Richard exhaled when he found Kristin standing by the pool, lost in thought. He had gone out to look for her after noticing she wasn’t in her room. Approaching her quietly, he slid his hand around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. Kristin smiled as she caught the familiar scent of lavender on him. "Why are you out here alone?" he asked softly. "I just needed some space," she replied, still gazing at the water. Richard gently turned her to face him. "Is everything alright? You’ve been acting differently lately." "I’m fine," she smiled faintly. "Are you sure? Is there’s nothing you want to tell me?" "Why do you ask?" "Because I feel like there is. If you have something on your mind, you can tell me. I know I’ve got anger issues, but I’m working on them in therapy. So, whatever it is, just say it." His tone softened, almost pleading. Kristin shook her head. "There’s nothing to say." "Are you sure?" She nodded, though deep down, she was dying to tell him the truth
Kristin’s parents stood frozen in disbelief as they toured the opulent house Richard had just purchased for them. Every corner of the space gleamed with luxury, from the polished marble floors to the intricate chandeliers that hung from the high ceilings. They exchanged glances, still trying to comprehend that they would soon be living in such grandeur. Richard and Kristin followed behind them, with Richard cradling Kathryn, who clung to him like a lifeline. Her small arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, and she showed no sign of letting go. "Do you like your new house?" Richard asked, his voice steady and calm. "If you don’t, I can have it replaced immediately." Dante stood speechless, his mouth opening and closing, searching for the right words but finding none. Though he knew Richard was a billionaire, the sheer generosity and willingness to replace such an extravagant gift if it didn’t meet their expectations left him utterly astounded. While Dante remained silent, it wa
Richard didn’t stop kissing Kristin, even as she tried to pull away. His thin, pink lips remained locked on her full lips, savoring every flavor they offered. He was utterly consumed by the feel of her, as if he could kiss her forever without needing to pause. But knowing she needed a moment to breathe, he reluctantly withdrew, his lips lingering briefly before fully pulling away. "Were you planning on devouring my lips?” Kristin asked with a teasing smile, catching her breath. Richard’s eyes gleamed with mischief. "Yes. Should we continue?" He leaned in again, but Kristin playfully pushed him away. Richard chuckled, a rare warmth in his expression. "Are you serious? You want us to stay married… without going our separate ways after a year?" Kristin asked, her brown eyes locking into his. "Yes. Our marriage is already registered. Should we throw a grand wedding?” His hand slipped to her waist, the warmth of his touch spreading through her skin beneath the crop top she wore. Kri
Luke entered the room, and the house was dark. Searching for the switch, he turned on the lights and discovered the room was beautifully decorated with rose petals on the bed. In the middle, a bold message spelled out, "I AM SORRY." He exhaled, knowing Cecelia must have done this. It had been two weeks since they last spoke. The silence was killing him because he loved her so much, but he couldn't get over hearing her say another man's name while they were making love. "I'm sorry," came Cecelia's voice from behind. Luke turned to see her holding a bouquet of apology flowers. "Please stop ignoring me, Love. I miss you so much, and I want the man who loves me dearly back. I don’t want us to keep drifting apart," she pleaded. "Who is Lewis? Is he really just a character from a movie?" Luke asked, no doubt missing his wife too. "Yes, he’s just a character from a movie. I love you, and it would never cross my mind to cheat on you," Cecelia swore, despite the fact that she is ch
Luke furrowed his eyebrows at her words, wondering if she was slightly mentally unstable. "You love me?" he asked. Romina blinked rapidly, realizing what she had just said. "Huh?" "Why would you say you love me?" Luke inquired again. Romina stared at him, at a loss for words. She began laughing, making Luke wonder what part of what he said was funny. "I was actually referring to the banner behind you," Romina said quickly, rushing to the banner that had a picture of a celebrity on it. "I’m a big fan of his. I love you!" She grinned and kissed the banner. Romina knew deep down that she was lying; in fact, she had no idea who the celebrity was. It was just her way of covering up that she had fallen for Luke at first sight. Luke shook his head as he watched her kiss the banner. "Do you know where my Daddy Richard is?" Kathryn asked, holding onto the hem of his shirt. Luke smiled at her. "I doubt the Richard I know is the one you’re looking for. The Richard I know hates kids." "
Kristin couldn’t take her eyes off Richard. She wasn’t entirely sure if he was telling the truth about loving her, but it was better than telling them the rumors about him being gay. They’d probably end the marriage and drag her back to Glenwood. "Then why did you keep your marriage a secret? You came to Glenwood, and instead of introducing yourself as her husband, you introduced yourself as her boss," Gladys said, her voice sharp, eyes flicking between Richard and Kristin with a mix of suspicion and disappointment. "We wanted to tell you both at the right time. We didn’t mean to hide it," Richard replied, his voice calm but firm as his hand remained on Kristin’s hand. "Is he telling the truth? Did you both get married because you love each other?" Dante asked. Kristin glanced at her father. Even if she had made mistakes in the past, he always wanted her to marry a man who truly loved her. She wasn’t sure about Richard’s feelings, but she knew she was in love with this cold, gray
Romina quickly rushed to Kathryn and separated her from Richard. "I'm sorry for..." Romina paused when she recognized Richard as the same man Kristin was married to. "You?" she muttered, unable to hide her surprise. She had to admit he looked even better in person than in the photos. "You know me?" Richard furrowed his brows, unable to place where he might have seen Romina, after all, he had never met her before. "Richard!" Gladys approached him. "Ma'am Gladys?" Richard uttered, surprised to see Kristin’s mother in Las Vegas. He quickly noticed the man standing next to her was likely Kristin's father. But why were they here? Without taking her eyes off Richard, Gladys called out to Romina. "Romina." "Yes, Auntie?" Romina responded. "Take Kathryn outside and wait until I call for you," Gladys instructed, still staring at Richard. Romina was about to take Kathryn’s hand, but the girl rushed to Richard and hugged him tightly. "No! I don’t want to leave. I want to stay with him!"
Luke kept searching for Kristin, trying to figure out where she might have gone. He couldn’t think of a place because Kristin hadn’t spent much time in Vegas. He didn’t want to call her because he knew she was in a state where she wouldn’t answer the phone. An idea struck him, and hoping she might be there, Luke rushed to the airport—and he was right. Kristin was standing at the entrance, unsure whether she should go in. She had nothing with her. "Kristin!" Luke called out, rushing to her. She looked at him with watery eyes. "Going back to Glenwood isn’t the best option," Luke said, shaking his head. "I don’t want to go back," she replied in a tearful voice. "Then what are you doing here?" Kristin swallowed the painful lump in her throat. "I wanted to go back, but I keep restraining myself. How can I still be in love with a man who raised his hand on me? I can still believe he slap me, Luke. I tried to understand him, knowing he’s cold and has a temper, but I never thought h
Kristin’s eyes widened in shock and pain as she stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek where he had struck her. The weight of his actions hung heavily in the room, and the silence that followed was filled with an unspoken understanding of the gravity of what had just happened. Richard's face reflected pure shock as he realized what he had done. He had slapped Kristin. He had slapped the woman his heart was falling for. He wasn’t a woman beater, but he had raised his hand against the one person who lit up his world. "Firefly," he called, his voice thick with regret. For the second time, he had let his anger take control, but this time it was worse because he had struck her. "Firefly," he tried to reach out to her, but she shrank back, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry. I... I... didn’t mean to," he pleaded. He hadn’t intended to hurt Kristin, but when his anger took over, he lost control. Kristin didn’t say a word, her cheek stinging from the slap. If someone ha