The following morning wasn’t so ecstatic for me. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering how my life had twisted into this. On one hand, there was Shawn—the man I once prayed to leave my life... yet still found myself jealous whenever I saw him with others. And on the other, Darlington—who saw my scars, my flaws, and still wanted to marry me. It was a strange sadness. Heavy. Quiet. Familiar. I was so lost in thought, curled beneath the sheets, that Diane had to come wake me up herself. “Morning, Mom. What’s going on? You didn’t even wake me up this morning.” “Yeah, I’m just so stressed, with begging your dad… and my outing.” “Okay, but is it a wrong time to say I'm hungry,if not I’m hungry.” “Alright,” I whispered. “Let’s get breakfast.” She grinned. “Can I make pancakes?” “You’re not allowed near heat without supervision.” “But I can pour the mix!” “Deal, just stay away from heat” I rolled out of bed, grabbing my phone from the nightstand. 1 m
"Okay, Shawn, we’re on our way home," I said, lifting up my bag. "Wait a minute! I thought you were going back home to Diane," Shawn replied, utterly confused—his tone carrying a hint of jealousy and insecurity. "Oh, I am. But I just need to see Darlington off. You know, it’s been over a month since I went home, so once I see him off and get some of my things, I’ll head back to Diane." "What are the things you need back at his place? Tell me, and I’ll send Jeff or one of my staff to get them—so you can go home to Diane." After Shawn said this, I knew he wasn’t really concerned about Diane. No—he was concerned about me going to Darlington’s house. I didn’t even mean to make him jealous, but somehow, I’d hit him right on his emotional bull's-eye. Now imagine what would happen if I tried to make him jealous on purpose. It didn’t feel wrong to me. After all, if he could bring his Las Vegas mistress—sorry, old friend—to make me jealous, then I could bring my Las Vegas fiancé.
“Why was this meeting scheduled today, and was it that necessary that it required a third wheel?” Shawn asked sarcastically, setting his mug under the coffee machine for a refill. Darlington watched closely, noticing how Shawn preferred his coffee pitch-black—no cream, no sugar. And the way he drank it without a sound made him visibly uneasy. But to me? Both his preference for black coffee and his silent slurping were nothing new. Shawn Wolfe, the thirty-two-year-old billionaire and single dad, who had four multi-billion-dollar companies under his name and diverse brand partnerships—from tech to fashion—only had one powerhouse: dark coffee. It was his fuel. And with the way he lived and worked, it had to be. “Well, Mr. Sha—” Darlington began, trying to remain civil. But Shawn decided to go down the uncouth lane by spitting out a mouthful of coffee before Darlington could finish his sentence. Not only did Shawn give a gesture of disrespect, he also made a statement: “Sorr
The plan was to meet Shawn at his office — to discuss the issue of Diane's schooling and the DNA results. But neither of them were at home in the morning, because since Diane was found, both Shawn and Darlington had gone back to their high-powered lives — filled with executive meetings, event appearances, and business tours. From the outside, it looked like everything had resumed as normal. But nothing about our lives was normal anymore. Darlington had already left early for work, but not without making arrangements. A private driver — one of his most trusted — pulled up in a sleek black car at exactly 9:30 a.m. He made sure I wouldn’t have to lift a finger, except to tap the window if I needed air. Diane was still asleep when I kissed her forehead and whispered goodbye. I couldn’t take her with me. Not today. And definitely not where I was going. So she stayed behind — safe, at least for now — with the new housekeeper Shawn had personally hired. After a dozen interviews, securi
"Why wouldn't people want to become friends with you? I mean, look at you—you're funny, you're smart, and you're kind. That's the formula to eternal friendship," I said, brushing her hair back, before I muttered, "And also, if they had sense and style, they'd notice you're the elite Shawn Wolfe's daughter." "You're right! Everyone always falls in love with my personality—you did, so did Uncle Darlington. So I'm sure they will too! All we need now is Daddy's permission so I can finally go to school again. And I'm sure he'll listen to you, since you're my mum and he is my dad." I'm still not sure how I'll get to explain to Diane that I may be her real mom... but Shawn might not be her real dad. And how on earth do I break the news that I'm getting married to Darlington soon? "Mom, what are you thinking about?" Diane asked, tapping me back to reality. "It's nothing. Just get ready and meet me in the kitchen so you can have your breakfast." "Okay, I will. See you in two hours," Dia
I reached for the light switch, hoping to turn on the power— but a strong grip caught my wrist. And just as I lit up the room, there he was. Shawn. Already an inch from my face. I froze thinking he was drunk. But the wetness on his skin... and the sharpness in his eyes told another story. “Hey—let go of me,” I said, slipping out from under his arm. But before I could grab the door handle, he yanked my wrist again—hard—pulling me against his chest. “Why can’t you understand?” he growled. “I’m in love with you. Why can’t you see—every time I see you with him, my blood boils.” His hand tangled in my hair, gripping it too rough. Too desperate. “No, Shawn!!,” I snapped. “Why can’t you understand? That the "him" is the only reason I’m still alive. When you left me behind to protect your reputation, he walked away from a billion-dollar empire—just to stand beside me.” Shawn still didn't flinch. “So it’s still about that old story of deserting you?” he said bit