Mimi Frank의 작품

Three months of planning. Three months of Vivienne and Maya tag-teaming every detail with the efficiency of military generals. Three months of Eleanor quietly handling the logistics that required someone with decades of high-society experience. Three months of me mostly staying out of the way and trusting them to create something beautiful. “You’re the bride,” Maya had said. “You just have to show up and look gorgeous. We’ll handle everything else.” “That feels wrong. I should be helping—” “You run a restaurant empire and you just got engaged. Let us do this. Please.” So I did. I let them plan. Let them coordinate. Let them handle the million tiny decisions that went into creating a destination wedding in Greece. I had already chosen my dress. The one that was bought for the wedding that was not held. Now, standing in a villa overlooking the Aegean Sea, staring at myself in the floor-length mirror, I could barely breathe. The dress was ivory silk, simple and elegant. Just perf

One year. Twelve months of loving Xander without fear. Twelve months of building something real and honest and unshakeable. Twelve months of proving that what we had was worth every moment of pain it took to get here. We’d done everything right this time. Taken it slow. Talked about everything. Built trust brick by brick, conversation by conversation, moment by moment. He’d kept his promise. No secrets. Even when the truth was uncomfortable, even when he knew it might hurt, he told me anyway. Complete transparency. Complete honesty. And in return, I’d given him complete trust. We’d celebrated Veridian’s one-year anniversary of the expansion with a party that made the opening night look modest. We’d traveled to California for a food and wine festival where I’d been a featured speaker. We’d spent lazy Sundays in bed reading the paper and drinking coffee and existing in the comfortable silence of two people who didn’t need to fill every moment with words. Maya said we were disgust

Dating Xander again was like breathing after being underwater for months. Different from before. Better. He picked me up for our first date at exactly seven on Friday. Showed up at my door with a single peony and a nervous smile that made my heart ache. “You look beautiful,” he said. “You look terrified.” “I am. Feels like everything is riding on tonight.” I touched his face. “No pressure. Just dinner. Just us.” He’d taken me to a small Italian restaurant in the Village. Not flashy. Not expensive. Just good food and candlelight and conversation that flowed like we’d never been apart. We talked about everything. Veridian. His latest projects. Maya’s new gallery showing. Books we’d read. Movies we’d seen. We didn’t talk about the plan. About the trial. About the six months apart. We just talked about now. About who we were becoming. He walked me home. Kissed me goodnight on my doorstep. Didn’t ask to come up. “I meant it about taking things slow,” he said. “I k

I called him that evening. Maya had left an hour earlier, making me promise I wouldn’t chicken out. I’d spent that hour pacing my apartment, surrounded by Xander’s gifts, rehearsing what I would say. None of it sounded right. Finally, I just picked up the phone and called before I could talk myself out of it. He answered on the first ring. “Diana.” Just my name. But the way he said it—breathless, hopeful, terrified—told me everything I needed to know. “Hi,” I said softly. “Did you have a good day?” “Better now. Did you—did you get the gifts?” “I did. Xander, they’re—” My voice broke. “They’re the most thoughtful things anyone has ever given me.” “I’m glad. I wanted you to know that I’ve been paying attention. That I remember everything.” “You bought me a penthouse in Paris.” “You deserve to see the world. And when you do, you should have a home there.” Tears pricked at my eyes again. “The scholarship. In my mother’s name. Xander, that’s—” “Your mother would be proud of y

Six months passed. Six months of building my life on my own terms. Six months of watching Veridian grow from a successful restaurant into something extraordinary. Six months of flowers arriving at work—one single bloom every morning, each with a card that made me smile despite myself. Thinking of you today. - X Hope you’re having a beautiful morning. - X This reminded me of your smile. - X Simple messages. Nothing demanding. Nothing pressuring. Just consistent reminders that Alexander Lockwood was still there. Still trying. Still waiting. The expansion was nearly complete. Using the air rights Xander had secured for me, we’d added two floors above Veridian. The second floor would house an exclusive private dining room and event space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. The third floor was my office suite and a test kitchen for menu development and event planning. I’d overseen every detail. The custom chandeliers from Italy. The imported marble for the bars. The

Maya arrived the next morning with coffee and bagels. “Okay, let’s see this new place,” she said, pushing through the door with her arms full. “I brought sustenance. And also paint samples because that wall is crying out for color.” I laughed, taking one of the coffee cups from her. “I just moved in yesterday. I haven’t even unpacked half my boxes.” “Which is why I’m here. To help you turn this empty space into an actual home.” She set everything down on the kitchen counter and looked around. “Di, this is perfect. It’s so you.” “You think so?” “Absolutely. Exposed brick. Natural light. That little window seat.” She pointed to the alcove by the window. “You’re going to sit there drinking coffee and reading books and living your best independent woman life.” “That’s the plan.” “Good plan.” She handed me a bagel. “Now, where do we start?” We spent the morning unpacking. Maya had a gift for making spaces feel like home. She arranged my books on the built-in shelves, organized my k

Staff rushed to Isolde’s side with napkins and fresh water. Gregory patted her back while she continued to cough, her face red, eyes streaming.The rest of the table sat in stunned silence.Genevieve’s hand had frozen halfway to her mouth, soup spoon suspended in mid-air. Lilibel’s eyes were wide, darting between Lucian and me. Benedict looked equally shocked, while Cecilia’s mouth had literally fallen open.“Everyone,” I said carefully, trying to keep my voice steady. “I think Lucian is getting ahead of himself. Please don’t take this seriously.”“I’m not getting ahead of anything.” Lucian’s tone was calm. Matter-of-fact. As if he’d just announced the weather instead of dropping a bomb on his entire family.“Lucian, we talked about this,” I said quietly, heat rising to my cheeks.“We talked. I listened. I disagree.” His amber eyes held mine. “We’re mates, Aurelia.”Seraphina’s expression had shifted from shock to something else. Something that looked dangerously like excitement.“Thi

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom, studying my reflection with critical eyes. The gown was simple. Forest green, falling just below my knees, with three-quarter sleeves and a modest neckline. Nothing flashy. Nothing that screamed “trying too hard.” But nice enough to show respect for the dinner invitation. Command, really. Not invitation. My dark hair had given me trouble, but I’d finally managed to secure it with silver clips, pulling it back from my face while letting a few strands frame my features. Minimal makeup. Small pearl earrings my mother had given me years ago. I looked presentable. Respectable. Terrified. My hand went to my stomach, still flat beneath the fabric. In a few weeks, this dress wouldn’t fit. In a few months, everyone would see the evidence of what Lucian and I had done. What we’d created. “Beautiful”, my wolf murmured. “Alpha will see. Will know.” I don’t care what he sees. But I checked my reflection one more time anyway. Six

Lucian took a step forward, then stopped, as if unsure of his reception.“Grandmother,” he said, his voice carefully controlled. “I’d like to show Aurelia to her wing. If she’s comfortable with this.”Seraphina’s gaze sharpened, turning toward her grandson with a look that could cut glass. The warning in her eyes was clear: behave.“Lucian—”“Please,” he said quietly. “I need to speak with her.”I wanted to refuse. Wanted to tell him to stay away, to let Seraphina handle everything, to avoid being alone with him for even a minute.But we couldn’t avoid each other forever. Not if I was living here. Not if we were going to raise a child together, even from separate wings of this massive estate.“It’s fine,” I heard myself say.Seraphina looked at me. “Are you certain?”“Yes.”“Very well.” She turned back to Lucian, her voice dropping to a tone I suspected terrified even Alphas. “You will be respectful. You will be kind. And you will remember she is a guest in this house, under my protec

“I’ll go.”The words fell from my lips before I could second-guess them.My father’s expression tightened. My mother’s hand squeezed mine harder.“Are you certain?” my father asked.“No.” I looked at him, then at my mother. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about this baby. They deserve to know both sides of their family. Both packs. I can’t let my hurt stand in the way of what’s best for them.”“Aurelia—” my father started.“I’m not doing this for Lucian,” I said firmly. “I’m doing this for my child. There’s a difference.”Seraphina’s expression softened with something like relief. “You’re making the right choice. I promise you’ll be treated with respect and given every comfort.”“I want my own space,” I said. “Complete privacy. I don’t want to see Lucian unless absolutely necessary.”“Understood. You’ll have an entire wing to yourself.”“And if I change my mind, if this arrangement doesn’t work, I can leave. No arguments. No pack law preventing me.”Seraphina hesitated for only a momen

The figures that emerged from the vehicles were not what I expected.From the first car stepped Grand Matriarch Seraphina, her silver hair gleaming in the evening light, her posture regal despite her age. She wore a deep burgundy dress that spoke of elegance and authority.From the second car came two large wolves in dark suits. Bodyguards. Their eyes scanned the perimeter with professional efficiency before one of them opened the door for Seraphina.No Lucian.Relief and disappointment warred in my chest.My father opened the front door, stepping onto the porch. His posture was protective but not aggressive. An Alpha, showing respect while guarding his territory.“Grand Matriarch Seraphina,” he said, his voice carrying across the yard. “This is unexpected.”“Alpha Sinclair.” She inclined her head respectfully. “I apologize for arriving unannounced. May we speak? It concerns your daughter and matters of great importance to both our packs.”My father’s jaw tightened, but he stepped asi

The drive to Crescent Ridge took four hours.Four hours of fighting tears. Of replaying the conversation in my head. Of hearing his voice ask, “Are you certain the pregnancy is mine?” over and over until the words lost all meaning.My wolf remained silent. Not sulking. Not pleading. Just quiet grief that mirrored my own.I crossed into my home pack’s territory just after midnight. The familiar scents of pine and mountain air wrapped around me like a blanket. Comforting. Safe.Everything Nightfall had never been.My parents’ house sat at the edge of the forest, a sprawling cabin my father had built with his own hands. Lights glowed in the windows despite the late hour.They were waiting.I’d called my mother from a rest stop two hours ago. Told her I was coming home. Needed to stay for a while. She’d asked no questions, just said my room would be ready.I parked in the driveway and sat for a moment, gathering the strength to walk inside. To face them. To admit what had happened.The fr