Romans de desireoparaugoezichi

POV: ReginaThe Moretti Grand Hotel was exactly as I remembered it, but the ballroom was beyond my expectations.It was breathtaking and ruthlessly elegant, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Boston waterfalls, and marble floors so polished that they reflected the chandeliers above like still water.The floral arrangements were so tall, white, and architectural. They are probably worth more than my first restaurant lease.Everything in this building had been designed to make the people feel the weight of Adrian Moretti’s name before he even walked into the room.I knew that feeling too well.“Table twelve still doesn’t have its champagne setup,” I told one of the hospitality staff while scanning the room carefully. “And the seafood station needs to be rotated before it starts looking dry.”“Yes, Chef.”The staff scattered quickly, the waiters moving silently between tables in black-and-white uniforms.Everything looked elegant and perfect, which meant absolutely nothing cou

POV: Regina“Bella, if you touch that syrup again, I’m hiding pancakes from you forever.”My daughter gasped dramatically from where she sat on the kitchen counter.“You wouldn’t.”“I absolutely would.”Bella narrowed her amber eyes suspiciously before dipping her finger into the syrup anyway.I stared at her. She stared back while slowly putting the syrup covered finger into her mouth. Then, she smiled innocently.I sighed, trying not to laugh while flipping another pancake in the pan.The warm morning sun was already stretching wide across our Boston kitchen, catching the copper pots hanging above the island and turning everything golden. The windows were opened slightly, letting in early spring air, and the whole house smelled like butter and maple syrup and the lavender diffuser Sienna had bought me last Christmas that Bella was now obsessed with.Five years ago, I’d have never imagined that my life would be this peaceful and safe. I had worked very hard to build this life.“Mom

POV: AdrianI rolled my neck as the elevator went up, working out the stiffness from the three back-to-back meetings I'd had yesterday.The merger was finally handled last night. It was done and we could move forward.I glanced at the rose bouquet in my hand.I’d apologize to Regina for missing last night and fix things today.The elevator stopped, and the first thing I noticed when I stepped into the penthouse was the unusual heavy silence.Usually, Regina’s presence always welcomed me home, either by her soft music playing in the kitchen, the scent of her vanilla perfume or the way her face lit up when she saw me.But this silence felt…wrong.Which meant that she was indeed angry at me for missing another important dinner.Again.My jaw tightened slightly as I loosened my tie and stepped further into the penthouse, dropping the flowers on the console. “Regina?”Silence.I walked further into the house and the dining area came into view, stopping me in my tracks.Carefully, I approa

POV: ReginaI stared at the screen for so long that my eyes began to hurt, but somehow, I couldn’t stop scrolling.I scrolled through the photos one by one. There were so many of them and every single image felt like a knife slicing deep inside me.Adrian and Seraphina stood beneath glittering chandeliers, looking beautiful together, while the cameras flashed around them.In a short video, Adrian’s hand rested against Seraphina’s lower back while he guided her towards the event entrance, protectively and intimately.I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the painful pressure building up in my chest.In the three years that we’ve been engaged, Adrian has never publicly acknowledged me. Not once. Infact, I doubted if anyone else aside our families and close colleagues knew that we were engaged. But these photos have been live for less than two hours, and the whole of Manhattan was already celebrating his reunion with her.I exited instagram and tossed my phone on the table before pressing

POV: ReginaI could feel the warmth and silent excitement radiating in my heart as I pictured Adrian’s expression when I break the news to him. I couldn’t help, but wonder my news would break his calm exterior and make him yell in happiness. Whichever, I couldn’t wait for him to get home.I stirred the creamy Alfredo sauce slowly, inhaling the soft aroma of butter, garlic and the other spices that filled the kitchen. The chicken was already fried and carefully arranged on the white ceramic dishes beside the pasta. Candles flickered softly across the dining table behind me, casting a golden light over the crystal glasses and white roses, adding a soft, romantic vibe to the atmosphere.Soft jazz played softly through the penthouse while Manhattan glittered beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows like scattered diamonds. I have always loved how beautiful the city looked beautiful from up here.But tonight, it almost felt magical. Everything looked perfect.I placed a hand against my stoma