Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-FIVEAria's POVWho's she?I turned around before I could stop myself from doing so, some weird instinct pulling my eyes towards the direction the voice was coming from.The restaurant was actually fully booked and the guests looked very important and polished. However, despite the low flow of important conversations happening at every table, different servers moving with trays well balanced like it weighed nothing, a table of businessmen near the window clearly in the middle of a negotiation.It took me only a second to actually find him in all of it, but then I did.At the table near the far end of the VIP floor, Damien was there, dressed the way he did when the occasion was a really important one— dark suit, no tie, the top button of his shirt was left undone in that specific way that had made me feel like the only person in a room sometime ago but now, it made my chest go right for an entirely different reason.I felt my heart sink, he wasn't alone.The woman sitting across from him h
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-12
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-FOURAria's POVFriday came a lot faster than I admit and a lot slower than necessary too.Marcus had suggested that Friday was the perfect day since we both had less things to do at work. Compared to other days, Friday was way calmer with paper work.I had spent most of the week thinking about this particular day even when it wasn't really necessary, catching myself mid-thought.I dropped Elias at Mara's place straight from his daycare. Handling his overnight bag that I had stuffed with his favorite pajamas, two extra changes of clothes because he was going through a funny stage of always spilling things on himself and his favorite Elephant he didn't sleep without.“Have fun tonight, bug,” I said, crouching down to give him a kiss on the top of his head, then I ruffled his hair slightly. “Be good for Aunt Mara, Don't throw food, okay?.”“Bye, Mommy.” He waved, already distracted by the toy bin Mara kept for him for these types of visits, barely giving me a glance. I shook my head, some
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-11
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-THREEAria's POVDo You Still Love Him?Elias sat at his own side of the dining table, a small chair and table suitable for his size, with a clean sheet of paper and a fistful of crayons, his tongue poking out slightly in concentration, working on whatever masterpiece his daycare had assigned that week. Denise had said something about family when I went to pick him up, something about drawing the people you love.Mara and I moved around the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner, the radio playing faintly in the background.“Are you sure you're okay?” She asked for what felt like the tenth time. “You've sighed like four times in the last ten minutes,” she said, her eyes fixed on the onions she was dicing. “Either that garlic’s really offending you, or something is actually going on.”She said, referring to the garlic I was peeling.“It's not the garlic.” I groaned.“ I thought so.” She set the knife down and turned to face me properly. “Okay start spilling.”I glanced at where Elias was,
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-10
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-TWOAria's POVHave dinner with me.Monday mornings had a pattern of their own I have learned to like.I dropped Elias off at the daycare, the office was a bit quiet apart from the sound of movement across the road, before Priya arrived. I hadn't heard from Naomi in almost two weeks. I convinced myself that it was totally normal and nothing unusual.She had a life of her own outside of Edward Hart and everything connected to him. She had a job, friends and whatever looks normal for a woman who had spent twenty years carrying her sister's story alone.I made a mental note to text her late just to check in on her.Edward on the other hand hasn't made any move and by now I had stopped checking my phone every few minutes for updates from Damien's security teams, though I still noticed that somewhere in the back of my mind with every day that passed without incident. It was starting to feel more like relief than me holding my breath and that was a good thing.I tried to push the thoughts asi
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-09
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTY-ONEDamien's POVMy phone rang loudly in my pocket as I was reviewing the emails my assistant had sent for the Kessler acquisition meeting happening in the next forty minutes.I picked it up and it was Aria. “Damien, hi, sorry to bother you this early in the morning.” Aria's voice came in a little too rushed. “ I know it's a Saturday and you should be resting from work but I've got a situation. The bathroom sink is basically flooding the cabinet under it, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong while trying to fix it. Marcus usually helps with stuff like this, but he's currently out of town for work and won't be back until next week.”“Send me a picture of it.” She did a few seconds later, and a notification popped in. Water pooling under the sink, a repair tool lying uselessly on the tile floor that was already wet, clearly a failed attempt to fix it.“I can be there in twenty minutes,” I said “You don't have to drop everything. I can probably figure it out or just call someone.” She h
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-08
Chapter: CHAPTER FORTYAria's POVCan I Call Him DadI went to pick Elias up from the daycare at a little after five, which wasn't the usual time. I went late due to the client I was working with.“Miss Bennett.” Denis greeted me the moment her eyes landed on me. “You came in late, all the kids have already been picked up, Elias's is the only one left.” She said, her voice coming out a little concerned.I gave her an apologetic look, “thank you Denise.”I turned to where Elias' tiny figure was sitting with his legs crossed beside the cubbies, waiting with his backpack which usually meant he had something on his mind.“Hey bug.” I crouched down to his level, giving him an apologetic look, “I'm sorry I couldn't come on time, I got held up in the office.” I said gently but he wasn't paying me any attention.He gets grumpy whenever I come late. “Did you have a good day?” I asked and he nodded without sparing me much glance. It's hard to read what a two years old child had in his mind.“Mommy,”he finally calle
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2026-08-07
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