Rafael’s POV In the dim light of the corridors, we sneaked downstairs. I was walking ahead while holding Natalie's hand as she followed behind me. “What if we found Laura in the kitchen?” she whispered. “So what? I don't care!” I whispered back. She hit me on my shoulder and mumbled through gritted teeth, "But I do!” She insisted that we shouldn’t let any of the domestic staff see us sneaking after midnight towards the kitchen. The house was immersed in silence and darkness, indicating that all of its residents were asleep. Once we barged into the kitchen, we broke to laughter. She promptly lifted her hand to cover my mouth and placed her other hand’s finger on her cherry lips, and hissed, “Shsh” I sucked her fingers on my lips. I was addicted to every small touch from her. She pushed me and yelled without sound, just moving her lips, “Hoolagine.” I mocked her and said loudly, “Laur…” She covered my mouth with both of her hands. I chuckled and mumbled from beneath them, “Why
Natalie’s POV I slowly tried to open my eyelids as a strong light struck them. I closed them again and stretched my hand to touch Rafael’s body, who insisted on sleeping in my room last night. But his place was empty despite his scent lingering in the air. I opened my eyes and sat up, only to see Rosy, one of the domestic staff. As soon as she saw me wake up, she smiled softly and said, “Good morning, Miss Natalie.” It was strange to wake up and find one of the domestic staff in my room. It had never happened before. They can't just walk into my personal space so casually without asking. It seemed like she realized what I was thinking, so she smiled again and clarified, “Mr. Merrin asked me to bring your breakfast to your room. I hope I didn’t bother you, though.” I scanned the room with my eyes, making sure there was nothing suspicious or odd left from last night. I sighed in relief when everything seemed normal. I smiled, cleared my throat, and said in a clumsy tone, “Okay, thank
Natalie’s POVAs I expected, all the gazes of the security guards were on the car. Its shiny color easily caught their attention. I was glad that I was already late for work and that all the employees were now in their offices.After I parked the car, I headed straight to Rafael’s office inside the building, hoping to catch him before he got immersed in the day's endless meetings. I tightened the scarf around my neck as a group of employees joined me in the elevator. I greeted them with a small smile, and they returned the greeting, continuing their conversation."Is Rafael in his office?" I asked the secretary once I stood before her desk.She smiled broadly and replied, "Yes, Miss Natalie. And he’s waiting for you.”I raised my eyebrows slightly in astonishment, then narrowed my eyes at the realization that he knew I would come to him. So, he was doing all this on purpose.Suddenly, a harsh voice from the speaker on the secretary's desk rang out loudly, saying, "Hasn't Miss Natalie
Natalie’s POVI raised my chin defiantly and retorted, “So, how do you plan to satisfy your sadistic urges?”He didn’t reply, but I knew the answer. He was addicted to what he had been doing all these years. My body stiffened as I grappled with a dilemma: should I let go of this futile relationship?He felt my body tense, so he tapped on my shoulders and said in a sad tone, “I can't guarantee your safety if we get in this.”I closed my eyes to hide my despair, and when I opened them again I inquired, “Then, why did you pay that car for me? Why did you care to send breakfast to my room? Is that compensation for using me? Should be grateful for that?”He exclaimed in shock, “No, for God's sake, Natalie. I did that because I want to. Because our relationship will never be over. You're my family. I’ll take care of you and shower you with care even if you refused”I stared deeply into his eyes with a challenge and said with a confirm tone, “But I want to sign that contract.”He was taken a
Natalie's POV Before Rafael could reply, knocks on the door made him frown. He glanced at his wristwatch and roared, "Come in." His secretary entered and closed the door behind her. A look of trouble on her face, she cleared her throat and stammered, "Sir, I know you ordered me not to interrupt you or let anyone through. But Miss Debbie is here, and she insisted on seeing you now. Even though I told her that you’re in a close meeting with Miss Natalie. I could barely hold her back from barging in." “What did she want?” he asked. Before the secretary could reply, the office door swung open, and Debbie walked in. She stared at each one of us with a broad smile, then stepped towards me and hugged me, saying, “Hey, Natalie. Long time no see. I missed you.” Then she held my hands and added, “We should make sisters day together one day.” She looked at Rafael and added, “Your sister will be my sister once we marry.” "What’s wrong? Why are you here?" Rafael ignored her statement and as
Natalie's POV "You're unbelievable!" I exclaimed amidst tears and laughter. Our laughter echoed to the folks beside us. It was incredible how my friends and I transformed into reservoirs of jokes whenever we gathered. Even in the darkest moments of our lives, we couldn't resist bursting into laughter when we were together. "You didn't see how Fello acted when the man caught her red-handed," Rebecca recounted amidst her chuckles, struggling to keep her tears at bay. The waiter brought over our orders. Rebecca and Fello opted for wine, while I chose orange juice. "Come on, Natalie. We haven't seen each other for a while now. One glass wouldn't do any harm," Fello urged, attempting to persuade me to join them in drinking. I shook my head firmly and replied, "No." Rebecca gulped her glass in one shot and asked with curiosity shining in her green eyes, "So, tell us about the Bugatti. Did it come from that Frenchman?" Fello sighed in a dreamy tone, "Oh, how romantic! Is he really th
Natalie’s POVI shot my friends a furious look, still simmering with anger over what they had done earlier. However, I couldn't maintain my facade for long; soon, we burst into laughter."I can't believe you did that, you crazy ones," I said amidst my giggles.Rebecca replied with excitement, "I can't believe he sent you that amount of money already. Is there any way to push his fiancée aside and make him engage me?""What about your fiancé?" Fello asked her, his tone dripping with fake disdain.She rolled her eyes and said, "Dev is a wealthy man, but he's not as rich as Rafael."I stared at her with amusement. "Haven't you heard of love before?""Love is for weak people," she replied, lifting her chin defiantly.Her reply reminded me of Rafael's opinion about love; they shared the same perspective.But there was a difference between their reasons for that opinion. As much as I understood Rebecca's love for money, I also knew the extent of her suffering due to her mother's relationshi
Rafael’s POV"What happened?" I asked Natalie's friend, Fello, over the phone, attempting to suppress the furious tone in my voice as I drove recklessly.Fello replied amid her sobs, fear evident in her trembling voice, "I don't know. She started acting strangely, and now we couldn't make her leave the dance floor. And... and..." She hesitated, as if she was in a dilemma.I yelled impatiently, “What’s wrong, Fello? What happened again?”“Some… there are some men trying to pull her to one of the rooms,” she said, and I cursed, “Fuck.”"We tried to talk to the security men, but they weren't very helpful. They said they can't interfere while the girl is doing this on her own," Fello said, breaking down into loud sobs."Please, Rafael. Come as soon as you can," Rebecca's terrified voice came through the speaker. She paused for a second, then added with a broken voice, "I'm afraid you'll be too late if you don't."Her words spurred me to increase my speed. I couldn't comprehend why Natalie
Hello everybody!!Thank you for reading this book. I appreciate the time you spent on this journey with me.I feel a mixture of emotions now—both happy and sad. Happy because I successfully completed this book, and sad because the journey has come to an end. The lesson of this book is that true love is strong and marriage is precious. Try to understand your spouse, take their hand, and face life's difficulties together.Please follow me and stay tuned for my new book.With love,Jeje Romanzoo
Natalie’s POVI heard the sound of Rafael's keys in the door lock with great anticipation. I took a deep breath as he opened the mansion door, and a wave of claps and joyful laughter washed over him. The room was filled with friends and family, their faces glowing with happiness. But the one thing that captured his attention, the one image that filled his heart and eyes with overwhelming joy, was me. I stood in the center of the room, holding Matt in my arms, wearing a stunning white dress—a wedding dress.Rafael’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief, and then tears of happiness welled up. His expression mirrored my own overwhelming emotions. I remembered the days when I loved him secretly, the painful nights I spent yearning for his touch. The jealousy that broke my heart at that time. Then, I thought of how much he had changed for me, how he had shed his sadistic tendencies and embraced a love that was tender and true. Our love had become a sanctuary, a safe haven where we could be
Natalie’s POVThe location led me to a rundown part of town, a place I would never have thought to visit under normal circumstances. The taxi stopped a few blocks away, and I paid the driver, telling him to wait. I couldn’t risk Debbie spotting the car.I walked the rest of the way, my senses on high alert. Every sound, every shadow made my heart race. Finally, I reached the address Debbie had sent. It was an old, abandoned warehouse, the kind of place that sent shivers down your spine just by looking at it.I wiped a tear ran down my cheek, and with taking a deep breath, I stepped inside. The air was musty, and the only light came from the gaps in the boarded-up windows. My footsteps echoed eerily as I walked further into the building.My heart bounded with anticipation, finally I would see my little boy. How did she manage to feed him? He didn’t take the formula milk.“Natalie,” Debbie’s voice rang out from the darkness, sending a chill down my spine. She stepped out from the shadow
Natalie’s POVAs the door swung open, my breath caught in my throat. But, there, standing on the doorstep, was my family—the Rowsons. Maya, Daniel, Lucas, their mother and father, and even our granny. They all looked worried, their presence both comforting and overwhelming.As I stared at them, I was shocked. It was the last person to step forward who shocked me the most. My real father. He stood there, looking healthier and stronger than I remembered, and there was a softness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen the last time I visited him. For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. It was as if time had stopped, and all I could do was stare at him.“Hey guys, you came!” Rafael cut the silence with a surprised tone."Nat," Maya said softly, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around me. "We're here for you."Everybody stepped inside and started hugging me except one person, my father.However, he stood there puzzled for a moment then said softly in a whisper, “Natalie,” his voice th
Natalie’s POVThe long night passed in a haze of dread and exhaustion. I couldn’t sleep; every time I closed my eyes, I saw Matt’s face, heard his cries. The darkness outside the window was a mirror to the darkness inside me, a suffocating blanket that left me gasping for breath. I paced the room, my steps slow and heavy, my mind replaying the events of the day over and over again.Rafael had been gone for hours, searching desperately for any clue that might lead us to our son. The silence of the house was oppressive, broken only by the occasional creak of the floorboards or the distant hum of traffic outside. The waiting was unbearable, each minute stretching into an eternity. I could feel the panic rising within me, threatening to consume me whole.I moved from room to room, my body restless, my mind tormented by the unknown. I went into Matt's room and sat on his bed, clutching his favorite stuffed animal, inhaling the faint scent of him still lingering in the fabric. Memories of h
Natalie’s POVSix hours had passed, and still, no news about Matt. My heart tightened with each minute that dragged by, constricting so tightly that I could barely breathe. The silence was suffocating, every second stretching into an eternity. I couldn’t imagine what Debbie might be doing to my little boy. Rafael had been updating me frequently with whatever scraps of information he could gather, but the constant fear gnawed at me, an ever-present shadow that made me feel as if I might crumble at any moment.“No news?” Tobi asked gently as she handed me a cup of coffee. Her voice was soft, but the concern in her eyes was palpable. I shook my head, unable to find any words that could convey the depth of my fear. Nothing was clear. Debbie was careful—she’d even managed to avoid the street cameras.The waiting was unbearable. My mind started to spiral, conjuring horrific images of my son’s screams, trapped in my head like an endless loop of terror. It was dark outside now, the evening s
The room spun around me, and I had to grip the back of the chair to steady myself when Natalie told me that Matt had been kidnapped.“Matt is kidnapped,” her words echoed endlessly in my mind.“Matt is gone, Raf! You have to bring my son back to me!” she wailed through the phone, her words barely understandable through her loud sobs.Every passing minute was crucial, every second a potential danger. The guilt was overwhelming. Was I the reason danger had found my family? Why did I ever get engaged to that witch in the first place?Documents and everything else on my desk scattered to the floor as I shoved the table over in a fit of rage and frustration. The chaos mirrored the turmoil inside me.The office door swung open, and Jack and several employees rushed in. “What’s going on?” Jack asked, staring around the wrecked room in shock.“She kidnapped Matt!” I roared, my voice raw with desperation.Earlier that afternoon, I had received a call from the main city police station warning m
Natalie’s POVThe afternoon crowd was stifling as I wrapped up the meeting for the upcoming fashion show and made my way home. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the bustling streets, a stark contrast to my serene thoughts.It had been three months since we returned to the USA, and I had already launched my new fashion design company. My heart swelled with happiness at the thought. Living with my husband and our nearly four-month-old son was a dream come true, and every day felt like a step closer to my ambitions as a fashion designer.I couldn't help but smile as I imagined Rafael at home, sitting beside Matt’s crib, watching him sleep or feeding him his bottle. The mere thought of our little family filled me with warmth.My phone rang, jolting me from my reverie. I glanced at the screen and pressed the reply button, Laura's voice echoing through the car speaker. “Natalie, are you on your way home?” she asked, her tone edged with urgency.“Yes, what's wrong, Laur
Natalie’s POVThe room door swung open, and the Rowsens filed in one by one until the space was filled with their lively presence.“Hey, new mother!” Carla exclaimed, balancing a box of gifts in her hands, as the other family members held their own presents.“Oh, look at the little boy. He’s a spitting image of the charming Lucas, which is me,” Lucas mumbled, bending down to get a closer look at my child.“Move away!” Rafael snapped, shoving Lucas aside. “Don’t touch him. He’s still weak and could get infected easily!”I stifled a chuckle. Rafael’s overprotectiveness was one of his most endearing traits.“Hey, man! What’s wrong with you? I was just trying to see the boy! Don’t tell me you’re one of those overprotective fathers!” Lucas teased, prompting laughter from everyone in the room.I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me. The Rowsens had supported me when I was at my lowest, and they had become my real family. But now, with Rafael and our son, I had my own family. I loved them a