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
As evening fell, Nicholas rang for the kitchen staff to prepare a meal fit for his newfound family. Reyna could scarcely believe the surreal situation she found herself in - sharing a dinner table with the man who had tormented her for so long, all for the sake of sheltering her daughter. When the maid ushered them into the opulent dining room, Mia’s eyes grew saucer-wide. “Woooow, this is amazing!” she exclaimed, trailing her little fingers along the polished mahogany table. Nicholas smiled indulgently and pulled out her chair. “I’m delighted you like it, sweetpea. Please, have a seat. Anything you want, you shall have.” Reyna felt a shiver run down her spine at his ominous words as she took her own seat. The table was laden with a sumptuous feast - roasted meats, colorful vegetables, fresh bread, and decadent desserts. It was truly a meal fit for royalty. As the three settled in, an awkward silence descended, thick with tension and unspoken questions. Finally, Nicholas cleared hi
The underlying threat in Nicholas' words lingered as they continued to eat in silence, Mia thankfully finishing her meal quietly. Reyna prayed silently that she had made the right choice in bringing Mia into the endless emotional battles she had been fighting with Nicholas. What did he mean by 'until he could vanquish any threats to our family'? She knew Nicholas could be brutal, and she had seen firsthand how far he could go when he was very possessive about something - or in this case, someone. But she was not willing to find out what he meant by that.Reyna's mind wandered to William. As much as she needed to keep her daughter as safe as possible, she couldn't deny that somehow, in the short time she had known William, she had felt a sense of security and calmness. There were feelings steadily growing, and as much as she tried not to acknowledge them, she couldn't deny their presence. Sure, he had faults which were understandable, but still, she couldn't risk doing that to Mia. He
It was as if the forces of nature had agreed to work together and deny her any sleep. Reyna tossed and turned all night as her mind kept reeling from the chaos that was her life. How had her life gone from a simple housewife to a successful entrepreneur who loved and cherished her with a beautiful home to being torn between two men, one of which was the cause of her emotional turmoil and another who had come dressed as a knight in shining armor who turned out to be as shady as the other. She sighed as she turned once again to face the ceiling as she huffed out a frustrated breath. Reyna stared at the ceiling for a second longer before finally getting up and deciding she needed some water and a walk. Reyna silently got out of her room as she padded her way down the familiar walls of the house she once loved but had grown to despise as they held memories that haunted her for days on end. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where she headed straight for the fridge as she
Reyna’s body shook as the sobs wracked through her body. She couldn’t believe she had fallen into yet another deceitful trap set by Nicholas and Olivia. She had been foolish enough to allow herself be ridiculed by the same people who had once caused her a lifetime of heartbreak and suffering. Aunt Mildred just held her heartbroken niece as she cried in her arms, rubbing her back as she allowed her to let go of all the emotions that were sweeping through her body. Of course she had seen this coming and had warned her niece about it but then, the heart wants what it wants and young love can be foolish. She had only hoped that whatever would finally bring her to her senses wouldn’t eventually break her. “Now, now, dear one, let it all out, let it all out. I got you.” She said as she kept alternating between patting her on back and running her hands down her back to soothe her. Reyna let go after crying for a while, and aunt Mildred ushered them both to a chair where they sat, still ho
To her surprise, Reyna woke up feeling very invigorated and energetic the next morning. It felt like a new dawn had come and she was ready to take on the world. She quickly got ready for the day, carefully picking out an outfit and taking extra time to get rid of the bags under her eyes due to the excessive crying she had done the day before. She got ready and left her bedroom and headed straight for Mia’s room. Mia was, of course, still asleep. “Come on sweet pea, time to get up or you’ll be late for school”, she said as she woke up the six year old who just yawned and sat up, sleepily rubbing her eyes. “Good morning mama”, she said. “Good morning, my love. Did you have a good night’s rest?” Reyna asked as she bent down to lat a kiss on the child’s forehead. “Uh huh. I had a dream about unicorns and fairies. I didn’t have wings like the fairies but I was able to ride on the unicorns. I even fed some of them…..” she babble on sleepily as Reyna ushered her to the bathroom where sh
“I have some very good news”“Talk to us, doctor”, William said. “Well, as per your request, we ran the tests and we are happy to inform you, miss Flores that you now have a donor for Mia’s surgery.”Reyna was too stunned to speak. “What…. You’re joking right? Please tell me you’re not kidding. My baby is going to live?” She stuttered as she felt tears of joy beginning to fall from her eyes. She was beyond happy. Everything was beginning to look up and she could not wait to meet with the donor. “Of course, miss Flores. We had someone come in some time ago to run a test to check compatibility and the results came back positive. So, there you have it.” He said. “Oh! Thank goodness. Thank you so much doctor.” She said, as she reached out for a handshake. “It’s no problem, ma’am”.“If it’s no problem, can we meet with the donor? I would love to give my heartfelt gratitude to the person.” Reyna said. “Of course you can. Matter of fact, you can see him right now. He is sitting right n
“Nicholas, what are you doing here?”“Reyna, Reyna, you know there is absolutely no need for you to be so defensive around me.” He said as he dna irked and tsked at her. Reyna didn’t need to hear him out to know that he was bad news. There was just something sinister about his sudden appearance at the hospital. But then, she thought, maybe he had given careful thought to her offer and agreed to come over and help out with the treatment process, but she refused to get her hopes up until she heard from him what it was that brought him here. “Why are you here?” Reyna asked, maintaining her stance. She refused to be swayed or intimidated by Nicholas’ presence. She was done being his little scared wife. “Straight to the point, I see. You know, that is one of the things that attracted me to you in the first place. You never liked beating about the bush. Always straight down to business. Always, always, never failed to get a rise out of me. Never. Even now, you’re just the same as ever.”
Reyna followed William to his car, dropping off her keys with him as he locked her doors and made sure that she had everything she had packed for Mia picked up in his car, he helped her climb into his car. Surprisingly, he had come in a rolls Royce cullinan pickup truck. It was a nice change from the ground level Bugattis and the Aston martins he usually rode in. She sat down and he closed the door for her after strapping her in. She had to admit, it was nice being taken care of and not having to always be the one to worry and take charge of things. All she had ever needed in her life was a man that she could lean on at the end of the day after juggling work and the full time job of being a mother. She needed someone who would take charge and rest after a long day. Somehow, William was not only offering to do just that but he was showing her all that he intended to do. She only wished she could let herself go well enough to finally allow herself to be taken care of by him. She watch
Mia felt blinding pain everywhere. She cried out to her mother who held her head in her arms. She could feel the cold hands of unconsciousness slowly creeping in as specks of black clouded her vision. Out of breath and in so much pain, she gave in to the dark recesses of unconsciousness as Reyna struggled to keep her awake. William had gone out to get the doctors and aunt Mildred had not yet come back from her errand. Reyna sobbed as she hugged Mia to herself. She kept begging Mia to open her eyes but the young child was not responsive as she lay limp in her arms. She let out a toe curling scream as the pain of seeing her baby girl unconscious and unmoving tore at her heart, shredding it up in pieces and stomping on them again and again. William bursted into the room, doctor Byers and two other nurse ls following him closely behind as they tried to make sense of the situation and get to work. William pried Reyna away from Mia’s unconscious body but the broken hearted woman fought ha
Reyna followed William to his car, dropping off her keys with him as he locked her doors and made sure that she had everything she had packed for Mia picked up in his car, he helped her climb into his car. Surprisingly, he had come in a rolls Royce cullinan pickup truck. It was a nice change from the ground level Bugattis and the Aston martins he usually rode in. She sat down and he closed the door for her after strapping her in. She had to admit, it was nice being taken care of and not having to always be the one to worry and take charge of things. All she had ever needed in her life was a man that she could lean on at the end of the day after juggling work and the full time job of being a mother. She needed someone who would take charge and rest after a long day. Somehow, William was not only offering to do just that but he was showing her all that he intended to do. She only wished she could let herself go well enough to finally allow herself to be taken care of by him. She watch
William drove like a mad man from the office to the park, bypassing every sign and speed limit just to get to Reyna, he had never broken any speed limit but for Reyna, he was ready to do anything. He had never felt this strongly for a woman in all his life. In less than five minutes, he was at the park, racing crazily to the park, frantically looking around for Reyna or her car. He tried calling her but for some reason, he could not reach her and it made him more anxious. Thankfully, after a few failed tries, he was able to get her. He heaved a sigh of relief as the call went through. “Hello, William”, Reyna’s voice sounded more like a whisper from the other end of the line. “Reyna, thank goodness. I have been trying to reach you since forever. I’m at the park gate. Where are you?” He asked in a single breath. “I’m at the lake just by the big tree”, she said. She sounded so stressed and tired and William’s heart went out to her. He quickly ran out to meet her, spotting her car do
Nicholas stood at the door of the office. He was surprised to see her so soon, even more surprised when he saw her name flash on his phone in a call about five minutes ago. True, he had been in a meeting but he had immediately cancelled and rescheduled the meeting, but he would never let her know that. Reyna took a deep breath as soon as the door started to open. It was time to put on her big girl pants and face Nicholas. She started walking out of the elevator, a sudden air of confidence in her stride as she walked into the room. She was never a timid woman and Nicholas would not make her one. “Reyna, what a pleasant surprise. I never imagined I would see the day you would walk in to my office.” Nicholas said as his face widened in a smirk. Reyna scoffed. Of course he was going to try to rub it in her face. “I am not here on my volition, if that’s what you are thinking. I only came to talk to you about Mia.” She said as she finally reached him. His smile dropped a bit but he didn
Mia felt so weak and so much pain that talking had become more of a Herculean task for her. She slowly woke up as she felt someone crying and holding her hands. She had not even realized that she had fainted and had been rushed to the hospital. There, kneeling next to her bed was the unmistakable head of her mother who held her hands and cried into the sheets. She looked up to see aunt Mildred also standing there, in tears. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. Her throat felt parched and even being awake was painful to the young child. Soon, she felt like screaming as her heart started beating faster, offsetting the machine next to her and drawing her mother and aunt’s attention. She could hear them talking to her and crying and moving around between themselves but she could not do anything but look around and just observe her surroundings. Soon, a doctor and a nurse rushed into the room as her mom and aunt were ushered out of the room. She could hear the do
Reyna slowly woke up, she tried to get up but fell back feeling a pain in her head. She laid back down, moving from side to side to try to fire out where she was, the pain in her head increasing with each movement. For a brief moment, she had no clue where she was or what had happened. After a few minutes, the curtain was pulled to the side revealing a distressed looking aunt Mildred. “Oh! My poor child. You are awake. You had me so worried. How do you feel now? Does it hurt anywhere?” Aunt Mildred asked as she walked up to Reyna’s bed, placing a hand on her forehead to check her temperature before going on to give the still confused Reyna a once over. Reyna still felt the last waves of the sedatives running through her veins and was still a bit out of it. “Oh! Thank the heavens. You look better. I’ll have the doctor come in and see if you’re out of the woods yet. Just stay there, don’t you move a muscle, you hear me?” Ain’t Mildred said as she hastily ran out of the curtained ro