YSABELLE As I entered the VIP room of the restaurant, the nervous smile of Jessica greeted me. She gained weight, but her awkward smile was still the same.“Hi.”I cleared my throat as I slowly reached the couch.“Hi, Jess.”I was surprised that she still had my number after not seeing or communicating for two years. But I was more surprised that she wanted to meet me.She got married yesterday, and that was all over the news. She should be on her honeymoon, not here with me.“You've changed.” She suddenly spoke. “I mean, you cut down your hair. It suits you.”A smile painted on my lips at her compliment.“Thanks.” I drink some water before clearing my throat again.“Congratulations on your marriage.”Her smile slowly faded, and she looked down on her fingers, fidgeting in her lap.I know what she felt.“You… didn't come.”My fingers tightened around the glass.She sent me an invitation card but I refused to attend her wedding.“Jessica, you know the situation.” “I was hoping you st
YSABELLE My heart pounded frantically as I stared at the person hiding in the dark while sitting on the couch. But I don't feel the sense of danger… I felt the longing through his eyes.“Ronan? I-Is that you?” I repeated.He let out a groan as he stood up and opened the lights.A gasp escaped from me to see the disheveled face of Ronan.“Yes, my Belle.”Tears formed in my eyes as I was too stunned to move and wrapped my arms around him.“H-How–” My eyes widened as I realized something. “Did you escape?!”Instead of answering me, he ran to me and pressed his lips against mine. My lips moved to match his beat as soon as my arms wrapped tightly around his neck. His hands moved along my body before finally resting on my lower back.Following his lead, he secured my legs around his toned waist. His arms hold on to me, keeping me locked into him while supporting my weight. He turned, pivoting us in the direction of the bedroom. A squeal slipped through my lips at the sudden movement, brea
YSABELLE I looked anxiously around the twins' room for Ashley’s dress that I bought the other day. Today is the twin's seventh birthday, and she needs to get ready before the visitors swarm in the pool area.But I stopped as I remembered how she hated the dress when I showed it to her as soon as I bought it home.I look at her, squinting my eyes, suspicious that she might have done gruesome to that poor pink dress.She immediately avoided my eyes as she closed her arms on her chest, wearing only her underwear.“Did you hide it?”“Nope.”“No lying, Ashley.”“Fine! I don't like the dress.” She bluntly muttered.With a sigh, I crossed my arms in front of her, meeting her eyes as we both raised our brows.“Will you stop wearing clothes and looking like a rockstar?”“I love Avril Lavigne.” Her casual tone made me silently laugh.“So do I, baby. But you're still young wearing those black coded clothes, sticking colorful highlights on your hair, and do you think I didn't see you hiding my e
YSABELLE Ronan and I decided to have a private wedding that only our family and friends could attend. The civil wedding will only give us peace, and doing this privately will give us peace for the rest of our lives.After the issue broke out in the past, I didn't want the media to delve into our private lives again. We've had enough, and for the sake of our children, we want to live privately as a family.But I don't think we can, since Ronan’s name is still famous all over the world.So, after our civil wedding, we headed straight to Hawaii for our honeymoon but with the twins.As soon as we arrived on the island of Oahu, we headed straight to Ko Olina Resort for our two nights and three days stay. The kids start with their normal bickering while unpacking our things.“Mommy, we forgot my goggles!” Ashley whines as I only firmly shut my eyes.“We can buy a new one–”“You forgot it, not us.” Ashton bombarded. “What's with this swimsuit? It sucks.”I glanced at them and saw Ashton t
YSABELLE I woke when I felt something in my throat, knocking and wanting to come out. Before I could think about what it was, I immediately sprinted to the bathroom and vomited everything I had eaten in the toilet.My head spins as I lean my head against the wall, gasping for air, but I flush the toilet first before standing up to the basin and rinsing my mouth.What did I eat yesterday that made my stomach react like this?The door of the bathroom opened, and Ronan came in with worries in his eyes. His hair was disheveled, and he was only wearing his underwear. “Are you okay?”I held my face as he looked down the toilet.“Maybe I ate too much yesterday.”“I told you don't eat anything you see.” He scolded, but my ears perked up at his remarks.“What's your point?”That I'm a pig?Ronan paused, and he scratched his head with a smirk on his face. “Don't worry, you're still gorgeous even if you become a whale.” I gasp at his words. “The hottest whale on the earth.” he even shamelessly
YSABELLE *TEN YEARS LATER* I was in tears seeing Ashley and Ashton dancing together in the middle of the living room. They looked cute together, no arguing, no fighting, no physical assault happened and I hope it will continue for the rest of the night– “Don't step on my feet?” “Your feet were just big. Make it smaller.” “Mommy!” “Okay, stop and go back to your chairs,” I said on the mic Everyone laughed at the scenario. There's no day that they won’t stop spewing nonsense at each other. I'm glad that the third child didn't have trouble tagging along when she came out from me. I looked around for Amara and saw her sitting on Ronan's lap. My little girl just turned nine last week and I felt like she was growing so fast. Just like the twins. It's their 18th birthday today and Ashley is simply celebrating her eighteenth year. Just us, family, relatives, and friends. We let Ashley decide on how she will celebrate her debut day and this is what she wanted. Just a
YSABELLE I was very nervous when I opened the door of the room but it vanished as soon as I saw the person we hadn't seen for ten years behind Ashley.“J-Jacob?”Ronan muttered silently behind me. “Ashton and I invited him, and finally, he agreed!” Ashley said without leaving a smile on her face.I gasp in disbelief. “I did, too! But he kept saying he's busy with his studies.”“I-I lied, Auntie.”My heart warmed, and finally, I could hear his deep and manly voice.“Wow… you're a grown-up now.”We only communicated through emails and messaging each other, but no video chatting. He never came whenever we invited him to visit us or visit him in Australia, but he refused to meet. He didn't want to video chat with us, and we respected his decision. The same goes for Ronan. I gaze at Ronan, who is silent and starstruck seeing his son– I mean, his son in the eyes of people around us. “Let's give them privacy,” I whispered to Ashley and pulled her downstairs.To prevent the public's and m
YSABELLE My fingers fidgeted at the handle of my handbag, patiently waiting for someone inside the visiting area. I glanced at my hand and saw sweat all over my palms.I'm not nervous or scared, but rather, I feel anxious every time I'm here in a correctional facility.Connor called me last night, wanting to see me. I was about to ignore him, but he begged. I'm not here because I pity him. I just want to see his condition in a bad way after ten years of not hearing anything about him.As far as I remember, the final verdict was thirty or forty years behind bars. And there is Paul, who received the worst sentence. The jury gave Paul a sentence of life in prison. Candice? She has the same verdict as Connor, but it was lessened five years ago because of her mental health.How ironic. The door opens and I meet Connor's lazy eyes. His hair grew long and messy, the same with his beard that I don't usually see. His white skin was now tanned and he looked skinnier than the last time I saw