Halle remembered her childhood as one woven with laughter, love, and the warmth of a tightly knit family. She and her twin brother, Hector, were inseparable, sharing secrets, dreams, and an unbreakable bond. Halle loved her brother more than life itself and they did almost everything together.Their parents provided a nurturing environment, filled with endless support and encouragement. Halle never felt the pains that the world threw, she was shielded, protected and happy.But she had to learn at a very young age that the universe as a whole hated her happiness. Tragedy struck her family, casting a dark shadow that would forever alter the course of Halle’s life. First, her twin brother Hector met an untimely end in a tragic accident, the one time she had decided to leave him to his own, he ran into a bad crowd and in the end, lost his life and ripped Halle’s heart out in the process. The loss shattered her world, ruined her childhood, leaving her heartbroken and adrift.Halle’s pa
“The procedure was a success!” Horacio chuckled, patting the back of Halle’s palm as he took a step away from the bed.His words made Halle realize just how much of an idiot she had been the whole time!The symptoms were right there and it was all very obvious but yet she didn’t even realize it until Horacio said it to her face, or maybe she did but she was just too scared to admit it.She’s pregnant. Halle turned to the man who was seated next to her, her other hand was in his grasp and his eyes bored deep in to hers like they belonged there. It just felt so right.In his eyes were countless emotions that Halle couldn’t identify but she’s knew that the gentleness in those eyes of his made her knees weak although she was not standing.“it worked,” Xavier said in a low voice, “And you’re sure it worked?” He shifted his almost uncertain gaze to the doctor who was now standing over them at the edge of the bed. “Come on Xavier,” Horacio rolled his eyes as he patted the man’s sho
Everything?Halle exhaled softly and laughed, “Sometimes you’re so intense that it is scary,” Halle voiced out, she knew he could hear the honesty in her voice. He didn’t pull away, instead he got closer and she could feel his lips stretch into a smile in the crook of her neck.“I’m intense?” Halle’s skin broke out in goosebumps from the feel of his warm breath against the soft hairs of her neck. With the knife tightly clutched in her grasp, Halle leaned in to his touch not bothering to hide just how goon it made her feel.“I have always had a passion for cooking,” She began, a small whimper escaping her throat when she felt the tip of his wet tongue against her skin.Hearing grown into her neck made her insides clench tightly, she resisted the urge to drop everything she was doing and just turn around because she knew that would be the end of her cooking.“Really?” He muttered, “Tell me more,” He urged as his hands left her lower belly and drifted down to her thighs, pressing
“I thought your mother supported your dreams?”“People change,” Halle replied as she added beef to her mix and then along with the seasoning that Tabitha had told her were the best in the continent.“Why were you so eager to leave your country?”“For a better life,” She said, she wasn’t lying but she was not telling the full truth either.The silence between them stretched for what seemed like hours but it was for only a few minutes.Halle’s stomach growled loudly as the mouth watering aroma of the food drifted into her nostrils.She could feel like eyes on her as she worked, Halle had not cooked in front of anyone for a really long time, doing it now and talking about her life was kind of therapeutic. She was more relaxed in a kitchen that she’s been in a really long time and her mother’s voice wasn’t reminding her of how much of a failure she would turn out to be as she cooked.Her mother’s voice wasn’t controlling her every movement.It hadn’t been for a while now.“Why di
Halle took a deep breath as she glanced at herself in the mirror, her hand gently resting on her small baby bump. Two months pregnant, and on the verge of an extraordinary milestone in her life. The day of her graduation was finally here. Mixed emotions swirled within her as she thought about the journey she had embarked on to reach where she was currently, it was one filled with ups and downs and one that brought tears to her eyes as she thought about it.Living in the Stone mansion, Halle’s life was anything but a fairytale contrary to what others at school thought whenever she told them where she lived, they were all under the impression that she was the Stone family’s living in house keeper and Halle did not mind leaving it that way for now. However, the impending responsibilities of motherhood and the uncertainties that came with it had left her feeling vulnerable. Most especially because Xavier was not here today. He had gin on another unsanctioned and unexplained trip to Italy,
He had on a grey sweater and matching sweatpants to go with it, gold rimmed glasses rested on his nose and on his pale pink lips, a warm smile. His eyes looked tired but they were bright with emotion, his smile spread the longer Halle stared at him in surprise. “You came,” Halle said in a low voice, Monty started the engines and the car began to move. “I wouldn’t miss it,” He said, reaching out to caress her cheeks and smiling with content, “I missed you,” He said, leaning in and planting a soft kiss on her lips. Halle sighed, relaxing into his touch and giving him full control of the kiss, then she smiled against his lips and pushed against his thigh to hold herself up. “When did you get here?” She asked after pulling away, still slightly surprised that he was there, in the car with her. Halle hadn’t seen him in over three weeks, they had woken up one morning and the next thing Halle knew, the guys were all in the mansion with grim expressions on their faces. Stanley had stood
Pregnancy was a different ball game and not at all what Halle expected she would experience.On getting home to the Stone Manor, her mouth watered for a fruit she hadn’t even seen yet, orange…or was it a pineapple?All she knew was that she could smell it.Xavier didn’t need any support to walk, or at least he was trying to make it seem that way, each time their eyes meet, he would hold her gaze with his magnetic stare and then give her a smile one that melted Halle like fucking plastic in flames.“If you keep staring at me like that we might end up in my bedroom in a few seconds,”Halle’s cheeks heated up and she turned away with embarrassment, Month was literally right next to them as they were walking into the house, why was he talking about bedrooms and whatnot.Halle cleared her throat and tried to maintain a passive expression, “I wasn’t looking at you, narcissist!” she accused and walked past him and Monty to prevent her embarrassment from spreading even further.She ro
As Skyler made a hasty exit from the kitchen, Halle couldn’t help but feel a pang of curiosity mixed with confusion. Something had transpired between Xavier and Skyler, and she wondered what it could be. However, Xavier’s attention quickly shifted back to her, and all other thoughts dissipated as he approached the table with a slight smile on his face.Once Tabitha was done placing the dishes on the table, she left the kitchen with Collette quietly. Halle wanted to ask them to stay for dinner but she knew the girls wouldn’t be comfortable eating with their boss. Not everyone can be like Halle. “Seems like we have the kitchen all to ourselves,” Xavier remarked, pulling out a chair next to Halle. “Mind if I join you?”Halle’s heart fluttered at his proximity and the intimate setting. “Of course not,” she replied, a hint of excitement lacing her words. She watched as Xavier took a seat and reached for a plate, filling it with a generous portion of the dishes Tabitha had prepared.The a