Hope you are happy now... Noah has found his May. Now it's time for the true fireworks. How will he take it
Noah stared at the woman in front of him.April.May.They were the same person.His chest tightened as he stared at her—the long black hair spilling over her shoulders, the striking sea-green eyes he could lose himself in. His mind reeled, scrambling to make sense of it, but the truth was already staring him in the face.The lighting in the club that night and later had been terrible. If he had seen her eyes in daylight, he would have known.He took a few more steps forward, making sure he wasn’t seeing things. No. It was plain as day now.Standing in front of him was the woman he had been trying to find for months.May Jones was April Harrington.He hadn’t slept with some stranger in a nightclub. He had slept with his wife.April’s expression shifted from surprise to guarded caution as she stood from the chaise lounge, her movements slow. She didn’t take her eyes off him. She didn’t speak right away, but he saw the tension in her frame, the way her fingers clenched at her sides.“Noa
April’s hands curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she stared at the man in front of her. The man who had been her husband for four years. The man who had humiliated her, ignored her, and lived his life as if she had never existed.“I can get a divorce if I want one, Noah. Nothing can stop me. You think this changes anything?” she asked, voice sharp. “You think just because you found out who I am, suddenly things are different?”Noah’s jaw tightened. “I think it changes everything.”April let out a bitter laugh. “Of course you do. Because now the joke isn’t on you anymore, right?” She took a step closer, anger and hurt burning inside her. “But let me ask you this, Noah. Would anything have changed if you had known back then? Would you have treated me differently? Or would you have still taken my father’s money and done exactly what you did?”His eyes flickered with frustration. “April—”“You did take the money, didn’t you?” she pressed, her voice shaking.
Noah pulled up to Ryan and Tally’s house, cutting the engine. He sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, his gut twisting. Something was off. He had heard it in Ryan’s voice when he called earlier today.“Come over for dinner,” Ryan had said. “There’s something we need to talk about. Something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you sooner.” And that was the problem.They were close, always had been. Ryan could tell him anything, and yet here Noah was, parked outside his friend’s house, gut churning with unease. It had been two days since William’s funeral. If Ryan had waited this long, it meant whatever he had to say wasn’t just important—it was something Noah wasn’t going to like.Exhaling sharply, Noah pushed open the car door.Before he could even knock, the front door swung open. Tally stood there, arms crossed, her expression too careful, too controlled.That was the second sign something was wrong.“Hey, Noah.” Her voice was soft, deliberate.His brows
Noah pulled up in front of Ryan and Tally’s house for the second time in a week. But this time, his gut wasn’t twisting with dread. He wasn’t walking into a nightmare. No life-shattering news awaited him.And yet, he still sat in his car for a moment, gripping the wheel, exhaling slowly as if trying to steady himself.His mind was still reeling from what he had learned the last time he was here. He had fathered a child—a child he had never known about, never even had the chance to fight for. And now, he never would. That reality wasn’t something he could just shake off. It clung to him, burrowed deep into his chest like a wound that refused to close. The fact that he had been kept in the dark only made his hatred for Ashley even more raw.But he wasn’t here to drown in that grief today. He had drunk enough this past week to sink any ship. But it hadn’t helped. He needed to deal with it and move on. Like Ryan had. For years, his best friend had believed the baby was his.Then Ryan had t
April wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, glancing at the dining table one last time. Everything was perfect. The table was set; the wine was breathing, and the scent of roasted garlic and herbs filled the air.So why did she feel like she was about to walk into an ambush?“April, breathe,” Tally’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.April turned to where Tally stood at the counter, slicing fresh bread with practiced ease. Unlike April, who had been running around the kitchen for the past ten minutes like a chicken with its head cut off, Tally looked completely relaxed.“I am breathing,” April muttered, running her hands over the front of her dress. “I just... I don’t know how they’re going to take this.”Tally had offered to be here tonight. A quiet pillar of support for what April was worried about what would be a difficult conversation. How did you explain to your friends that you’d been keeping your identity a secret? That the May Jones they had known for years was actually A
The laughter still echoed through April’s brownstone as the night stretched on, the conversation growing more relaxed now that the big revelation was out in the open. April had expected more resistance, more anger, but after the initial shock, her friends had simply adjusted. It was strange…almost too easy, but maybe that was what real friendship was.They had known her for a few years now, after all. May Jones, April Harrington, like Tally had said, she was still the same person.Trent leaned back against the couch, swirling his wine. “You know, I keep thinking about something.”April sighed, already bracing herself. “Should I be worried?”Trent smirked. “You’re always worried. But no, it’s just… I remember reading some gossip piece a few years back about you. April Harrington… I mean, you.”April tensed, her fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. “Oh?”Poppy arched a brow. “Wait, I remember that too. Something about April Harrington getting married to some rich heir and the
April adjusted the cuffs of her blazer, smoothing the lapels as she stared at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows of Harrington Enterprises’ top-floor boardroom. The city skyline stretched behind her, but she barely saw it. Today wasn’t just any meeting… it was war.She had been expecting resistance, but the more she uncovered, the more disgusted she became. Her uncle, David Harrington, had been scheming for years, waiting for the day her father would pass so he could claim what he saw as his rightful place. But William Harrington had left everything to April. The company. The shares. The legacy.And David was furious.April turned away from the window, her heart steady despite the storm brewing inside. Across the boardroom table sat the key players in today’s power struggle. Her former father’s right-hand man, Fred Coolman, the now-disgraced CFO, Mitchell Grant, and a handful of board members she knew had aligned with them. They just didn’t know it yet. They had no idea she
A tense silence filled the boardroom, thick and suffocating. The weight of what had just happened settled like a storm cloud over the table. April sat motionless, watching as David fumed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His breathing was shallow, the vein at his temple pulsed dangerously. He was trying to mask his anger, but she saw the barely restrained fury in his eyes.He had lost. And he just didn’t know it yet.Neil Harper broke the silence, his voice smooth but firm. “As per David Harrington’s request, do we have a second for a no-confidence vote?”April looked around the room, waiting, her gaze sharp. The silence stretched unbearably long. David looked shocked when no one raised their hand straight away, and for a brief, satisfying moment, she thought maybe even his allies were hesitant. But then, the oldest board member, Arnold Hayes, lifted his hand.Of course, it was him.One of those men who had built his career in an era where women were nothin
The Harrington estate looked every bit its celebrated grandeur, the perfect location for Noelle’s second birthday. Hydrangeas bloomed like inverted fireworks along the gravel driveway, and the long white portico, where April had played hide-and-seek as a child. They came here as often as possible.April stood at the threshold of the great hall, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear and surveying the guests milled between lawn games and picnic blankets, champagne flutes balanced like trophies in their hands. The kids had clowns and fairies for entertainment. There was just something creepy about clowns, so April didn’t get too close.Noah emerged from the house behind her, hands full of Noelle’s birthday presents—stacks of pastel-wrapped boxes that threatened to tumble tied with silk ribbons. He met April’s eyes, offering a tired but triumphant grin. “Ready?”She took one of the parcels. “Born ready.”He tousled her hair, then turned to navigate a rogue bubble floating across th
Birth DayThe moment April’s water broke, it sounded like someone somewhere had popped a champagne cork in slow motion. One second she was leaning over the kitchen island, peering under the sink for the misplaced tea towels; the next, a warm rush spattered onto her sweats and the tile floor.Noah was standing behind her, refolding April’s neatly laundered burp cloths into an ever-dwindling stack of hospital-bag items, and jumped so hard he knocked the cloths—and his coffee—off the counter. The mug shattered at their feet.“April?” he barked, eyes wide as saucers.“Yep,” she said, voice calm but edged with adrenaline, “that was my water.” It explained the back pain she had been getting all day.Noah blinked at the puddle. “Your… what?”She bit back a laugh. “My water, Noah. That water.”He tossed the hospital tote onto the island, sent half the contents spilling to the floor. “So… do we panic? Is that what we do?”She shoved aside her panic and reached for his face. “No, Chef, we don’t
For the night‑shift nurse, the arrangement was unacceptable. She pushed the door open for the fourth time, shoes squeaking on linoleum, her clipboard braced like a shield. Noah woke up the minute the door started opening.“Mr. Crawford, you’re going to have to use the visitor’s chair. It’s policy. Patients need room to turn safely.”Noah’s gruff whisper carried a quiet threat. “She is turning safely around me.”April stirred, IV line rustling, voice sleep‑rough. “It’s fine… we’ll both fit.”“It’s really not,” the nurse insisted, but her resolve faltered under Noah’s unblinking stare. He looked like a wolf someone had tried to leash overnight—hair a mess, dress shirt wrinkled, jaw covered in stubble—and sexy as hell.Finally, the nurse scribbled an irritated note, muttered something about lawsuits, and retreated. Noah exhaled only when the door clicked shut.“Sorry,” April murmured.He kissed her temple. “Let her file whatever report she wants. I’m not parking my ass in a plastic bucket
“Move! Hugo, you’re driving.”Noah’s roar bounced off the alley walls as he scooped April into his arms—trembling limbs and all—and bolted for the car. He wasn’t waiting for the EMTs; they’d look after Kayla first. While he understood Kayla had been shot, the bitch had kidnapped his pregnant wife. If anything happened to April or the baby because of today, he’d kill that fucking crazy bitch himself… no police protection would stop him.Brody jogged after him, radio crackling in one fist. “Crawford, I still need a statement before you go anywhere. This was a shooting.”“Statements can fucking wait.” Noah slid into the back seat, April cradled sideways on his lap, her belly shielded by his forearm. “My wife comes first. I’m taking her to the hospital to be checked over, and unless you’re arresting me, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”Brody planted a hand on the door. “We have protocols—”Noah slammed the door with his free hand, not replying. Hugo gunned the engine the second it l
Traffic and streets blurred around her. April’s grip hurt on the wheel. Kayla sat rigid beside her, pistol hidden below dash level, arm braced on the door like she was part of the upholstery now.“Take the next exit,” Kayla rasped.April’s mouth was desert‑dry. “That dumps us into Tribeca. Foot traffic’s heavy—”“I said exit.”She obeyed, the SUV shuddering across the chevrons onto Harrison Street.Think. She needed to think. She knew Noah would save her.But maybe Noah was still at his desk at the office and wouldn’t be coming to save her. Maybe she was on her own.For the first time, she felt butterflies in her stomach—the baby. “Hang in there, little one,” she whispered under her breath, too quiet for Kayla to catch.“Keep your eyes ahead,” Kayla snapped, her voice fraying, raw around the edges. “No sudden moves.”April swallowed. “Are we just going to keep driving circles until we run out of gas?”Kayla’s gaze flicked to her belly, then away, jaw working. “We’ll stop when I’m ready
Neil didn’t even hear the car at first—his mind was on the reports he’d left in the back seat of his SUV. He stepped out of the elevator onto Level B of the underground carpark, digging in his pocket for his key fob, when the low hum of an engine caught his attention.A black Audi rolled by, slow. Too slow. He might not have looked twice. But it reminded him of April’s car. The thing that made him go on high alert was the way the driver’s face looked—white. Like a sheet of paper. There was a woman in the car with her in the passenger seat.His blood went cold. Something wasn’t right.April. It was April driving. He didn’t recognize the woman sitting beside her. Disheveled, pale, eyes too wide—wild. He barely caught a flash of something metallic before it was gone. But his instincts screamed.Gun.Neil lunged forward, waving an arm—but the car didn’t stop. He was sure by the time he reacted, they hadn’t even seen him. The car pulled into traffic, vanishing with terrifying calm.He didn’
April pulled her car into the underground parking garage beneath Harringtons, the soft rumble of the engine echoing against the stark concrete walls. She glanced at the dashboard clock. 8:12 a.m. Early, but she liked it that way. Quiet, still, no one around to pull her into impromptu meetings before she had a chance to settle. If Noah had his way this morning, she would have been late.Grinning, she slipped the gear into park and killed the engine. The silence that followed was oddly sharp, too complete. She reached over for her handbag, slinging it over her shoulder, and opened the door, her heels clicking against the floor as she stepped out. The sound echoed off the concrete walls.The moment she shut her door and hit the lock, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.She paused.It was instinct. A tightening in her chest. A shift in the atmosphere that had nothing to do with the cold. She wasn’t alone. Usually, she wouldn’t have minded. It was common for her staff to come and go
Six weeks later.The soft Saturday morning light poured in through the bedroom windows, casting a warm glow over the sheets tangled around April’s legs. She lay on her side, one hand resting over her slowly growing belly, the other curled under her pillow. Beside her, Noah was already awake, propped up on one elbow, just watching her.“You’re staring,” she mumbled, not even opening her eyes.“I’m allowed to,” he said, brushing her hair back from her cheek. “I’m admiring my girls.”She cracked one eye open, giving him a sleepy smile. “You don’t know it’s a girl yet.”He leaned down and kissed her belly. “I have a feeling.”An hour later, they were in the car, heading to the clinic for her second-trimester appointment. April watched the city pass by outside her window, but she was only half paying attention. Her nerves were fraying. It wasn’t that she thought something would be wrong, but pregnancy had a way of stirring up worry even when everything seemed fine.Noah reached over, thread
The front door clicked shut behind them with a soft thud, the sound swallowed by the quiet stillness of the Harrington estate.April’s heels echoed faintly in the empty hall, her fingers still laced through Noah’s. The place smelled like memory, old cedar and roses, polished wood, her childhood. She had loved it here. She was so glad they had renewed their vows in the garden she loved so much.For a moment, the silence felt too big. Too final. Like stepping out of one life and into another. Her dad was gone, but she held him in her heart and this place would always be here.Noah, in his usual effortless way, broke the weight with a grin.“Well, Mrs. Crawford,” he murmured, his voice low, teasing, “you have exactly fifteen seconds to tell me which room we’re sleeping in before I throw you down right here on the marble floor.”April raised a brow, smoothing her fingers up his lapel. “Not the master-suite.”Noah blinked. “Why not?”“It was my father’s room, and I still feel guilty moving