Skylar Vandler의 작품

DEMETRIAFive Years Later…I still remember the time Marion promised to build our home on this land. A home for the kids and us, close to his parents. A place where we grow together. A real family.Now, out of ten acres, two acres of rolling green stretch around me, our home sitting right at the center like something out of a magazine. Tall windows, warm stone, soft wooden finishes… a mansion, yes, but somehow still ours. Still full of fingerprints and crayons and little shoes abandoned in hallways. From the balcony, I can see the golf path that leads straight to his parents’ house — a five-minute ride on the little family-sized cart the kids love to drive too fast. On the other side, the stables shimmer in the morning sun, horses grazing lazily. And behind the house, my favorite part: the garden. Wild, bright, and stubbornly thriving… just like us.Some days it hits me all at once. How far we’ve come.When Marion handed me the deed to the building in Beverly Grove, I cried like a ch

MARION“You couldn’t wait for us to say our goodbyes, husband?” Demetria teased, her arms circled my neck as I carried her up the jet’s stairs.I smirked, staring at her pretty face. “Marcel will inform them when they notice our absence. Right now, I need you all to myself.”We left the wedding venue in a whirlwind, eager to escape the world and have these first stolen moments alone. Now, as we boarded the jet on our way to our honeymoon in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, I couldn’t help the grin spreading across my face. Finally, my wife, entirely mine, and the thought of exploring every inch of her body set my mind alert.The air hostess stepped in gracefully. “Welcome aboard, Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield. Everything is ready for your flight.”“Thank you,” I said, giving her a nod. “We can take off now.”She smiled and turned, and I added, “Please inform the team not to disturb us unless it’s time to land.”Demetria’s lips curved into that mischievous smile I adored. “Wow, bossy even in the

DEMETRIAWedding Day…It was finally here. My wedding day, in the last week of January. It felt like a dream someone dipped in gold. The morning had been a swirl of makeup brushes, hairpins, perfume, and nonstop giddy squealing from my bridesmaids. At some point, Anastasia had shown me the breaking news alert about Paula’s death splashed across every media outlet.I’d only blinked, nodded, and whispered, “I already knew.” And I was at peace. Nothing—absolutely nothing—was going to cast a shadow over my good day.Now, I was finally seated in the back of the long white limousine, my dress flowing around me like clouds, Anastasia beside me in her silk gown, with Amanda and my bakery girls in shades of blush filling the rest of the seats. They were all chattering, buzzing, glowing with joy for me.Anastasia nudged me with her elbow, wiggling her brows dramatically.“So, Mrs. Almost-Whitfield… how are you feeling?” she teased.I laughed, pressing a hand over my racing heart.“Like I’m flo

DEMETRIAThe energy buzzed with excitement as everyone congratulated us. Desserts were passed around, something I didn’t know my bakery team had planned, adding to today’s big surprise. Across the room, I noticed my father approaching, his arm linked with his new lady, both smiling warmly in our direction.I stepped forward as my father reached me, his face lighting up. “Mija, I’m so happy for you,” he said warmly, pulling me into a firm hug. “You’ve grown into a strong, wonderful woman. And Marion… take care of her. Always.”I smiled, feeling the pride and love in his voice, and nodded. My father then introduced his lady beside him. “And this is someone special I want you to meet,” he said. I hugged her briefly. “It’s lovely to meet you,” I murmured, and we laughed softly.Curiosity bubbled up. “Dad… when did you arrive? How did you know about today?” I asked, glancing between him and Marion.He tilted his head toward Marion, a small smile playing on his lips. My brows furrowed, and

MARION“Marion… what’s going on here?” Demetria laughed nervously, turning in a slow circle as she took in every familiar face. Her eyes widened even more when they landed on one person in particular. “Papa… you’re… what? How—?”Demetria blinked hard, like she was making sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Everyone chuckled—my parents, Marcel, Stephen, and his wife, Cyprian, Mikhail, Amanda with her whole bakery crew, and Anastasia’s husband. The room buzzed with warmth and excitement.Her dad lifted a hand in a soft wave, the woman beside him smiling politely. “Hi, mi princesa.”“Okay… what’s going on?” she demanded, hugging the bouquet tighter to her chest, her voice a blend of confusion, wonder, and the beginning of happy tears. She turned to glance at Anastasia, and I used that opportunity to kneel in front of her. She gasped when she saw me in that posture.“Mar—”“Wildfire,” I said, feeling every heartbeat echo in my chest as I knelt there. Demetria’s breath caught, her eyes wide a

DEMETRIA“Okay… girl, I see you. It’s superb, better than mine. I love it for you,” Anastasia said when I showed her my new car in Marion’s underground garage, the one he gifted me after the accident.Now we’re on our way to God-knows-where, since she and Marion both told me to relax and enjoy the day.“Yeah, that’s Marion, always fulfilling his promises. Today’s gifts were straight off my Pinterest board,” I said with a smile, recalling each one.“That’s a billionaire showering his woman,” she teased, giving me a side-eye before pulling out of Marion’s building. “And because I’m your best friend, I get to tag along while he spoils you today.”“So, you still won’t tell me where we’re going?” I asked, leaning back in the passenger seat.“Deme!” She laughed, shaking her head. “I know you hate surprises like this. We’re almost there, you’ll see.”We pulled into West Hollywood, and Anastasia parked with a smug little smile that told me she’d been dying for this moment.I blinked up at the

YULIAI stared at Kendrick's message for what felt like the hundredth time.Meet me at the penthouse after the party.Butterflies fluttered wildly inside my stomach. It had only been a few weeks since we'd found our way back to each other, yet every meeting still felt forbidden. Dangerous.Every secret glance, every stolen kiss, every text message carried a thrill that made my heart race. Maybe we were crazy. We may have been making everything harder than it needed to be. But whenever I was with him, none of that seemed to matter. Without realizing it, I smiled. A knowing laugh pulled me back.“Hmm…” Adeline narrowed her eyes at me. “That smile again. What's going on?”I locked my phone and tried to appear innocent. “Nothing.”She snarled at me. “Yulia Adley.”I chuckled, leaning closer. “I'm meeting Kendrick at his penthouse after this.”Adeline's lips slowly curled into a mischievous grin. “Oh?”She nudged my shoulder. “So that's why you've been glowing all evening.”“Stop it,” I

KENDRICK“Shit.” The word slipped under my breath before I could stop it.Yulia's eyes widened for the briefest second. She stepped away from me, smoothing her dress as though putting distance between us would erase what had just happened.“Excuse me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.Before I could stop her, she disappeared around the corner, leaving me alone with Natalie. Silence settled between us.I stared after Yulia for another second, my pulse still racing from the kiss we'd been foolish enough to share. I should've known better. We both should have. We'd spent the entire evening pretending, carefully measuring every glance and every interaction. Then the moment we were finally alone, all of that discipline disappeared. Natalie looked from the direction Yulia had gone, then back to me.I ruffled my hair. “Natalie.”She gave a small shrug. “I actually came out here to take a call.”I nodded. Whether that was true or whether she was trying to make this less awkward, I coul

YULIAMy eyes stayed fixed on Kendrick and Natalie. She stood too close, and she looked too comfortable beside him.Her hand rested lightly against Kendrick’s arm as she smiled at him, and even though I knew I had no reason to feel threatened, something unpleasant twisted in my chest.It wasn't jealousy. At least, that's what I told myself. It was just the situation, the timing.Everything between Kendrick and me was already complicated enough. We were pretending in front of everyone that we were nothing more than family. We had to be careful. We had to watch every look, every touch, every reaction.Now, standing in front of me was a woman who had once been part of his life. A woman who looked completely comfortable beside him.“Yulia.”I blinked and cut my eyes at Adeline. “Yes?”She raised an eyebrow. “Fix your face.”“Wh— what?” I asked, confused.She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Fix your face. Right now.”I frowned. “Why? Is something wrong with my make-up?”She snorted sof

KENDRICKThe Fernsby Estate had never been this loud, not with music, but with movement.Caterers crossed the marble corridor carrying trays of champagne flutes. Florists adjusted white orchids for the third time. Staff moved between the ballroom and the garden terrace while the event planner spoke rapidly into a headset.In the middle of all of it stood my mother. “Those candles need to be symmetrical,” she said, pointing toward the staircase arrangement. “And someone tell the quartet they start at seven-thirty, not seven-forty.”I watched her for a moment from the doorway, fighting a smile. At fifty, Daphne Fernsby still ran an event like a military operation.I walked toward her. “Mother.”She turned immediately. “Kendrick, thank God. Tell them the champagne tower is too far left.”I glanced at it. “It’s literally in the centre.”She squinted at it. “It’s not.”“It is.” I insisted.She narrowed her eyes.I laughed softly and took her hands. “Go get ready.”She frowned. “But —”I c

YULIAI shifted in my seat and glanced sideways at Kendrick for what had to be the fifth time in ten minutes.He kept one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting lazily on my thigh, looking entirely too calm for someone who'd refused to reveal the location.“Where are we going?” I asked again.He didn't even spare me a glance, but curled his lips. “You'll see.”I sighed dramatically. “You've been saying that for the last twenty minutes.”“Be patient.”I folded my arms across my chest, pouting. “Fine.”My gaze drifted out the passenger window as London passed us by.After everything that had happened with our parents, every outing together made my chest tighten a little.I looked back at him. “Kendrick?”“Hm?”“What if someone sees us?”He glanced at me briefly. “Sees us doing what?”“You know…” I gestured vaguely between us. “Being… intimate in public.”“We're sitting in a car, Peaches,” he joked.I eyed him warily. “You know what I mean. What if someone recognises us? What if t

YULIAI let out a yawn and stretched while sitting on the toilet. My bladder had woken me up with an urgent need to pee. I flushed and washed my hands. Rubbing my tired eyes, I adjusted one of Kendrick’s oversized gray shirts, swallowing my frame; the hem brushed the tops of my thighs. Looking in the mirror, my hair was tousled thanks to a night of incredible, sex-induced sleep. I washed my face and applied toothpaste to a spare toothbrush to start my morning routine. After that, I left the bathroom.Kendrick was still asleep, likely due to the blackout curtains. Even in the subdued light, my gaze fell on his lightly hairy chest. His hair also looked tousled, and one arm was stretched above his head while the other lay near his stomach.“Fine arse,” I whispered.A smirk teased my lips as I stepped closer to him. The comforter sat low on his hips, exposing his eight-pack and V-shape. Quietly approaching, I paused briefly before leaning down and gently kissing his lips. Kendrick sl