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,
Rafael’s POV Two days had passed since the last time I saw Natalie. I hadn't gone back home even once. I had to find the schemers who were trying to set her up.My men and I spent day and night searching for any evidence. I didn’t have much time left. The shipment would be soon in the port, and the investigation would be official then.All fingers pointed to her, and I started to believe them. Even her signature was on one of the invoices. My father had given her many powers within the company that I had not taken away from her.But why would she do such a thing?I remembered her asking for the 5 million. The number was huge, but at that moment I didn't care, thinking she just wanted to secure herself.Suddenly, a thought jumped into my head. I grabbed my phone from the table and called the bank.“This is Rafael Merrin. I transferred an amount of money to an account under the name of Natalie Steel. Could you check if the amount is still in the account?” I said.“Hold on for one minut
Rafael's POVI pushed her into the car and slammed the door. I was on the verge of exploding from rage.Without uttering a word, I started the engine and sped away. I was driving over the speed limit. She whispered in a low voice, “Raf, please. Slow down!”I slammed the steering wheel with my fists and roared, “What the hell were you thinking, Natalie, huh?”She touched my arm and whispered, “Raf, please. Believe me, it wasn’t me, it’s Debbie's….”I pushed her hand away furiously and shouted, “No! It was you!”It was she who made me almost lose my mind. It was she who made me feel betrayed. I don’t give a shit about Debbie. She was the one I cared for, the one I waited for to be honest with me.She didn’t argue after that. When I glanced at her, her face was very pale, with one hand on her stomach and the other on her mouth. Realizing she was about to vomit, I reduced my speed, and we didn’t speak again until I parked in front of the villa. The high-pitched squeal of the brakes made
Natalie’s POVMy cells were still trembling from what happened in the apartment when I got out of Rafael’s car and headed inside the villa. A wave of pain was cutting through my abdomen.I was scared and shocked to the core when I saw Rafael standing in front of the apartment door. Could this affect my babies?I shook my head to erase these thoughts as my mind was full of overlapping ideas. I inserted my key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. Once I entered, I heard voices coming from the living room.I thought it was Grandma and Tobi, so I headed there, craving Grandma’s tender embrace. Even though my lower abdomen was killing me, I wanted to hug her a little before going to sleep.But once I stepped inside the living room, three heads turned towards me, and none of them were Grandma or Tobi."Wow, see who’s home!" said Nicol.I ignored her, fixing my gaze on one face; Debbie. She succeeded in framing me. Rage rose inside me as I headed straight towards her and snapped, “Y
Natalie’s POV"Miss Natalie! Are you okay?" Laura's voice came from behind the door, making Debbie stop kicking my stomach.She promptly bent down, covered my mouth with her hand, and whispered, "Say you're okay, or I'll publish that video on social media. Everyone will believe it's you!"She slowly removed her hand from my mouth. All that mattered to me now was saving my babies, so I did exactly what she said to make her leave."I'm good," I said in a heavy voice.She paused for a moment, then asked again with concern, "Are you sure? If you are—" I cut her off, "I'm fine, Laura!" as Debbie pulled me by my hair.I couldn’t resist her. I felt dizzy, and my heartbeat quickened so much that it felt like I was about to faint as the pain in my stomach became unbearable.After a few minutes, Debbie left my room, sneaking out after Laura had gone.I wanted to take my phone and call Rafael, to ask him why he did this to me and to tell him what Debbie had just done. But I didn’t have the energ
Natalie’s POVI had to leave here soon. I didn't want to see him, her, or anyone.I rushed to my room and grabbed my suitcase. Despite the ache in my abdomen, I moved quickly. I didn't want to stay here for another second.This was no longer my home. I should have moved out when my father, Matt, died.I was throwing my clothes into my suitcase without even concentrating on what I was putting in. Suddenly, the room door swung open and Rafael stormed in. Without a word, he hugged me tightly.He hugged me tightly, almost to the point where I couldn't breathe. Then, he kissed my forehead and said, "Please, forgive me!"I couldn't bear it. Was he here to break up with me? He really didn't have to do this. I already knew everything was over between us. It was over before it even started.I hated self-pity, and I couldn't bring myself to hear his nonsense apologies after he had let me down.If I lost my love, I wasn't going to lose my freedom so easily. And if I couldn't rely on him to prote
"I’m sorry, we did our best," the doctor said sadly.I stared at Daniel, breathing heavily, and mumbled, "Daniel, tell me this is a lie and everything is okay." My face was etched with shock.When I didn't get a response from him, I glared at Maya, my eyes welling up with tears, and added in a broken voice, "I can't bear to lose them. I can't. They're the only family I have left." I saw tears flowing down Maya's face before she looked away.I stared back at Daniel as he held my hand and said softly, "Natalie, you need to calm down. Your health is good now, and that's all that matters.”Tears flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks, and I shook my head in refusal, crying out between my sobs, "No, no, no, no!”I pulled my hand away from Daniel's and wept, "That can't be true. My babies! Please tell me my babies are okay!”I felt pain not just in my body, but deep in my soul, as if my very essence was about to leave me.Daniel embraced me and murmured, “I’m so sorry, Natalie.”"The baby's
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