Adele~I'd be a pathological liar if I said that Mia’s visit didn't leave me miserable. Even though I wanted to convince myself that I walked away having the last words, her words remained hooked in my chest, squeezing my lungs until my breathing was ragged. And the worst of what she said was, “Your stubbornness already put your son in the ground…” True, had it not been for my stubbornness, Ethan would still be Julia's puppet. No, scratch it – she was his mother. I'd have still been in the dark. So, my stubbornness saved me. I think. But this time, it was different. Detroit wasn't Ethan. And his world was obviously more dangerous than living in the orphanage. So, should I leave him? I shook my head, that was out of the question. I love that man. But love didn't save Elisa. If they could kill a pregnant woman carrying the future heir of the West family, then what chance did I stand?The thought coiled cold in my gut, pressing so heavily against my chest that I had to grab the wall
Adele~Mia’s smile shifted then, no longer soft, no longer veiled in false kindness. It hardened, sharpened, until the cafeteria itself seemed to bend around her presence. This was the Mia Harrington everyone bowed to, the untouchable heiress who’d been born with the world at her feet.“I knew you were stubborn,” she said smoothly, her voice now edged with steel. “But your stubbornness has already put your son in the ground—or close to it. And now, you want to drag Leigh down like you did that boy and your ex-husband?”The words pierced me before I could even build a wall. My throat closed, and for a breath, my chest hollowed like she’d scooped the air out of me.She saw it. She knew she’d struck blood. I shouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing me cracking but I couldn't do it. “You know nothing about me.” My voice hardened, and my eyes flared, fierce and unyielding. “You think you can scare me with threats, with whispers of danger, with your perfect little stories? I’ve stared dea
Adele~Ever sat across from someone way above your league, someone you've seen countless times on TV with elegance that could make you trip over yourself, yet all you feel wasn't pressure but…nothing?Yes, that was how I felt sitting across from this person, so suddenly arrived at the hospital to see me. Maybe I stopped caring about her because she wanted to share my husband, or snatch him from me. Maybe I stopped caring because I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the moment. Grief has a way of flattening everything around you, stripping off the shine, the noise, the intimidation.So here she was, Mia Harrington, dripping in wealth and polished charm, a woman people bent over backwards for, a woman I, days ago, was making me panic and anxious. And now, all I could think was how tired I was. How little her presence mattered to me anymore.Her smile was poised, rehearsed, the kind that belonged to glossy magazines and red carpets. “Nice to finally meet you, Adele,” she said like we
Adele~Well, they wouldn't tell me who she was, which meant that I'd only see her once Ethan was discharged. As for the Open Week Festival, I was looking forward to it, I swear, I was, but unfortunately I missed it. But we could host any other one again in the future, considering that this one was a massive success.The Open Week Festival had boosted our resort beyond anything we'd ever dared to dream. Emily and Sarah said the guests we hosted were more than a hundred thousand. The resort and its surroundings weren't enough to accommodate them, but with my assistant’s quick thinking, we managed to arrange lodging for the international guests who flew in, in nearby towns and even rented cruise liners to dock along the coast. It turned into something bigger than anyone had imagined.Emily said the entire weekend felt like a dream with music, color, art, food, laughter. Cultures colliding, businesses shaking hands, memories being made. She said our name was being spoken in languages I c
Adele~ It’s been five days since Ethan got into an accident, and I hadn’t left the hospital, not once. Detroit brought me changes of clothes, meals, and kept me company, especially at nights. And of course, Ryan and Julia came multiple times but I'd not let them cross the door. Each time, I heartlessly turned them out, partly because they'd caused this and another reason because the DNA result would be out today and God help them that it's positive, otherwise… A knock sounded on the door before it was pushed open. The head doctor, who took mine and Ethan’s blood sample entered with a brown envelope. After exchanging pleasantries, he handed me the envelope. I waited for him to leave before approaching the floor-to-ceiling window. My hands trembled as I slit the envelope open, fingers clumsy and weak. The paper felt heavier than it should, like it carried the weight of my whole world. I pulled the folded sheet out, my eyes scanning the words. Once. Twice. A third time.
Julia~ Julia’s breath tore through her chest like broken glass as they burst into the night. The air was damp, thick with the scent of oil and rust but it was freedom or the closest thing to it she’d tasted in hours. Behind them, voices erupted in alarm, sharp commands splitting the air. Boots hammered against concrete.“They’ve seen us,” the scarred man hissed. His hand clamped around her arm, half dragging, half steering her through the shadows. “Faster, before they catch up. There’s a car parked outside the gate. Here’s the key.”He shoved something cold and jagged into her palm, the teeth of a key biting into her blood-sticky skin.Her pulse roared. For a split second she stared at it, chest heaving, the metal heavy with possibility. The promise of escape.Julia staggered forward, her legs screaming from abuse, her bare feet slapping against gravel. She didn’t care about the pain. All she saw was that gate in the distance, its iron bars looming like the ribs of a monster.Shouts