She never thought that holding hands would become a thing for her again. Being married for so long, Declan barely ever holds her hand anymore. Occasionally she would loop her arm around her husband's arm at formal events. A peck on her cheek to show his friends that he loves his wife, and of course all the jewelry on her body that he bought for her, or rather custom-made for her from one of his jewelry stores. But never that warm grip between her fingers pulling her everywhere he walks, a nice wet smack on her forehead, the top of her head, or small cute kisses around her neck the way Roman did to her. He really made her feel like a teenager again. He took her walking by the beach and had breakfast at one of the beachside cafes. He was acting like a love-crazed teenager, teasing her, seducing her, and laughing, he looked happy. Something she hadn't seen in Declan in years when they were together, nor she had seen it in herself. Her eyes were always scanning their surroundings, worri
"Adele ... Adele ..." He kept calling that name when they made love. It made her feel like a fraud. He was saying things that made her heart swell. Intimately. He devoured every drop of her and still he wanted more. More of Adele. They barely sleep that night, knowing that it would be their last night together ... naked. They lay on top of each other all night, not just inside each other. He ran his fingers through the length of her hair, "I love your hair." She didn't reply. "I love the way it smells ... long, and soft," he gathered all her hair in his hand and clenched it into a fist, "It feels nice to pull them when you bend ... and I like the way they feel on my face when you're on top of me." She covered her face with one hand and laughed, "No one's ever said that to me about my hair." "It's true," he laid her hair over her shoulder down to her breast. "I bet you'd look even hotter if you keep them long down to your waist," he traced his finger down to her pelvis. She smil
He hits the shower in his room washing away all the sea breeze from his hair. Flashes of memories from the night before ran through his mind. They were showering together with her back against the wall, he hovered over her, kissing her under the trickling water. Her breath was in his ear sighing in pleasure when he lifts her up and pushed through her. He scrubs his hair with shampoo. She had become the only thing occupying his mind for the last few days, it wasn't an exaggeration when he told her it scared him. It has always been his weakness, when he fell, he fell hard and he never fell this hard for someone he barely knew. His male ego wanted to pursue it, he had to have her, and he wanted more. What was he to her? A nice lay for a few days while enjoying her luxury cruise? He saw how people noticed them as soon as they got back on the ship, an odd couple, not because of their age. He knew her concern about his age but what was more concerning was actually their social status, she
He woke up on the king-size bed of the Ludus Oceania special suite, looking up at the mirror on the ceiling. She was fast asleep by his side, stark naked, they didn't even bother to put on a robe after crazy passionate lovemaking the night before. He thought their sex couldn't get any better after two nights on the island, but he was wrong. What's gotten into her? He didn't ask. She basically tied him on an invisible leash since dinner and dragged him into her suite. Undressing him even before the door was closed and stuck her tongue in his throat. She was on fire and he was the fuel that lit her up in flames. His muscles were sore. He stretched his arms and reached down to his morning glory, he was ready for her again. 'Jeez,' he muttered to himself. He can't seem to control his body anymore, this woman was igniting every single cell in him down to his very core. He stood up and walked around the suite looking at pieces of artwork that were on display. Each of them probably cost 10
It was the husband. He knew it. The guy whose wife he's been fucking for three nights in a row. What does that make him? When she pushed him back and leaped off the bed with her phone. What does that make him? Is she just playing with him? Of course, she was, she'd said it from the beginning, she wasn't looking for a relationship but he was too foolish and too stubborn to let it be what it was. He was in love like a lovesick puppy who expected he could snatch someone else's wife in the course of a few days. A rich man's wife nonetheless. It wasn't her fault. He got himself into that mess and now he's trapped. Because no matter what he does, he couldn't get her off his mind, he wanted nothing else, just her. To know that she belonged to someone else was like having a knife stuck in his stomach. The worst part is, he didn't have any right to express his frustration. He stared into the ocean from the deck and skipped breakfast altogether because the incident that morning just sucked al
Did he cause her pain? Did she regret marrying him? What was the reason for the sadness in her smile when they first met? All these things were in his mind but he retained himself from ever mentioning 'the other guy'. He didn't want to ruin the last two days he had with her. He'll take what he can get. Whatever she's having with another person is not relevant to what she's having with him. He refused to acknowledge it. She was his and his alone on that cruise. He wouldn't let go of her hands. His arms looped around her every second she was near. At the deck, by the pool. His lips on her cheek, her temple, her forehead, he was madly in love with her, ignoring all the gazing eyes from the crews who knew who he was and probably wondered what he was doing with one of their VIP guests. "I'm yours ... don't give myself back to me," he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from the back underneath the dim light at the upper deck. "What?" she was amused. "Rumi ... the poe
"Look," he said at the theatre.He was pointing to something behind her back. She looked over her shoulder, there was nothing."What?" she was confused.He had a piece of paper between his fingers, and he held it close to her face."What's that?" she creased her brows.He smiled and tucked the paper in her shirt pocket."What is that?"She took it out and opened the folded paper, it was his name 'ROMAN' followed by a set of numbers. Her heart sank, another reminder their time together will soon be over."I know you probably won't call it ... but at least keep it? Just in case you change your mind?" he tried to sound casual."I don't even know your last name," she put the paper back in her pocket.He laughed, "Let's not get into what we know about each other ... there's close to nothing ... it's ridiculous."Yet how they felt for each other didn't feel ridiculous at all. She fell silent and rested her head on his chest. He was right, she probably will never call that number, there was
It was a lazy Sunday in Lancaster, traffic was easy. She arrived within 20 minutes at her brownstone house in the elite urban area of the busy city. It was the house they bought a few years after they were married and thought they were going to start a family there.It was close to the commercial area where Declan goes to work every day. It was family friendly because there were schools, and grocery stores a few blocks away, and a hospital within 5 minutes' driving distance.She climbed up the ladder to the front door, it was opened from the inside."Alma ... you're here?"She was surprised her cleaning lady was working on a Sunday."Welcome home, Mr. Hunt asked me to come in and prepared for your return.""Oh, of course, I'm sorry to disturb your Sunday ... I'm alright, really, I can manage."Travis was unloading the trunk on the pavement."It's no trouble, let me help you with your luggage, where do you want them?""My bedroom, please, just put them there I'll unpack them myself ...
The moment they arrived in London, a call came in. The family lawyer informed them that their brownstone house in Lancaster had burned. The lawyer would contact the insurance company, and an investigation was underway. Declan left the matter to his lawyer's hand. He told them they could not return because they had just arrived and Olivia was not feeling well. They will have to do all interviews and communication through video calls. A few days after that, the news broke. Bodies were found in a family home in Chestnut. A mother and an 8-year-old boy they assume were her son were found in their car. It seemed like they had been dead for a few days. The police were looking for the husband. The scene indicated that the two deceased people had died from asphyxiation, an apparent murder-suicide inside the car. However, the car was already turned off when they found them. Someone was already there and failed to report the incident. Gil Isaac was now a wanted man.
Somewhere in Chestnut lies the body of a mother and son that had yet to be discovered. They had to go on knowing this and not do anything about it. They had to act as if everything was normal and they were leaving for London as scheduled. Their bags were packed for a month's stay, they left their instructions to their employees and gave their house staff a paid leave. Declan leaned on the doorway while Olivia was already waiting in the car. He looked around one last time to see if they had everything they needed. His eyes fell on the Blue Flame. He had bought the piece from Roman early on when he didn't know what it truly meant for any of them. "A blue flame represents many things to many people. It represents illumination and enlightenment. It could mean destruction and renewal, spirituality and also damnation ... it depends on which aspect you can relate to." Roman's voice echoed in his mind. "While blue is a color that presents coolne
Declan ... my love ...If you're reading this ... that means I'm gone ...I have been contemplating this decision for the longest time.Our last meeting convinced me there is no hope for me ever to be together with you again.I don't want to live without you, especially when you love someone else on this earth.God knows I tried to do that, and it's killing me inside. It might as well kill me forever.Damien is such a sweet boy. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve an unhappy mother who's always bitter and angry because she couldn't be with his father, who has no love for either of us.He doesn't deserve to be in a world where he is not loved and treated like he didn't matter. I couldn't give that to him because I can't convince you to be the father he deserves.So I'm not leaving him behind. He is mine. He is my heart and soul.I promise this won't hurt. Not as much as knowing that you don't love me.I hope you find what you lost wit
The silence was deafening. The clock on the dashboard said 3.30 AM. They had probably been cleaning since 12 AM. She could still smell the blood though she couldn't pinpoint where it originated. She scrubbed herself clean almost to the point where she scratched off the first layer of her skin. But the scent remained. They drove for almost an hour when Declan pulled to a construction site. She took a glance at the sign as they entered the area. It was one of his company's ongoing projects. They were building a factory. Heavy equipment was parked all over the site. The land was dug up in the middle. She started to get the idea of what Declan was planning on doing. "They're scheduled to dump the soil in the morning ... they had done the inspection yesterday. I'll dig a shallow grave, and they'll cover it up with tons and tons of soil in the morning," he sounded confident. She looked at him with an empty stare, still unsure about everything they were doin
"What?" Olivia froze. Her relief was short-lived when she realized it wasn't Roman. Panic sets in almost immediately. "Who the hell is that?" she was reluctant to look closer. The sight of blood on a dead body was not something she wanted to observe. Declan was breathing heavily. He shook his head and stroked his hair. "Get the tarp, Livy ... get some tapes and plastic, whatever we have ... hurry!" She ran down the stairs. She wasn't thinking anymore. She just did what Declan told her. "Oh ... God!" Declan muttered to himself. He rubbed his face with both hands. He was sure it was Roman when he first saw the dark images on the CCTV monitor. He checked the pockets of the dead man in front of him. He took everything he could find from the corpse. Gil was dead. Blood was still leaking out of his wounded head through the soaked cap. Declan would've seen a clearer image through the monitor if he hadn't worn that cap. Or not. His
She was in a haze. Everything was blurry. It was as if her mind was filled with fog, and tears were filling up her eyes. Declan was talking. He held her by the side of her arms. She remembered screaming, and Declan put his hand over her mouth. This was not really happening. The next thing she heard from Declan was, as the fog was getting clear, "We can do this ... you and me ... we'll clean this up, get rid of the body, and no one will know." He nodded profusely as if to get her to agree with him. "I did this for us ... don't you see? He gave me no choice ... I love you, Olivia, this is the only way we can be together peacefully ... he won't leave us alone ... he'll never leave us alone." She pushed his hand off her mouth, "You're crazy ... you'll never get away with this." Her breaths were heavy from the immense pressure of his crime. "You killed him." "You did too ... you think you'll be free of this? I didn't kill him ... we did." The realization o
She woke up in a daze by a beeping sound from the computer. It took a few seconds for her to recall that they had fallen asleep on the floor of his study. Declan was sitting in front of his computer. The look on his face sobered her up. "What's wrong?" she asked as she gathered and put on her clothes. "Sshh ..." he put his index finger to his lips. His eyes were nailed to the monitor as he clicked away with his mouse. "Someone's in the house." Her heart fell to her stomach. "What? What do you mean?" she whispered and hurried to dress. Declan stood abruptly from his chair and switched the light off. She looked at the computer monitor to see what he had been looking at from the CCTV, but it was turned off. "He's upstairs ... he's going to the bedroom," he walked back to his desk and got a key from the drawer. She was numbed by fear. "What are you doing?" He didn't reply, but she immediately knew he was going for his
He said it. It was done. He had severed the tie that bound him with his entire life, his family. But Livy was his family. She had been for more than 15 years. She was the family he chose for himself. He had done more to keep his relationship with Olivia than anything he'd ever done to be a Hunt. Was he an idiot, like his mom said? Maybe. Whatever Olivia did with Roman made him even hungrier to win her back. It was his nature. It was how he strived to be the best in business. It surprised him. The relief he felt after telling his mom. He was free now. No more judgment of who he chose to be his wife, why they had not yet had a child, or what he decided to do with his marriage. His life was finally his own. He couldn't believe he waited that long to do the one thing that could've saved his marriage from the start. He walked into the silence of their home. It was the only thing that mattered from then on. To build back what had collapsed beneath their feet. The woman he
Declan sat in the dining room, waiting for his mom to enter in her fashionably late manner. This time she brought some files with her. Her sumptuous smile subsided when she saw her favorite son looking scruffy and worn out, as if he hadn't showered or eaten in days. "You look like you just crawled out of a cave ... what happened?" she sneered. He stood up and kissed his mother's cheek, "You look lovely as always, Mom. How are you?" "I'm as well as I can be," she sat on the chair next to him and put the files on the table. She turned to him with a concerned look on her face. She touched his arm, "Is there something wrong with your business?" "No ... business is good," he said. She raised a brow and turned away, "It's your home then ... where is your pageant wife, anyway?" Mimi started to look through the papers in front of her. He rubbed his temple. He was not in the mood for his mother's cynical remarks. "Why am I here, Mom?"