~Laurel~"So we'll have the designs out by Tuesday?" "Out and ready.""Good." I handed the files back to Julia. "We'll have the bikini launch ready by next week or so. You may take your leave." I said, turning to face my computer."Um, no filming or photoshooting this week?"I raised my gaze and gave her a cold glare. "Get the hell out of my office, Juliet.""Ye-yes ma'am." She said and walked out of my office.The door opened and her head poked in first. "Someone's here to see you.""Who?"The door opened and Jason walked in. "Hey babe." "Hey.""You're busy?" He asked as he moved closer to me.I raised my brows in a questioning way and rolled my eyes at him. "When am I not?"He hoisted me up from my seat and covered my mouth with his. "I missed you. Like a lot." He said and placed me on my desk.I circled my arms around his neck. "Even though we talked last night?""That was just talk. I--I missed touching you." He said trailing his hand up to cup one of my breasts.I gasped when h
~Laurel~After launching the bikini collection, I traveled to France; modeled for Louis Vuitton before leaving for Mexico for a new shoot. During the two weeks, I had spent in Mexico, I kept on receiving flowers from an anonymous source. It felt strange because this same person kept on sending me the same favorite flowers every week and I couldn't help but wonder who it was. It felt awkwardly strange. Who on earth was it?The moment my plane landed in Los Angeles, I got a message from one of my exes, Marco Lorenzo, saying that he wanted to see me. We arranged and made plans to see each other and maybe have a little chitchat over dinner. One thing was for sure, if he was only going to talk about our past then I'll just walk out on him. I didn't do second chances.~"If it isn't the beautiful Laurel Hyde." Marco Lorenzo got up to his feet the moment he saw me and pulled me into his chest. I squirmed out and pushed him away."Thought you only wanted to talk.""Of course it's only talk, c
Kurt~"Hey dad. How'd I look?" Mira asked me as soon as I stepped into the room they were dressing her in.For once in my life, I had to compliment a woman. A woman who wasn't just any woman. My daughter. My blood. A child who was just like my mother. "Beautiful.""I'm so excited dad! I'm gonna be ten soon!""I know." I scooted lower and traced my fingers down her hairline. "I have something to show you.""What is it?"I signaled the women in the room to leave us, and as they left, Vivian and Andre entered the room."Mama! Papa!" Mirabelle jumped off the chair she was in and ran into the awaiting arms of Vivian.I glared at Andre. He wouldn't dare do anything stupid. Except he wants to make a trip back to the hell hole I had put him in for weeks."I missed you mama. I thought I wouldn't see you again." Mira said, sobbing against Vivian."I missed you too, Belle. Life without you hasn't been the same. Look how beautiful you've become. And now, I'll watch you turn ten soon. Another beau
~Laurel~"Here." Kurt passed me a mug of the coffee he had prepared. I stared at the mug and the thought of not taking it nearly crossed my mind.He read the look on my face. "It's just coffee, Laurel." I glared and snatched the mug from his hold before sipping it slowly. Kurt plopped on the sofa in front of me and sipped his. "I don't see anyone around here. You live alone now?""No, gave my workers days off. They had helped me move in so I thought it would be nice if I gave them days off and allowances to feast on for the weekend.""I didn't picture you to be this kind of person." He purred, moving backward to rest his back on the sofa."What kind of person did you picture me to be?"He rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Rude, proud and arrogant. The money makes people high."I laughed. "Like the way you're high?""No, mine has been a characteristic.""Good for you. Cos you're the most arrogant person I've ever had the bad luck of meeting.""You don't call fate, bad luck,
~Laurel~"What?""I said Jason proposed to me. After what happened last nigh--""Well congratulations." He said and turned to walk away."Is that all you've got to say Kurt? I didn't even accept it!"He turned to me, his eyes, stormy blue. "Well what do you want me to do?! Fight for a woman I don't love? Fight for a woman who doesn't want me? Can't say I've heard that one before."A woman I don't love..."I--I, I thought---""What did you think? That I still love you? Then you really must be out of your mind. Accept it and get married, Laurel. Do what'll make you happy. I certainly don't care."I swallowed in my tears and mustered the courage to feign a smile. "Good to know. I wish you'll find the right woman Kurt, who would change this man you've become. I only hope there's even such a woman." I said and walked out on him.It was clear now.Vividly clear.I had just written Kurt Kenton off from my life.~"Godmother do you like this movie?" Mira asked me halfway into the movie we wer
~Laurel~"Sir someone's here to see you." I heard Jason's secretary say to him and shortly after, she walked out and nodded, signifying that I could enter.I walked into Jason's office and saw him, buried in his work, but only I knew what he was going through underneath that suit of his."What are you doing here?" He asked, his gaze not lifting from his computer's. "Came to check if the heart's still in one piece? Then no, it's not." He lifted his gaze from his computer and faced me. I walked closer to him and drew out a chair, sitting opposite him. "I'm really sorry about what you saw or---""Allow me to specify it for you. I saw you kissing Kurt Kenton. Your ex. Infact, you didn't even know that I knew that you had a past with that man. Did you?"No. He wasn't aware and he wasn't even supposed to find out. "Look I--""I never cheated on you, Laurel. Not once. You know everybody warned me to stay the hell away from you. That you weren't into relationships and stuffs like that but I s
~Kurt~I was going through a few paperwork when the door slid open and Clarissa walked in."What do you want?" I asked her, moving my keyboard aside."Eaten?""No. How is Mira?""Hmm, I can't say that she is moody but at least, she's responding to me a little." She moved closer to me. "She's a fine combination of you and Laurel.""Don't even dare say her name.""Kurt you can't blame Laurel for everything. She had a life before you whirled back into her life. ""A mother's duty is to her kid and to the fath--" I paused, noticing the amused look on her face."You still love her, don't you?"I sighed, running my hand frustratedly into my hair. "Do you know how hard it is knowing that the mother of my child is going 'round in circles, sleeping and changing men like purses? Do you know how hard it is? I care about Laurel a lot. Why can't she see that I'm trying to reach out to her?""She doesn't see it because you're doing it forcefully. You're forcing her, Kurt and women don't like being
~Laurel~"So you mean to tell me that dad accused you of something like that?" Mira asked me, unable to believe that Kurt could actually accuse me of killing his mother indirectly. I didn't want to tell her this but looking at the situation, I wouldn't be able to clear my name off her black book without being sincere and truthful with her.She clutched her cup of coffee tight. "Did you do it?""What? No! I wouldn't cheat on your dad with his dad. I wouldn't do something like that to him. After everything he did to me, I couldn't bear it all, so I had to give you away.""Still doesn't explain the main reason why you gave me away. You were ashamed of me, I was a burden to you, and worst of al--""I love you, Mirabelle. If I didn't, I wouldn't have given birth to you. I would have ended your life even before you dreamed of your arrival into this world.""I know. You love me, I love you, I get it, but did you even love my dad? Did you at least try to prove to him that you were innocent?"