"What's so secret?" My eyes were closed and I let Ellis lead me down the hallway."You'll see," he said.When I opened my eyes again, I was brought into his playroom.I hadn't been expecting that. Well, I wanted him too, but I was worried after finding me in Nancy's room that maybe he wasn't in the mood… However, Ellis seemed happy to forget about the encounter. Maybe that meant it really wasn't a big deal to him. "What are we doing here?" I asked, looking around. "I got something for you and I thought it would be fun to try it out," he said, giving me a charming smile. My stomach fluttered as Ellis turned away. When he turned back, he had a box in hand, wrapped and tied with a red, silk scarf. "What's this?" I asked as I took the box. Ellis bit his lower lip, his eyes smoldering into me. "Go on, open it," he said. I licked my lips and untied the scarf, handing it to Ellis. He moved around behind me and ran the silky fabric up and down my bare arm. I shuddere
"The room?" Ellis asked, tilting his head slightly. My stomach dropped. I didn't like how he was being evasive and it only made me more suspicious. "The room with the piano, where you found me earlier," I elaborated. Ellis' lips turned down slightly at the corners, a subtle frown. His eyes didn't change, though. It was hard to tell if he was disappointed or upset. "It is just a room," he said. "A room that you keep clean, perfectly polished, and enshrined," I pointed out. His frown deepened slightly and he reached for a glass of water, like he was trying to mask his expression. "I like to keep my house in order. Clean, polished, ready for visitors and guests at any moment," he explained. It sounded rational enough, but Ellis had never been so concerned about me touching things in his house before. "Ellis, please, is there something I need to know about that room?" I asked. "Is something going on that I should be aware of?""Olivia, it is in the past and that is w
"Tell me everything you know about Nancy and your father," I told Carl, placing the bills on the dirty counter. I kept my fingers on the bills to prevent him from snatching them. "I can tell you what I know," he offered. "Alright, go ahead," I said, nodding to him. I raised an eyebrow, expectantly. "Nancy was one of the good ones. One of the kindest, gentlest, most amazing women I've ever met. Granted, I didn't see her much because I was traveling and off at boarding school. Dad didn't like me around, especially when Nancy was there," Carl said. He contorted his face bitterly. "I'm sure he had his reasons," I muttered. "Go on, please.""Nancy worked for a non-profit. She spent a lot of time raising money for good causes. I'd say she was a modern-day saint," he went on, smirking at me. My stomach twisted uncomfortably and I wished Carl would lay off the praise. I couldn't tell if he was doing it on purpose to rile me up, or if he really felt that way about Nancy. "My
**Ellis POVI embraced familiar waves of loss and sadness as I walked around Nancy's perfectly preserved room. At the piano, I picked up her sheet music and let my eyes flow over the notes. It was a very complex piece, but she'd always played it so perfectly.Setting the pages back in their place, I went to Nancy's portrait and looked her over."If only I'd been able to protect you from them," I murmured, reaching out to touch her but stopped short, pulling my hand back. "Years have passed, but I finally know how to avenge you and destroy the Klein's."A smile tugged at my lips as I gazed at her portrait. She was a hard face to forget and I knew a part of me would remember her for the rest of my life."You know, I met someone. She's a lot like you but she's very different in many unexpected ways. It is what makes her so refreshingly different that I love so much," I said softly.I let myself get lost in memories for a moment. For years, business always came first, and I'd m
**Olivia POVI hurried down the Peterson driveway and away from the mansion. How could I forget about any of that? Temper or no, he had admitted to only pursuing me because I reminded him of someone else. I shook my head as I stalked down the street and turned the corner. I needed space. I needed to clear my head. Listening to his words made me feel sick, physically sick. I rubbed my stomach as I walked, breathing in deeply to calm the rising nausea. How could I have been so stupid? This whole time, I thought he really cared about me. If it hadn't been for Carl, I might have gone on believing the lie. If that wasn't ironic, I didn't know what was. My stomach lurched and I pitched forward, falling to my hands and knees on the pavement. My whole body trembled as my stomach heaved and I lost my breakfast on the sidewalk. Tears stung my eyes and I coughed. My throat burned. I crawled forward away from the mess until my arms and legs gave out. I felt clammy all over. Rea
"I still can't believe this!" Tears rushed down my cheeks as Jenny sat me down on my coach. She rubbed my back and hugged me tightly, just letting me cry against her. I hadn't fully taken the time to process what the doctor told me. She'd confirmed I was pregnant, gave me a bunch of pamphlets about pregnancy and what my options were, then sent us away. The entire car ride back, Jenny had cast concerned glances my way, but I hadn't been able to say anything. "It's okay, Livi. Why don't we look at the information the doctor gave you?" she suggested. I nodded. She made some tea in the kitchen and I sifted through the pamphlets. I was having a baby. I was having Ellis Peterson's baby!Shaking my head, I groaned and dropped my face into my hands. This couldn't be real. It had to be some kind of dream, no, a nightmare. Jenny sat next to me and handed me a steaming cup of tea. I didn't take it, so she set it on the coffee table in front of me. "Talk to me, Olivia, what
After I got back to my apartment, I continued my clean up effort.Emails from Ellis. Deleted.Text message from Ellis. Deleted.While I was working on my computer and phone, I kept getting new incoming texts and calls from him, so I forced myself to block his number.Things went quiet for a few hours, and I finally was able to sit down on my coach. The only thing left was the Monsieur Canet bracelet that Ellis gifted me. I traced my fingers over the perfect pendant, admiring the craftsmanship and design. It was just so beautiful I couldn't get rid of it. I wasn't saving it because it reminded me of Ellis. I was saving it because I loved the artist and it was a beautiful piece of jewelry. I would need a few unique, conversation-worthy pieces of jewelry for my social events. A car horn honked outside my building. I went to the window to investigate the commotion and saw a familiar sports car parked outside. Glaring, I saw Ellis standing at the passenger door, leaning
**Ellis POVI pinned Carl's arms behind his back, dragging him away from Olivia. She might not want anything to do with me, but I wasn't going to let my son harass her. He was still my responsibility. "Let go of me!" Carl cried, flailing in my grasp. He kicked into my shin and a sharp pain ran up my leg. Grunting, I released Carl. He staggered to the side. Olivia backed away, watching with wide, terrorized eyes. "What the h*ll are you doing! You're always getting in my way," Carl yelled at me. "You're supposed to be on a plane crossing the Atlantic," I reminded him. I crossed my arms. Carl laughed and shook his head. "You're such an idiot. You think I can't slip off a plane when you're not looking?" he asked. I took a deep breath, keeping my composure, despite Carl trying my patience… again. I smoothed my hands down the front of my jacket. "Oh, you're getting on that plane and you're going to Europe, even if I have to buckle you into your seat myself," I threaten