She was like a magnet that men couldn't help but be drawn to. In the few hours they'd been separated, how had she found another moron who looked like he was ready to step in front of a moving car for her?
Her friend Hendrix saw him first and whispered something to her. She looked up, saw him and the smile on her face disappeared, which only made him angrier. Why wasn't she happy to see him? He was her husband. She couldn't smile at other men and give him a frown. Max moved to stand between her and the other moron, asking, "Wife, you better be dressed like that for me" "Excuse me?" "Mr. Carter, what a surprise. Why are you here?" Hendrix cut in before he could answer. A wise man would have thanked him for the save but when it came to his wife, Max was anything but wise. Especially when other men were involved. He'd barely gotten her back. "You were dressed differently when we lef"Why can't I come along? Last I checked, I was also part of this family" Darren complained. They were all cramped in the backseat while he drove them to the airport. Two weeks had passed since Max told her he'd cut ties with Lisandra. He had been extra attentive and touchy, following her to work, staying in his office, or trailing behind her like a toddler. He took time off his work, claiming he was giving Darren the chance to learn how to manage Carter Industries. Not only that but he'd promised to retire in ten years. "We can raise our kids here or anywhere you want. It's your choice. All you have to do is ask and I'll give you everything you want" Emilia wanted to believe they could have the life he envisioned for them. She wanted to think that was the end of Lisandra and that they wouldn't see her again but she knew better. "Are you okay?" Max asked lifting their twined hands and placing a kiss on the bac
Max watched her sleep, her chest rising and falling in rhythmically. He loved the little pout she made while she slept or was in deep concentration. The moment they arrived, she told him she was going to take a shower and he'd thought he could catch her before she was done but Zander had decided he was hungry. And because the kid was still mad at him, he spent longer than necessary to tell him what he wanted. A part of him had been tempted to throw Emilia under the bus and he would have done it if he thought Zander would believe it. To him, his mother could never do wrong. They finally decided to have a sandwich each and Max tried to bribe him with another game but ended up promising to get him two. They shook on it and reconciled. Being the overachiever he was, he told him about the vacations they took when they were young and the ridiculous stuff Darren used to do that landed them in trouble. Before he knew it, an hour had passed. By the time he got to their room,
"How's your vacation?"TC snorted "This isn't a vacation. I got here yesterday and scouted the property twice. It was clear but I have this nagging feeling that something isn't right so I'm keeping one eye open" "Even so, you're still in Hawaii man. Why isn't my job as interesting as yours?" "Stop complaining and find me the link between Carter Industries and the Russians. Max might not have signed that deal but I need to know how he got in touch with them in the first place" "He has a lot of employees. It'll take some time before I can look through all of them" "Then stop yapping and get on with it. I'd like to... Shit! I gotta go. I see a dog sniffing around" he hung up and got out of his chair. Luckily, Carter had agreed to install cameras outside and a motion sensor that only sent notifications to their phones when tripped. He brought up the image to find a guy dressed in a white T-shirt and black trousers creeping around the
"Miss Brown, Yes?" "Depends on who's asking" she replied sipping her wine. She had decided to go out and celebrate early. Soon, news of the death of Mrs. Carter would be spreading around and she couldn't wait for it. Ever since Max had introduced her as his wife, Lisandra had despised her. For taking her place and being arrogant about it. She'd thought Genevieve could deal with her but useless hag had ruined everything. If Max didn't protect her so much, she'd also be dead along with her daughter-in-law. Max would be so heartbroken and she would be there to comfort him. Like she always did. "A friend. Can I buy you a drink?" the man asked. He had a weird accent and his voice made her feel uneasy. But she was used to all types of men hitting on her. So she brushed off the feeling and replied, "No thanks. I can buy my own drinks" "Independent woman. I like that" Taking the chair opposite her, he leaned forward and
Emilia was walking back home from the beach when she felt a chill run down her spine. They'd spent the whole day in the water and Max was chasing Zander back to the house after teaching him how to surf. With all the things they'd done, she wondered how they still had the energy to run around. Although, she couldn't deny that it made her happy to see them that way. It wasn't hard for Zander to call Max dad anymore and he didn't overreact every time he found them arguing. He was comfortable with him, like how father and son should be. She realized she was the happiest when they were both happy. Finally, they were the family she'd longed for and she wanted it to always be like that. But lately, she had been feeling uneasy. As if someone was watching her. Yesterday she had decided to take a walk in the evening and she could have sworn someone was following her. She didn't see anyone but she felt it. And today she also had the same feeling. Was it her paranoia or was somet
"Hey sis, your cheating boyfriend is here. Should I kick him out?" "Are you sure you're strong enough to handle him?" Darren clutched his chest "Are you still defending him? And here I thought I would go back to being your best friend. I'm hurt, Gwen" "Tell Mel to give you a glass of milk. It should help you with your broken heart" Slapping him on the back, Gwen left to see what Albert wanted. Ever since she'd found out about him and Lisandra, he hadn't stopped texting her and telling her how sorry he was. So far, she had done everything she could to avoid him but it was time they spoke and ended things officially. He couldn't continue following her and she couldn't avoid him forever. "Gwen, Please don't kick me out," he said as soon as he saw her. "Have a sit then" she pointed to a chair. Talking to him in the living room was better even though there was a chance that nosy Darren would be eavesdropping. She couldn't
"Hey, buddy? What did you bring your favorite uncle?" "You're my only uncle and I brought you a shirt. Dad said you'd love it" Zander said. "If your father said I'd love it then I will definitely not love it. Let's see it, the sooner the disappointment, the faster I'll get over it" "Let's go. It's in my bag" Hand in hand, Zander and Darren went up the stairs. Emilia smiled, sitting on the arm of the chair Max had just sat on but he dragged her onto his lap and nuzzled his nose on the crook of her neck. She sighed. "Darren's right. It's as if he knows you picked something awful for him" Max grumbled "It's not awful. I like that shirt" "Then why didn't you get one for yourself?" "It's too bright," he said then realizing he was contradicting himself, he grinned up at her "I guarantee Dar will love it. He's my brother and I know him" "It's your birthday that's coming up soon. Let's see wh
"Ma'am" TC got to his feet as she entered the kitchen. The warm weather in Hawaii had made her even more beautiful. Tanned skin, bright eyes, lighter hair color, they all suited her. He understood the reason Carter was protective of her and went around snapping at any man who looked her way. "Walk with me. I need to talk to you about something" she said heading towards the door that led to the garden. He wondered if she'd somehow sensed something in Hawaii. He'd stopped two guys from attacking her. One had been following her for some time while the other had been waiting for her at home. TC had grabbed the first one and they'd fought but since he had attacked first, it meant he had the upper hand. As for the second one, he'd had to knock him out cold and carry him to an old empty warehouse Trent had discovered. Both men had a tattoo of two hands shaking meaning they were Petrov's guys. It also meant that they wouldn't talk even if he tortured them so he'd decided