Novels by Jennifer

A knock on the door jolted Hermione from her thoughts. She opened her eyes, looking out of the window to find the sky already dark.Eunice opened the door slightly. "It's almost time for dinner, madam."Hermione sat up on the bed. "Thanks. I'll be right down."Eunice nodded and was closing the door when Hermione asked, "Is my husband back?""Yes, he came back a few hours ago but didn't want to disturb you. He's in his study."Hermione nodded. She took the card Rhys had given her that morning and made her way to his study. She hesitated for a moment before knocking. After receiving a muffled "come in," she entered.It was the first time she had stepped into his study. The room was spacious, lined with bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes and scattered business journals. A large mahogany desk sat at the center, covered in neat stacks of documents and a sleek laptop. The lighting was warm, casting a soft g

Hermione returned to the house in a bad mood, even though she tried not to show it. As she entered Rhys’s room, she collapsed on the bed with a tired sigh. Gianna's stunt would no doubt hit the media soon, and Hermione would be belittled yet again. She was sick of it.Gazing at the ceiling, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly Gianna had been on about. What had she done to make her so angry?Had the humiliation she'd put her brother through really upset her that much? Back then, she had done what she thought was right. She understood the manner in which she'd done it was extreme and must have embarrassed Rhys, but why was everyone still pushing the narrative that she'd hurt him? Or had Gianna simply misunderstood?Hermione groaned, massaging her brows. She couldn't even ask Rhys because they'd both vowed not to bring things up again.“Meeting you was a mistake I wish I had never made. Even if we meet again in the fut

The next morning, Hermione woke up to find the house more lively than usual. The staff was in a good mood, they had been ever since Evelyn arrived. The woman had the ability to light up a cemetery if she wanted to.Evelyn was in the kitchen with the cooks when Hermione came in. "Hermione, you're awake. Go and sit. We're almost done with breakfast."Hermione rolled up her sleeves. "No, I can help. What are you making?""You're still recovering. The doctor gave clear instructions not to let you overexert yourself. We're already finishing up."Hermione was about to argue that she was perfectly healthy when Rhys walked into the kitchen in office pants and a button-up shirt.She thought he had left after waking up to an empty room."Eunice, is it ready?" He asked.Eunice nodded and pulled out two steaming mugs, handing them to Rhys. Rhys took them gratefully before approaching Hermione and offering her one.

That evening, Hermione and Evelyn were having dinner when Rhys arrived home with yet another bouquet of peonies for Hermione.At first, she had been slightly moved by the gesture and had looked forward to it each day. But this evening, looking at the peonies resting on the table, she couldn't help but frown. Had he also bought Judith her favorite flowers to appease her? A sour taste developed in her mouth.She couldn't bring the matter up with him, either. If his plan had something to do with this 'Judith', she didn't want to let on that she knew. That way, she would catch him off guard in the future."Hermione, are you alright? You keep poking at your food," Evelyn said from across the table.Hermione looked down at her plate and realized the grilled salmon was already shredded into pieces by her fork. "Oh, I'm just full. I ate a lot today."Evelyn didn't push and continued her meal. When she finished, she announced

As always, the air remained tense between Rhys and Hermione that night and over the next few days.She couldn't grasp why he was doing all this. She couldn't get a read on him. The flowers, the way he'd dried her hair, burning down Cole's warehouse — was that jealousy?She shook her head. He had no reason to be jealous. It wasn't as if they had anything real between them. This marriage was nothing but a facade. She couldn't be swayed. She shouldn't forget why she hated him.Hermione sighed, pushing thoughts of him from her mind.On the other-hand, Evelyn had made sure she was well taken care of. Breakfast in bed, lunch in the garden because Evelyn loved flowers, and dinner in the dining room.Hermione couldn't complain. The woman was good company. She was easygoing, funny, and a bit of a blabbermouth.Even now, she couldn’t stop talking."Did you know Rhys used to suck his thumb when he wa

Evening rolled around, and Hermione sat with Evelyn for dinner. Rhys was running late, and they couldn’t wait for him any longer.“Is the food to your liking?”Hermione looked up at Evelyn, then at the plate of pasta and chicken breast. The food was delicious, but all she could think about was the calories she’d gain from eating it. But she knew Evelyn wouldn’t tolerate her picking at it, so she had to eat it all.“It’s very good, thank you.” She said.Evelyn nodded. “I perfected that recipe from one of my nice neighbors back in the day. My family loved it. There was a time when it was all we ate.”Hermione mustered a smile. “Really? You liked it that much?”Evelyn nodded, but her smile turned slightly melancholic. “We did, but I suppose it was also because we couldn’t afford anything else at the time. Pasta was just easier and cheaper