LOGINShare
CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
Last Updated:
2025-05-12 23:27:12
Latest chapter
A Whole New World CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE
HAILEY I had just stepped into the house when my phone rang. One glance at the caller ID, and I already knew who it was. I answered anyway, listened in silence, and rolled my eyes. “I’m not going,” I muttered before ending the call. But as I sat down and stared at the time, my heart wouldn’t stop racing. My body felt restless, like something inside me had already made the decision I was trying to fight. Minutes later, I found myself rushing into the shower. I didn’t think—just moved. I got dressed, grabbed my keys, and drove straight to the address downtown. I didn’t even question what I was doing. When I got there, I hesitated only for a second before knocking on the door. It opened almost immediately. Zion stood there, hot and intimidating as always. His eyes met mine, then dropped to check the time. “You’re ten minutes late,” he said coldly. “I was busy,” I replied, keeping my voice even. Without warning, he stepped forward and pinned me to the wall. His breath br
A Whole New World CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
SKY I was tired. Exhausted, really. All I wanted when I got home was to take off my bra, have a bath, a glass of wine, and not hear another human voice for twelve hours straight. So, you can imagine my shock when I unlocked my front door, pushed it open… and got shoved from behind like I was in some crime thriller. I stumbled forward, barely catching myself against the wall. “What the hell...?” Before I could even turn fully around, I already knew who it was. I didn’t need to see his face to recognize the heavy, possessive energy flooding my space like he owned it. “Jack,” I hissed, whipping around. “What do you think you’re....” “I had to see you,” he said, eyes dark and intense. “You’ve been ignoring my calls.” He looked exactly the same as he did that night at the bar—tall, confident, and just the right amount of dangerous. “That’s because I didn’t want to talk to you,” I said, slamming the door shut behind him before the neighbors caught wind of this madness. “S
A Whole New World CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
ESSENCE I crossed my arms. "I guess you haven't seen how bad my stretch marks are." And then, before I could second-guess myself, I stood up and let my nightdress fall to the floor, leaving me in nothing but my bra top and white panties. "There. Go on. See for yourself," I challenged, gesturing toward the soft folds of my belly. "This is me, Lucian. I'm not sexy. I'm not one of those beautiful models you see everyday. I'm just me." Lucian didn’t move at first. But then he stood up slowly and walked toward me, his gaze never leaving mine. He placed his arms around me and held me tight against his chest. His warmth. His breath. It made my heart skip. "Essence," he said, his voice gentle but firm, "we all have scars. On our bodies, in our hearts. Yours don’t make you less. They make you real. They make you you. And that 'you' is very special to me." I swallowed hard, blinking back the sting of tears. I bent to pick up my nightdress, suddenly unsure of myself. But before I could
A Whole New World CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
ESSENCE I barely had time to breathe before the cameras descended on us. The moment we stepped back into the hall, a flurry of movement closed in around us. Flashbulbs popped. Reporters surrounded us like bees, their questions coming faster than my brain could process. "Mr. Knight, is this your new woman?" "Is she just your date?" "Can we get a statement about your relationship?" Lucian didn’t flinch. In fact, he seemed to have been waiting for this moment. He slid his arm around my waist, pulled me just a little closer to him and said, in that smooth, velvet voice of his that could probably make a stone blush, “Essence is my wife. The love of my life.” My jaw almost unhinged. The love of his life? Was this some kind of PR strategy? Was he... serious? Before I could even begin to think about how to react, my eyes caught something—or rather, someone—standing in the corner of the room, leaning against a high table like she owned the whole damn party. Brittany. Ther
A Whole New World CHAPTER FIFTY ONE
ESSENCE Lucian stood in front of Alex and me, his jaw tight, the muscles in his neck twitching like he was seconds away from throwing a punch. The last time these two clashed, Lucian nearly broke Alex's jaw. As much as the idea of watching Lucian flatten Alex again was tempting, I couldn’t allow it... not here, not now. Asher was still lying in a hospital bed. Like it or not, Alex was the only person staying close to him. If Lucian hurt him, and he ended up on a hospital bed too, I knew I’d feel obliged to step in and care for Asher, and I wasn’t ready to re-enter that world. Besides, I didn’t need Lucian to protect me anymore. I could handle Alex all by myself. I yanked my hand out of Alex’s grip with more force than I intended, but I didn’t care. “I’m sure you’ve read the divorce papers by now, Alex. Don’t act like an idiot. You and I? We’re done. I moved on.... you should too. Stop showing up where you're not wanted. It’s pathetic.” In the corner of my mind, Brittany’s voic
A Whole New World CHAPTER FIFTY
ALEX The hospital smelled like bleach and disappointment. I stood beside Asher's bed, his tiny hand resting in mine. I had paced the floor for hours, called Essence over and over again, but nothing. She didn’t even have the decency to call or explain. My mind was spinning, and the fury that simmered inside me was starting to boil over. The previous day, Remi had told me she saw Essence at a bar, drinking and laughing while her son was in a hospital bed. I didn't want to believe her, but when I got to that bar and didn't find Essence, it only made me angrier. I didn’t know what was going on with her anymore. She wasn’t the same woman I used to know—the woman who once adored me, who lived to make our family work. What was she playing at? I left the hospital in a haze, deciding to stop home and shower before heading back to continue my vigil beside Asher. But the moment I stepped through the door, Vesper's voice echoed from the living room. "A parcel came for you," she called.
A Whole New World CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
ESSENCE I stood frozen for a moment, blinking like a deer caught in stadium lights. Did I just hear her say fiancée? My eyes scanned her face, waiting for some twitch of a smile that would tell me this was some kind of joke. But no—this girl was dead serious. Confident, smug, beautiful, and terrifyingly calm. Her voice was syrupy sweet, like honey dripped over poison. "Your name is Essence, right?" she said, lips curled into a lazy smirk. “I’m Brittany. Brittany Dane. I just wanted to say hello.... after all, we share something in common. Lucian.” I tilted my head, pretending to be unbothered, even as my heart did that annoying somersault thing it did whenever something didn’t feel right. Did I have to keep dealing with things like this, as long as I was married to Lucian? “Yes, I am Essence. Lucian’s wife, to be exact,” I said, adding a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Nice to meet you, Brittany.” But Brittany was relentless. She let out a soft, amused laugh like I had sa
A Whole New World CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
ESSENCE When I eventually went to bed, Lucian was still working. I lay on my side, facing the wall, pretending to be asleep even though my heart was still very much awake. Minutes later, I felt the mattress shift under his weight as he joined me in bed. Moments passed. Then I felt his arm sliding around my waist, pulling me gently toward him until my back pressed into his chest. His warmth settled over me like a blanket, and I loved it. Honestly, if blushing were a paid job, I would have been a billionaire by now. I was grinning like an idiot and hiding my face in the pillow like a teenage girl with a crush. I fought the urge to turn around and stare into his face. Maybe he was already asleep, or maybe he was just holding me for comfort, but whatever it was, I didn’t want it to stop. His breathing slowed against my neck, and mine soon matched his. Wrapped up in that stillness, I finally let go of my thoughts and drifted off into a very peaceful sleep. When morning came, I w
A Whole New World CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN
ESSENCE Oh. My. God. Lucian wanted me. No, scratch that.... Lucian was attracted to me. I wasn’t dreaming, right? His hands didn’t just glide across my skin like silk. His lips didn’t just trail over my neck like he was inhaling me. And that thing I felt...yes, that thing....pressing gently against my lower back when he leaned in, that was not my imagination. Was it? I sat frozen, my heart racing like a wild stallion, and all I could do was stare ahead and pretend that I hadn’t just felt the most beautiful, maddening, nerve-wrecking thrill of my entire life. Every insecurity I had buried under sarcasm and sass was now rising like steam. My scars. My body. My imperfections. Would he still want me if he saw them? That question alone held my heart hostage. Lucian was kind. Generous. Gorgeous beyond reason. The kind of man women used as wallpaper on their phones, not the kind of man who would ever... want someone like me. Right? But he did. The evidence was, well, visible.
You may also like
Bogus Billionaire
Shining Riviera771.8K viewsFlash Marriage: A Billionaire For A Rebound
LiLhyz693.5K viewsMy Ex-Wife and Kids Came In Like A Wrecking Ball
Likable1.3M viewsBILLIONAIRE QUADRUPLET BABIES
Cor T Ney442.2K viewsHer Hot Bodyguard
Alya Feliz174 viewsThe CEO’s Vengeful Bride
Ernest Brooks143 viewsDivorce Me, I Get Billionaire To Replace You
BELLA709 viewsThe Price of Hidden Sins
Honnesh178 views
