Novels by Selome

Chapter 534Her presence still carried something bittersweet for me. There had been a time when I couldn't imagine having a relationship with her that wasn't poisoned by the circumstances surrounding us. But people could change. Families could change.Sometimes healing didn't mean pretending the past had never happened. Sometimes it meant deciding that the past would no longer control the future.Cass caught my eye. She smiled and I smiled back. That was enough.Nathan suddenly lifted his glass."Everyone."The conversations gradually faded.The children didn't pay much attention. Athena was already chasing Luca again while the twins followed behind them.Nathan looked around the garden."I know we've all had enough speeches over the years," he said, making several people laugh. "But I think we deserve one more."I smiled.He continued."We have all lost something."The garden became quieter."Some of us lost people. Some lost years. Some lost trust. Some lost pieces of ourselves."Hi

Chapter 533She was sitting beneath one of the garden lights, watching Carmen and Lucian's son race around with Athena.She looked peaceful. Healthy. Happy.There was something deeply beautiful about seeing her like that. After everything she had endured, she deserved this. She deserved ordinary evenings. She deserved laughter. She deserved grandchildren running around her. She deserved a life that wasn't defined by what had been taken from her.Nathan noticed where I was looking, "She's happy," he said quietly.I nodded, "She is.""And so are you."I looked at him."I am."He smiled."Good."I leaned my head against his shoulder.Happiness was ordinary. And after everything I had survived, ordinary felt extraordinary.I looked toward Athena again. She had stopped running.Luca stood beside her, apparently explaining something very important."What are you two talking about?" I called.Athena looked toward me."Mommy!"She immediately ran toward me. I set my glass on the nearby table

Chapter 532Athena turned around while still moving and laughed."I won't!""You always say that!""I won't fall this time!"Luca shook his head with the seriousness of a little man twice his age.From where I stood, I couldn't stop myself from smiling.A few steps behind them, Ava and Liam's three-year-old twins were struggling to keep up. Their tiny legs moved as quickly as they could, their laughter filling the garden whenever one of them stumbled and the other stopped to wait.Carmen stood nearby, watching Luca with an amused expression."That's your son," I teased her.She looked at me and laughed softly. "Unfortunately, yes. He has decided he's responsible for everyone."Lucian slipped an arm around her shoulders."He's your son when he's being protective," he said. "When he starts causing trouble, suddenly he's mine."Carmen gave him an incredulous look."You have been saying that for five years.""And I'll continue saying it for another five."They laughed.I watched them for

Chapter 531I slipped my hand into Nathan's. He held it. And for a few quiet seconds, we simply watched.I thought about my father. About everything he had lost. About everything he had hoped his family would one day become.His hospital had grown beyond anything he had built during his lifetime. I had expanded it internationally, carrying his name and his vision into places I had once never imagined reaching.People now knew me as one of the most respected surgeons in the city. They knew my work. They knew the hospital. They knew the success.But when I stood in my garden and watched my daughter laughing with the people she loved, none of those achievements mattered as much as this moment.My greatest accomplishment wasn't the hospital. It wasn't my career. It wasn't the wealth that had come with everything we had built. It was standing here.Alive. With my family.Nathan gently squeezed my hand."What are you thinking about?"I looked at him and smiled."How lucky I am."His express

Chapter 530A little later, the garden became even louder.Ava and Liam arrived with gifts, and not long after that, Lucian and Carmen returned as well.The moment Luca saw his parents, he ran straight toward them."Mom!"Carmen bent down and caught him in her arms."There you are."Luca wrapped his arms around her."I missed you."Carmen kissed his forehead."I missed you too."Lucian stood beside them, smiling."Did you behave while we were gone?"Luca immediately pointed toward Athena."She made us play her game."Athena protested from across the garden."It was a good game!"Lucian laughed."Then I suppose you had a good time.""We did," Luca admitted.Carmen looked toward me.Her smile softened."Look at them."I followed her gaze.Athena was sitting on the grass while the twins surrounded her. Luca stood beside them, apparently explaining some complicated rule that only he understood.I smiled."They're inseparable."Carmen nodded."Luca talks about Athena constantly."I looked

Chapter 529Before he could say anything else, a loud shout came from downstairs."Mommy!"I laughed."That's my cue."Nathan chuckled.We left the room together. By the time we reached the dining area, Mom was already there, arranging breakfast plates across the table.She looked toward the garden doors with an expression of complete exhaustion."I have one question," she said.I smiled."What?""How can four children make the noise of twenty?"Nathan laughed beside me. Mom immediately pointed at him."Don't laugh. You are partly responsible."Nathan placed a hand against his chest."Me?""Yes, you.""What did I do?"Mom shook her head."You taught Athena how to sneak cookies from the kitchen."Nathan looked at me."That information was supposed to remain confidential."I burst out laughing.Mom folded her arms."And you wonder why she thinks she can do anything she wants."Nathan smiled innocently."I have no idea what you're talking about.""Of course you don't."Before the convers

Chapter 164Serena's povI felt my cheeks growing warm.Was I supposed to react to that? Was he simply being playful, or did he genuinely intend for me to share his bedroom during my stay? We had agreed to an arrangement, yes, but somehow hearing him call it our room made everything feel a little more personal than I had anticipated. It sounded like we were married.I took a slow breath and stepped inside.The moment I crossed the doorway, I understood why Alex had been so pleased with himself.The room was breathtaking.It looked like a paradise of its own, hidden inside the main paradise that was his underground mansion. I had thought the house was already luxurious enough to make me question everything I knew about wealth, but this room was on an entirely different level. It was enormous, beautifully arranged, and so perfectly coordinated that I almost wondered whether I had accidentally walked into a royal suite.Everything was decorated in white, blue, and gold.The combination

Chapter 163Serena's povAlex stretched out his hand towards me, after wearing the robe on me. I stared at it for a brief moment before placing mine in his. His fingers closed around mine, warm and reassuring, and he gave my hand a gentle squeeze before turning towards the exit. I followed without arguing, although I had absolutely no idea where he was taking me. My curiosity had been growing since he announced that there was more enjoyment waiting for me, but judging by the mischievous smile that had refused to leave his face, I knew better than to expect a straightforward answer from him."Where are we going?" I asked as we walked."You'll see."I turned my head towards him. "Alex, you have been saying that since we left the jacuzzi.""And?""And I am beginning to think you enjoy watching me get curious."He chuckled, glancing down at me. "Perhaps I do."I shook my head, smiling despite myself. "You are enjoying this too much.""Can you blame me? You make the most adorable express

Chapter 162SERENA'S POVFUCK.......................................I stopped the thought after noticing, I was starting to get wet.Water glistened on his skin, tracing its way down his chest and stomach. He looked like someone who took excellent care of himself, and I suddenly understood why he seemed so comfortable carrying himself with such confidence.I blinked.Once.Twice.But my eyes seemed to have developed a mind of their own.Goodness.I had always known Alex was handsome. It would have been impossible not to notice. His face alone was enough to make a woman look twice, and his smile had a way of making even ordinary conversations feel special. But seeing him standing there, with his muscular frame on full display, was an entirely different experience.I tried to look away.I really did.Unfortunately, my eyes returned to him almost immediate

Chapter 161SERENA'S POV“Don’t do that.” He scolded.I looked up.“Don’t spend your time trying to understand why people chose to betray you. Their choices are theirs, Serena. You don’t have to turn their actions into a question about your worth.”His words struck a place inside me that I hadn’t realised was still hurting. I stared at him, and for a moment I couldn’t find anything to say. He wasn’t trying to give me some grand speech. He wasn’t telling me that everything would be fine. He was simply reminding me that Adrian’s betrayal didn’t make me less deserving of love.I swallowed.“You’re right,” I whispered.He smiled gently. “I usually am.”I burst into laughter.“There he is,” I said, shaking my head. “I was wondering when the arrogan

Chapter 160SERENA'S POVAfter all, wasn’t that the entire point of our arrangement?For once, I would allow myself to be happy without thinking about what might happen tomorrow.I leaned back a little more, letting my head rest comfortably against him. My eyes drifted closed again, and I felt a smile tug at my lips. The music continued playing softly in the background, and the warm water seemed to wrap around me like a gentle embrace.I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely noticed when Alex cleared his throat.It was a quiet sound, but it was enough to pull me out of my little world.I opened my eyes.“Serena.”“Hmm?”He moved slightly behind me. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”I smiled. “I thought we were enjoying the silence.”“We are. But I have a feeling that your silence has more to do with your

Chapter 159SERENA'S POVThere was a fluttering sensation in my stomach that made me shift slightly.Oh, no.I knew that feeling.I had read about it. I had watched it happen to people in films and novels. I had even experienced it before, although I couldn’t remember the last time it had caught me so completely off guard.Butterflies.I was having butterflies because of Alex.I almost laughed at myself.Was I seriously sitting here, in the arms of my revenge partner, allowing my heart to behave like a teenager’s?I tried to dismiss the thought, but my mind had already begun wandering down a dangerous path. It reminded me of the way he had looked at me when he asked whether I was alright. It reminded me of his smile during lunch, the way he had teased me, and how patiently he had allowed me to explore the house. I remembered his voice when he called me beautiful. I rem