“I think he's going to be floored when he sees you.” Skylar gushed, scanning her best friend in awe as she twirled stylishly in her wedding gown.It was a stunning dress. A mixture of trumpet and fishtail with glittering embellishments and dazzling embroidery that hugged and emphasized Ella's curves to perfection. Skylar had no doubt that Abhishek was going to fall more in love with her best friend. Which said a lot because the man was already so in love with Ella.After all the angsty anticipation from Ella, her wedding to her fiance was finally coming off in two days. The couple had agreed for the wedding to happen in California where Ella was born, and Ella had left Chicago two weeks ago to take care of the final details for her wedding.Skylar had only been able to shirk work responsibilities enough to join her best friend three days ago. And what a crazy three days it had been; Ella was uncharacteristically anxious and wanted not a thing out of place so it was one detail-checking
Skylar's heart sank as Cornelia looked her from her face to her feet and then back, eyes filled with disdain she didn't bother to hide.“I can't believe you even had the audacity to show your face here.” The woman spat venomously. “How are you even here? What are you doing here?”“Aunt, calm down. You're causing a scene.” Ella hissed. “And don't speak to Skylar like that. She's my best friend and my maid of honor.”“She's your what?” Cornelia's mouth dropped open. “When? How? Don't you know what she did to your cousin, Luca?”“Excuse me, lady.” Her mother stepped in front of Skylar protectively, squaring her shoulders as if preparing for any confrontation that was sure to come. “I won't just stand by and watch you humiliate my daughter like that. What the hell is wrong with you?”“What the hell is wrong with me?” Cornelia sneered. “Your daughter is nothing but a loose woman who cheated on my son even after he disregarded her promiscuous past to give her a stable relationship. How dare
Standing some distance away and twiddling with her fingers, Cornelia looked more nervous and mellow than Skylar had ever seen her.“Cornelia.” She whispered, standing up.Nicole instantly shot out of her own seat, her voice filled with antagonism. “What are you doing here? Are you here to insult my sister some more because I swear to God...” “Nicole." Skylar prompted her sister to calm down. Nicole shut her mouth, opened it, then shut it again.“Don't worry, Nicole. That's not why I'm here.” Cornelia assured Nicole softly before turning beseeching eyes towards Skylar. “Can we talk, dear?”Skylar didn't miss the use of the endearment. It meant the woman finally believed in her innocence. She expected a surge of pride and anger to fill her up, but sadness was all she felt as she nodded.“Okay.”“Skylar...” Nicole looked at her incredulously.“It's okay, Nicole.” Skylar silently pleaded with her to let it go.Finally, she relented. “Fine. But I'll just be in the kitchen. Call me if she t
When Skylar told him that she wanted things to be civil between them, Luca hadn't expected her to take the word so literally. From greeting him and responding to his greetings to answering his questions and asking him some without a hint of hostility, Skylar had been nothing but polite following his departure from her house a week ago.But that was exactly the problem; that she'd been too polite, too civil.He'd thought that he could take advantage of her decision to stop being hostile towards him to get closer to her. But he realized very quickly that not much had changed. Skylar was still putting distance between them. She'd just changed the method.But things had still been looking bright. Until yesterday. Until his mother had hurt and humiliated her so badly in front of their family members.After what happened yesterday, he knew he'd been shoved right back into the dark zone.He knew it the moment she shrunk away from his touch back at the chapel. The resentful gleam in her eyes
“No.” His mother shook her head. “They said it will be ready for pick up by afternoon, but I was too anxious and couldn't hold off talking to you about it.”Luca ran a hand through his hair. “Mum, this is ridiculous and crazy. I don't know what you felt when you held him, but Austin's not my son. Skylar told me so herself. Several times.”“What if she lied?”The question caught him off guard, a sudden lump rising up his throat. He forced it back down with a hard swallow, shaking his head to dispel the useless suspicions that were trying to grip his mind.“Skylar wouldn't lie about something so serious, mum. She... She's not that cruel.”His last statement hung over them like an ominous cloud. A cloud that rained gut-wrenching suspicions and thoughts of possibilities Luca didn't want to think about. Skylar wouldn't have lied to him if Austin was his. There was no way she would've lied.“Let's wait for the test result, son." His mother finally said softly like she could read his thoughts
Luca couldn't breathe. The weight of the emotions pressing down on his chest was too brutal. From disbelief to joy to betrayal, they all crashed on him like an avalanche, leaving him breathless.His tie was definitely not helping him with the suffocation so he grabbed at it and furiously tugged to loosen it. And for what seemed like an eternity, he just stared ahead of him at nothing in particular, focusing on breathing and clearing his disconcerted mind.He had a son. With Skylar. They had a son. He had a two-and-a-half-year old baby he hadn't even seen before.He suspected it from the start when he found out about Austin. And yet despite the suspicion that had always been in his gut, nothing could've prepared him for this brutal truth because it came with the realization that Skylar had not just deliberately kept his son away from him for three years, she'd also lied to him every time a chance arrived for her to tell him.But it also came with the brutal realization of how grave his
“This again?” Skylar scowled at him, her face a mask of frustration. Deceptive frustration. “What the hell is wrong with you, Luca? Look, I don't know whatever your mum told you, but you've got to get it out of your head. Austin is not your son!”“Oh, do tell me, Skylar. Just what could my mum have told me?” He tipped his head sarcastically, his chest constricting at the lies she was still continuing to tell.“You know what? I can't deal with this. Leave me the hell alone, Luca.” She screamed and immediately turned to get back inside.But of course he wasn't going to allow her to do that. He grabbed her by arm, keeping her in place as the lid over his rage threatened to flip off.“I fucking know he's my son, Skylar. I have a paternity test to prove it!”That got her. Spinning around, she jerked her arm from his hold, her eyes widening. “What the hell are you talking about?”“This." Luca hissed through gritted teeth, reaching into the inner pocket of his tuxedo and pulling the envelope
Hello guys.So I've seen some complaints about me updating only once a day and I just want to clarify something.I write very long chapters. Some of my chapters can go up to 2800 words. And while other authors would rather divide that word count into two, I chose to publish it at once because of the cost of chapters on the app nowadays.When I divide the chapters into two like other authors do and publish 1400 words for each chapter, the app charges 35 coins for each, making it 70 coins. But when I publish the 2800 words in one chapter, the app only charges a maximum of 50 coins. I've been doing this to help you guys cut down on the cost of chapters but it seems like the complaints about me publishing only once a day is becoming too much. I can do what most authors do if that is what you guys prefer.And no, I don't plan to keep this book going on for too long. I'll be ending this soon. I just don't want to rush things though. I'm very grateful for the love and patience you guys have b