LOGINRyker“Oliver, open up! I know you're there!” I called out, banging against the door. The door was pulled back as a sturdy, unkept-looking blonde man with a big belly appeared.Evelyn's face twisted into a deep scowl. “Is he the person trying to ruin your marriage? Hell, Ryker, you can do much better than this.”“What the—No, it's not like that,” I said, then turned to the man. “Doesn't Oliver live here?”He picked his nose. “He does. But who is asking? You? Or the pretty lady?”“Me. I'm a colleague of his from work.”“Oh. I'm Oliver's father, Darrel,” Darrel introduced, stretching out the same hand he had used to pick his nose earlier. “Wanna shake hands?”I shook my head. “Thanks, but we'll pass. Can you let me know if your son, Oliver, is around?”Darrel moved aside. “Upstairs. Second door to your right.”“Thank you.”Brushing past Darrel, Evelyn and I stormed upstairs to the specified location. Standing by the entrance door, Evelyn turned the doorknob and pushed it open.A naked O
RykerI stood to my feet. “Are you serious right now, Chase?“A humorless scoff slipped from his lips. “Do I look like I'm joking?“He didn't, and that's the problem.“You're going to divorce me without even listening to what I have to say?“ I asked. “Is that how fickle your love is?“His jaw tightened. “Fickle? You're the one I found in bed with another man! In our marital home!““And I told you, I don't remember how that happened!“ I yelled back. “One minute we were at the company diner, and the next thing I know, we woke up in bed. But I've told you countless times that nothing happened.““For God's sake, Ryker, you were naked!“ Chase shouted, bursting into tears. “You both were...“Crossing the bedroom, I pulled Chase into my arms. “I know you're having a hard time believing what you saw, but I would never cheat on you.“Leaning back, Chase broke out of my grasp, tilting my neck to the side. “What is this?“My brows knitted together. “Is there anything there?“I watched his expres
ChaseFIVE YEARS LATER“Oh my God,” I panicked, breathing heavily, staring at my reflection clothed in a white suit in the mirror.Scarlett burst through the front door. “I heard you panicking in here. Are you thinking of escaping your own wedding?”“Is that an option?” I asked, actually meaning it.She threw a jab at my shoulders. “No. Think about Ryker.”A low groan escaped my throat. “I know, I know. He made a whole lot of preparation for this day, and so did I. I don't know why I'm so nervous.”“That's because you're excited. Don't overthink things and walk down the aisle towards the one man who loves you more than anyone in the world.”A small smile tugged at my lips. “You're right.”The door was thrown open as Adrian, Ryker's best man, strolled in, dressed in a suit.“What's taking so long, Chase?” he asked.“Don't be hard on him, Adrian. He's just having the wedding jitters,” Scarlett said.“Jitters, my ass. Ryker is starting to think his bride bailed on him.”“I'm coming, okay
Scarlett After I got discharged from the hospital, I took three weeks of maternity leave from the company to look after my babies. While I rested, Chase assisted in running the company in my stead, overseeing the LHG project.“There are my pretty angels,” Nana squealed, bursting through the front door. Settling down onto the couch beside me, she received one of the twins from my hands.“Thanks for coming over, Nana.”“It's not a problem. I'm happy I get to see my great-grandchildren this way.” Her smile faltered. “Sometimes, I think about my son, Victor. If he were still alive, would his relationship with Adrian have gotten better? Would he also be excited to see his grandchildren?”“These thoughts have been wandering in my head ever since it was revealed what George and Marianne did with my Victor's treatment money.” She continued, her voice cracking. “I keep thinking about where I went wrong with George. Just how did he hate his own brother to want him gone? Why couldn't I see that
ChaseWhen we got back home, I crashed onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Without saying a word, Ryker settled behind me, his arms on my shoulders, slowly kneading them.A satisfying moan slipped from my lips. “What are you doing?“ “You've had a long day, haven't you? So, I'm trying to ward off the bad energy. Is it working?“ I nodded. “It is.“ Reaching over my shoulders, I intertwined my fingers with his. “I'm glad you're here. I can't imagine how today would have turned out if you weren't by my side.“ Sinking low, Ryker placed a kiss on my cheek. “You won't ever have to find out. Because for as long as you have me, I will always be by your side.“ Reaching for the lower desk, I pulled out a small box. Turning to face Ryker with the box in my hands, I said, “Here. I was going to wait until your birthday next month to give you this, but I don't want to wait much longer.“ Accepting the present, I watched as a short gasp slipped from his lips as Ryker opened the box. His eyes began
Adrian“How long are you going to keep hating your father?“ Nana asked, outside the waiting room area.“For the rest of my life if I have to,“ I replied, seething with rage. “Do you have any idea what he did?““Are you talking about Benjamin? He told me.“A humorless scoff escaped my throat. “And you forgave him just like that?““What else am I supposed to do?“ Nana asked. “Benjamin is already gone. Hating your grandfather won't change anything.““That's seeing this from one perspective, Grandma, but how about the fact he tried to poison an adopted child just because he hated that it wasn't of his bloodline?“Suddenly, Chase stormed down the hallway with Ryker beside him. His facial expression didn't look good.I grabbed his wrist, but he quickly moved it out of my grasp.“Chase, what's wrong? Where are you going?“ I asked.He didn't spare me a glance. “Coming here was a mistake.““Chase, I—“Ryker stepped in between us, pushing me back. “That's enough help for one day, Hartley. Don't
ScarlettAfter finalizing the inheritance, I stepped out of the villa with Mr. Hale walking beside me.“We'll arrange the blind date as soon as possible,” he said. “Does tomorrow evening work for you?”“Perfectly.”“The location will be sent to you shortly.”As Mr. Hale’s car pulled away, I turned
ScarlettWe immediately headed out. Durian stood in the middle of the room, his board game overturned at his feet, pieces scattered everywhere. The TV remote lay broken on the floor nearby. Aurelia stood beside him.“What happened here?” I asked, my voice calm, which seemed to agitate them more.Au
Scarlett“Mrs. Scarlett, I've reviewed the documents,” Lawyer Leonard said over the phone. “If you're certain you want to proceed with the inheritance agreement, we can finalize everything today.”“I’m certain,” I replied, staring at my reflection in the vanity mirror. I looked younger, healthier,
Scarlett“You're not your husband's legal wife, Mrs. Scarlett,” the doctor informs me. “So we cannot authorize the use of Mr. Ethan’s medical insurance for your treatment.”My heart plummeted. What?“Doctor, there seems to be a mis–” I broke off, coughing into the blood-stained handkerchief clutche







