Mabel Parker has lived a hard-knock life, not only is she betrayed by her father, she loses her job that same day and is on the verge of being kicked out by her landlord. Ruth, her best friend suggests that she takes a job as a server at a high-class society ball and there, Mabel meets Alec Rivera, the CEO of Daston Airlines and heir of the Rivera group; one of the richest families in North America. Mabel wakes up the next day and discovers she just had a one-night stand with him, except he accuses her of drugging and sleeping with him. What! Heart-broken, Mabel flees to another country where she starts life afresh for herself and her expectant bundles of joy. Six years later, Mabel is back to the city that took everything from her, but she’s no longer the feeble girl but a resilient, strong woman. She’s back to secure a deal from the government. What happens when Mabel runs into the same man who broke her years ago and suddenly he wants her back?? How long will she be able to hide the three adorable children who are his spitting image? Alec Rivera can’t get his mind off the girl who pleasured him six years ago. He feels sorry for humiliating her and seeks for her forgiveness. However, Alec must put aside his personal feelings and secure a deal from the government worth billions of dollars. What happens when one of his rivals for the contract walks into the conference room and it's no one but the girl from the one-night stand? Except she's a successful now. Can Alec pull down the walls Mabel Parker has built around her heart? Or will he lose her again? Will he find out about the triplets?
View MoreMabel’s POV.
“Please, Mr. Sanderson. I just need a few more days. I will get you the rent.” “You said that last week, Mabel. And the week before, and the week before that. I’ve been more than reasonable!” “I'm working extra shifts at the restaurant. I-I promise, I’ll have your money very soon, give me more time.” “You’ve had time, Mabel, and you’re running out of it. I want my money tomorrow or I’m kicking you out of the apartment. End of discussion!” And just as he’d called, my landlord ended the call and the phone buzzed against my ear. I stood alone in the alley and glanced up at the hot afternoon sun. Fresh tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall, wiping them with the back of my hand. Sometimes, I feel fate deliberately sends chaos in my life just to see how much I could take. But crying has never solved any of my problems, it wouldn’t now. The door behind me swung open and a familiar voice roared. “Mabel Parker!!!” Oh, no! Slowly, I turned around and my gaze settled on Manager Evelyn. Her eyes blazed with fury and her nostrils flared. “What are you doing out here?” she asked. “I came out to answer a call from my landlord. I’m sorry. It was important.” “Important?” she interrupted. “I have a full diner and you come out here to take a call?” she shrieked and pointed an index finger at me. “One more slip, one more lackadaisical attitude from you, Miss Parker, and you’re fired!” Fired? My eyes widened with shock. No, no, no! I can’t get fired, I needed this job more than anything. “I’m sorry, Madam Evelyn. It– it won’t happen again.” She hissed and headed back inside the diner. I knew better to follow her if I didn’t want this to escalate. I tucked my phone in my apron’s pocket and stumbled after her. The diner was its usual ambiance, the place was packed with people typical of an afternoon rush. Pulling out my jotter, I stumbled to the closet table and plastered a smile on my face. “What may I get you, ma’am?” The woman looked up from the menu. “Just a coffee for me, and a grilled cheese for my son,” she said. I glanced at the toddler doodling on a napkin. “Got it,” I said and finished jotting down their order. I proceeded to the next table. Behind the table was a small family—the man and the woman played with their daughter, telling jokes and laughing heartily as they scanned the menu. It reminded me of the family I used to have. My mother, when she was alive, used to make every moment feel like a celebration. She’d hum while making breakfast, tell stories that had my father and me laughing till our sides hurt, and tuck me in with a kiss every night. But that all changed the day she didn’t come home. The car accident took her away from us in an instant, leaving behind a void so large it swallowed everything good in our lives. It has been five years now. My father has never been the same. At first, he tried to hold it together for me, but the grief became too much. He started staying out late—first at bars, drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and then in casinos, chasing some illusion of solace in the spin of a roulette wheel. It was only a matter of time and he stopped coming home entirely. The letters from the mortgage company started piling up on the kitchen counter, each one more urgent than the last, and then eventually, I lost my home. I rented a studio apartment down the street. It wasn’t easy surviving alone without my father, but I had no choice. However, two nights ago, he showed up at my door. “Father?” “I had nowhere else to pass the night, so I was thinking if you could let me in.” It was raining and late into midnight. I let him into my home. “Come in.” I made him tea and offered him a couch and my blanket. He pretended to be a changed man until I woke up the next morning to my savings gone and all the groceries in my fridge. This was the fourth time he was doing this to me. And thus, I was betrayed again by the one person who was supposed to protect me. Tears gathered in my eyes and I stylishly wiped them, and proceeded to the table. “What may I get you?” The woman looked up first and a broad grin parted her lips. “I will take grilled Salmon with steamed vegetables,” she said. “An apple pie and a cup of chocolate ice cream,” the girl said. “I want chicken Tenders with mac and cheese,” the man added. I jotted down their orders and just as I turned to leave, the bell above the entrance door jingled and five men, all dressed in black coats—walked into the diner. I didn’t need to be told who they were. Each time my father appeared at my doorstep, he always left his mess for me to clean up. Quickly, I turned away, keeping my head down as I shuffled back to the counter. I turned my attention to the fridge and began cleaning it. “Mabel Parker!!” one of them barked and the once busy diner fell irrevocably quiet. They’ve found me, haven’t they? Footsteps inched towards me and slowly, I turned around. “Hiding like your father?” “Welcome to Maple Lane Diner. What may I get you?” I plastered a smile on my face. “Cut the bullshit!” the man before me rasped, obviously the leader of the group. “Where is your father?” “I–I don’t know where he is,” I stammered. “It’s fine.” The man scoffed. “Since you’re his daughter, his debts fall on you. Where’s our money?” “Money? I don't have any money,” I replied sincerely. “Cut the bullshit!” he banged the table. “He took everything from me. I don’t have any money.” My pleas fell on deaf ears. The man grabbed a plate from the counter and threw it on the floor. The smashing sounds of ceramics filled the air. “Please stop!” I begged. “Don’t draw the attention of my manager.” Too late, the door behind me flung open and Madam Evelyn walked into the room. “What the hell is going on here?” she asked. “Your employee here is owing us and has refused to pay us,” the man before the counter answered and turned his attention back to me. “Three days, Miss Parker. You have three days or you will regret it.” He turned and just as they came, they left and Madam Evelyn’s furious gaze darted to me. “I can explain.” “To my office, Mabel!” she snapped. Tears gathered in my eyes but I fought them back. My heart pounded in my throat as I stepped into her office and she slammed the door after me. “I warned you, didn’t I?” Madam Evelyn rounded the brown table in her office and sat. “Please. My father. I didn't…” I stammered. “That’s none of my business,” she interrupted harshly and shoved an envelope to my face. “You’re lucky I didn't charge you for the plate,” she added. The tears which I have been fighting all these while, finally found their way down my face. “Please–“ “Have a nice life, Miss Parker!” She gestured at her door. At this point, I realized there was no point begging, I picked up the envelope which was my day’s pay, which I’m sure can’t feed me for more than two days, and headed out. All through the ride to my house, I held myself together refusing to show my weakness to the public, but once I was behind the doors of my apartment, I plummeted on the floor and sobbed.—Mabel—“This is no coincidence,” I muttered, turning to Alec. “The short-circuited coffee maker, the noise in the foyer, and the hands pushing her down the stairs.”“You think someone is trying to hurt, Ruth?”“Yes. And the first person that comes to my mind is Angelina. Seeing that she couldn’t hurt me, she decided to go after my friend.”Alec's jaw clenched. He started towards the door, but I held his hand.“Where are you going?”“I'm going after Angelina.”“No, Alec.” I tightened my grip and dropped my voice to a whisper. “Remember what happened with Tom? She could set you up too.”“We let the law take its course.”I smiled. “Exactly. We should follow the right legal procedures.”He let out a breath. “That reminds me, Marcus called this afternoon. The court has scheduled a preliminary hearing for the restraining order against Angelina Lancaster on Monday at 10 a.m. at the D.C. Superior Court.”A gasp left my lips. I blinked.“Now that must be why she attacked Ruth. She's received
—Mabel—An icy cold calm washed over me. The thought of something happening to Ruth, anything at all.I jerked to my feet. “I need to go check up on her.”“I'm coming with you,” Alec said, also rising to his feet.“Mommy, Daddy? Where are you going?” Eloise asked. The children stared at us with confused, wide eyes.That reminded me of Mrs. Chukwuemeka. This afternoon, she'd taken the dog with her to our mansion to pick up a few things. She should’ve been back by nowFizzy barked in the hallway, followed by the familiar footsteps of the kids' nanny.“Mrs. Chukwuemeka!!” the kids squealed and rushed up to her as she appeared in the doorway.Perfect timing.Mrs. Chukwuemeka laughed, hugging them. “I see I was missed today.”I let out a sigh. “Thank God you're back, Mrs. Chukwuemeka. Alec and I were just about to step out.”Her brows creased. “Is everything okay?”“Y-yes,” I replied, glancing at the children. “Ruth is not taking her calls, so we just want to make sure she's okay. We'll b
—Alec—The executive hub of the Rivera headquarters loomed ahead.Once my convoy pulled up in the driveway, I stepped out and made my way to my private elevator.Ding!The elevator opened to my floor and I stepped out. My gaze fell on Janice seated behind her desk, typing into her computer.The moment she saw, she stopped and rose to her feet. “Good morning, Mr. Rivera.”I paused before her desk. “Any updates?”“Yes. We just received an email from the government. They're coming in for site inspection next week.”“What day precisely?”“On Thursday.”I nodded. “Is that all?”“Marcus called earlier. You were busy so he left a voicemail on your office line.”“Thank you, Janice,” I mumbled and headed to my office.Settling behind my desk, I powered my computer and was greeted by a series of emails including that from the government.I carefully went through them, then listened to Marcus's voicemail.‘Good morning, Alec. It’s Marcus. Just a quick update—the court has scheduled a preliminary
—Mabel—The world seemed to tilt for a second.My mouth opened and closed but nothing came out.It was as if time had stopped... or maybe I was the one suspended in time as the words hit me over and over again.“I am pregnant?”Dr. Priya nodded. “That's what the test says. Congratulations.”With shaky fingers, I opened the envelope and saw it myself. The plus sign under the HCG column and the figures beside it.Tears of joy stung my eyes.I was truly pregnant.I looked up from the paper with teary eyes. “How? What happened to the IUD?”“That’s a good question, and one we’ll look into now if that's alright with you.”“I nodded. “Please, go ahead.”She typed into her computer, then stood up and walked to a bed near an ultrasound machine. “Please, come,” she beckoned.My heart pounded as I stood and lowered my bag to the chair.With a deep breath, I sauntered to her and lay down on the bed.“Your blouse, please,” she said.Oh, and I gently peeled back my blouse until my tummy was bared.
—Mabel—'Potomac Heights Hospital.Time: 11 am.'My heart pounded as I skimmed through Ruth's text message. For the life of me, I couldn't place where all the anxiety was coming from!I slid the phone in my bag and tried to enjoy the rest of the ride to the aforementioned hospital.Across the window, a pregnant woman paused by a fruit stand. She rubbed her stomach and whispered something to her partner that got him laughing.Then it hit me why this whole thing had me so anxious.A small part of me wished I was pregnant. This time... with Alec by my side.I wanted to experience it with him.Tears welled up in my eyes.I blinked them back and reminded myself of the IUD inside me. There was no need having false hopes.The convoy pulled into the hospital’s parking lot.I stepped out, made my way to the hospital's reception, and sighted Ruth.“Hello bestie,” I greeted.She looked up and her eyes lit up.“Mabel!” She sprang to her feet and pulled me into a hug.“You came,” she whispered.“O
—Mabel— “Oh my God,” I gasped. “Ruth... You're pregnant!” She sniffled. “Yes, I'm still in shock myself.” I straightened from the counter. “Congratulations, bestie!” She chuckled, then drew a breath. “Thank you. I haven’t told Kyu-hun yet. Do you think he’ll be excited?” I recall the last time I saw them together... that was at the auction night. He'd treated her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. “Kyu-hun will be excited,” I murmured. There was a brief silence before Ruth spoke again. “I was thinking of going to the hospital and confirming the pregnancy with a blood test before telling him. What do you think?” “That's a great idea!” “Could you come with me, please?” she begged. My gaze drifted to my toothpaste. “Sure. When do you plan on going?” “This morning,” she replied. “I'll send you the details soon.” “Alright. I’ll clear my schedule.” She giggled. “Thank you, Mabel. You have no idea how much this means to me.” A smile flitted across my lips. “You
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