebrating the joy, laughter, and love that Lucas and Liana had brought into their parents’ lives. Klarisse had been hands-on with the planning, despite Alex and their parents insisting that she leave it to the event organizers. “I want this to be special,” she had told Alex one evening while reviewing the guest list. “Not just another corporate event or business showcase. It’s their first birthday. It has to be personal.” Alex had smiled
The arrival of Lucas and Liana Robinson had completely turned Alexander and Klarisse’s lives upside down—in the most beautiful and chaotic way possible. Their once-organized schedules had become a blur of sleepless nights, baby cries, and diaper changes. But through it all, there was an undeniable joy in every moment, even in the most exhausting ones. Gone were the days when Alex and Klarisse could enjoy peaceful mornings, having breakfast together in a slow, relaxed manner before heading to work. Now, their mornings started at unpredictable hours, dictated entirely by the twins. On most days, Klarisse would wake up to the sound of Lucas’s soft whimpers, followed shortly by Liana’s cries. And before she could even get out of bed, Alex was already by the crib, rocking one of them while trying to soothe the other with gentle words. “Shh, Daddy’s here,” he murmured, cradling Lucas against his chest while bouncing slightly on his feet. Klarisse, still groggy but smiling, would join hi