Jacob was nervous as Roger dragged him back to the table, forcing him to sit in an empty chair. Declan was impressed, glad to have his big brother stand up for him every time.“You should be glad this is a wedding, Jacob, but we could as well wait until it’s over,” Declan mentioned, Jacob’s expression twisted.“Excuse me, what are you talking about?”“I want the truth. You share no resemblance with Deena, so what exactly is going on?”Jacob went uncomfortably silent, so Declan decided to threaten him a little. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, and trust me, we are going to investigate everything. If it turns out you are lying, there will be consequences.”Nervousness washed over Jacob. He loved Gracie and wanted so much to stand by everything, but how could he go against the Dawsons?“Why is it hard for you to believe her? She’s my wife, if that’s what you want to know.”“I don’t doubt that. I’m talking about Deena,” Declan clarified, though a part of him burned with jealo
She remembered how Pearl was eliminated. As much as she loved Declan, his family was a no for her.“What nonsense, my child’s father is right here, and you want a DNA test on her?” She was looking at Jacob, hoping he would support her, but Roger’s piercing gaze made him feel uneasy.“Declan told us that you two slept together before, and oh, I’m sorry for mentioning it in front of your husband…” Giovanni was saying when Gracie cut in, her voice cracking.“My husband knows about my past with Declan, and yes, I took pills at that time because he didn’t seem ready. He was broke,” she said sarcastically. "I married my husband a month after our breakup and got pregnant a few months later. You can do the math.”Declan was staring at her in a way that made her feel naked, shamed, and afraid. He was usually quiet, but when they dated, she realized how talkative he could be.With him being quiet on the matter, she had no idea what was going through his mind.“If you are sure she isn’t his, the
Gracie decided to take her daughter along to the wedding instead of hiring a babysitter to save some cash. Life wasn’t a bed of roses, as bills squandered more than half of her income. Apartments in that area were pricey, just as living expenses. Taking care of a toddler shot up their living expenses, and when she was just about to get an Uber, Jacob arrived.“Need a ride?”“You are right on time, but where is your wife?” Gracie smiled and asked. Being a weekend, he expected Jacob to spend time with his family. He was her best friend, and though he supported her, she never wanted to take advantage of him.“Having a girls' time, so I feel lonely and thought I’d come crash at your place,” he pouted. Gracie giggled. Jacob had two girls and had been praying for a boy to find his place in the family.There were things his wife did together with the girls, calling it girls' time, which he wasn’t invited to.Sometimes, he’d stay and help with chores in the house, going to the gym at other t
Earlier, Roger followed Pearl discreetly, watching as she entered a limousine at the underground car park. As the chauffeur was about to close the door to the limo, Roger kicked him, entered, and locked the door securely.Pearl panicked. “Destiny, you have to do something,” and the blonde man at the seat in front of her was puzzled. Before he could utter a word, Roger calmly addressed him.“So, you are the so-called Destiny.” He remembered the face now, as it wasn’t something he was fond of in college. Destiny had eyes on a girl in their college sorority, and because she was dating another guy, he went with his gang to secretly kill him.Unfortunately, Roger ruined it for him. The guy later left the college, and so did the girl. Roger would not have remembered if he had not seen him today.“I honestly thought it was someone important after my wife. You were no match for me in college, and you are no match for me now.”Destiny’s face was heated with anger, but Roger’s attention returne
He never expected to see her again, but he did, and Declan felt that something had changed about her from the last time he met her at the mall with her husband, yet he could not put a finger on it.“Declan,” Gracie forced a smile, her head lowered slightly. “What are you doing here?”A chuckle escaped Declan as all attention focused on him and Gracie. “Stop the pretense. You’ve seen and heard the announcement, and you know about my family.”Pain sat in Gracie’s eyes, but she replaced it with a fake smile. “Good for you. I have work.”A frown creased Declan’s brows. “You are the wedding planner?”“You have it figured out, and we have a little situation,” she pointed at Pearl, eager to avoid conversing with Declan further. After dumping him, she never set eyes on him until at the mall.Just recently, she found out it belonged to his family. How ironic.Then, he was dressed casually, just as he used to do when they were dating, but now, his aura was magnetic, domineering, and enigmatic.
Karen smiled, grateful for his care, but saw it as unnecessary. “Don’t worry, Wade, I have more friends than enemies.”Delanie interrupted, looking disappointed. “I’ve noticed how you keep looking at her. Do you like her or something?”Wade was hurt. “How can you even think that? She can’t be compared to you, but after all that your brother has done for us, the least I can do is to protect his wife.”Confusion reigned. Karen and Delanie thought Pearl to be harmless. She was a sweet soul with curly short black hair that gave her the look of a doll, so why was Wade insisting otherwise?“And why not anyone? Why do you have a problem with Pearl?” Karen asked. Wade sighed frustratedly.“Look, I’ve owned and worked in the club for years, and I’ve met more women than you can ever count in your life. I know a bad one when I see it.”His analysis made sense, so Karen began to tread with caution. Delanie felt apologetic. “I’m sorry.”“It’s alright,” Wade took her hand and led her to the cake ta