Natalie’s POVI felt like I had difficulty understanding right now.With a frown, I stammered, “Wh... What do you mean?”He smiled patiently and replied apologetically, “I’m sorry, Natalie. I should have told you earlier.”“My father is alive? Where is he? Where does he live?” Questions flooded my mind like a rushing river, as I knew nothing about him. Mum never mentioned him, and on the rare occasions she did, it was only after I insisted and cried for her to tell me. All she would say was that he wasn’t a good man, not someone I should be proud to know, and that he didn’t deserve me. He didn’t even know I existed!“Yes, he is. But he’s living in an addiction treatment clinic. He married once after your mother left him, but his second wife dumped him for the same reason—his addiction,” he mumbled, sadness all over his face.I opened my mouth slightly, trying to digest the heavy information I had just learned.From the corner of my eye, I saw Maya patting Daniel’s shoulder, as if she w
Natalie’s POV"I’m ready to face society," I reassured him when he remained silent.I saw the confusion in his eyes caused by my sudden decision. He didn't understand the reason behind it—his flesh and blood growing inside me.His features softened as he cupped my face and whispered between our lips, “As I told you before, I need some time to end things with Debbie.” Then, as if he was reading my expression, he searched my face with his gaze and added something that shocked me, “We’re facing a big problem with our last shipment. Some of my employees are involved in a drug deal.”I frowned. So he knows! Why was Debbie insisting that Rafael didn’t know anything yet? I hesitated, unsure whether I should tell him about my upcoming meeting with Debbie and her friend or not.He stayed silent, just glaring at my face, but I felt the change in his aura—a cold, furious glint in his eyes.I thought he was angry because of the shipment and the betrayal by his employees.He cupped my face again a
Natalie's POV I wasn't ready. Suddenly, I felt I didn't want to do this. I couldn't.I stared at him wide-eyed as he waited for me to move or act. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and full of desperation."Raf!" This was the tenth time I called him, but he didn't respond, as if he were in another world, unable to hear me.“Raf! Stand up, please!” All he replied was, “I’m ready for my punishment, ma'am.”"What punishment, for God's sake?!"The silence continued, lifting the tension even higher.I gulped, feeling very hesitant. Why did I even ask him to do this? Yes, I wanted to control our relationship, but not in this way!But what if I made him understand my feelings during our intimate time in the way he treated me, just this once?This wicked thought shined in my eyes.However, as much as I called him, he didn't move. He stayed in the same position.My eyes fell on the whip. I lifted it with trembling hands, staring at it for a little while, unable to summon the courage to do
Rafael’s POV“Raf! Can I ask you a question?” Natalie said, her voice stammering a little.I patted her head and smiled. "Sure!"She stared at my face, hesitant about whether to ask or not. So, I encouraged her, "You can ask me whatever you want."However, I thought she might ask me about the drug deal. Her previous reaction when I mentioned it suggested she knew about the issue and was somehow involved. But she shocked me by asking a completely different question than what I had in mind.She asked with a faint smile, "Why did you choose to be sadistic? Is there any chance you could be normal... I mean, do things in a normal way without all this punishment stuff?" Her voice was tinged with curiosity and anxiety.I let out a deep sigh. Even though I didn't like talking about this and disliked anyone interfering in my ways, she, as a partner, had the right to know.“If I tell you the truth, won't your view of me change? Wouldn't you hate me?” I asked, staring into her eyes while a surge
Natalie's POV My heart was racing uncontrollably inside my chest, almost bursting out of my ribs.All his words and actions showed me he loved me, but I needed to hear it from his lips.I needed to hear it to believe it. I didn't want to live in a delusion.However, it seemed too surreal to be true. All my dreams shattered before my eyes when he said in a sharp tone, “I told you from the beginning, Nat, I don’t believe in something called love.”Against my will, my eyes welled with hot tears. I lowered my head to avoid letting him see my misery. He gently lifted my chin and mumbled with a softer tone and a faint smile, "Natalie, I’m an inpatient man. Don’t be fooled by my outwardly shiny appearance; inside, I’m a distorted person. If a mother doesn’t love her own son and considers him an obstacle to her success, how could that child grow up to give love?”"But I loved you and still love you," I said desperately, tears streaming down my face.I never expected to confess my feelings to
"What are you doing here?" Rafael growled."Hey, son. Is that how you welcome your mother after so long?" Nicol retorted with a smile and a hint of pain in her expression.Rafael gently guided me to a chair beside him after I froze upon seeing his mother. After sitting down, he said, "It's not like you were trying to reach out all these months, Mom."Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she smiled confidently. "Oh, Raf, you know how busy I am," she said, lifting a strand of her stunning hair with her carefully polished hand."Yes, I know," he replied simply, sipping his coffee nonchalantly.Silence filled the room. Even Grandma and Tobi were quiet.I felt sorry for her; after all, she was a guest here. Even though I knew she didn’t like me or my mother in the past, I still smiled at her and said, "It's nice to see you here, Nicol."She hadn't been here since Dad Matt's funeral.She glanced at me, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Oh, sorry, I didn’t notice you before, dear. Are you
Once I got back to the office, Rosalinda ran up to me, exclaiming, “Miss Natalie, the CEO almost demolished the company over our heads.” Her voice was shaking.“Why? What happened?” I asked, confused.“He was looking for you. He tried to call you, but your phone was off. He called the office phone almost every three minutes,” she said, and then the office phone rang.In horror, she picked up the handset and, with a shaky voice, answered, “Hello, this is The Rela...”A growl I could hear cut her off. She looked at me and said, “Yes, sir. She’s here.” Then she handed me the phone handset as if it were a piece of hell."Where the fuck have you been, and why was your damn phone off?" he roared through the phone, forcing me to move it away from my ear a little.Without waiting for my reply, he ordered, “Come to my office, NOW!” and hung up.I blinked, staring at the phone handset in my hand. “What’s wrong with him?” I thought.With a faint smile, Rosalinda took the handset from me and, mot
My friends stared at my face in anticipation, eagerly waiting for my reply.I nodded.Rebecca’s eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “I knew it!”“But dear, he has a fiancée. I hope he wouldn’t hurt you,” Fello countered, her expression a little worried.How could I tell them that we are married and that I already have his babies in my womb?Fello lifted her phone again, handed it to me, and said, “Look, here’s an announcement of their marriage on the official website of Merrin Group. They are getting married in ten days, Natalie.”My heart sank as I searched for the date of the post on the webpage. The news was posted yesterday! How could that be possible? I felt the place spinning around, and nausea rose to my throat.I grabbed the glass of water in front of me and gulped it down in one go.Rebecca held my arm. “Hun, what’s wrong? You’re so pale.”“I’m okay, I’m going home,” I murmured, my voice barely audible.Once I stood, I felt a little dizzy. Fello held me and said, “Are you okay,
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