로그인A FEW WEEKS LATER ~~ THE WEDDINGThe late spring sun bathed the sprawling rose garden of Bryce’s countryside estate in a soft, glow. Fairy lights twinkled from the trees and along the elegant flower arch, were ivory garden roses, blush ranunculus, and delicate spirea intertwined with sage greenery. Rows of white chairs held their intimate circle of about a hundred guests—close friends, family, and a handful of trusted associates, who watched with warm smiles as the string quartet played a gentle, romantic melody.Keira, looking like an absolute princess in her blush-pink tulle gown with sparkling accents and a crown of tiny roses, walked ahead of Kimberly as the flower girl. She took her role very seriously, at first. With a small white basket in hand, she scattered rose petals mixed with gold confetti in dramatic handfuls, twirling once or twice for good measure. The guests chuckled softly at her theatrical flair.Then came Kimberly, radiant in her off-the-shoulder A-line gown. The
Bryce hadn’t said anything right away when he heard it. He had simply frozen, his gaze snapping to Kimberly’s face, searching her expression to see if she had heard the same thing he had. He needed to be sure it wasn't a hallucination brought on by the stress of the afternoon.And now, a full hour later, it was still sinking in, slow and deep, like warm water you don’t realize is rising until it’s already up to your chest.Pregnant.His thumb kept moving in these slow, gentle circles over the back of her hand. Over and over again, the same little motion, like he needed that steady rhythm just to keep himself grounded in the moment.Kimberly caught him staring and the corners of her mouth lifted just a tiny bit, even after everything that had happened.“You’re staring again,” she whispered, her voice still a little soft and tired.Bryce didn’t even bother pretending he wasn’t.“Didn’t plan on stopping,” he said quietly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I just found out my wife is ca
**********Bryce was in the middle of a high-stakes board meeting when his phone buzzed with a frantic text from Cindy. He didn't bother to read the whole thing, the first few words were enough to stir something in him. “Your wife is having a breakdown. Her dad showed up.”The instant he read that, he left the meeting without a word to his directors.In just few minutes, he was in the estate of his mansion. The sight that greeted him when he entered the house, stoped him dead in his tracks. Kimberly was huddled on the couch, looking nothing like the woman he saw this morning before leaving for work. Her mascara had left dark tracks down her pale cheeks. She looked so small and haunted.Bryce was across the room in just two strides, dropping to his knees in front of her. He didn’t care about his custom suit or the fact that she was trembling so hard he could feel it.“Kim,” he said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. He took her
The boutique, which seconds ago felt like a sanctuary of lace and laughter, suddenly felt like a tomb. Kimberly didn’t move. She couldn't. Her reflection, once a vision of a “garden fairy,” now looked like a ghost. That couldn't be her dad, right?Someone tell her it wasn't her father she was staring at right now. But reality soon sank back into her, reminding her she was looking at exactly the man she thought she was hallucinating.He looked older, his hair was silvered now, and his posture slightly stooped, but the eyes were the same. The same eyes that had looked at her years ago, and had told her she was getting married, and had given her no room for protest. Raymond was holding a small, weathered envelope in his trembling hands, looking entirely out of place amidst the ivory silk and expensive champagne.“Kimberly,” he croaked. The sound of her name in his voice was like sandpaper on a raw wound.The spell broke
~~ A FEW DAYS LATER ~~Cindy sat on a plush velvet chaise nearby, her legs crossed, with a glass of champagne in hand and a huge grin on her face as she sipped from her glass, her eyes never leaving her best friend who stood on the raised platform in front of a three-way mirror, her hands smoothing over the delicate fabric of the dress she currently had on. It was a romantic off-the-shoulder A-line gown with intricate lace appliqués that looked like delicate vines and wildflowers climbing up the bodice and cascading gently down the skirt. The lightweight chiffon flowed effortlessly, moving with her like a soft breeze, ideal for an outdoor ceremony at the countryside estate that she and her “fiance” had agreed on. A subtle blush undertone in the lace gave it that whimsical garden feel without being overly sweet.“Oh my God, Kim,” Cindy breathed, fanning herself dramatically. “That’s the one. I’m calling it. You look like a literal garden fairy who decided to become a queen. Bryce is
“Nothing, sweetie,” Kimberly said quickly, pulling her daughter back into a hug and kissing her forehead to cover her embarrassment. “Just Daddy being silly. Now, how about we all eat breakfast in bed together? Then you can show us all your drawings properly.”Bryce grinned, unrepentant, as he handed Kimberly her coffee mug and helped Keira settle between them with a small plate of fruit. As the three of them sat there—Keira chattering animatedly about her drawings, Bryce’s hand occasionally brushing Kimberly’s thigh under the covers in silent, possessive affection—the room filled with easy laughter and warmth.For the first time in a long while, everything felt right and complete.Keira looked up at both of them with bright eyes. “Are we going to be a real family now? Like, forever and ever? Because that's what I want.”Bryce’s arm sl







