__________________..."Goodnight princess," I murmured as I kissed the top of my baby's head."She slept throughout the day." Rory sighed. "There's a high chance she won't sleep through the night."I nodded, my heart squeezing at the sight of our six-month-old daughter, Ki, nestled in her crib. Her little chest rose and fell with the steady rhythm of deep slumber.She had a frown on her face. As if she was weighed down by the pains of the world."It's okay," I said, patting his shoulder. "You've got this."I wanted to ask her if I could stay here tonight. But that would be crossing the line. I had promised myself that I would take things slow."You know," I started tentatively, "if you ever need me, I'm just a phone call away."Rory looked up, a glimmer of something unreadable in her eyes. "Thanks, but I've got it."I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat."Okay, well, I'll be here tomorrow." I forced a smile. "We can go to the park before meeting with the bodyguard candi
_________________...Mary Fullilove was every parent's dream nanny.Her references were impeccable. Her experience was vast.And Ki adored her from their first meeting."She is never like this with strangers." I laughed as I looked over at Rowan who had a delighted look on his face. "I should really thank Derek for recommending you."Mary looked up and gave a tight smile. "I should thank him too for finding such a wonderful family."But there was something in her eyes that sent a shiver down my spine, something that made me question if she was truly the angel everyone made her out to be. It was a fleeting moment, and I brushed it off as exhaustion from a long day at work. After all, she had been nothing but amazing with Ki since she started.It was probably my own jealousy.Mary got to spend more time with Ki than I or Rowan did."Can I have a second with you guys?" Jake returned from a phone call.I looked over at Rowan and shrugged and we both followed the bodyguard out of the nu
______________...I caved.It was probably the dumbest idea on the planet but my stupid heart said, fuck it.So there we were, in the dimly lit bedroom, three days after he had made the offer, legs tangled together as we breathed heavily after our mutual release."I shouldn't have done this." I murmured, pushing his chest gently.Rowan's eyes searched mine in the moonlit room. "You didn't seem to mind a few minutes ago." He said with a smug smile.I smacked his chest. "Shut up."Rowan chuckled, the sound low and sexy in the quiet of the night. He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my skin. "I missed this, Rory."My heart skipped a beat. I knew I was playing with fire, but the flame was just too tempting to ignore. "It doesn't change anything between us, okay?" I whispered, already feeling the weight of our actions pressing down on me.Rowan nodded, his expression serious. "I know." He leaned in and kissed my forehead gently."This is purely sexual. Do not complicate it with
_________________________ . . . "Rory, do you even hear her?" Sonya yelled as she came down the stairs, stomping her thigh-high boots. I looked up from my laptop and lifted my hands, shrugging. "I didn't. What's going on?" I asked as I closed my laptop and got up from the living room couch. "She's being disgusting. That's what! I am sixteen years old. What does she take me for?" Sonya came to a stop in front of me and pointed at the stairs where I saw no glimpse of her mother. I knew better than to listen to a sixteen-year-old's one side story so I waited for her mother and my mother-in-law, Elizabeth Keller, to come down the stairs. "What's going on, Beth?" I asked her, a small smile playing on my lips. Teens and their mothers made up for some fascinating drama, and I missed that experience with my mother because I was in a boarding school on another continent, but watching Elizabeth and Sonya fight over the smallest things was very endearing. "You need to come upstairs and
~2 years ago~"This is such great news!" Bianca Stanley, my best friend, squealed as she jumped around in our apartment. I rolled my eyes, sitting back on the couch and resuming the movie I was watching."I know." I smiled. "Dad finally thinks I am ready to face the world."Bianca stopped hopping around and looked at me with a wide smile on her face and pride in her eyes. "My baby is all grown up." She sniffed dramatically as she wiped away invisible tears making me roll my eyes. "You make Momma hen so proud.""All right drama hen. Sit down!" I patted the spot next to me on the couch. She sat down excitedly and gave me a side hug, not failing to rearrange a few bones in the process. She had too much strength that she wasn't aware of."We will go clubbing!" She exclaimed. "I will inform all our friends and we will go clubbing to celebrate you finally getting the job that you wanted in your dream company."She was already on her phone as she spoke and I knew better than to try to talk h
_________________________...~The present~"I want a divorce.""What?" "Is there any connection problem, Rowan? Did you not hear me clearly? Should I text you instead?" I sass, rolling my eyes. "I think there is, Aurora. Because you clearly could not have just said what I think you did." Obviously, what I said must have gotten rid of all of his sleep because his voice is clear and alert now."Try listening more carefully now Rowan. I said I want a divorce." "Excuse me?" The indignancy in his voice makes me almost want to snort. He is reacting as if he did not see that coming despite his actions."You heard what I said, Rowan." I roll my eyes again as I take the turn to our penthouse. "I am going into the apartment and packing my bags right now.""We signed a contract!" There is shuffling on the other side and panic in his voice. He cannot get a divorce now, because if he did, then Simon will pull out all the investments he has made for the new project.It is one of the reasons
_________________________...Bianca and Roselyn wanted me to move in with them until I find a place for myself. They said that it is my apartment and Bianca and I used to share the place before my marriage. But I refused, feeling that I should not invade the privacy of the married couple. And also because I may be the landlady but they are tenants who pay their rent on time.My first thought was to stay at a hotel until I found a place, but then I realized – why should I pay to stay somewhere when I have a friend with a uselessly big condo all to himself?Eric is out of town due to a conference but on calling him, he informed the security guard to let me borrow the spare key he had. The idiot asked me to try to clean up the place while I am staying over, but I have a feeling that he was saying that just to lighten the mood.He might be a monkey and a complete womanizer – worse than my ex-husband-to-be – but he is an amazing friend and he knows to respect people, unlike my ex-husban
_______________________...I wake up to twelve missed calls and twenty-nine new messages. Wow, this is probably more than all the calls and messages he has made to me in the last two years.I am contemplating whether to call back and see what he wants or let him worry some more about the fate of his company when the doorbell rings.I stand up from the couch and with my hand wrapped firmly around my phone, make my way to the door, pressing on the security cam button.I raise a brow when I see that it is Joshua Steelman, Rowan's secretary. The dude is so desperate to get in contact with me now that he sent his secretary looking for me huh?I open the door."Joshua." I smile at the middle-aged man but get no smile in return. Like Boss, like secretary!"Mrs. Keller." He addresses me, his lips in a thin line. I have told him one million times that my name is Ms. Lewis, not Mrs. Keller, but the man just does not learn.This dude is a total ass-kisser and does whatever Rowan wants him to.