All Chapters of Once Rejected, Now Desired : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

ASHER Never, not in all my thirty years on Earth had I been hit by a woman. At that moment, the world around me stopped. I was both shocked, confused, and angry. However, when I looked up to see the pain in her eyes, all those emotions dwindled and set the pace for one thing and one thing only; guilt. Sophia was in so much pain, and it was all because of me. As she stared at me, panting heavily, I reached for the hand she had used to slap me, and I held the wrist with mine. Her eyes widened in shock. I was certain she had been expecting some kind of outburst. Her lips quivered as tears poured from her eyes. Seeing her in pain made me so mad at myself. I deserved that slap and many more, and I was going to allow her to hit me as many times as she deemed necessary. "What…" She paused to sniff. "What are you doing?" Her shaky tone echoed in my ears, causing my heart to squeeze in my chest. "It is not enough." I mumbled, eliciting a frown from her. "What are you talking about?" "

SOPHIA "Hey boys!" I called out to them. At the sound of my voice, all three of them turned to me simultaneously, and ran with their heels touching their backs as they rushed to meet me. "Mummy!" They chorused and threw their arms around me with so much force that sent me to the ground. Once I fell on the grass, they gathered around me and laughed, poking me in places that tickled. I tried to wave them off as I laughed, but the three of them were too much for me to take on at a time. They giggled whenever I caught one of them, and their happy sounds filled me with so much joy, I had almost forgotten how cruel the world could get. "Okay, okay! You guys win! I give up! I give up!" I cried out, amidst my stomach wrenching laughter. They threw their hands up in the air in victory, and jumped off me at the same time. "Did you see that, Uncle Gaston? Mummy gave up and we won!" David screamed with joy, forcing me to laugh as I struggled to stand up. Gaston offered me a hand up, apologiz

*AN HOUR EARLIER* SOPHIA I stepped into the guestroom, weary from a long day at the hospital. My legs were killing me, and I could not wait to soak them in warm water while listening to everything my sons had to say about their day. I also needed to meet Asher about leaving. After Adelin's threat, I decided it was best for us to leave tomorrow evening. We will return to Crescent Heart, and no one will have to worry about us ever again. As I closed the door behind me, the familiar scent of the place, a mixture of polished wood and comforting warmth, welcomed me. But something felt off.My boys were not inside. I had earlier attributed the silence to their being asleep, but they were not on the bed either. I had not also seen them when I came in earlier, so where could they be? I looked down at the tiled ground, and a shiver coursed through my spine. I noticed the toys scattered across the room, untouched and abandoned. The coldness in the air told me they had not been in the ro

SOPHIA I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't stop crying. Every single minute I found myself asking what was happening to my boys. Where were they? Were they in trouble - of course they were! Had they had anything to eat? Hell! Was Danny having another asthma attack? By the goddess. They must have been so scared, terrified to their fucking bones. My boys had never had to be anywhere without me, I was all they had. For the first time since I arrived, the Queen was remotely nice to me. She tried to get me to eat something, even asked that my favorite pasta be made. "How can I eat anything?" I asked her while I paced about my room with tears in my eyes. My voice was croaked from all the screaming I had done. "How can I eat when I do not even know if my boys have had water?! I don't even know what is happening to them, or if they are alive!" The thought alone broke me to more pieces than I could count

SOPHIA Asher was hurt. Not that I could blame him, but he was also the least of my problems at that point. Words could not begin to describe my happiness when Gaston said my boys had been found. The wave of relief that washed over me, sending a warm feeling down my spine. It was only a matter of time until they were in my arms again. After that, I can bravely face whatever it is Asher has to throw my way. Once he let go of me, I rushed to where Gaston stood and snatched Asher's phone from his hands. He sent me a warning glare that I gracefully ignored while my eyes skimmed through the text he was sent. I made a mental note of it before running out of the room. I could hear Gaston say something within the lines of, "Do we follow her, sir?" And Asher grudgingly replied, "I am going after my sons. Sophia is the least of my fucking concerns." It hurt. That was a fact I could not deny, but it was also for the best. I found my way out of the Palace doors and rushed to the garage. The c