NOLAN POV Maybe it was the alcohol rushing to my head, but she looked more radiant than ever, and my gaze lingered a little longer. She swallowed hard and began to pick up the scattered papers, which were now all over the floor. I offered to help, and once we were done, our eyes locked again. “Sorry, sir.” Mr. Rebel cleared his throat, and I turned to look at him. “This is Rosie. She recently joined us, and she’ll be working as a new personal assistant since Kayleigh decided to have kids instead of doing her job,” he muttered coldly. I forced a smile, extending my hand to Rosie. “My name is Nolan, but you can call me Mr. Esteban.” She grasped my hand. It still fit in mine just like I remembered from years ago. She smiled and pulled away, excusing herself. Once she was gone, Mr. Rebel gave me a knowing look. “You know how I feel about work relationships… but I want you to pursue whatever is going on between you and Rosie.” I choked in disbelief. “That’s ag
NOLAN POV I was back at the empty apartment I once shared with my wife and Alessia. Looking at the way things went down, she was no longer my wife. She wanted to be with another man. When will I ever learn? That man was none other than my father. The house felt cold, and each room was filled with undying silence. Once again, I had lost everything I had worked hard to achieve. I was back where I started. When I walked away, I was hoping that Ben would stop me and tell me that we could work things through. But she didn’t even try. She had made her decision. I poured my heart into work and didn’t give myself a chance to feel heartbroken or disappointed. Later that next morning, I decided to call Ben’s mother and ask how she was doing. She picked up on the first ring. “Nolan, my dear, how are you?” I forced a smile. “I’m alright, thanks. How are you?” “Okay, dear.” “Can I talk to Ben or Alessia? I can’t seem to get through to them.” She paused. “O
BEN POV I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I had always known the truth for a long time; I just didn’t want to admit it. It was always Ambrose. Even in death, he still owned my heart. Somehow, I had convinced myself that Nolan could fill that void, but even after all these years, the thoughts of Ambrose still consumed me. I still remembered every single thing about him. Just like that, I had lost Nolan. The man who put aside his happiness just to make me happy. I felt guilty. I felt guilty for not fighting for our love. For not fighting for our marriage. I had made up my mind. I was going to see Ambrose in Italy no matter what. I wiped my tears away. I couldn’t let Alessia see me this way. I took a deep breath and went back inside. Alessia looked up, meeting my gaze. “Where is Uncle Nolan?” she asked curiously. I forced a smile. “He had an urgent meeting he had to attend.” She frowned. “I heard everything, Mom… I heard the two o
BEN POV I deserved to know the truth. I deserved to know why Nolan chose to keep me in the dark for all these years. It’s been a week since I moved in with my mother, and Alessia Marie was coping with the change of environment. I didn’t want any of this to affect her, but I couldn’t be in the same room with Nolan. This whole time he has been putting on a fake front at my own expense. I was still pissed off. Being in the same space as my mother, I got to witness one of her late date nights. The mere thought made me cringe. “Benny honey, how long are you going to ignore your husband?” I groaned deeply. “Please don’t call him that.” She shrugged carelessly. “He’s been sending you flowers all week, and I’m running out of room in my house. I know you’re still upset with him, honey, but you need to talk to him.” I sighed softly. She had a point. I wanted to know the truth, but at what cost? The truth was going to break me. I nodded quietly, wrapping the com
BEN POVI didn’t remember much after that moment—just the sound of my own heartbeat echoing in my ears, and the feeling of my entire world collapsing.Ambrose.Alive.The name pulsed in my mind like a curse and a prayer at the same time.Nolan didn’t meet my eyes after dropping the bomb. He just sat there, staring at the floor like he’d been waiting for this moment to come—like it was a confession he’d rehearsed a thousand times in his head.I stood there frozen, my voice trembling. “What did you just say?”He exhaled sharply. “He’s alive, Ben. He’s been alive all along.”My knees went weak, and I gripped the edge of the table for support. “You’re lying… this isn’t funny, Nolan.”“I wish I was lying,” he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I’m not. I found out three months ago.”My heart sank. “How? How could you possibly find out something like that?”“Ambrose reached out to me,” Nolan said softly. “He told me he was alive, that he needed time to heal and stay away for your
BEN POV A YEAR LATER Nolan and I had tied the knot a year ago. We were finally happy. My definition of happiness was providing my daughter with a father figure in her life. I was happy too. Nolan was a great partner. What more could I want? He was every girl’s wet dream, yet I always felt like something was missing from my life. Like a piece of me wasn’t there. He noticed it too, more than a couple of times. There was a shift between us. There was distance between us. The fire was slowly dimming, almost extinguished, and it was taking a toll on both of us. I was happy but felt unhappy at the same time. “Mommy?” I turned back to look at Alessia Marie, dazed; I had zoned out and forgotten that I was helping her with her homework. “Are you okay?” she asked in a worried tone, and I gave her a small smile, caressing her cheek. I pulled away and gave a curt nod. “I’m alright, sweetie… just a little stressed about work.” Her face softened. “You should