Thank you for reading~
Neil came with a straight face, but I saw him smiling as he unlocked the door. After turning the knob, he gestured for me to go in. I signaled with a shake of my head for him to leave.My hunch was accurate. Marriage only added problems and ruined the peace of my life. Darcy locked her bedroom door. Did she think I didn't have a spare key? I took a deep breath before entering the room.Seeing that she was asleep, I pushed aside my annoyance. Darcy knew Cullen had left her a large sum of money. Therefore, she didn't need me to pay off her debts. Fortunately, I hadn't felt like touching her for the past few days.“Good morning, Dad!” Dashiell greeted me in my bedroom.“Good morning.” I ruffled his hair as he hugged my legs.“We made lots of cookies yesterday, Dad! Bran gave Boyd and me some cookies before dinner. They were delicious! My friends will love them!” he said.“Good job. Come on. Let’s have breakfast. We have a lot to prepare before we go there.” I took his hand. His dog ran a
[Sinclair]“Do you really want to have a mother and brother? I asked, stalling for time.“Yes, Dad. You work every day and don’t play with me. If I had a mother and brother, I would have friends at home,” he answered.I looked around us. There were twenty workers in the house. They didn’t work twenty-four hours a day because they only served Dashiell, Darcy, and me. The rooms they cleaned daily were only ours; the other rooms were not.The servants liked to accompany my son while he played. They would be in the playroom, garden, or viewing room. Dashiell was never alone. Yet he felt he had no friends at home. I understood. The presence of servants was not the same as the role of a mother and a sibling.“You have a big responsibility if you have a younger brother, Dad,” I said.“What is responsibility, Dad?” he asked.“Responsibility is a task you must do. If you have a younger brother, you have some older brother’s responsibilities. Do you want to love your younger brother?”“Yes! I c
Sinclair held my hand and lowered it. I complied to avoid disrupting our dance. “I know this dance means a lot to you,” he said.I pressed my lips together and ended our dance. I could break free from him when we applauded the singer accompanying us. Before Sinclair could say anything, I turned and walked toward our table.But someone was standing in front of me, blocking my way. He turned and smiled at Sinclair. “May I dance with your woman?” Frederick asked.“You need her permission, not mine,” Sinclair corrected.The man turned to me. “Would you like to dance with me?” he asked.My heart raced at Sinclair's cold, slightly threatening tone, but I wasn't afraid. I placed my hand on Frederick's palm. “Sure,” I answered.I glanced at Sinclair before following the man to the dance floor. He only stared at me indifferently. Though the slow music accompanied us, Frida’s husband remained polite, keeping a distance between us. I followed his steps and didn’t take control.“Thank you for sav
[Darcy]I had to meet Mason on Monday. It was my only day off. If my guess about the Cullen inheritance was correct, I might have enough money to pay off my father's debt to Sinclair. I had to break away from that nightclub.I needed to meet with a lawyer I could trust to handle my divorce from Sinclair. I didn’t care if the man refused to sign the papers or withdraw the case from court. I would keep filing for divorce because I couldn’t forgive his mistake.Why should we stay together if I can’t stand to look at him or touch him? I was not God. I was only an ordinary human who couldn’t easily forgive such a great mistake.“Are you and Sinclair fighting again?” Kirsten asked, breaking my reverie.We had just finished practice. “Why do you say that?”“I know you’re living with him.” She glanced at my right hand. “You’re married.”I covered my hand with a towel. “Since we’re done practicing, may I leave?” I asked, changing the subject.Kirsten smiled meaningfully. “Of course. You need t
Darcy entered the car. I turned to Scott and nodded to him. The man got into the vehicle, and Rocco drove toward the house. I stood by the roadside, watching them depart, moving further away.I felt a pain in my chest. An ache I hadn’t felt in a long time. What was it? Could I fall in love with Darcy? Was that why I didn’t want to let her go? Why her? Why did I fall in love with a woman with a dark past?That woman wouldn’t fall in love again. Her experiences with men were enough to make her wary. Her regret over her late husband complicated her ability to open her heart to a new man. Therefore, she wanted a divorce.Besides, she was right. My deed was unforgivable. I made a big mistake by conceiving a child from our seeds without her permission. How could I seek her forgiveness and make her willing to grow old with me?“Are we going to the casino?” Neil asked.“Yes,” I replied.The place was part of the same complex as the nightclub. The manager reported that some gaming machines nee
[Sinclair]After dinner with my colleagues, I had a video call with my son. He told me about his activities and reminded me of our Saturday plans. I didn't have any commitments with him, but I agreed anyway.Saturday and Sunday were my time with him. No matter what happened, I wouldn't leave without him. Therefore, I didn't make any appointments or attend any events on the weekend. My colleagues and clients knew that, even though they didn't know Dashiell was the reason.Reading a new message from Scott, I glanced at the clock at the top of my phone. I decided to stop by before continuing my journey. I asked Neil to pull over at a flower shop. Red roses were Darcy’s favorite flowers, so I bought them.I wasn’t surprised when the woman ignored me upon seeing me holding the bouquet. If her heart were easily swayed, our marriage would be boring. How she spoke and looked at me was like seeing my reflection in a mirror. Maybe that was why I felt at ease with her.“I don’t need your capital