Novel-novel oleh ruffatorres

ONE YEAR LATER Days had turned into weeks, weeks had turned into months, and the months had turned into a full year, but the bouquet of flowers, boxes of chocolates, and romantic letters never stopped coming. Not even for a single day in the entire year. With the amount of effort Grey had put into his courtship, it was hard not to soften and fall for him even more—especially when he visited home every single day to continue what he called “courtship service,” which included being a gardener, a car repairman, an electrician, a plumber, and sometimes a cleaner. I once told him it wasn't necessary for him to do anything like that since we are in modern times. Men no longer woo women and their families by doing house chores, but Grey was stubborn and wouldn’t stop. He told me it was his way of showing respect and dedication to me as his wife, so I allowed him to continue what he was doing and just enjoyed the moment while he was at it. After his ceaseless dedication, Grey's hard wo

A few seconds later, the soft voice coming from the bed made Grey and me abruptly pull away from each other so we could look at the bed. We both saw our son looking at us. My heart jumped, and I immediately went to Dylan’s side and grabbed his hand. “Mama.” It was the first word that came from his lips. The sound of his voice made my heart swell with joy. Despite being away from me for years, he had never forgotten that I was his mother. I was so happy that tears welled in my eyes. From looking at me, Dylan’s eyes shifted to his father. He opened his small mouth and, in a soft voice, mumbled, “Papa.” Grey's throat moved as he swallowed hard. I could tell by the way he sucked in a deep breath that he was trying to contain his emotions. “Yes, my little boy, papa is here,” Grey replied, his voice thick with emotion as he spoke. Crossing the small distance between him and the bed, he gently pulled Dylan into his arms. He was trying his best not to burst into tears, but his eyes clearly

“For our children, Lily,” he replied, looking me straight in the eyes.For our children… Yeah, for Isabelle and Dylan… But was that enough reason for me to stay? I thought to myself, wanting to actually hear him say that he wanted me to stay with him because he loves me.Grey continued, “I know if you leave, you will take the children with you, and God only knows how long it will be before you return here so Dylan and Isabelle could be with me again. I know I could visit them anytime if you're in Europe, but it wouldn't be enough for me because I want to be with them all the time… I want them to have a complete family, which I never experienced in my life.” His eyes filled with even more emotion as he said those words.Even though I never experienced having an absentee father and an abusive stepmother raising me, I knew that it wasn't easy. To say it was hard was an understatement. Perhaps ‘hell’ would be the right word to describe the situation.Grey had the luxury that everyone want

The room was quiet and still, and for a moment, I thought I was alone. However, when I opened my eyes, I saw that my whole family was inside the room. The only one missing was my grandmother, Leilani, who I bet wasn’t allowed to leave the house considering the time of the night. Slowly, I got up from the sofa. As I did so, I cast a brief glance at the wall clock and was actually surprised to see that it was past three in the morning, which meant I had slept for a straight two hours. Feeling refreshed despite the short hours of sleep, I felt somewhat relaxed, and as the rollercoaster events of last night rushed into my thoughts, I realized how surreal it felt, as though what had happened was only a dream.My gaze surveyed the room, looking for Grey, but he was not inside Dylan’s room.“Lily,” my mom called after she finally noticed I was awake. Everyone in the room looked at me, and they all wore the same worried expression on their faces. I bit my lower lip at the sudden rush of guilt

Grey said nothing. I expected he would snap and lash out at me for keeping the truth from him all this time, but his silence was the reaction I didn't expect. The lack of reaction on his handsome face filled my chest with tension. I would rather see him angry and furious than see that blank expression on him.I held my breath, waiting for him to say something, but even after a minute passed, he didn't open his lips. The only sound I could hear was the hum of the monitor and the thunderous sound of my heartbeat as I prayed he would express how he felt.Please speak… Get mad at me… Lash out at me… Those were the words I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't let them escape my lips.The silence that seemed to go on forever was shattered when he finally opened his lips. “Why did you keep the truth from me, Lily?”His achingly soft voice left a sting in my heart. I bit my lower lip, folded my hands in my lap, and kept the tears from falling down my cheeks as I replied, “It was the best thing

The police finally arrived. Too tired to even move, I stayed in my place. I didn't know how long I'd been seated on the ground until I heard footfalls approaching behind me. Without looking back, I knew it was Grey. I just knew it was him.“Lily?” His soft voice confirmed my assumption, and he pulled to a stop beside me, kneeling on the ground. I raised my tear-streaked eyes to him and saw panic and fear shining through his hazel-green eyes.“Is Dylan alright?” The words barely emerged from his lips. He looked at me with a wretched expression on his face. That must have been the same look on my face when I first thought Dylan was gone.“He's still weak, but Dylan is alright, Grey,” I replied, warm tears flowing down my cheeks in abundance.Grey slumped beside me. The weight he seemed to carry heavily on his shoulders disappeared as he let go of the breath he wasn't aware he was still holding. His hands covered his face, and he stayed that way for a while.“Grey?” I called weakly, wond

She didn’t budge; she simply smirked and crossed her legs, looking completely unfazed by his anger.“Relax, Liam. I’m not here to have a fight with you,” she said casually. “I figured out you haven’t changed the passcode yet; that’s how I got in.”Liam cursed himself for forgetting to change the door passcode, which had allowed Victoria entry.She stood and walked toward him confidently. “I just wanted to check in on you, Liam. How are you doing? You look like you’ve been through a lot lately.”“I know you’re not truly concerned. You just want something.”A soft chuckle escaped her lips. “Well, you know me so well, darling. But you’re right.”She reached out to touch his arm, but he quickly moved away. “I need money.”“Didn’t I already send money to your bank account out of goodwill? Why are you asking for more? How shameless can you be?”“But it’s not enough!”Liam pressed his lips into a thin line. Despite giving her more than enough for her pregnancy, she had the nerve to come back

Life was never the same after Victoria was kicked out of Liam's house. The little savings she had were gone within a month, spent on bills and food.She had to find a job quickly to make ends meet, or she would starve. There were companies willing to hire her, but aside from the low pay, she felt she was too good for the work.She should have been living a privileged life, enjoying it to the fullest, but instead, that bright future was gone in an instant. It was all Emerald's fault.Victoria sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Where was she going to get the money to survive on her own?Bam! Bam! Bam!“Open up, Victoria! Your rent is long overdue. I need the money right now.”She rubbed her swollen belly, feeling the subtle kick beneath her palm. She didn’t have to open the door to know it was the landlord.“I know you're in there! Stop avoiding me!”Victoria quickly got up and opened the door before he lost his temper and kicked it in. She could only clench he

Liam approached the bed, his intense gaze fixed on her. “Why didn't you tell me you're pregnant?”Emerald’s jaw dropped. How did he find out?“How could you not tell me?”She clenched her fists tightly at her sides, her knuckles turning white. A while ago, she had avoided his gaze, but now she met his red, angry eyes with equal ferocity.She spoke in an icy voice, “Do you think you have the right to know? When you chose Victoria over me, you lost the right to know about this pregnancy.”“It's our child! Don't deny my right!”“Our child?” She let out a bitter laugh that echoed through the room. “How can you be so sure that this child is yours?”“I am the only man in your life. You never had any intimate relationships aside from me,” he replied, so sure of himself.“Are you sure of that?”“I can take a paternity test to prove that the child”—he pointed at her belly—“the baby you're carrying is mine. I bet my life on it.”She turned away from him. “I want some rest. Please leave.”Emeral

The assistant at the front desk greeted them with a warm smile and led them to the waiting room.Emerald felt her fingers turn cold as she waited for her name to be called. Therese reached over and squeezed her hand, offering her a reassuring smile.When the assistant finally called her name, Emerald stood up and followed her into the examination room.Dr. Harper, the Westmore family doctor, asked her a series of questions about her symptoms. Afterwards, she performed some tests and took blood samples. Emerald received the results a few hours later.“I have good news for you,” Dr. Harper said with a smile when she reentered her office.Emerald swallowed hard and waited.“Mrs. Westmore, you're pregnant! Congratulations!”Emerald left the doctor's office with a million thoughts running through her mind, and Therese was there waiting for her when she emerged.“I’m pregnant,” she announced.Her best friend stared at her with wide eyes. “Pregnant?” When she recovered, Therese gave her a bi

Liam closed the front door gently behind him. His head spun as he made his way toward the living room. He had drunk a little too much tonight, but drinking into a stupor helped dull whatever pain he felt.He strode to the stairs but stopped in his tracks when he realized he wasn't alone.Seated on the couch with a disapproving look on her face was Victoria. Her eyes blazed with rage. “Hah! Do you have any idea what time it is?”She placed her hands on her waist and stomped her feet. “I’ve been up all night waiting for you, and you come home wasted?”“Please, Victoria, I'm not in the mood for this. Let's talk about it in the morning.”“No. We will talk right now! I know what you've been doing behind my back.”Liam looked confused for a moment before quickly composing himself. “What are you talking about?”“I know that you've been sneaking around behind my back. I have proof,” Victoria screamed, holding up a stack of photographs.Liam stared at the pictures and saw that they were of him

After taking their order, the waiter left.They engaged in comfortable conversation while waiting for their food.“I have eight siblings,” James shared when the topic shifted to family.She was surprised by the large number but found it endearing.“Why so many?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.James blushed shyly and shrugged. “Maybe Dad simply likes having a big family. Actually, four of my siblings were adopted, while the other four are biological children. And, well, I'm the youngest—an illegitimate son from an affair.”“My father and I aren't that close,” he continued. “I guess there was always a distance between us since I didn't grow up with him.”“At least you got to know your father,” she told him. “I had no idea if my father was alive since I came from an orphanage.”“That’s so sad to hear. It must be tough not knowing anything about your parents.”Emerald shrugged. “Perhaps it's for the better. He might be a criminal, a drug dealer—who knows? I'm better off no

And yet, she could not stop thinking about Clayton. The thought of Clayton being hurt frightened her. Perhaps that was the cruelest part of loving someone. Even after deciding that you could no longer remain beside them, a part of you still wanted to protect them from every harm the world could bri

Olivia had a busy day at the hospital the following day. She had performed two critical surgeries, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Back-to-back operations were rare, as such demanding procedures required not only hours of intense concentration but also physical stamina. However

“Thank you for taking good care of Arabella.” Leanne said when she finally let go. Olivia smiled. She was always happy whenever someone expressed their gratitude to her. It was a small reward for her, one she would never grow tired of receiving. “You are welcome.” Leann gave her another tight hu

"All right. Let's begin." “Scalpel.” Olivia's world narrowed to the surgical field. Repairing a cerebral aneurysm needed every bit of her focus. She watched every small move her hands made. She breathed slowly and evenly through her mask; one wrong slip could cause life‑threatening bleeding. The

Olivia instinctively tightened her hold on Olive, who responded with a happy little murmur and patted her cheek. “You must have been terrified.” “Terrified doesn't begin to describe it. I was sweating buckets. I rushed over and scooped her up. Fortunately, the cat didn't bite her or leave so much

— Around afternoon, Caleb came to visit Olivia just as she was taking a break. She had barely settled into her seat with a cup of tea when a familiar figure entered Dr. Wilson's office, accompanied by a little girl. “I hope we're not disturbing you.” Olivia put her cup down and rose to her feet.

“I didn't know you were an orphan, Ms. Heart.” Alexander spoke with a frown scrunching his forehead.She wasn't the type to easily open up with anyone but there was something about Alexander that made her feel she could trust him with her secrets. “I discovered I was adopted just recently.” A sigh escaped from her lips. “Mom had been furious because I'd done something she didn't like and she spilled the truth at the spur of the moment.”“That must have been so devastating…” He lowered the wine glass on the table and sighed, “I can't imagine growing up and suddenly learning that my father and mother were not my biological parents. It will make me question my whole life and wonder where my real parents have been all this time.”“Exactly,” Ember replied. She was surprised how well he summed up what she felt in just a few sentences. “You said it so well, Mr. Lockhart.”“I assume you came to the orphanage to find information about your parents?”Ember nodded her head. “I'm surprised how wel

Ember swallowed the lump in her throat. Her eyes momentarily closed as she suddenly became aware of emotions surging inside her. She couldn't explain what she felt but she was certain of one thing, she was jealous even though she didn't have the right to. She is just Icen's secretary and yet, she couldn't stop how she felt after seeing him with another woman.Telling herself to stop being jealous is like preventing herself from breathing.With difficulty, she forced her eyes open and that's when she saw the woman released Icen from her tight grasp and looked up to him. “I love you, Clayton.” She mumbled under her breath with tears in her bright green eyes.Who was this woman? She couldn't help but ask herself. Slowly, the woman leaned closer to lay a kiss on his lips but before she could even witness their lips touch, Ember immediately left the room.As she closed the door behind her, she became aware of the ache in her chest. She had never reacted like this way before to any man, n

For a fleeting moment, Ember almost believed Elizabeth. But after seeing her crocodile tears, she realized her mother was lying. Call it instinct or intuition, she knew she was keeping secrets to herself and no matter what she's not sharing it to anyone.Her mother was doing it on purpose — for her own personal gain.Elizabeth had crushed her last hopes in ever finding her biological parents. Now that the only person who knows about her just told her a straight out lie, it would be difficult to ever trust her again, thinking everything she says was nowhere near the truth.Ember was desperate but she couldn't force mother because once Elizabeth made up her mind, she always stood by her decisions.She's back to square one, and she didn't even know who to ask so she could find out about her past. If only her adoptive father was alive, things would be much easier for her. When he was still alive, only her father treated her well. Though Ember was not his favorite child, he expressed how he

“I know you would return, Amira.” The words reverberated on Ember's mind, sending unexplainable shivers down her spine. She wasn't Amira, but still, her heart lurched forward as if her name had just been called. As though her arms have minds of their own, she hugged Sister Anne back with equal warmth, feeling that for the first time in her life, she felt like she found her way back home.Ember was certain she and Sister Anne had never had the chance to meet before. Yet, she was caught off guard by the strong and undeniable connection she had with the old woman as though she'd once played a big role in her life.Upon letting her go, Sister Ann framed her cheeks with her thin and wrinkly fingers. “I waited for you for twenty-years… I couldn't believe you're finally here….” She murmured under her breath with tears in her eyes. “I know I'm not wrong for making that decision two decades ago.”“Do you know who I am?” Ember looked at Sister Anne with hope in her eyes. Could this be perhaps th

ST. ANNE'S ORPHANAGE. The words were written in bold, capital letters in front of an expansive three story white building.Ember wasn't sure if it was the same St. Anne's orphanage her mother was talking about, but it was the only orphanage with the same name that has been built for more than forty years. To add to that, it was also the only orphanage named St. Anne in the city.She decided to visit the place where she came from to find out more about her past, hoping to uncover some clues that would lead her to her biological parents, if she has any. She felt excitement and fear rush inside her as she walked towards the colossal gate, wondering what secrets the orphanage held for her.Taking a deep breath, she pressed the buzzer once. The sound echoed through the silent building, but no one was coming, and she wondered if it was past visiting hours that is why no one was answering.She pressed the buzzer again just to make sure whoever was inside would hear it and after a few secon

ANDERSON INVESTIGATION TOWERAce Alexander Lockhart strode past the door of a plush office and made a beeline straight to the chic wooden table while holding a neatly folded torn newspaper page in his hand. Kathryne Anderson, owner of the thriving investigation company was seated on her swivel chair, eyebrows furrowed in intense concentration while reading a file in her hand.Perhaps she was so occupied that she didn't notice him until he placed the newspaper on top of her table to capture her attention and spoke in his authoritative voice. “I want you to know everything about this girl.” Kathryne abruptly raised her head in annoyance. Her smooth forehead scrunching into an inelegant frown, making her arched eyebrows to almost meet halfway. “Don't you know how to knock, Mr. Lockhart?” She snapped. By how her nose flared, he could tell how annoyed she was at him. “Could you go back to where you came from? It seemed, you forgot to pick your manners there.”Unaffected, he nonchalantly