I had dreams of finding true love, but I also knew better than anyone else what a marriage alliance entailed. Love and loyalty were rare in our social circle.I would've preferred it if he had just kissed Claudia in front of me and told me that he'd never loved me. I would've accepted that all my lo
Forget it. It was no worse than getting bit by a dog. I shook my head hard and willed myself to think of other things.I still needed to get a job with Silas' team. I hoped that Pete wouldn't forget this promise and render all my efforts last night in vain.I couldn't bring myself to call Pete, so I
"I didn't say that," I said. "You have legs. You can go anywhere you want. I don't live here, anyway. I hadn't meant to come back here last night."To be honest, it wasn't hard to deal with Claudia. She had to keep up the pretense of being sweet and lovely, so thoughtfulness was one of her most impo
As if on cue, my heart began pounding."I didn't say anything to her," I retorted."Shut up. Just go to her college. If Claudia is hurt, you will pay for everything you've done!"Nicholas' cold voice was even more distressing than the sound of the call hanging up.I looked up at Pete and Silas. I kn
"I started it. For no other reason than the fact that she looks like she deserves a good punch in the face," Claudia said suddenly. "If I see you again, I'll punch you."Things descended into chaos just like that.When Nicholas arrived, the first thing he did was to grab Claudia, whom I was shieldin
I thought that Pete would laugh at my disheveled state. I thought that he would clap and ridicule me. It was what he'd done for more than 20 years, and he was good at it.I hadn't expected him to show such concern.However, I did not need concern or revenge at this time. All I wanted was some peace
"Do I look like I need you to pay for my meals?" Pete scoffed. "Plenty of women would kill to take me out for dinner!"After accompanying me to the hospital, Pete dropped me home. "You can take the next few days off. We don't need your ugly face in the firm.""Sure thing."I did not talk back this t
"What a miser you are, Mr. Hawk. How much did that ointment cost? 20 bucks?" I pursed my lips and looked Nicholas in the eye as I spoke. I was angry. I was angry that he treated Claudia so well, yet tried to humiliate me with some medicine that barely cost anything.Shrouded in the shadows, Nichola
Claudia had left, yet it still felt like someone was standing there. The tension of a silent standoff stirred something deep within me. But under the cover of darkness, whatever I couldn't hide would still remain unseen."Was it you?" Nicholas's voice carried no hint of emotion, and his gaze was unr
The journey from Jay Caldwell & Co. to Coral Villa wasn't long, taking less than half an hour.I kept refreshing the webpage, watching the situation unfold. The trending topics about Claudia and Nelson continued to drop in popularity. Someone was clearly working to bury the story."Tell the PR team
In Nicholas's mind, it seemed like I still loved him because I had his child.I could clearly feel that from the moment I revealed that Tabitha was his daughter, he became much softer."We're here," Douglas reminded me in a low voice, snapping me back to the present.Today, I was meeting with Yasmin
After finishing lunch, I asked Douglas to take me to Jay Caldwell & Co. I needed to discuss a few things with Yasmine.Nicholas stopped me in front of the car. "Can't you spare me just half an hour?"The wind was stronger today, and my words carried a coldness as I spoke."I think you should make th
Just as I was about to turn Nicholas down, the waiter knocked and brought in the dishes I ordered.I frowned. "Did you bring the wrong dishes? This isn't what I ordered."I was starving and had ordered butter-poached lobster tails, seared scallops, sous vide short ribs, and king crab legs with herb
I got into the car and saw Nicholas outside through the window, kicking at a patch of grass with a gloomy look on his face.Douglas glanced at me. "Ms. Jones, did you and Mr. Hawk make up?"Upon hearing that, I lifted my gaze and caught the confusion in his eyes through the rearview mirror. I shook
Christopher trembled as I stepped toward him. Although each of my steps was graceful and unhurried, they seemed to fill him with dread.At that moment, I felt like I was some kind of demon. Why else would it take so many bodyguards to hold Christopher down? I did not doubt that, if they let him go,
"Christopher?" I gasped.I had planned to slip away quietly, but Christopher's desperate cries were so loud they drew a crowd. It was then I realized Coral Villa looked the same as before, yet it had changed in so many ways. Otherwise, where did all these people come from?A guard in black kicked C
Nicholas needed some time alone, and my mood did not ease from the heavy pain as I pushed open the door.Just a door between us, and we were each steeped in our own pain."Ah! Ah!"The sound of a little voice pulled me from my thoughts. I practiced my smile twice before I leaned over the railing. "