The next morning, Reyna awoke with a pounding headache, both physically and emotionally drained from the previous night's events. She dragged herself out of bed and got ready for the day, dreading what was to come. When she came downstairs for breakfast, William was already there nursing a cup of black coffee. He barely glanced in her direction as she sat down, remaining stoically silent. An agonizing tension hung heavy in the air between them.Reyna cautiously broke the silence. "William, about last night...""I'd rather not discuss it," he interrupted brusquely, not meeting her eyes. Finishing his coffee in one gulp, he stood up. "We have business at your winery today. Be ready to leave in 30 minutes."With that, William exited, leaving Reyna staring helplessly after him. She tried to push down the rising hurt and disappointment swelling in her chest; this cold shoulder treatment was to be expected, she supposed, after everything that had transpired. Quickly finishing her own coff
William hesitated, conflict warring in his eyes. Reyna lay breathless beneath him, the heady desire of moments ago dissipating into uneasy tension. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. “Reyna…I think this was a mistake. We shouldn’t have…” Her face fell, and her chest clenched painfully. “Why? What changed?” “I just…” William sighed and pulled away, swiftly redressing in tense silence. Reyna sat up slowly, clutching the tattered remains of her dress to her bare chest. “Please talk to me, William. What did I do wrong?” He turned to face her, his expression unreadable in the shadows. “You still have feelings for Nicholas.” Reyna froze. How could she reply to that without hurting him further? “The past can’t be erased so easily. But I want to move forward, with you.” William ran a hand through his hair wearily. “I saw the way you looked at him. It’s clear there’s still…something there.” “Maybe once, but not anymore. You’re the one I choose.” Reyna reached for h
Nicholas smiled charmingly at Reyna. “Can we talk?”Reyna sighed irritably. “I’m really not in the mood for this, Nicholas.”He wasn’t used to rejection from her. “Please, it will just take a minute.”Knowing he wouldn’t stop pestering, Reyna relented. “Fine, but make it quick.”“Me and Olivia are ending things.”“Sorry to hear it fell apart. But you can’t expect me to pity you after everything that happened,” she said coldly.Defensiveness crept into Nicholas’ tone. “I’m not asking for pity, Reyna. I still have feelings for you, that’s all.”Reyna scoffed. “Spare me. We’re over, have been for a long time.”Hurt flashed across Nicholas’ face, then defiance. “You can’t keep shutting me out. I know there’s still a connection between us.”Reyna had heard enough. “No means no, Nicholas. I’m not doing this with you again.”She got in the car sharply, avoiding his pleading gaze. Thomas drove off, sensing her agitation.Reyna arrived at the winery already on edge from her encounter with Nich
Reyna gently dabbed at her wound in the bathroom mirror, wincing slightly at the lingering sting. The cut was shallow but angry and swollen, marring her otherwise flawless cheek. She shook her head at the surreal turn of events, still trying to process it all.A soft knock startled her from her daze. “Reyna? May I come in?” William’s voice floated through the door, laced with concern.“Yeah, it’s open,” she called back wearily. William entered holding a fresh ice pack and first aid supplies.“How’s it looking?” he asked, eyeing the cut with a doctor’s care. Reyna shrugged helplessly.“About as well as can be expected, I guess. I still can’t believe Olivia actually hit me,” she muttered in disbelief. William made a sound of agreement as he gently pressed the cold pack to her cheek.The soothing chill helped dull the sting, allowing Reyna to refocus. “Thank you for taking care of me, William. I appreciate you calming things down back there too.”He waved off her gratitude. “Of course. I
As Nicholas strode from the office, Reyna sank into her chair, reeling from what had just transpired. She brought trembling fingers to her lips, still tingling from his kiss. As much as she tried to deny it, there was an undeniable spark ignited by Nicholas’ touch.But no, she couldn’t allow herself to be swept away so easily, not after the lies and betrayal. Reyna shook her head fiercely as if to clear the last lingering traces of desire from her mind. William’s wounded expression flashed before her eyes, reminding her sharply of the damage already done.Resolute, Reyna rose and hurried after him, hoping to offer an explanation and apology. She found William stalking angrily toward the parking lot, shoulders tense with barely contained rage.“William, wait!” Reyna called desperately, catching up and grasping his arm. He spun to face her, his eyes simmering with accusation.“How could you, Reyna?” William spat through gritted teeth. “After everything we talked about, everything he put
William hit the ground hard, instantly grappling with Nicholas in a tangle of limbs. His usual calm demeanour was shattered by furious rage at the man threatening the woman he cared so deeply for. Through the red haze of anger, William was vaguely aware of Reyna shouting for them to stop from the porch above. But he couldn’t back down now; Nicholas had to understand that no one laid a hand on Reyna and got away with it. They rolled roughly across the lawn, each fighting viciously to overpower the other. Nicholas landed a lucky blow to William’s jaw, stars exploding behind his eyes briefly. Shaking it off, he fought dirtier, jabbing his knee into Nicholas’s gut and using the momentary advantage to pin his opponent down. “You stay the hell away from her; do you hear me?” William growled menacingly, tightening his grip around Nicholas’s throat. The man’s face purpled as he scrabbled ineffectually at William’s wrist. Dark satisfaction curled through him at the sight of the threat turni
William sped home as fast as he safely could, thoughts racing. After the officer’s news, he needed to reassure himself that Reyna was unharmed. Pulling up, his heart sank at the sight of her small suitcase packed and sitting by the door.“Reyna?” he called, entering their home slowly. She appeared from the bedroom, bag in hand, face blank but eyes glistening suspiciously. “What’s going on? Where are you going?” William asked as calmly as he could, though panic simmered just below the surface.Reyna took a shaky breath. “I’m leaving, William. I can’t stay here anymore.”“Leaving? But why? What’s changed since last night?” Dread settled like a lead weight in his stomach. Only one thing could have influenced her so drastically overnight. “Nicholas came by while you were at work. We talked, and he explained things from his perspective.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes now.William’s fists clenched unconsciously. “That bastard. What lies did he spin to manipulate you? Whatever he said isn’t t
Reyna’s heart shattered into pieces as William pleaded with her at Nicholas’ home. Every fibre of her being ached to rush into his arms, to confess everything, and to beg his forgiveness. But the cold, hard evidence Nicholas had shown her—evidence of William’s arrest for illegal activities—left her frozen in fear.She could bear Nicholas’ manipulation and mind games, but not at the expense of her daughter’s safety. Mia was her entire world, and Reyna would do anything to protect her, even if it meant shattering her own heart. Tears streamed down her face as William finally left, confusion and devastation etched on his features.The moment the door closed behind him, Reyna’s legs gave out, and she crumpled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Nicholas was there in an instant, pulling her into his arms with a gentleness she didn’t think he was capable of.“Shhh, it’s alright, my dear,” he murmured against her hair. “You did the right thing by protecting our little girl. William brought