LOGINOPHELIA“We’re moving.”“What do you mean?” I let out a disbelieving chuckle.“After the wedding, we’ll move to a safer place. Just for now.”I frowned, confused. I was beginning to understand the man even less (not that I ever did anyway). First it was moving the wedding and now we’re also moving to another place? I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Was there something serious going on that I didn’t know about? “I understand that this is coming really abruptly. It was unplanned by me too,” he explained. “But it is just for the meantime. Maybe for a month or two. After that, we’ll return to the mansion.”“But why are we moving? Your mansion is safe enough.” Last time I checked, he had numerous guards posted at each corner of the roads leading to the mansion. The mansion itself was surrounded by guards. It didn’t make any sense to me.“It’s no longer safe.”I angled my body to face him.“If there is something huge going on, I’d like to know. Why is it no longer safe?”He drew in a sh
OPHELIAI clamped my eyes shut for a second and when I opened them again, he still stood there in place. When the staff opened the door and he slowly started to walk in, I blinked in disbelief.I wasn’t imagining things.His gaze was glued to mine as he stepped deeper into the fitting room, his eyes tracking over the dress— from the sweetheart neckline to the intricate beadings to the fitted bodice that clinched my waist perfectly.Even when Brittany stepped to him and they engaged in a handshake, his eyes never left me. He wore a dark grey suit which was unbuttoned, exposing his white dress shirt. The other girls in the room went to the corner and from where I stood, I could hear their tiny squeals. I tore my gaze off his when he finally reached me. My eyes began to flicker everywhere but him. What was he doing here? When I was informed of the booked section, I didn’t think he would come too.He sucked in a breath. “You’re done?” “Ye-yes. I think I’ll go for this one.”He hummed.
OPHELIA Only when my back slammed against the closed door of my bedroom did I release the breath that’d hung on my throat. My heart pounded heavily against my chest, moving so violently that one might think I was having a heart attack.Maybe I was?What was this feeling exactly? It felt as though my heart wanted to rip from my chest. I placed a hand over it, trying to calm it down. I leaned my head against the door and brought my thumb to my lower lip.He’d kissed me.Ronan had kissed me. And I’d kissed him back for a moment.The way he’d kissed me, good Lord…. I’d never been kissed that way. He’d kissed me as though I was his breath— dominated my lips utterly. The way he’d pressed his body against me, I still feel the ridges against my chest. And I liked it.He was right. I couldn't deny what was between us. The sexual tension or whatever it was. But definitely, there was something sexual. My throbbing core was evidence.As the scene flashed in my head again I crossed my legs tight
RONANThe more I stared at her, the more the scene flashed into my head.He’d fucking kissed her. She’d stood there, without a single fucking word!I tightened my fist, motivating more blood to spill to the floor. God, I could still feel the surge of anger in me. He’d fucking touched her. I should’ve killed him.My fingers shot forward to grab my chin, my thumb running roughly over her bottom lips as if to wipe the trace.She pressed her back against the wall. “Tell me, did you enjoy him kissing you?”“Ronan.”“Hypocrite,” I muttered bitterly. “You said you’re done with him. Did you fucking like it when that bastard kissed…”I didn’t have the chance to finish as her palm collided against my cheek, sending my head sideways. She gasped.My jaw ticked and I let out a chuckle. I returned my eyes. “You insulted me. Besides, what does it have to do with you?”“I’m protecting you.”“I’m an adult. I can kiss whoever I want. Our relationship is simply an arrangement. You signed that we can
OPHELIAJulius gripped my arm and pressed me against the wall. “This is your fault Ophelia,” he bit out.I grunted and pushed him off me, managing to get out of his hold. “It’s your fault that our family has become this way. We can’t even have a peaceful dinner anymore.”“There was never a peaceful dinner in the Whitmore house.”He stepped closer to me and grabbed my arms again. “What did you tell Alia? Why did she refuse to go home with me? You’ve poisoned her mind against me.”I matched his ferocious look with mine. A few servants hurried past us but none of them stopped even for a second. “Julius. Alia is a child but she’s not stupid. You didn’t call her, you didn’t come to visit her. You think she wouldn’t notice that you’ve been neglecting her?”“She’s a child. Children don't understand these things.”A chuckle escaped my lips. He must be joking. Did he see children as dumb?“They do. And even though I told her you’ve been away for a business trip, she knows that you’re neglec
OPHELIA When my eyes fell on Older Mr Whitmore beside her, I couldn’t help but straighten. The man had always been intimidating. Kate had her hands around his arm as he limped into the dining hall, his eyes moving past me to the man beside me. Ronan stiffened. For a moment, their gazes clashed before the tension loosened when Kate’s voice rang out again. “Why are you here?” She shot her question to me, her eyes flickering to Alia for a second. Only for a second. “I invited her.” She turned to her husband who had just taken his seat at the head of the table. “Wasn’t this supposed to be a family dinner? She is no longer part of the Whitmore family. Julius divorced her.” “Wrong,” for the first time since we arrived, Ronan spoke. “She divorced him.” “Still. Since she’s no longer his wife, she shouldn’t be…” “She’s about to become my wife.” Kate’s lips twitched in anger. She averted her attention to Ronan. “As long as she’s not your wife yet, she’s not family.” I felt the loss w
OPHELIA Ronan’s brow lifted even further. He said nothing. For a minute, his brown eyes fixed on me as if trying to read my thoughts. I shifted uncomfortably. For some reason, this man unsettled me. Unlike his brother's golden retriever look of brown hair and blue eyes, he was like a dark monster
OPHELIA“Mrs Whitmore, I’m sorry. This death certificate is fake.” The officer at the medical records department informed me.It was mid-morning, and I was standing at the medical records department of the same hospital where I’d lost my baby. Holding the very death certificate they'd issued then.
OPHELIA Not a second passed before I pulled away and took a quick step away from him. “Mr Throne.” As always, my brother-in-law wore that same smug, unreadable expression. He said nothing. Instead, his eyes raked over my body slowly and deliberately, from my head to my toes. Then his gaze retu
OPHELIASelena paused the moment her eyes fell on me. She looked from me to the child and before I could blink, she hurried toward us, shoved me out of the way, and bundled the child in a hug. “Alia, dear.”I grabbed the table to steady myself.“Oh, my child. Thank goodness you’re awake. I was alm







