Even though Geneieve's voice was loud and clear, they made her voiceless with their accusations, making her stand there, helpless and completely humiliated.“If you don’t want him to go to jail for kidnapping Leo, you will save this family some face by marrying him and getting out of our lives. We have already done so much for you. How long do you plan to suck on this family like a sponge.” Mr. Carnell said with a nasty smile on his face.“I am sucking on your family?! My father was the chairman of BRA Group. Everything you own right now, he labored to make it happen after grandfather’s death!” Genevieve cried, hoping her uncle would understand just how wrong those claims were.Anger flashed in Mr. Carnell’s dark blue eyes. “Oh yes,” he said with sarcasm. “And he jumped off a twelve-story building because of you! And because of you, the company suffered dearly before and after his death. He was a coward and took the easy way out, whereas I stayed and handled the burden of both of you
The morning light met Noah already awake, staring at a suit that he and Rhode picked up from goodwill, lying on his bed with his passport, and he just stood there, his mind blank. There were no words to explain how he felt, not really. He couldn't even describe what this strange sensation was. But when his phone rang and seeing that it was his mother calling, he didn't want to raise any suspicion, so he cleared his throat and answered the call.“Good morning, son. Your father says, ‘morning.’ How are you?” She said in a soft voice. “Rhodes told me that you two checked in a Le grande hotel, and I just wanted to call and see how your first night there was.”“I slept like a baby.” Noah lied, ignoring the ache in his body because of the stiffness of the motel mattress. “I am trying to get adjusted to my new surroundings.”“That’s good. Once you settle in, you can make time with Rhodes to meet Glenn. I promise you that you are going to love her. She's just the sweetest.” “Really,”“Of c
As he stood in the living room with Rhodes, the rest of the Carnell’s family sat on the couches, and for a while, no one said a word. Then Mr. Carnell darted his gaze off Noah and eyed Rhodes, asking, “And you are?”“He’s my father. Unfortunately, my mother could not be here. She is back at home, in the countryside.” Noah cut in, and the fact that he did cuased Mr. Carnell’s face scrunch into a grimace in disapproval.The fact that Noah was forcing this lie on him made Rhodes' chest tighten uncomfortably. The truth was, he hated lying to others, especially compelling people. But his job was to help Noah, and if that meant playing along with this charade, so be it.“So you are Mr. Curtis?” Mr. Carnell asked, trying to keep his tone calm despite his annoyance.“Yes, sir,” Rhodes answered, knowing that the less he said, the easier it would be to avoid looking suspicious.“Hmm, so what do you do for a living?”“I am... was a butler. But I am retired now.”“And your wife is living in the
The courthouse looked so empty and plain as Genevieve, Rhodes, Leo, and Noah walked in, and Genevieve held her tears back, thoroughly disheartened that she was even getting married for the second time.On the other hand, Noah, who had never thought about a wedding for himself, felt a little guilty that this dull room with pale walls and wooden benches was what Genevieve was becoming somewhat his wife in.Then Carnell came in afterward, and the judge presiding over the wedding looked annoyed to be there, seeing that it was Genevieve and some unknown guy he was about to officiate.After Rhodes had escorted Leo to sit with him, Noah and Genevieve moved to the front while the members of the Carnell family took their seat.The judge tried to be professional and snapped himself out of it quickly, addressing the couple in a low voice, asking them if they were prepared for the marriage, and then proceeding to recite some very boring oaths of commitment.Afterward, he told them to exchange rin
The penthouse was quiet, and the echo of his shoes hitting the tile was the only sound Noah heard as he walked further down the hallway.When he finally turned down the corridor, he moved for a substantial dark wooden door and pressed a finger to the sensor pad on the wall next to it. After recognizing his fingerprint, the door slid open with a small click, revealing a large living room, and seated on the couch were his parents.Their faces were stiff and expressions unreadable when they turned towards him, and Noah stood there for a silent second, and then eventually said, “Good afternoon, mother... Father.”Giving him the cold shoulder, Mrs. Stark refused to speak until she noticed the band on her son's ring finger.“Do you hate us that much?” Mrs. Stark cried in a strangled voice. “We trusted you, son.”“And I need your to trust me on this too.” Noah calmly said as he approached a dark green chair and sat down, crossing his legs relaxedly. “Trust you? Son, you just married a wom
With a heavy heart, knowing that he was about to live a life of lies, Noah looked directly into his father's eyes and said, “Until I figured out how not to hurt Genevieve and Leo with my real identity, yes. I plan to be Jack for now.”The living room felt like a graveyard, cold and silent for a couple of minutes, and then Mr. Stark said, “You have a year. I hope you don't regret this, son.”With a nod, Noah stood from his seat and paused as he stared at his parents before saying, “I should get going.”After his words got silent as a response, he turned away from them and began walking out of the door, not looking back, even though his heart ached.A moment later, he arrived at the blue house, parked his rental 2004 Toyota Corolla in the yard, and stepped out.The area was quieter than he had expected since there was now a kid living there, but when he got into the living room a couple of minutes later, he realized what it was. Both Genevieve and Leo were sleeping on the couch.His fac
Eyes wild open, Noah lay stiffly, unable to turn or shake on the bed, feeling exhausted, and his body ached.Just then, Genevieve moved her foot upward on his waist, and Noah drew a breath, looking to his right to see her sleeping with her mouth slightly open, and he mumbled, “How can you sleep so soundly in such a awkward position?”The only answer he got was a soft snort from her, and when he tried to shift his body slightly, she moved, hugging him closer, burying herself in him like a child, and murmuring something about ‘Why is the pillow so hard,’ which made Noah chuckle softly.His laugh echoed in Genevieve's ear, and she thought she had such a mad dream where her pillows talked, and then Genevieve realized that she was holding onto something firm and warm.Then Her palm subconsciously started feeling Noah's body as she blinked, trying to clear her mind.When her hand reached his face and almost poked his eyes, he grabbed her wrist gently, causing her senses to awaken immediatel
After following Genevieve's directions for a while, Rhode stopped in front of a massive building with big glass windows when he heard her say, “This is the area.”Once the car got parked, Genevieve looked at Noah and Leo sitting quietly by her, looking as though they could do no wrong, and felt a bit relaxed, saying, “Okay, guys. I am going to go in, and you three can wait out here.” “Bye, mommy!” Leo cheered, waving at her. “Love you!”“I love you too, Bambino.” Genevieve smiled, leaning down to give Leo one last quick kiss, causing him to squeal, before stepping out of the car.As soon as Genevieve closed the door, Noah and Leo locked eyes, and both grinned before Noah said, “We should get breakfast.”“Can we get some for mommy?” Leo asked, tilting his head slightly.“Yeah, let's do that, Buddy.” “Yay!” When Genevieve walked into the building, she saw that the place was crowded and noisy. People were bustling everywhere, yelling orders, moving cameras, lighting, and background pr