Powerful. Steadfast. New York’s most eligible bachelor. Rafael Sebastian had been labeled every good and wicked thing in the corporate world. At the stage of my heartbreak from my failed marriage, I literally ran into him as a stranger that hit my hot buttons at first sight, a man who left me breathless with a single word and an irresistible smile. He made me feel better, and I confided in him more than I should. Our chemical connection was almost overwhelming, and the desires were unstoppable. To relieve ourselves from the intense tension igniting us—he had a proposition. A tempting but dangerous answer to our perplexing situation. But could I really live a life painted with lies? I know this was a bad idea, but that was something I’d think about later…
view moreSAVANNAH
My husband didn’t love me anymore. His love burned out for some time now, leaving me with a void in my heart and an ache in my body that I believed would be filled with new flames when the old spark returned.But the coldness remained. Our usual bond had faded, and the lovemaking didn’t feel as good as it used to. It was hurried and robotic. I tried several times to figure out what had gone wrong.I married Edward after we graduated from NYU. We’d been together since we were eighteen, so we decided it was time to settle down. I was crazy in love and nothing else mattered but him.For starters, Edward stopped telling me he loved me. Second, he didn’t want a child. I understood we were busy, but we had been married for five years. Finally, where did he go on Saturday nights, and why did he often change his phone password?Edward stepped out of bed after our loveless sex, letting the blanket fall to the floor. “Would you like to join me in the shower?”“No, I’m still not feeling my legs,” I lied.“Okay.” He shrugged and proceeded to our bathroom.I quickly dressed, turned on my computer, and searched for similar questions about what I’d been through.Is marriage without love still worth keeping?I deleted the text. That wasn’t the right question. How about...How do couples stay married? What? No. I erased the text.What’s the point of staying married if there is no affection?Is this my fault?Do we still love each other? Nope. These weren’t the right questions.Is my husband cheating on me?Two weeks later, marked our fifth wedding anniversary. I decided to stop worrying about the things that could end our marriage. Maybe things would return to normal after what I had planned for us.After dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, we’d rekindle our lost love by looking through old photos and rewatching wedding videos. Then we’d keep our dead romance alive in bed all night long. I had some enticing foreplays planned that would drive him crazy. And maybe, if it all went well, I’d have a mind-blowing orgasm.My two-week business trip to Los Angeles helped me clear my head. Maybe I was just expecting too much.I was walking through the airport terminal trying to book an Uber when I bumped into someone, and my phone fell.“Err. Sorry...”I’d squatted to reach my phone when I came across a pair of Testoni brown oxfords wrapped in custom gray slacks. I waited for the man to step aside, but he didn’t. Instead, he sank into a gracious crouch to reach for something in front of me. As he stood, I got a glimpse of his S cufflinks and the Rolex on his wrist.My gaze was drawn to him. His musk and sandalwood perfume made me shiver, but it was his impossibly handsome face and tall, powerfully built body in a three-piece bespoke suit that triggered a tight ball of desire in my stomach.Whoa. He was breathtaking. Heart-stoppingly breathtaking.“Are you okay?” he asked as I stood.I still hadn’t recovered from the shock; hearing his sophisticated voice made my stomach churn.I was married and only loved one man, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate incredible male beauty. I could only stare at all that exquisite masculinity.Dark hair, ocean blue eyes, strong jaw, chiseled cheekbones, and a firmly etched mouth characterize him. There was a hint of softness in the sexy stranger’s features behind his impassive expression.“Yeah, sure, thank you.”I closed my eyes. Get a grip, Savannah.His brow furrowed at me. “Be careful.”I couldn’t move after a beat, even though he was already out of sight. I could still feel his powerful pulling force. What the hell was that?I shook the thought away.God! I knew I was going to be late. Only then did I rush outside to look for an Uber.My phone’s screen lit up, but the face unlock failed. A strange dark wallpaper appeared.What’s this? It’s not mine.The realization made me gasp. Oh, no. This was his phone.I dashed back to the terminal, dragging my suitcase as hard as possible. I looked around and grabbed a man’s shoulder, but it wasn’t him. He wasn’t everywhere. The sexy stranger had already left.Damn. I only had about an hour for my date. Edward hates it when I’m late, so I ran to the taxi bay and waved for a cab instead.***I arrived ten minutes late. Normally, Edward would have complained, but not this time. He maintained his cool.Thank God!“I’m sorry for being late.”Edward quickly leaped up and planted a peck on my cheek. “That’s fine. You just got off a six-hour flight. Oh, this is meant for you.” He took the bouquet from the table and handed it to me.“Thank you.” I smiled as I sniffed the petals. I couldn’t recall the last time he gave me flowers. He assisted me in sitting. “Have you placed your order?”“Yes, your favorite. How’s your trip going?”“Exhausting as usual, but enjoyable. On Monday, I have good news for your aunt.”I’d worked for his aunt, Amara Reed, as a marketing executive. She was the current chairman of New Star Media, a Midtown-based record label. Edward’s only parent was Amara. After their parents died, she raised Edward and his brother Brett.“I’m sure you did an excellent job. You always do.”As we discussed my trip to Los Angeles, an Italian full-course dinner was served with a bottle of champagne.“That’s it! Lily Paige, a singer-actress, will join our company. Amara will be happy because she has always wanted Lily. So...” I raised my champagne glass. “Here’s to our success and our anniversary.”Edward, too, raised his glass. “Thank you for those years, Savi.”We took a sip of champagne.As we ate, I told them more about my two-week trip. I told Edward that I had a good time with Lily and her staff. We took a tour of Hollywood, went to the spa, danced all night at an exclusive nightclub, walked by the bench, and went shopping.My husband was attentive but unusually quiet tonight. I wasn’t sure if he was even paying attention. I didn’t mind, so I continued.It was time to give him my anniversary gift.“Hey, I’ve got something for you.” I reached for my purse, but Edward stopped me.“Wait.”“Yes?”He fixed his gaze on me.“Let’s talk.”I stuffed the present back into my purse. “What is it?”“I was about to cancel this date, but you didn’t answer your phone, so I waited.”“I lost my phone.” I scowled. “Wait. Did you just say cancel?”“I know how much this means to you, but—”“Are you okay? You seemed a little tired. Sure, we can celebrate at home.”He exhaled. “Please let me finish,” he started yelling.“Whoa! Okay. You’re making me nervous right now.”He reached into his breast pocket for something. It was a small blue velvet box. He pushed it towards me as he placed it on the table.My eyes widened with wonder. I knew it! Edward still had feelings for me.“Is this for me?” I took the box and sat it on top of my heart. “What is this?”“Open it.”I giggled as I untied the blue silk ribbon and lifted the lid. He probably wanted to see how I’d react.The box contained a ring. His wedding ring. I didn’t realize he wasn’t wearing it until now.My heart broke. Something was going on between us, but I wasn’t expecting this.I shut the box and returned it to him. “Why are you giving that to me?”That was a stupid question. Of course, I already knew why.“I filed for divorce. I’m sorry, Savi.”Momentarily, the time froze. With the pressure rising in my chest, my eyes started to water.“So you really did it. On our wedding anniversary. Is there someone else?”“It’s not like that. This is not working anymore. We got lost along the way. You felt it too. Look at us. Look at yourself. You’ve... neglected yourself. You didn’t even try to dress.”I lowered my gaze to myself. Sure, I could’ve dressed better than black slacks and a white dress shirt, but he understood why, and it was never an issue.“I don’t know you anymore,” I mumbled as tears streamed down my cheeks. I immediately wiped it with my palm. His excuses were lame.“This is always me, Savi. You only looked at the version you wanted to see.”No. This isn’t the Edward I knew at all. “In the last eleven years, Ed, we’ve fought and reconciled numerous times. I fought hard. How dare you do this to me when we should have talked about it first?”“This is why I’m talking to you right now.”“You said you’ve already started the divorce process. Without speaking to me. You’ve already made your choice.” I hurled the pitiful bouquet at him. “And what are these for?”“I didn’t want to come off as an asshole. Look. This didn’t have to be difficult, okay? You’ll get the divorce papers, and all you’ll have to do is to sign.”Oh, God. He used to be so smart; how did he become such a fucking idiot? Did he really think that was all I cared about? Did he have to wait until this point to crush me this way?“You know what?” I got to my feet and grabbed my suitcase. “You are an asshole.”“Savannah!” he yelled, but I ignored him and stormed out of the restaurant. My heart shattered into a million pieces.SAVANNAH Two years later... I expected to see this day but didn’t expect to feel melancholy. Carter was packing his stuff in a big blue box, like someone who got fired from his job. But his expression was too joyful for someone leaving his post. I was happy for him at the same time. We’d worked together for a couple of years now, and we were so productive. Seeing him step down as CMO would make a drastic change for the office and the entire management. Well, he was following his dreams. He was leaving the entertainment world for a new career journey. He had finally built the perfumery company that he had wanted all along. As for me, I would be the new CMO and Rafe’s partner in life. Yep, that was the proper name for it. “Take care of my office, will you?” Carter said as he transferred his pile of old binders to a box. “You know what to do with these?” “Yes, when I needed ideas from our previous work. Visit us, okay?” He chuckled. “Come on, Savi. We’ve been practically a family e
SAVANNAH“A toast. For all of us!” Rafe lifted his champagne glass as we gathered after the program. The Estrellas and some familiar faces in the company had also joined us at our table. With that, everyone raised their glasses and then drank their champagne.“Thank you, darling.” Rachel put her glass down and clasped her hands. “You see, everyone. I’ve always asked myself whether this time will come, and I’ll be present to witness it.”Everyone turned silent.“But here I am, seeing all of you, celebrating our success. I can’t ask for anything more.” Her gaze stopped at Michael, and she smiled. “I’ve never felt so happy again until this moment. And to my husband and children. Thank you for making this possible, and congratulations to us all.”Everyone at the round table applauded and sipped on their drinks again.“Congratulations to the additional family member, too,” a sophisticated-looking woman in a blue gown commented. She seemed about Rachel’s age.“Oh, Anya is giving birth six m
SAVANNAHThree weeks later…After convincing Michael to officially meet the Sebastians, he hardly had any sleep. I could tell by the dark shades underneath his eyes and how he always asked me what to say to them. He looked nervous but was still very handsome, just like his brother. They were fraternal twins, but was it ironic that I was seeing a resemblance now?Someone knocked on the door, and then Rafe let himself in. “Is everyone ready?”Last week, I moved into his penthouse, which I basically consider my personal space now. We hadn’t told anyone about our engagement since we wanted his parents to meet Michael first and then our announcement. It should be private. He also insisted I invite Michael here yesterday so they could talk.In addition, Michael didn’t know there was a huge celebration in the company tonight. It was the sixtieth founding anniversary of Sebastian Entertainment Group and Rafe’s appointment as the new chairman. Michael had changed his ties many times now in fr
RAFAEL“A week after Mikhail went missing, and the news spread to the school,” I began the story I never told anyone. It tortured me to share this part of my life with someone, but not this me. Surprisingly, I felt fine. My tranquility was her doing.Savannah was now leaning on my chest with my arm on her shoulders on the bed. I loved smelling her vanilla-scented hair. We fucked and made love in the last three hours, but I still couldn’t get enough. I needed more of her.“The kids watched, the teachers felt sorry, and that was when Brett’s friends came to me. They told me what happened at the amusement park. We came back every day. Dad hired people to find him, but he was gone. He didn’t speak to me for a while.”“So you blame yourself because you thought he blamed you. Your dad mentioned something about it,” she said. That was probably when they spoke at the beach. “Why do you think he blamed you?”“I brought him there after school. Mikhail didn’t speak, but he understood me. I asked
RAFAELI couldn’t imagine their faces when I told them Mikhail was alive. Dad had lost hope. My mother still mourned in her sleep. Julian was young when Mikhail went missing, so he couldn’t remember much. My twin was a lost boy who never found his way back home. It had been three decades.I thought it was impossible. I thought when Brett showed me the papers, he was messing with me again, trying to destroy the sanity left in me. But when I saw Michael Gibson, the man who raised the only woman that brought me back to life, when he told me how he got lost before I could say anything, I knew it was him. It was a small world, but it took us time to find each other.It was her. Savannah brought him back to me.Mikhail wasn’t as he was twenty-nine years ago. I worried because of his speech disability, the world would be cruel to him, but he grew up as a man better than I’d become. He stood on his own and became a self-made man. He loved Savannah and protected her. I should be ashamed.I hur
SAVANNAHMichael and the girls were in the living room when Rafe left a few moments ago. They were staring at me with a googly as if waiting for me to say something. I wondered if my brother had told them anything. In addition, it was still strange to see Sofia sitting in our living room.I sat on the sofa across from them.“What now?” Riley said.I looked at my brother. “Do you mind me telling them?”Michael tensed up, folding his arms across his chest. “I supposed they already know, so there’s no point asking.”“Sorry,” I murmured.I started explaining from the beginning—about how Michael told me he was still looking for his family. My friends knew my brother was adopted, but we didn’t speak about it because it seemed unnatural. Michael was already there when I was growing up. My brother even surprisingly answered Riley’s questions.“Please, don’t tell anyone about this yet. Even with your parents, Sofia,” I pleaded.“Of course. I understand,” she said softly.
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