A nervous tremor ran through me as I reached for my teacup. “You seemed to know my name”
Alex shrugged. "Well, let's just say powerful names tend to stick in your memory, especially at your status. Anastasia Saavedra Montreal – even before you married into the Del Valle family, that name carried a lot of weight. And now….well, let's just say marrying Regan Del Valle only amplified that power."
"Are you a fan, then? You seem to know quite a bit about me."
"A fan, you could say.” He chuckled a warm sound that filled the room. “I actually saw you perform once, way back when. You were 14, and I was 16. You were incredible on the piano, by the way."
A soft gasp escaped my lips. "You saw that?" I breathed in disbelief.
"Yep. You were a prodigy, everyone knew it. But then, you just... disappeared. There were a few sightings here and there, but nothing substantial. Then, boom! The news of your wed
I busied myself in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and stirring pots. Cooking had always been a way to distract myself, and tonight was no different. As I set the table, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of loneliness. But I pushed it aside, focusing on making everything perfect.As I carefully arranged the roasted chicken on the platter, the front door creaked open, a sound so rare it made me jump. Regan stood there, framed by the evening light, looking more surprised than I felt. My heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he had come home this early in a long while."Regan?" I said, trying to keep the shock out of my voice. "You're home."He offered a curt nod, his gaze going to the laden table. "What's for dinner?"The question felt so foreign after so many evenings of empty chairs and silent meals. It was the first time he had shown interest in having dinner with me."Oh! I, uh, made roasted chicken with vegetables and mashed potatoes
Regan’s POVThe final remnants of my self-control fled when I felt her lips on mine and caressed her body. My entire body was mashed up against hers. She produced the most delicate noises as we were fucking, but when I placed my hardest section against her belly, that delicate sound changed into a startled gasp.I stuck my tongue inside her mouth while it was slightly open, and the flavor was just like always.Sweet. Addicting.I lost control of myself.She moaned, “Regan,” against my mouth, and I groaned at the sexy sound of my name coming from her sweet lips.I inserted my tongue further, forcing her to rely on me. She fought back and gave me an arousing tongue-suck. My body was constantly rubbing up against hers. Her fingers were digging into my arms. With a gasp as her head tilted back, she broke off the kiss. Her desire was so strong that she continued to gaze at me with hooded eyes. I leaned down and kissed her again,
Anastasia’s POVI can feel Regan’s fingers inside of me. With his fingers firmly lodged in my pussy. Just from two of his big digits, I am stretched this far.Knowing it’s about to happen, I say, “I’m going to come.”He groans as he pushes them harder and faster, “God, so fucking tight.”And that’s it; that’s when I come. I groaned incoherently as I let forth my orgasm. My body was vibrating with pleasure, and I was panting and dizzy. With a long, leisurely lick of his tongue, he gently kissed the inside of my thigh. He took a sharp breath, then withdrew and lifted his hand. He maintained my gaze on him as he brought his finger to his lips, never letting go as he sucked them completely, causing my eyes to widen and my mouth to part even more.I was unable to look away after he had finished cleaning them. With his head slightly leaned back, his eyes closed, and his lips parted, he appeared incredibly strong. I felt all of his hardne
I stood a few meters away from the car and silently watched Regan open the car door and was about to get in when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced down, frowning when I saw it was a message from my older brother, Christopher. A sense of unease washed over me as I read the text. 'Come to the company' "Who’s that?" Regan had one hand on the car door, his blue eyes fixed on me. "It's Christopher. He's asking me to go to the company." Regan's expression hardened slightly. "Maybe it's about that inheritance you're all fighting over. Why don’t you just give it to them?” The shock and pain from his words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I managed to maintain my composure. “You think so?" I said, my smile feeling more like a grimace. "So, they can stop bothering us," he said, his tone matter-of-fact, as if the solution was that simple. My smile wavered but didn't
I moved to the empty chair, across from my father, keeping my expression neutral. The weight of their stares bore down on me, but I refused to show any sign of weakness. As I sat, I could feel the anger rising against my calm exterior, especially as I looked at Marianne. The woman who had wormed her way into our family, who now sat in my mother’s place, pretending to be the matriarch. "Let's get this over with. I know you don't particularly want me here, and the feelings are mutual. So, tell me, what's this charade all about?" My father remained impassive for a moment, the silence stretching into an eternity. Then, he pulled out a stack of photographs. He slammed them down on the table, the sound echoing through the opulent room like a gunshot. "Explain these" I glanced down, my heart dropping as I recognized the images. They were of me and Alex under the bridge, the day when I broke down after seeing Regan and Zarina. My jaw tense but I maintain my face neutral despite the intense
Then, an eerie silence descended upon the room. Everyone stood frozen. My father, his face pale and contorted with a mixture of shock and guilt, stared at me, the figurine still clutched in his trembling hand before his face hardened again.“Is that what you learned all this time? To be ungrateful?!” he added.Ignoring the sting, I reacted on autopilot. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a handkerchief, the crisp white fabric already stained crimson as I pressed it against the wound. With trembling hands, I fished out my phone, the screen illuminating the stunned faces around me. Quickly, I snapped a series of pictures – the shattered porcelain fragments scattered on the floor, the incriminating evidence of their staged photos lying on the table, and finally, a close-up of my bleeding cheek.“What the fuck are you doing?“ Christopher spat.A bitter smile twisted my lips. They hadn't even bothered to ask if I was alright. "Evidence,"
The scent of garlic and herbs slapped me in the face as we pulled up to the restaurant. Le Grand Bistro, a fancy Italian place my family frequented for special occasions. My stomach clenched, not from hunger, but from nervousness.Following my grandfather, I plastered a smile on my face as the restaurant guard greeted us. "Good day, Mr. Alonso," Then, his gaze shifted to me. "And Ms. Anastasia.""Hi," I mumbled, the smile feeling strained.The hostess led us towards a secluded area curtained off from the main dining room. My heart hammered against my chest as she pushed open the heavy velvet drapes, revealing a private room.There, seated at the center of a large table was Regan dressed impeccably in a sharp suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and lean physique, which appeared to be the picture of composure. Surprise crossed his features as his mesmerizing green eyes met mine. Was it just my imagination, or did I detect a hint of... concern
I forced myself to focus on my plate, mechanically cutting my food and bringing it to my mouth. The knot in my stomach made it hard to swallow, but I kept eating, desperate to appear unaffected by the tension around me."And Regan," my father said suddenly, dabbing the napkin to his mouth, "you should consider convincing Anastasia about the inheritance. It's crucial for the future of our company."I froze my fork halfway to my mouth. I could feel Regan's eyes on me, and for a moment, the table went silent.“That’s unnecessary, Dad” I replied sharply.Regan's response was calm, "May I ask why?"My father glanced at me and shook his head as if disappointed, "Well, she's a little stubborn. You know how she is she can be a little selfish.""Gregory, that's enough," my grandfather warned."But Dad it's true. She can be a little brat."I can even feel and hear his disgust and hate towards me. My grip on the fork tightened. I stopped
Susan and the maids rushed toward me as I descended the stairs, their worried faces blurring as my vision swam. My legs felt like they weren’t my own, each step unsteady. The world tilted, and for a terrifying second, I thought I would collapse right there on the marble steps.“Miss Anastasia!” Susan gasped, reaching out just in time to steady me. The other maids circled around, their hands hovering anxiously, unsure if they should hold me up or let me go.I swallowed thickly, blinking rapidly to chase away the dizziness. My chest was tight, each breath a struggle against the sobs clawing their way up.“I’m fine,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, but my body betrayed me as I wobbled again.Susan’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re not fine, Miss. Please, let’s get you some water, sit down for a moment—”But I shook my head, my heart hammering in my chest. No. I needed to leave. I needed to get away from this place, from him. The moment I stepped outside, the cool air hit my
I felt sick. I felt so utterly sick."What if I was pregnant too?" the words came out my mouth before I realized it, my voice so soft I almost couldn’t hear myself.Regan’s head snapped toward me. And for the first time, he hesitated. For a single, gut-wrenching moment, something flickered across his face—something almost human—but it was gone as fast as it came.Then, with the same cold finality, the same knife to my throat, he answered:"Then I would ask you to get rid of it."Silence.I stopped existing. I didn’t scream. I didn’t cry. I just stopped.The world tilted. My body felt weightless, my ears ringing so loudly I couldn’t even hear my own breathing. I stared at him—at the man I had loved more than anything—standing there, looking at me as if I were nothing.I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to rip him apart, to throw something, to scream why why why until my throat bled. But I couldn’t do any of it. Because what was the point? He had already m
The words escaped me in gasps, strangled and desperate. I needed him to stop hurting me. To stop choosing her. To stop breaking me every time he looked at me like I didn’t matter.I gripped him harder, my fingers trembling against his chest. “Why, Regan?” I choked out, “Why did you let it get this far? Why didn’t you—” I couldn’t finish. I couldn’t get the words out. The truth was suffocating me.I lifted my head, looking up at him through the tears streaming down my face. My heart was pounding in my chest, so loud I thought it would burst. My hands shook as I cupped his face, but he didn’t meet my gaze. His eyes were focused somewhere past me, distant. Empty. I didn’t know this man anymore. I didn’t know the man I had loved, the man I had trusted with everything.“I don’t want to hurt anymore, Regan. Please… just make it stop. Please.” My breath hitched, and I clutched him tighter, pressing my forehead against his chest, wishing that I could somehow make it all go away. “I loved you.
I shoved him away with all the strength I had left, my body trembling as I grabbed another shard from the broken vase. My fingers clenched around the glass so tightly I felt the skin break, blood dripping onto the floor. I didn’t care.I couldn’t care. All I could see was her. Zarina. The woman who stole everything from me.She let out a terrified shriek, scrambling backward on the floor, her hands raised as if that would stop me. But before I could move—before I could strike—a force crashed into me. Regan’s arms wrapped around me, pinning mine to my sides. His grip was so strong I couldn’t move.“Stop it, Anastasia!” he roared, his voice shaking with something I couldn’t place.And then, with the force of a sledgehammer, the words that would haunt me for the rest of my life fell from his lips."She’s pregnant."Everything stopped. My vision blurred, and my heartbeat slowed into a painful, suffocating rhythm.Pregnant.Zarina was… pregnant.A deafening ringing filled my ears, drowning
Regan’s body jerked upright. He turned sharply, his expression twisting in shock. His eyes—filled with something that shattered me even more. Calm.For a single, fleeting moment, I saw something else. Something raw.But it was too late. Too fucking late.I didn’t feel the tears running down my face until my vision blurred. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would shatter through my ribs. The room spun, reality hitting me in full force. The betrayal. The humiliation. The absolute cruelty of it all.Regan scrambled to move, grabbing the nearest piece of clothing, and hastily wrapping a sheet around his waist. He started toward me.“Anastasia, what the fuck are you doing here?”I took a step back, my fingers tightening around the ultrasound picture—until the delicate edges crumpled under my grip.Something inside me snapped.With all the strength I had left, I hurled the picture across the room. The tiny, fragile proof of the life growing inside me, the life he never gave a damn ab
The air turned suffocating, thick with something heavy—dread, betrayal, something I couldn’t name. Susan’s grip on my wrist tightened as if she could physically stop me from stepping any further, from taking another breath in this house that suddenly felt like a stranger’s.Her face was etched with desperation. She was pleading with me now. “Miss Anastasia, please—please just turn around and leave.”But I couldn’t.Something inside me had already cracked. A wound had been carved open the moment she said that name.Zarina.I repeated it in my mind, like a slow, cruel mantra, willing it to make sense. But it didn’t. Nothing did. My stomach twisted violently. A cold, sickening sensation spread through my limbs, making me feel like I was floating—disconnected from my body, from reality. My fingers tightened around the ultrasound picture in my palm. I thought I had prepared myself for everything. For heartbreak.But this?This wasn’t just rejection. This was erasure. This was them taking t
I frowned, closing the door behind me. My voice echoed slightly as I called out, “I’m home.” Silence. My stomach twisted. I blinked, my grip tightening on the strap of my bag. I took a few steps forward, my heels clicking softly against the marble. Where was everyone? “Susan?” I called out, expecting my head maid to appear any second now, as she always did. “Susan, where is everyone?” Still, silence. A chill ran down my spine. Something was wrong. I turned toward the stairs, about to head up, when suddenly— “Miss Anastasia!” The voice came from the hallway. Rushed. Panicked. And then, Susan appeared.Susan rushed toward me in a blur, her usually composed demeanor completely gone. Her once neatly tied gray-streaked hair was slightly disheveled, and her dark housekeeper’s uniform looked as if it had been hastily adjusted. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with an emotion I couldn’t quite place—fear, relief, something else? Before I could speak, she wrapped her arms around me, clut
As we drove, the gentle hum of the car engine filled the silence. I pulled out the ultrasound picture from my bag, holding it carefully in my hands. The tiny image of my baby made my heart swell with a mix of joy and anxiety. I traced the outline with my finger, a faint smile tugging at my lips.My baby.My little one.A soft smile tugged at my lips, but it was a bittersweet one. The joy of carrying this life inside me was overshadowed by the unknown—by him.Would Regan be happy? Would he finally see me? Would he finally choose me?"Are you planning to frame that or something?" Sheila's voice broke through my thoughts.I glanced at her, then back at the picture. "No," I murmured. "I'm going to show it to Regan."Sheila let out a slow exhale, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Of course, you are. You know, Ana…I admire your resilience. Really, I do. But how long are you going to keep giving that man the benefit of the doubt?”I sighed, hugging the ultrasound picture closer
The morning sunlight filtered through the hospital blinds, casting soft golden streaks across the sterile white walls. I sat on the edge of my hospital bed, already dressed in a simple yet elegant beige dress that draped loosely over my recovering body. My fingers fidgeted with the handle of my packed bag beside me, anticipation curling in my stomach.I was leaving.Finally.A mixture of nerves and excitement coursed through me. It wasn’t just about getting out of the hospital—it was about what came next. About whom came next.Regan.I hadn’t told my family I was leaving. They’d try to stop me, insist that I needed more rest, more time. But I was ready. And once I told them I was safely home, they wouldn’t have a choice but to accept it. And today, I was going to see him. Tell him everything.Tell him about our baby. The thought sent a rush of warmth through me, a hope blooming in my chest.The door creaked open, breaking me out of my thoughts.I looked up, expecting a nurse, but inst