AIDEN "Stay right here, I will be back," I said letting go of Selena and leaving her there. I had caught sight of someone familiar in the crowd but I wasn't too sure if my eyes were deceiving me because I knew my father was always strict with his invitation.I walked through the crowd and down the hall leading to an isolated balcony where I found Natalia and she seemed to have been waiting for me."I knew you did follow my trail," she smiled pleased to see me."What the hell are you doing here?" I asked. My father wouldn't have invited her, so she must have sneaked in or paid her way in because she knew I did be at this event tonight. "I can't believe you actually introduced that swine to your parents," she hissed not answering my question. "It's funny that it took you a couple of days to move on so quickly."So, she had been watching my every move since I got into the building. I had expected her to stay clear from me and my family but it seemed she didn't get the memo the last ti
AIDEN"I...I am sorry," She apologized closing her mouth with her hand. "I didn't mean to hit you," she finally broke down crying and the anger in me from the slap suddenly washed away. It was the first time I was seeing Selena crying like this and I was certain it had absolutely nothing to do with Natalia kissing me just now but the kiss had triggered something in her head and I wondered what it was. I stared at her crying unable to move, I had never had a woman cry like this in front of me, even when Natalia cried it was never as real as this. I pulled her to my chest hugging her tightly as she hugged me crying her eyes out on my chest."I am sorry," she continued to cry. "Hush, it's okay, I am here now," I reassured her not minding that her makeup was currently smudged on my suit. "We should go home now.""But your parents and the...""It's fine, I will sort that out tomorrow morning," I reassured her taking her hand as we walked through the hall heading back to where she had se
SELENA"We should use two cups of sugar," Brianna laughed whisking the eggs as I rushed to check the cooking book to be sure of the quantity to add. "Are you sure?" I asked, I didn't want the cake to taste too sweet. Today was our mother's birthday and we decided to surprise her with a birthday cake, since our father had left us for his mistress on the same day as my mother's birthday, she was barely excited to celebrate it.We decided to celebrate it this time around, we felt the process will be easy for us to figure out but who was I kidding?I didn't know cake making could be so time-consuming and brain-tasking, the cookbook was helping us move faster but also slowing us down with the measurements. "I told you to order a cake, Mum will be back by noon and I don't think we will have a cake ready by then," Brianna continued talking as she poured the whisked egg into the flour while I busied myself with reading the cookbook for the sixth time today."I am sure we will figure it all
SELENA"What are you doing here?" I gasped staring at Vincent, my eyes darting from him to Aiden puzzled. I pulled the duvet over my chest, my eyes filled with panic, how long had he been here watching me sleep?I placed my hand on my forehead and felt the heat radiating from my skin. My head was pounding and my body felt weak."Get out of my room," I yelled at him, I was still finding it difficult to be around Aiden and now I was hugging Vincent, a total stranger that I didn't know anything about.Vincent got up from the bed with a smirk on his face."It was just a nightmare, but you seemed peaceful when you were asleep," Vincent smiled at me but I didn't find it funny."Get out Vincent, right this minute," Aiden ordered opening the door wide for him to take his leave immediately, Aiden was furious by his presence in my room.With the repulsive look he had on his face, I could tell he could have his men kill Vincent and I really didn't care."She is sick, you should have the doctor o
AIDENI tossed and turned in bed all night, my mind racing with thoughts of Selena. Her image was burned into my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't shake her from my thoughts.It wasn't just her physical appearance that had captured my attention last night. Although she was undeniably beautiful, there was something more about her that drew me to her. I couldn't understand what was making me feel at ease when I was around her despite her attitude towards me, it felt like I knew everything about her but yet I felt like I didn't know her, the real her.But now, as the morning sun began to filter in through my window, I was left feeling exhausted and frustrated. I had hoped that a good night's sleep would have cleared my head, but instead, my thoughts had only grown more jumbled and confused.I knew that I needed to speak to Selena, to figure out what it was that had me so captivated by her. I walked down the hallway, making my way toward Selena's room.My mother had c
THIRD PERSON'S POVNatalia strides into the restaurant, dressed in an impeccably styled outfit that exudes confidence and sophistication. Her heels click against the polished floors as she walks towards the hostess stand.The hostess greets her with a warm smile and leads her toward a reserved table in the heart of the restaurant.As Natalia sits down, the waiter approaches her with a menu. She peruses the options, ultimately deciding on a dish that catches her eye. The waiter busily takes down her order, jotting it down on his notepad before hurrying off to the kitchen.Natalia takes a moment to soak in her surroundings. She sits back in her chair, patiently awaiting her meal, a feeling of disbelief washing over her like a wave as she sat alone in the restaurant. She picks the menu on the table, her eyes gazing vacantly at the menu, though she wasn't really reading it. Her mind was preoccupied with the sudden realization that Aiden had broken things off with her this time for good.
SELENA As I slowly opened my eyes, the sweet sound of birds chirping greeted me. I sat up on my bed and stretched my arms, feeling a sense of well-being that had been absent for the past few days.I took a deep yawn, filling my lungs with fresh morning air. It was such a relief to finally wake up without feeling sick.For the past few days, I had been waking up and drifting back to sleep, sometimes I woke up to find Sofia arranging the room and sometimes Aiden was just sitting there watching me sleep.I got out of bed and walked to the window. The sun had just risen and painted the sky in beautiful shades of orange and pink. The trees, the grass, and the flowers were all covered in droplets of dew that sparkled like diamonds.I couldn't help but smile. The feeling of being alive and healthy was like a breath of fresh air after spending a few days bedridden. I felt a burst of energy flowing through me, urging me to go outside and enjoy the beauty of nature but I knew that was not poss
SELENA"Good morning," I greeted Aiden as Sofia opened my seat next to Aiden and opposite the man he was speaking to whom I didn't recognize. Sofia bowed her head once I was sited and left the dining table."How are you feeling today?" Aiden asked."Better," I nodded. He was the cause of my illness, he had chosen to keep me confined in here when he could just let me go, but he had made sure I was treated by his doctor, so there was no point arguing about it. "She looks more beautiful than I imagined," the man finally spoke leaning into his seat with a smirk on his face, he rose to his feet checking his wristwatch. "I will have it all sorted in fifteen minutes," he informed Aiden as he stepped out of the dining.I watched him leave with a puzzled look, it was obvious I had interrupted their conversation and with what Sofia said regarding Marcus. I feared Aiden might have called that man to find out about Marcus. I was tempted to ask him but I didn't want curiosity to get the best of
~ TWO YEAR LATER ~ As the sun peeked through the stained glass windows of the quaint church, casting a warm glow on the pews and aisle, an air of excitement and anticipation filled the atmosphere. Today was a special day for Axel and Claire, as they were about to embark on a journey of love and commitment in front of family and friends. The delicate scent of flowers wafted through the air, adorning every corner of the church with their vibrant colors. The essence of love was palpable, adding an extra layer of magic to the already enchanting ambiance. Soft music played gently in the background, setting the perfect mood for the upcoming union. As the guests started to fill the pews, their eyes filled with joy and enthusiasm at the sight of loved ones coming together to celebrate the union of Axel and Claire. Aiden, Selena, and their son, Alex, and daughter Brianna alongside Astrid and her boyfriend Tom sat on one side, beaming with pride and excitement. Guests were the extended f
"Her water just broke," Aiden announced. They all got on their feet, Claire and Astrid rushed to her side helping her stand up as they could see the pain etched on her face, while the men ran to get the car ready. It didn't take long when they arrived at the hospital and she was taken to the theater in excruciating pain, Aiden remained outside the reception with Claire, Astrid, Axel, and Tom before the doctor informed him that he could join his wife."Everything is going to be alright," Aiden reassured her when he entered the ward to find her lying on the bed, her hand extended for him to come hold her. "It hurts so bad," Selena cried out. "Sorry," Aiden replied holding her hand in his firmly and planting a kiss on her forehead. He didn't know how else to comfort her, he could see the pain in her eyes and could only hope the delivery would happen sooner.After hours of labor pain, Aiden holding her hand and trying to soothe her pain with reassuring words, delivery began.Aiden had
"You are serious?" Claire asked just to be sure Axel wasn't joking around.He barely nodded his head to sign yes when she pulled him in for a hug, of course, she was going to move in with him and travel to another country if that was what he wanted.Everything seemed to be moving too fast when it came to how they felt for each other but for the first time in many years, she felt loved. She didn't feel like she was forcing herself on Axel like she had forced Luke to love her.Axel loved her and she could see it."I am happy for you guys," Astrid squeaked with joy, it had been a while since she last saw Axel looking at a woman the way he looked at Claire. It was like she and Selena weren't even in the room."By the way, there is something I was going to tell you, Axel, I hope I am not ruining the mood," Selena said. "I already told Claire and Astrid yesterday that -""Selena is pregnant," Astrid took the word right out of her mouth. "Are you sure you are not the one who is pregnant?" C
"Yeah, as friends. I think that would be better for both of us at the moment, I feel there are still a lot of things we don't know about each other and-""Are you joking?" Claire's eyes widened as she adjusted herself on the bed again, her face etched with confusion at Axel's words as her eyes darted from him to his hands on hers."Hey!" Axel placed his hand on her chin raising her head so he could see her face, was she crying? "Claire? I was joking," he laughed out. "I didn't find it funny," Claire smacked his hand off her chin. Axel chuckled at her reaction, "I am sorry, didn't know you were a crybaby.""What? I am not," Claire protested looking away from him. How could he tease her like that? It wasn't her fault that she had thought he was being serious about them being 'just friends' when she was attracted to him. "You look cute when you lie," Axel smirked, he placed his hand on her chin tilting her head gently to face him as he kissed her on the lips. "I will have them bring s
“Where the hell is she?” Axel yelled grabbing him by the collar, he didn’t want to believe that Claire was dead, the time period was too short for them to kill her and her clothes had no sign of blood stain when he pulled it out from the boot. “Let me off and I will tell you, lover boy,” Vincent laughed. Aiden reached for his phone immediately in his pocket, dialing one of the bodyguards who was back at Emily’s house, “Check around the house, she has to be hidden somewhere,” Aiden ordered on the first ring. “We found her boss. Was about to call you, she is unconscious,” the bodyguard replied. “Alright,” Aiden said disconnecting the call and staring at Axel who was holding back on punching Vincent in the face. “She is alright, we might just need to get her to the hospital, quickly.” “You should have stayed in jail,” Axel said to Vincent punching him in the face as Aiden held him by the waist pulling him back. “Let me go Aiden, we need to end him right now so he doesn’t come back t
“Claire,” Axel called out staring at Vincent on the laptop, his hand forming into a fist as he caused under his breath. He hadn’t anticipated seeing Vincent, wasn’t he supposed to be in jail awaiting his death sentence? This was the reason he had been against Claire going to see Emily, he reached for the door ready to hop out as Aiden grabbed him by the wrist.“Our men are already circling the building, he can’t get away with it,” Aiden said.“You want me to sit here and allow Vincent to kill her?” Axel asked shoving Aiden’s hand away, he stared at Selena and Astrid who were in disbelief at the sight of Vincent, he opened the van door and hopped out running down the street to Emily’s house.Axel ran down the street as quickly as his legs could take him, he couldn’t believe that Vincent had escaped from jail and worse Emily was working for him, what was she bound to gain from Vincent? That douchebag! He should have shot him dead a long time ago instead of hoping that the system would
THE NEXT MORNING, Aiden briefed everyone on the plan again in the van a street away from Emily's house, "If you feel uncomfortable at any moment, you just think of an excuse and leave," Aiden reminded Claire."Sure," Claire nodded. Axel walked up to her helping her put on the camera properly over her shirt button, the camera design looked like a button from afar, "this is a recording device," Axel said, placing a pen into the pocket of her shirt. "Axel, can we talk about…" Claire spoke in a low tone. She had been trying to speak to him all morning but he seemed to be avoiding the question, she didn't know why he would just listen to her so she could explain everything to him. "After," Axel cut her off. "Do you have your earbuds on?" He asked instead. "Yeah I do," she nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear so he could see it. "I was going to tell you, believe me," Claire whispered in a low voice. "What part of after don't you understand?"She bit the bottom of her lips, sad by hi
"I was just joking," Claire brushed it off at the puzzled look on Axel's face, she didn't know why she had blurted something out like that to him. Never in a million years had she asked any man that question, she smiled trying to make him see that she was bluffing."Yes.""What?" She gasped. "You… you will be my boyfriend?""Isn't that what you want? Yes, I will," Axel nodded, kissing her on the lips as her eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend that Axel just agreed without any hint of hesitation in his voice.She watched him get out of bed and into the bathroom as she scratched the back of her head, playing back what had just happened in her head. She was about to get out of bed when the door opened with Astrid entering, she dashed out back at the sight of Claire lying naked on the bed."I am so sorry, please I didn't mean to badge in, I am so sorry," Astrid apologized. "Shit," Claire cursed, she could have sworn she used the key when locking the door or was it Axel who locked
"Don't start what you can't finish," Claire whispered. "What?" Axel chuckled. "Don't look at me like that, you just end up stealing kisses when you want to and I think that should stop," Claire said standing up but she soon came crashing into the bed as Axel grabbed her by her wrist. He grabbed her by the waist shoving her on the bed as he hovered over her, "What naughty ideas have you been thinking while I was away?" He asked with a smirk on his face. "Don't flatter yourself, mister.""So, you didn't think about my lips on yours while I was away?" Axel teased. Claire stared at him trying not to give him the benefit of the doubt but her face was suddenly turning red and she could tell from the smile on his face, darn her face.Maybe she had thought about him and she didn't know why exactly, it wasn't like Axel was laying claim on her but he had kissed her like he was, she didn't want to assume his feelings for her, it was best to stop him from kissing her any chance he got but now