Originally, this book was a duet but I decided to merge it so this is the end of Part One. Part Two starts tomorrow with more drama and shocking revelations. Just between us, I think the second is my favorite. I hope you guys continue reading and remember to leave feedback. I love hearing from readers.
Two years ago When she came to, the first thing her brain registered was the throbbing pain in her arm. A little disoriented, she wondered if she'd slept on it. Emilia opened her eyes, groaning. Her throat was dry and instinctively, she reached out to the bedside table for a glass of water that was always there but the sound of sirens blaring jolted her fully awake. Her memory came crashing back. Forgetting about her pain, she shot up. To her left Lisandra was lying on the ground with a gun in her hand. "Zander" she whispered, searching for him.The last thing she remembered was someone shooting her and knocking Lisandra out. She didn't remember getting out of the house but she didn't care. All she wanted to know was where her son was. The house they'd been in was on fire. The thought that Zander could still be inside had her rushing forward but just as she took a step toward the door, the house exploded. Throwing her back a few paces. "No... Z
"It's your fault he's dead. If you had listened to me and told your fucking mistress to leave, this wouldn't have happened. My son wouldn't be dead!" "I'm sorry Emilia, I'm really sorry" "Is your sorry going to bring him back? Will your sorry give me back my son? Where is my baby? Give me my baby""Em..." "Screw you, Max. I cursed the day I met you. If I could turn back time, I would never marry you. All you've done is make my life miserable. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you" "I'm sorry..." was all he'd said. What else could he tell her? She was right. Marrying him had brought her so many misfortunes. She would have been better off with someone else, living her life peacefully instead of suffering the way she was. If only he could turn back time."Why Max, why him? I was there too. I should have died instead of my poor son. What did he do? What did Zander do to that witch? Why couldn't you love her and just leave me alone?
Heartburn his ass. Preston thought inwardly. It was so like Max to try and hide his pain. The guy had refused to cry even in front of him and they'd been friends for as long as he could remember. The list of embarrassing things they'd done together could fill a book and tears would probably be on the last page. Why was it so hard for him to cry on his shoulder? He'd fucking lost a son. He was entitled to break down or lose his shit. No one would judge him. But then again he'd always been stubborn. It would take more than what he was doing to get him to open up. He'd sat Darren down and told him it was time to man up because Max was going to be taking a long vacation. Little Gwen couldn't believe the person she once called her best friend could do something as evil as that so she'd run overseas using school as an excuse. Preston knew he was the only one who could think straight so he took turns watching the siblings. Even though he hadn't known the kid for long, he felt as
Emilia stepped out of the car, her eyes going over the large mansion in front of her. It was still the same, down to the color. As if they painted it every day to make it look brand new. Once upon a time, she’d called this place home. Had thought that if she tried hard enough, the people she thought of as a family would learn to accept her and eventually even love her. How wrong she’d been.A sliver of panic crawled up her spine, trying to turn her into a coward, but she shoved it back down. Now was not the time to be weak or display any fear. After nine long years, she was back at the place that had given her as much happiness as pain. Any sign of weakness and the carter family would swallow her whole. She couldn’t afford that. She needed to finish what she'd set out to do, or staying away for so long would have been for nothing. Schooling her features, she moved toward the entrance.She’d been planning that moment for years. In her head, it was always different. Sometim
Max smiled at an inebriated Gwen, who couldn't stop giggling. Finally, it looked like his little sister was happy after the tragedy that had happened nine years ago, leaving them all sad and struggling to come to terms with it. He and Darren, his younger brother, had tried the best they could to help her overcome it but she’d still ended up depressed and heartbroken. It was hard for his family, but it had been twice as hard for him because his wife abandoned him when he needed her the most. Had he not been busy looking after Gwen and his mother, he would have been the one who fell apart. The thought of Emilia made his stomach churn with anger. He'd loved her so much, but how had she repaid him? Realizing he was gripping the glass he was holding harder than necessary, he loosened his grip, banishing thoughts of that woman. He made a promise to never allow himself to be deceived like that again.It was a happy day for the family. His little sister had gotten engaged, and that was cause
"Okay, everyone. Party's over. Thank you for coming. Please see yourselves out," Emilia said, the expression on her face daring them to contradict her. She still didn’t know what the party was for and she didn’t care. She heard the people shuffling out, speculating to one another about what had just happened, but ignored them. Despite everything, that was not how she’d wanted Zander to meet his father’s side of the family. It stung even more because she knew it was all she had to offer him. As much as she considered her friends the family she never had, it didn’t erase the fact that they were not blood-related. And it would be so unfair to Zander to keep him from the Carters more than she had. Her precious boy deserved the best. She didn’t want him growing up alone like she had, yet she couldn’t trust Max with him. Not while that vulture Lisandra was still lurking around him.Already, Zander was scared of Max. That hadn’t been her goal. Her husband could hate her all he liked, but she
Max hadn't noticed he was following her until he stopped outside the kitchen. The little display of affection had really gotten to him. It was clear as day that Zander was his son. Aside from being his carbon copy, the boy also loved chocolate chip cookies. They were his weakness, and he'd told Emilia that before marrying her. He remembered how she'd laughed, saying that it wasn't manly and that he shouldn't mention it to anyone else.Was that it? Had she told her son to say the cookies were his favorite? Had it all been a show? No. Zander looked exactly like him. He was his son. More than anything, Max wanted him to be his son. When Emilia had told him she was pregnant, he'd been over the moon. Finally, he was going to be a father, something he'd longed for since his own father passed away.He'd looked after his siblings as if they were his children, but deep down, he'd always wanted to have his own kids. The day his wife had left him, he'd been abroad on business. Gw
Max had been smiling at her throughout dinner. The same Max who'd called her a bitch just a few hours earlier. Every time she looked up from her plate, she found his eyes on her. He was staring, analyzing, admiring. The same man who had been choking her earlier was looking at her as if they had been living together all these years like a loving couple. Whatever had changed his mind? In the few hours from when they'd argued about Lisandra to dinner, something had happened to change his view of her.She couldn't put a finger on it, but he must have seen or heard something to make him act like that towards her. Lisandra, who had insisted on sitting beside him, had glowered at him because he didn't give her the attention she wanted. If she wasn't so angry, Emilia would have slapped Max with divorce papers and leave him to his mistress. But she was angry, so furious that she was willing to fight with that bitch to separate them. Not that she needed to use her energy. Max hadn't stopped sta