•Edward’s POV•“Mr. Miles, here’s the report you asked for,” Ellen, my office assistant, said as she walked in and handed over a slim blue file to me.I took it from her, my brows slightly furrowing as I flipped it open. My eyes scanned the neatly typed figures and charts on the report, but the more I read, the tighter my grip grew on the file. A cold rush spread through my chest, and my jaw tightened.“What’s this, Ellen?” I asked, my voice low but laced with simmering disappointment.Lately, I had been unsettled about the performance of my latest perfume line, the new design and fragrance we launched had been my personal project. I had poured time, energy, and resources into it. Yet, the gut feeling that something was wrong wouldn’t let me rest, so I decided to have a full report pulled.And there it was, staring right back at me like a slap in the face.“Why are the order numbers dropping every day?” I demanded, my tone sharper now as I slid the file back across the table toward he
•Edward POV•I sat in the car, staring at the building in front of me. The engine was off, and silence filled the cabin as I glanced down at my phone to confirm the address one more time before stepping out.The school loomed ahead, modern and massive, with sleek glass panels, whitewashed walls, and colorful murals painted along the sides. A large banner fluttered gently above the entrance that read Welcome Back, Little Stars! The laughter of children echoed across the open grounds, some tugging their backpacks while others ran into their parents’ arms."Cool," I muttered under my breath, taking in the sheer size of the place. The damn school looked more like a mini college campus than a preschool.I started walking toward the front entrance, my hands stuffed in the pockets of my jacket, scanning the crowd. I had no clue where Jace would be or what class he was in."Why do I keep listening to Josh?" I groaned through clenched teeth. That idiot sent me a location pin with zero detail.
•Juliet's POV•“This new design should be our best masterpiece,” I said, staring at my staff seated around the conference table, their eyes fixed on me in anticipation. “Does anyone else have a suggestion about the distribution?”“I think, concerning distribution, our sales have been up,” Jerry, my accountant, said, glancing down at his tablet. “I’d suggest that once we release the new design, we inform our clients immediately. Also, there should be a slight raise in price.”“That’s a great idea, Jerry,” I nodded, turning back to the projected figures on the screen.“And the fragrance should be different,” Dora, Jerry’s PA, added.I shifted my attention to her. “The fragrance has always been unique, Dora, but sure, we can go over some new scents once the samples arrive.”A sudden creaking sound distracted me, and I turned toward the door. Eric stood there, panting and drenched in sweat like he had just run a marathon. My eyes instinctively searched behind him for Jace, but he wasn’t t
•Juliet POV•The car stopped in front of Grace Gourmet Shop, a fancy building painted in brown and white. I got out of the car without waiting for Eric to open the door for me and made my way in haste toward the building.The moment I stepped in, a woman with black short dreadlocks and a brown skirt paired with a white shirt approached me. “Hello, ma'am. What would you like to order?" she asked, masking a smile that was the opposite of my expression.I ignored her question and looked around in search of Edward or Jace, but I couldn’t find them. “Would you like me to help you with something, ma'am?" the lady asked again, and I finally turned in her direction.“I’m looking for Edward Miles and a little boy about the age of three,” I told her.She looked behind her for a moment, then looked back at me. “I don’t take note of customers' identities, and I haven't seen anyone that matched with that description.”I bit my lower lip in frustration. Exhaustion finally overtook me, and I felt my
•Juliet POV•“No, baby," I said hastily pulling him close to me, he rested his head on my laps as I brush my hand through his hair. “Edward isn't your daddy.“Jace pouted but didn't raise his head off my laps. "But he told me he is my daddy, he said you use to be his wife.“I feel a heat up my sleeves as I heard Jace asked these questions. Edward thought he could convince my son that he is part of him but I won't let that happened, as long as I'm concerned Edward isn't coming anywhere close to my son."Baby, promise mummy you won't believe anything that man tells you again,” I said still brushing my hand through Jace hair, he nodded softly and then close his eyes.I took a deep breath when I noticed he had drifted off to sleep, grateful that I found Jace and that Edward didn't do more than taking Jace from school to have ice cream. The moment we got into the house and I settled Jace in his room, I made my way to my room upstairs thinking of my next move to take in protecting my son.I
•Edward POV•I pushed my hand against the steering wheel, honking at the car in front of me in anger as Juliet’s voice replayed in my head like a disturbing alarm. Her eyes, the way she stared at me as if I was nothing more than a nuisance, hurt more than I had ever hurt her.I glared at the car ahead, not realizing how pissed I was until I found myself honking repeatedly. The man behind the wheel raised his hand in a sorry gesture. I stop, resting my hand on the window frame while my head leaned against it.The memory of Juliet came crashing back like a wave. A reminder of how terribly I had neglected her. Before I married Juliet, I had seen her as nothing, despite the fact that she had always approached me when Raya acted like she didn’t even know I existed. I didn’t realize how deeply Juliet loved me until after I married her. And now, letting her go was the biggest mistake I had ever made.The car in front finally moved, and I turned the steering wheel slowly. I couldn’t be wrong,
•Juliet’s POV•"Be a good boy for Mummy, okay?" I told Jace as I leaned close and pressed a soft kiss on his forehead before standing up."Mrs. Ryder, I’m so sorry about yesterday," Miss Bianca apologize once more. I gave her a knowing smile as Jace clung to my hand, his small fingers wrapped tightly around mine."No problem," I mumbled, looking down at Jace as he stared back at me. "As long as my cute little dumpling is safe, I’m happy.""Mummy, I'm not safe here," Jace complained. "I want to go to the office with you.""No, baby," Miss Bianca said, gently taking Jace’s hand from mine. "This is where you should be, at school. Let Mummy handle the office stuff."Jace shook his head in disagreement but didn't struggled with miss Bianca. I smiled as I watched Jace being led away reluctantly, his gaze still fixed on me. He didn’t look happy, and I knew why. Jace was a smart kid, who love to play but other kids his age found it uncomfortable. At his age, most kids didn’t worry about makin
•Juliet POV•"Of course," I said, finally gulping down the unease in me and masking it with a smile. "I'll have Eric look into that."He nodded slightly and brushed his hand against his beard softly, his eyes doing that seductive stare once more. I was forced to tell him to stop it, but the words wouldn’t come out when I caught him staring at my chest.A cold chill ran down my spine, prickling my nerves. "Is there anything else, Mr. Grigs?" I mustered the courage to speak, looking away from his gaze.He smirked and rested his back against the chair. "Yes. If you're not taking this partnership thing too professionally," he said, standing up and burying his hands in his pockets, "I'd like to take you out for dinner.""Dinner?" I muttered, almost as if asking myself if it was normal to go out for dinner with a man who stared at me like he was about to kill me... sexually. "I..." I opened my mouth to reply, but right then, there was a slight knock on the door, and it opened with Eric and
•Juliet's POV•Why didn’t I know that Edward would go to such extreme lengths to prove his claim? First, he pretended to be someone else, and now he’s secretly undergoing a DNA test to prove Jace is his son.I felt my heart pounding in my chest as I walked out of the lounge hastily, anger and fear seeping into my bones. When I left New York years ago, I thought I’d never get involved in any drama relating to Edward or my family. I thought I was finally free to live my life and take care of my child. I never considered the consequences of coming back, and now everything I’ve spent four years nursing is on the brink of breaking, and Edward just might be the one to destroy it all.Once I was outside the lounge, I reached for my phone to call Eric. If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have asked him to leave or even encouraged this date.I bit my lower lip angrily as I brought the phone to my ear. “Eric, can you come pick me up now?” I said, my voice laced with anger. I was s
•Edward’s POV•I watched as Juliet walked hastily out of the lounge, her hand clutched tightly around her purse. I sighed deeply, the pain from the confrontation sinking into my chest like a vice clamping around my heart.Running my hand through my hair, desperation clouded my thoughts. This wasn’t how I had expected things to go. When I first saw the message on the dating site, about a desperate CEO looking for a man to play the role of a father for her child, I never imagined it would be Juliet.I thought it was just one of those women on dating sites, desperate and looking for someone to latch onto. But then the idea struck me that it might actually be Juliet. I did my research and eventually discovered that it was Eric who had been chatting on her behalf. I played my role well online, keeping it a secret, hoping it would give me the chance to talk to Juliet. To try to make her see just how much I regretted everything I’d done to her in the past.But things didn’t go the way I expe
•Juliet’s POV•I followed her closely, glancing around the lounge at the people seated in pairs. Their soft, humming conversations added a sense of elegance to the space. My gaze drifted to a seat in the farthest corner, near the glass wall window. A man dressed in a black shirt and what appeared to be gray pants sat there alone. He was the only one in the lounge without a partner, and in that moment, I knew he was the one I was supposed to meet.The man had his back to the front entrance, where I had walked in with the waitress, so I couldn’t get a good look at his face. My heart jumped slightly, the weight of my decision settling in my gut as I silently asked myself if this was truly the right thing to do.Brushing the thought aside, I reminded myself that getting to know this guy was my priority. Then, I could introduce him to Jace and everyone attending the March party, including Edward. I could already picture the expression that would twist his face when I did. That alone gave m
•Juliet's POV•"Mrs. Carl, can I please have a slice of your delicious cake?" Jace asked softly, standing close to the counter where the cake was cooling."Of course, my little prince charming," Mrs. Carl chuckled, picking up a plate and slicing into the moist cake. "But, I’m only giving you this if you promise me something."Jace tilted his head, curiosity lighting up his eyes. I stood quietly by the doorway, my heart swelling with joy at the sight of my happy son. Changing his school had been a mistake, one I wouldn’t repeat."What’s that, Mrs. Carl?" he asked.Smiling to myself, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Mrs. Bianca's number. I left the kitchen, heading to the couch and sitting down just as she answered.We spoke about Jace returning to school, and her excitement burst through the line. Her joy made my chest ache with relief, as I try not to think about Edward or the possibility of him coming to Jace school to see him again. After the call ended, I glanced at the
•Juliet’s POV•“Jace, my love,” I said happily as I pushed open the door to Jace's room and stepped inside. My eyes immediately darted to his bed, hoping to find him still curled up under the covers, that would explain why he hadn’t come to my room this morning to interrupt my sleep like he usually did.But the bed was empty.My heart skipped. “Jace?” I called softly, walking further in. No answer.I checked the bathroom. Empty. Then I moved to his walk-in closet, identical in style to mine, still nothing. His clothes were all neatly arranged on the rack, untouched.Confused and beginning to feel the first prickles of panic, I stepped out of the room, forcing myself to stay calm. Don’t jump to conclusions, Juliet. Don’t panic yet.Maybe he was in the kitchen with Mrs. Carl… or in the gym, watching Eric do his morning workout like he often do. I picked up my pace and rushed downstairs.The sweet, warm scent of vanilla hit me the moment I entered the kitchen. Mrs. Carl was just pulling
•Juliet's POV•I sat on the bed next to Jace, watching him sleep peacefully. His small arms were wrapped tightly around his fluffy, cream-colored heart-shaped pillow.The day had been long, and I only wished it hadn’t ended the way it did.After we got into the car, I sat beside Jace, trying to cheer him up, but he didn’t say a word to me. His silence was deafening. It disturbed me so much that when I tried talking to him, he suddenly burst into tears, begging me to take him back to his other school.I’d tried to convince him otherwise, but he wouldn't listen. After dinner, he quietly asked if he could go to his room to sleep. I had simply nodded, and now, here I was, watching his chest rise and fall, my heart aching for him.I leaned over, pressed a soft kiss on his forehead, and stood up from the bed.As I walked down the stairs into the living room, I spotted Eric standing close to the three-seater couch. He was holding a mug and sipping from it, dressed in a white polo shirt and b
•Edward's POV•"I'm sorry, Eddy," Raya apologized again as I parked in front of her mother’s mansion. "This means a lot to me, and if it didn’t, I wouldn’t have listened to my mother.""You don’t have to explain anymore, Raya," I said quietly, my gaze fixed on the windshield. "You’ve made your decision. There’s nothing I can do to change it now.""No, Eddy, please, you have to understand," she cried, her voice trembling as her eyes welled up with tears. She reached for me, but I still wouldn’t look at her. I couldn’t.The words were lodged in my throat. How could I tell her I was exhausted from everything? That whatever bond we had was dragging me down? I didn't want her to react dramatically like she always does. Things were already bad enough.I stayed silent in the car, letting her fill the silence with broken explanations and sniffles. Her hand found mine, warm and trembling, but I didn’t move, didn’t squeeze back. Even when her phone started blaring again, and she yanked it out a
•Juliet’s POV•I opened my mouth to speak, but instead, my eyes fluttered shut as his thumb brushed against my lips. His breath fanned my cheeks as he leaned in, his lips grazing mine softly.The creaking sound of the door snapped me back to reality. I hesitantly pulled myself away from James and turned toward the door, only to find Eric standing there, frozen like a statue. His jaw dropped into a perfect circle and his eyes widened to the size of saucers.“I’m sorry,” Eric apologized, turning to leave, but I stopped him immediately. James walked over and took the chair opposite me.“If you have something to tell me, don’t hesitate,” I muttered, letting the tangled feeling in my chest settle as I sank into my chair. Eric stepped forward hesitantly, his gaze flicking from James to me. Even without him speaking, I could see the questions piling up in his mind.“I’ve checked the customer reviews, and I’d like you to take a look,” Eric said as he placed a blue file on my desk. “About the
• Juliet’s POV •I let out a heavy breath as I relaxed into the car seat, my thoughts spiraling out of control. For a moment, I genuinely believed I was going to get a migraine. After all the effort I’d put into convincing Jace, even going as far as bribing him with his favorite ice cream, he finally walked into his new school without saying a word as he licked his favorite ice creamBut what kept echoing in my mind was a question I couldn’t shake. Was I doing the right thing?As Eric pulled into the parking lot of my company, I took a deep breath and reminded myself not to let Jace’s resistance to the school change distract me from work and told myself that, with time, he would adjust.I stepped out of the car as Eric began listing the day’s agenda.“First, we’ll check out customer reviews, then see what’s going on in the packaging area, review the investor contract deal, check sales reports, and lastly…” He glanced down at his tablet before looking at me just as the entrance doors s