Se connecterOPHELIA“She’s been taken.”For a heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe. Ronan caught me in his arms before my knees gave out. I held his shirt tightly as my vision began to blur.“Ophelia,” he called, steadying me. Holding both my arms, he forced me to look at him. “Listen, we’ll find her,” he assured.But I shook my head, still in denial.I couldn’t lose her again. Three years ago, I’d lost her. I had taken the pain of mourning her. I couldn’t do it again. I’d only just found my child.I couldn’t lose her again.God, it was my fault.I continued shaking my head, my eyes staring into space. “It is my fault. I couldn't even watch a three-year-old properly. We were buying ice cream at the ice cream stand and-and when I turned, she was gone. I should’ve been more careful…”“It’s not your fault.”I clawed at his arm. “Who took her? Did you see the person?”“He was masked. It’s definitely someone who’s been watching us for a while. But I promise you, I’ll find her. I’ll bring your child b
OPHELIA“The other kids are refusing to play with me.”Alia grumbled for the second time. We were at the children’s park. She pouted her lips as she stared at the other children who played around. Then she turned, looked at the housekeepers, and then at the guards. “It’s because of Uncle Gerald and his friends,” she cried.“Alia, they’re here to protect us,” I tried to convince her. She dramatically folded her hands on her chest. “I also want to go on the merry-go-round. Everyone’s scared to play with me because of Uncle Gerald.”I sighed. Honestly, I could see it too. Whenever a kid tried to approach Alia and found the guards behind her, they would immediately turn and run the other way.She wasn’t enjoying our first visit to the park together.“Fine. We’ll send them away.”Her eyes lit up. I turned to Gerald. “This place naturally has security that’s why I chose it. I think it’s better if you all wait outside the park.”“It’s dangerous, Miss Ophelia.”“It’s just kids and their pa
OPHELIAMy fingers caught the towel and tightened it before it could slip off my chest. When I raised my gaze to him, my breath caught,Oh heavens.He was shirtless. My eyes followed a drop of sweat as it dropped from his forehead down to his chest and then slowly downward until it disappeared under the black sweatpants that he wore.I swallowed. I quickly returned my gaze to his face. His brows furrowed and slowly, he cocked his head to the side and drew closer to me, almost walking into me.He sniffed. His frown deepened and he walked even closer, his chest against mine as he sniffed my hair and my body. With the way my heart thumped loudly in my chest, I was sure he heard it too.My hands fell against his chest in an attempt to push him off me but they seemed to want to be there. Gosh, this man was a walking sex appeal. Was it because I hadn’t been touched in a while? Because I felt my nipples begin to harden. His body was insanely warm. “What are you doing here, Ophelia?”
RONAN’S POVSilence welcomed me as I stepped into the living room of my mansion. It was late and I was sure everyone was asleep already. However, the lights in the living room were still on.My eyes trailed over the room.Each passing day made the house feel less like mine. Three dolls on the dining table, a red crayon on the floor, and then a story book on top of one of the couches. It no longer looked like the place I’d once known.Somehow… it had become softer.Warmer.Hell, it felt like home.It shouldn’t.That was the problem. I was becoming too ridiculously comfortable with having them around my space. I needed to control it before it was too late. I was about to turn off the lights and walk to my bedroom when my eyes caught sight of someone sleeping on the longest couch which faced away from me.Yeah, it was already too late. I rounded the couch until I stood before her. Ophelia held a book in her hand and the reading eyeglasses she wore were about to slip to the floor.
RONANEvery single time I blinked, I saw my fucking arm against her throat.The marks just wouldn’t leave my head. Nor her surprised eyes when she stared at me in horror that night. Horror. It reminded me of a look I’d sworn never to see again.That was why even after the clock struck nine pm, I remained in my office, staring into a document but not truly looking at it. I was a fucking clown at this point.Where I came from, backstabbing was nothing unusual. It began with my father, and then the people who made me. But in the end, it traced back to my father. And I wasn’t about to become like him. I wasn’t about to become the kind of man who left marks on women because he wasn’t thinking straight.I wasn’t him.And I refused to become the kind of man Julius had already becomeBut then again, the sound of her coughs and her gasps filled my thoughts. It scared me.I clenched my jaw so hard, my teeth clattered. “Boss,” Abraham called, walking into my office.“Why the fuck are you
OPHELIA“Look who finally came to see me.”Letting Alia on her foot, I jumped into my Pa’s bed and enveloped him in a tight hug. He grunted in disapproval but still, his hands wrapped over my back.I was literally lying on him as my eyes began to fill with tears. Unable to hold them in any further, I let my tears fall, drenching his shoulder with my tears.“I’m so sorry, Pa,” I cried.It suddenly hit me, just how long it’d been since I’d seen him. My Pa and I had been the closest while I was growing up. After my Ma’s death, he’d taken it upon himself to raise me solely on his ownHe didn’t remarry even after I pestered him to.He played the role of both my Pa and Ma.We’d been literally best friends before my marriage to Julius. It made me wonder how I was able to stay away from him for so long.“You’re going to break this sick old manRealizing that I had my weight on him, I quickly pushed myself off him and rose from the bed.“Pa,” I sniffled.“Is it now you realize that you have a
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
OPHELIAMaternity match?My brows knitted together and I looked from Nova to the paper. When my eyes grew sore from staring blankly at the report, I again lifted my gaze to Nova who was staring at me with concern.“What is this?” I asked. “Whose is it?”“Ophelia.”“I don’t understand. Why are you
OPHELIAThe Whitmores’Every single person in the city knew that name. Everyone knew I was married to Julius Whitmore, the charismatic CEO whose smile made every lady in the city swoon. I had what everyone called a perfect love story. Four years of marriage, a husband who adored me openly, support







