LOGINSebastian woke to the sound of his alarm, feeling as though he hadn't slept at all.He was in an appalling mood. Throughout the night, he'd woken every hour, only to drift back into the same wretched dream.Rosie would be smiling at him, her arms wrapped around another man. Sebastian would scream and struggle, doing everything in his power to reach her. She was supposed to be with him. She belonged by his side!But no matter how desperately he tried, he couldn't get to her.He was trapped inside a glass box, forced to watch as the woman he loved remained in another man's arms. He would pound against the invisible barrier, his voice hoarse from shouting, until he finally woke with a start.And every time, he felt worse than he had an hour earlier."This is bullshit!"Sebastian cursed under his breath as he got ready for work.It was only six in the morning, yet he was already dressed and prepared to leave. In a strange way, he preferred it like this. It reminded him of the days before
Sebastian remained silent.He wouldn't even look at Rosie, despite the fact that his face had grown as flushed as hers. He pressed his lips together, occasionally biting down on his lower lip as he struggled to keep his composure.Rosie glanced down and noticed the unmistakable bulge beneath his slim-fit trousers. It looked almost painfully tight."Um... I... I can take care of that," she murmured.Tentatively, she placed her hand over his crotch.His cock twitched beneath her palm.Sebastian felt a rush of blood travel straight to his groin. The instant Rosie touched him, pleasure surged through his body, threatening to overwhelm what little restraint he had left.His baser instincts were screaming at him to forget everything else. Had it not been for the thorn lodged in his heart, he would have swept Rosie into his arms, carried her into the bedroom and made love to her until morning.But he refused to give in so easily.He didn't want Rosie to think she could distract him with a li
"Fuck..."Sebastian's trousers suddenly felt much tighter. He had only meant to tease her, but her unexpected willingness sent a rush of pleasure through him. Every instinct urged him to sweep her into his arms and forget about the rest of the evening.She would make a rather wonderful dessert.Sebastian folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes, taking a slow breath to regain some control.He wanted her. There was no denying that.But there was something important they needed to discuss first."We can do that later," he said, opening his eyes. "We need to talk about Izzie's transfer.""Ah, yes."Rosie straightened in her seat and looked at him properly."Just as I said, I asked Izzie whether she wanted to find another school, and she agreed.""I see..."Sebastian considered it for a moment."What’s her reason? Children don’t usually want to change schools. Most of them would be upset about leaving their friends and familiar surroundings.""It’s the bullying," Rosie explai
Sebastian had been swamped with work all day.With the launch of his new beverage product fast approaching, he had a great deal to oversee. There was also the food brand he had recently acquired to manage, not to mention the task of finding suitable celebrities to promote Charles’s new cosmetics range. Every responsibility seemed to demand his attention at once, leaving him with barely a moment to himself.Truthfully, had it not been for his desire to give Rosie and Izzie a comfortable life, he would have been perfectly content running a modest business and earning somewhere between two and five million dollars a year.Of course, by Sterling family standards, that was hardly a fortune.But Sebastian had never been particularly interested in accumulating money for the sake of it. All he wanted was to build a happy family with the woman he loved.Unfortunately, securing that simple happiness required considerably more effort than he had anticipated. He had to make certain Charles could
The lift doors opened, and Rosie hurried inside.A short while later, she reached the penthouse.She entered the access code and pushed open the door. “MUMMY!”Izzie's voice rang through the foyer.The little girl came rushing towards her, seized her left wrist and pulled her into the penthouse as though Rosie had been missing for days.“Where have you been, Mummy?”Before Rosie could answer, Izzie led her to the sofa and made her sit down. Then she planted herself in front of her, folding her little arms across her chest.Her expression was unmistakably stern.Rosie blinked.“Ah… I, um…”She struggled to come up with a convincing explanation.“I was getting a little bored, so I went for a walk around the apartment building. That's all, sweetheart.”Izzie narrowed her eyes.“Mummy, Uncle told me not to let you go out!”Rosie blinked again.“Uncle is still worried about your injuries. What if you fall over and roll into the road? Then a lorry might run you over!”“Hahaha! That won't h
Watching Izzie on the little screen was a bittersweet experience for Regina.She was delighted to see her granddaughter looking so well. Despite the turmoil within the family, Izzie seemed happy, confident and full of life. That alone brought Regina a measure of comfort.Yet the joy was accompanied by an ache she couldn't quite ignore. She wished she could have been there in person, sitting among the audience and watching Izzie perform. She wanted to cheer her on, applaud her little granddaughter and tell her how wonderful she had been.But she couldn't.And, if Sebastian never found it in his heart to forgive her, she might never get the opportunity again.When the video ended, Regina reluctantly handed the phone back to Rosie.“I've finished watching. Thank you for showing me.” She smiled faintly. “She seems to have come out of her shell since leaving Charles. She doesn't look nearly as shy as she used to.”“Yes, she's become much more confident and outspoken,” Rosie replied. “I thi
Rosie scarcely realised she had begun to run until the corridor stretched before her like something endless, her heels striking sharply against the marble as though urging her forward. Tears blurred her vision, spilling freely now, unchecked and unwelcome.This family… they’re all monsters.The tho
Her fingers trembled as she dialled his number.He picked up almost immediately.“Yes?”“Where is my daughter?” Rosie demanded.A soft chuckle. “You mean our daughter?”Her jaw tightened. “Don’t play games with me, Charles.”“She’s fine,” he said casually. “We’re at the toy store. She’s picking wha
Rosie sat at the dining table, the candlelight flickering softly against untouched plates. The roasted chicken—Isabella’s favourite—had long since gone cold.She glanced at the clock.Nine o’clock.Charles Sterling was not home.He had promised. He had promised their daughter he would return before
Rosie reacted at once, catching hold of her daughter’s arm and gently but firmly pulling her aside.“I’m so sorry, Sebastian,” she said quickly. “P–Please don’t be upset with Izzie. She’s only a child, I—”“Tch. It’s fine,” he cut in, dismissive. “Just make me the same smoothie. And from now on, yo







