MasukAVERY WINTERS “Tonight, eat until your hearts is filled!” Bernard announced proudly as he raised his glass into the air. “Drink as much as you want! Celebrate freely! Tonight is a day of joy for all of us!”Cheers instantly erupted throughout the grand hall.But my husband wasn’t done yet.“To show just how happy I am,” he continued, his deep voice carrying authority and excitement at the same time, “I will personally attend to every petition brought before me within the next week. Every complaint, every unresolved matter.. I will handle them myself. I will make sure each and every one of you leaves with a smile on your face.”The moment those words left his lips, the entire hall exploded into loud celebration.Excited voices filled the air immediately.Some people hugged each other happily, others raised their drinks high while shouting praises to him. A few had already started dancing without caring who watched them, while others remained seated, grinning widely as they discussed h
AVERY WINTERS Bernard stepped into the hall, his commanding presence instantly drawing everyone’s attention. Without sparing a glance around, he walked straight toward his seat with the calm confidence he always carried so effortlessly.The moment he sat down, I followed after him.Then, with a simple gesture of his hand, he motioned for everyone else to take their seats as well. Immediately, the guests obeyed after bowing respectfully to him.As the room settled, he turned slightly toward me and leaned closer until his lips were near my ear.“You look beautiful tonight,” he whispered in that deep, husky voice of his that always managed to send warmth through my entire body.A blush instantly crept onto my cheeks.“Just tonight?” I teased softly, raising a brow at him.A faint smirk curved against his lips.“Of course not,” he replied smoothly. “You always look beautiful. But tonight…” His gaze slowly traveled over me before returning to my eyes. “Tonight, you look absolutely breatht
AVERY WINTERS “Just know that I’m not in this with you! I didn’t ask you to do this for me! It was never part of the plan!” Harper and I overheard hazel snapping into her phone. Her tone was sharp, irritated— almost venomous. Only goodness knows who she was speaking to this time.It took her a moment to realize we were standing right behind her.She spun around abruptly, her eyes widening in what looked like fear… or maybe shock. She quickly ended the call and slipped the phone behind her back, clearing her throat as she straightened herself.Her gaze landed on me, and she lifted a brow, trying to regain her composure as if nothing had happened.It had been eight days since we returned from the vacation. Eight days of strange calm… and yet nothing about this house ever truly felt calm.In those days, Ben had been unusually attentive, taking care of both me and Aaron. He has been soft, protective, almost overbearing in his concern. And though I was pregnant and the doctor had insis
BERNARD REED “Has he said a word yet?” I asked the moment I stepped into the dungeon, taking my seat with a calm that did not match the atmosphere in the room.“No, sir. He’s still proving stubborn,” Lucas replied from behind me.“Start,” I ordered without hesitation, turning my gaze toward Joshua.Joshua is my second most trusted men.He nodded immediately, bowed slightly and moved toward the guy they had captured—no, the fool who thought he could attack my headquarter and walk away with it. I watched him closely as he prepared to extract answers the only way people like him ever understood.I had given them clear instructions hours ago. Words— that was all I wanted. And yet, here we were… still stuck with silence. Hours had passed since they dragged him in. He had been tied to that chair the entire time, his body already broken, his face barely recognizable. Still... he said nothing.My patience is running thin.Annoyed, I tilted my head slightly toward Lucas, who immediately st
AVERY WINTERS “What’s wrong?” I asked immediately, my voice trembling with fear and anxiety. “Did the test show that I’m not pregnant?”The moment she walked into the office earlier with that strange gloomy expression on her face, my heart had practically stopped beating properly. Even now, I could feel my chest tightening painfully as nervous thoughts flooded my mind one after another.Beside me, Ben remained silent, but I could already tell he was worried too. He was simply better at hiding it than I was. Still, the slight tension in his jaw and the way his fingers tightened around mine beneath the table exposed him completely.The doctor blinked in surprise at my question before quickly shaking her head.“What? No, Mrs. Reed,” she said almost immediately. “Your test results are perfectly fine.”Then, to my surprise, a warm smile slowly spread across her face.“In fact,” she added excitedly, “this is actually a wonderful news.”She sat down properly in her chair again, still smilin
AVERY WINTERS “Ben, you know you really don’t have to come with me, right?” I asked softly, turning to look at him. “I can go to the hospital myself and get checked. I could always come back home with the results and show them to you afterward.”We were currently seated in his car on our way to the hospital.Even though the idea of going to the hospital first thing in the morning had been his, I still didn’t expect him to insist this much on accompanying me. No matter how much I tried convincing him otherwise, he refused to listen.Ben turned slightly in his seat so he could face me properly.Without saying a word at first, he reached for both of my hands and brought them to his lips, pressing soft kisses against my knuckles.“You’re carrying our child, Avery,” he murmured gently. “It’s only right for me to stay by your side through everything. I have to protect both you and our baby.”His hand slowly drifted toward my stomach, caressing it lovingly.“Besides,” he added with a teasin
AVERY WINTERS"The car is ready," he announced, his voice smooth as usual. Bernard nodded, his expression stoic. "I will be down shortly with Avery. You can go ahead," he ordered, his tone firm.Lucas bowed again and left, and as the door shut, he turned to me with a soft smile spreading across hi
AVERY WINTERS"I swear, I hate him," Bernard hissed.I chuckled, shaking my head, my hands still wrapped around his neck.We both knew that wasn't true. But in this moment, he would say anything to make himself better. "Come on, Bernard, don't be like this. I'm still here, right?" I said, locking
BERNARD REED"Is this still because of Hazel?" Ezra asked, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "I guessed right, right? She's the reason why you can't tell your girl how you truly felt about her?" He asked again, his eyes widened in surprise, as he pointed his index finger at me.I know he's right, but
AVERY WINTERS"Is this... Is this real? Or did someone else take your form? I can't even understand you. Just last night, you didn't love me, but now, you suddenly do? How is that even possible? What changed?" I bombarded him with questions, my mind struggling to understand him."Nothing changed, A







