RichardIt was already afternoon when our plane touched down in Miami. The flight had been smooth and peaceful.Emilia and I were now sitting in the back of a sleek black SUV, cruising through the city streets.She was sitting quietly next to me, her head turned toward the window as she stared outside in awe.I couldnโt help but smile as I watched her eyes light up and her mouth fall slightly open with every tall palm tree or colorful building we passed."First time in Miami?" I asked, leaning a little closer to her with a grin.She didnโt take her eyes off the window when she answered. "First time anywhere, to be honest."I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Youโve never been out of the city before?"She shook her head and let out a small laugh. "Nope. Never had the chance.""Wow," I said, genuinely surprised. "Well, Iโm glad your first trip is with me then."She turned her head and looked at me, smiling. Then she suddenly smacked me lightly on the arm. "You didnโt tell me you had a freakin
EmiliaI stepped into the hotel roomโor suite, or whatever it was calledโand my jaw almost dropped. The place was insane. Big wasnโt even the word. It was stunning. The kind of room you only see in magazines or movies. The floor was all marble, so shiny I could probably see my reflection if I looked down long enough. Right in the center of the ceiling, this massive chandelier hung down like it belonged in a palace. It sparkled like stars were trapped inside it.The walls were spotless and smooth, painted in this soft cream color that made the gold decorations pop even more. Every little thing in that room looked expensive. Even the handles on the drawers and cupboardsโthey werenโt just metal, they looked like real gold. I didnโt know if they were, but still, they had that kind of shine.I walked into the bedroom and paused right at the door. It was beautiful. The bed was hugeโlike, you could roll around for hours and still not fall off. The sheets were bright white and looked so fr
JaydenThe second our plane landed in Miami, I let out a long sigh and stretched my legs under the cramped seat."Finally," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.The flight had felt like it lasted forever. Sitting in economy didnโt help either. My knees were squashed the entire time, and no matter how I shifted, I couldnโt get comfortable. Every time I looked over at Nora, hoping she'd say something or even glance my way, she acted like I wasnโt even there.She had her earbuds in, reading some thick novel with a serious face, like we werenโt on the same row, like we hadnโt shared a million memories.I leaned in slightly, trying again.โHey, are you gonna ignore me the whole trip?โ I asked, keeping my voice low.She didnโt even take her eyes off the page.โIโm reading, Jayden,โ she replied flatly.โI can see that,โ I said, chuckling awkwardly. โYouโve been reading since takeoff.โโThatโs because I donโt want to talk.โI sat back and shook my head. โUnbelievable.โOnce we got off the
RichardThe morning sun slipped through the curtains, warm and soft on my face. I turned over slowly and saw Emilia curled up beside me, still asleep. Her breathing was soft, calm. I smiled a little and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.โEmilia,โ I said gently, my voice low. โItโs morning.โShe stirred but didnโt open her eyes. โJust five more minutes,โ she whispered, pulling the blanket closer.I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. โWe have that meeting this morning with the partners.โShe groaned lightly and rolled onto her back. โI know. I didnโt forget. I just feelโฆ off.โThat made me pause. โOff? What do you mean?โShe opened her eyes slowly. โLike Iโm gonna be sick. I feel lightheaded too. Probably just tired. Or maybe itโs the food from last night.โI sat up and placed a hand on her forehead. She didnโt feel hot, but I didnโt like how pale she looked. โYou should rest,โ I said. โDonโt push yourself. I can go without you.โโButโโโNo buts,โ I said firmly. โIโ
JaydenThe second our plane landed in Miami, I let out a long sigh and stretched my legs under the cramped seat."Finally," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.The flight had felt like it lasted forever. Sitting in economy didnโt help either. My knees were squashed the entire time, and no matter how I shifted, I couldnโt get comfortable. Every time I looked over at Nora, hoping she'd say something or even glance my way, she acted like I wasnโt even there.She had her earbuds in, reading some thick novel with a serious face, like we werenโt on the same row, like we hadnโt shared a million memories.I leaned in slightly, trying again.โHey, are you gonna ignore me the whole trip?โ I asked, keeping my voice low.She didnโt even take her eyes off the page.โIโm reading, Jayden,โ she replied flatly.โI can see that,โ I said, chuckling awkwardly. โYouโve been reading since takeoff.โโThatโs because I donโt want to talk.โI sat back and shook my head. โUnbelievable.โOnce we got off the
RichardThe morning sun slipped through the curtains, warm and soft on my face. I turned over slowly and saw Emilia curled up beside me, still asleep. Her breathing was soft, calm. I smiled a little and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.โEmilia,โ I said gently, my voice low. โItโs morning.โShe stirred but didnโt open her eyes. โJust five more minutes,โ she whispered, pulling the blanket closer.I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. โWe have that meeting this morning with the partners.โShe groaned lightly and rolled onto her back. โI know. I didnโt forget. I just feelโฆ off.โThat made me pause. โOff? What do you mean?โShe opened her eyes slowly. โLike Iโm gonna be sick. I feel lightheaded too. Probably just tired. Or maybe itโs the food from last night.โI sat up and placed a hand on her forehead. She didnโt feel hot, but I didnโt like how pale she looked. โYou should rest,โ I said. โDonโt push yourself. I can go without you.โโButโโโNo buts,โ I said firmly. โIโ
EmiliaAfter Richard left, I stayed in bed for a while with my hand resting on my stomach. I didnโt move much. Everything felt heavy. My eyes, my arms, even my heart. I turned on my side, hoping it would help, but it didnโt. The room felt too quiet, like it was pressing in on me.Another wave of nausea hit me hard, stronger than before. I covered my mouth with one hand and breathed through my nose. I didnโt know if it was the pregnancy or just stress, but either way, I knew I couldnโt stay like this forever.I pushed the blanket off and slowly sat up. I waited a second as my head spun a little, then stood up on shaky legs. My feet touched the cold floor, making me shiver a little. I walked slowly to the bathroom and turned on the water. When I let the cold water run over my hands and splash my face, I gasped. It was freezing. But honestly, it helped.The cold pulled me out of that dull feeling. I let the water run down my arms and leaned over the sink, just breathing. After a while, I
EmiliaโWhat the hell is going on, Jayden?โ I asked sharply.I couldn't believe my eyes, even after stepping in here.I could hardly believe it hours ago when Bae had called and told me that she'd spotted him entering what was a supposed celebration in a grand hotel at the other end of the city when he'd claimed to have travelled for work. Despite my doubts I had come here abd she was right.The company he worked for, Kane Group was having a company wide gala and he hadn't told me.But that wasn't the worst part. No. Because as I had rushed in her I saw him.Jayden, my boyfriend of six years, wrapped around so comfortably with another woman.I felt the urge to vomit.Now, pulled away from the crowd he remained unresponsive, not even flinching from my question, instead his brown eyes narrowed and a hint of annoyance became evident.He looked at me as if I didnโt belong here in the first place. Like I didn't have the right to ask why on earth he was at a company party he told me absolut
EmiliaAfter Richard left, I stayed in bed for a while with my hand resting on my stomach. I didnโt move much. Everything felt heavy. My eyes, my arms, even my heart. I turned on my side, hoping it would help, but it didnโt. The room felt too quiet, like it was pressing in on me.Another wave of nausea hit me hard, stronger than before. I covered my mouth with one hand and breathed through my nose. I didnโt know if it was the pregnancy or just stress, but either way, I knew I couldnโt stay like this forever.I pushed the blanket off and slowly sat up. I waited a second as my head spun a little, then stood up on shaky legs. My feet touched the cold floor, making me shiver a little. I walked slowly to the bathroom and turned on the water. When I let the cold water run over my hands and splash my face, I gasped. It was freezing. But honestly, it helped.The cold pulled me out of that dull feeling. I let the water run down my arms and leaned over the sink, just breathing. After a while, I
RichardThe morning sun slipped through the curtains, warm and soft on my face. I turned over slowly and saw Emilia curled up beside me, still asleep. Her breathing was soft, calm. I smiled a little and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.โEmilia,โ I said gently, my voice low. โItโs morning.โShe stirred but didnโt open her eyes. โJust five more minutes,โ she whispered, pulling the blanket closer.I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. โWe have that meeting this morning with the partners.โShe groaned lightly and rolled onto her back. โI know. I didnโt forget. I just feelโฆ off.โThat made me pause. โOff? What do you mean?โShe opened her eyes slowly. โLike Iโm gonna be sick. I feel lightheaded too. Probably just tired. Or maybe itโs the food from last night.โI sat up and placed a hand on her forehead. She didnโt feel hot, but I didnโt like how pale she looked. โYou should rest,โ I said. โDonโt push yourself. I can go without you.โโButโโโNo buts,โ I said firmly. โIโ
JaydenThe second our plane landed in Miami, I let out a long sigh and stretched my legs under the cramped seat."Finally," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.The flight had felt like it lasted forever. Sitting in economy didnโt help either. My knees were squashed the entire time, and no matter how I shifted, I couldnโt get comfortable. Every time I looked over at Nora, hoping she'd say something or even glance my way, she acted like I wasnโt even there.She had her earbuds in, reading some thick novel with a serious face, like we werenโt on the same row, like we hadnโt shared a million memories.I leaned in slightly, trying again.โHey, are you gonna ignore me the whole trip?โ I asked, keeping my voice low.She didnโt even take her eyes off the page.โIโm reading, Jayden,โ she replied flatly.โI can see that,โ I said, chuckling awkwardly. โYouโve been reading since takeoff.โโThatโs because I donโt want to talk.โI sat back and shook my head. โUnbelievable.โOnce we got off the
RichardThe morning sun slipped through the curtains, warm and soft on my face. I turned over slowly and saw Emilia curled up beside me, still asleep. Her breathing was soft, calm. I smiled a little and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.โEmilia,โ I said gently, my voice low. โItโs morning.โShe stirred but didnโt open her eyes. โJust five more minutes,โ she whispered, pulling the blanket closer.I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. โWe have that meeting this morning with the partners.โShe groaned lightly and rolled onto her back. โI know. I didnโt forget. I just feelโฆ off.โThat made me pause. โOff? What do you mean?โShe opened her eyes slowly. โLike Iโm gonna be sick. I feel lightheaded too. Probably just tired. Or maybe itโs the food from last night.โI sat up and placed a hand on her forehead. She didnโt feel hot, but I didnโt like how pale she looked. โYou should rest,โ I said. โDonโt push yourself. I can go without you.โโButโโโNo buts,โ I said firmly. โIโ
JaydenThe second our plane landed in Miami, I let out a long sigh and stretched my legs under the cramped seat."Finally," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.The flight had felt like it lasted forever. Sitting in economy didnโt help either. My knees were squashed the entire time, and no matter how I shifted, I couldnโt get comfortable. Every time I looked over at Nora, hoping she'd say something or even glance my way, she acted like I wasnโt even there.She had her earbuds in, reading some thick novel with a serious face, like we werenโt on the same row, like we hadnโt shared a million memories.I leaned in slightly, trying again.โHey, are you gonna ignore me the whole trip?โ I asked, keeping my voice low.She didnโt even take her eyes off the page.โIโm reading, Jayden,โ she replied flatly.โI can see that,โ I said, chuckling awkwardly. โYouโve been reading since takeoff.โโThatโs because I donโt want to talk.โI sat back and shook my head. โUnbelievable.โOnce we got off the
EmiliaI stepped into the hotel roomโor suite, or whatever it was calledโand my jaw almost dropped. The place was insane. Big wasnโt even the word. It was stunning. The kind of room you only see in magazines or movies. The floor was all marble, so shiny I could probably see my reflection if I looked down long enough. Right in the center of the ceiling, this massive chandelier hung down like it belonged in a palace. It sparkled like stars were trapped inside it.The walls were spotless and smooth, painted in this soft cream color that made the gold decorations pop even more. Every little thing in that room looked expensive. Even the handles on the drawers and cupboardsโthey werenโt just metal, they looked like real gold. I didnโt know if they were, but still, they had that kind of shine.I walked into the bedroom and paused right at the door. It was beautiful. The bed was hugeโlike, you could roll around for hours and still not fall off. The sheets were bright white and looked so fr
RichardIt was already afternoon when our plane touched down in Miami. The flight had been smooth and peaceful.Emilia and I were now sitting in the back of a sleek black SUV, cruising through the city streets.She was sitting quietly next to me, her head turned toward the window as she stared outside in awe.I couldnโt help but smile as I watched her eyes light up and her mouth fall slightly open with every tall palm tree or colorful building we passed."First time in Miami?" I asked, leaning a little closer to her with a grin.She didnโt take her eyes off the window when she answered. "First time anywhere, to be honest."I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Youโve never been out of the city before?"She shook her head and let out a small laugh. "Nope. Never had the chance.""Wow," I said, genuinely surprised. "Well, Iโm glad your first trip is with me then."She turned her head and looked at me, smiling. Then she suddenly smacked me lightly on the arm. "You didnโt tell me you had a freakin
EmiliaI took the elevator and made my way up to my office. Just as I was about to walk in, my secretary stood up from her desk and gently stepped in front of me."Excuse me, Mrs. Kane," she said, holding a small tablet in her hand. "You have a new schedule today."I stopped, slightly confused. "What new schedule? I thought I was done for the day."She tapped quickly on her tablet, her eyes scanning the screen. "There's an impromptu board meeting. I just got the update. Itโs scheduled for 1 PM."I glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. It was already 12:50."1 PM? Thatโs in ten minutes," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know who called the meeting?"She typed a bit more, then looked up. "It was... Mrs. Smith."I didnโt even try to hide the frown that formed on my face. "Of course it was," I muttered.Without another word, I turned around and headed into my office to grab a file and straighten up. I didnโt want to give Elena the satisfaction of seeing me caught off guard.---
EmiliaDinner last night was a disaster. I was attacked by Richard's mum and that smug called Elena, head on.Even Richard's cousin Jacob insulted me. I wonder why his family decided to pick on me, even suggested that my child isn't his. What the hell??Last night was an absolute disaster, A full-on nightmareBut like every bad dream, the morning always comes. And when it does, I shake it off. I move on.I knew what Emelda and Elena were trying to do. Their plan was clever, I'll give them that but it was very petty. They wanted to humiliate me, to make me feel small, like I didnโt belong. They might have gottento me last night but I wasnโt going to let it stick. I wasnโt going to let two bored women with too much time on their hands ruin my peace.Not after everything Iโve been through.I wasnโt going to let any of them see me flinch. So today, I made sure to look like I was glowing.I wore a sleek, fitted dress , black, simple, elegant. My heels clicked confidently on the floor as I