I woke up the next morning to find Nicholas gone, as expected. I heard him leave in the middle of the night. Instead of sticking to the agreed two hours, he managed a solid five. Not that I was too bitter about it—I couldn’t bring myself to wake him.Ironically, I barely slept, dozing off for just two hours. The swirl of questions and scenarios kept me tossing and turning, rendering my night unproductive. And that carried into the next day, dragging on until the dreaded Monday rolled around.Ugh, Mondays.Despite my mind bugging me and heavy with worry, I pushed myself to carry on with the day and headed to work. Greeting customers with a forced smile, I did my best to maintain a cheerful facade.I swear, pretending to be cheerful and happy was more draining than spending a day renovating my house. Emotional and mental exhaustion always do that to a person.I was in the middle of arranging flowers on the stalls when the gentle chime of the shop's door drew my attention. Sammy was mann

When the other customers started nodding and murmuring to themselves, I knew I nailed that very admirable speech for my horrible mate.“Is that even—” Samantha tried to speak but I cut her off.Let’s give these nosy customers more drama.“And Oh!” I winked at Samantha, who looked like she was about to explode, “I was really pampered, especially at night.”“Oh my gosh,” Sammy squealed next to me, blushing along with the other women who giggled.Samantha forced a smile but her clenched fist showed her true emotions. She then discreetly nudged the woman on her right.“Are you sure you're not lying? I heard the Alpha threw you into a shabby cabin?” the woman asked, her voice a bit too high.“Ah, that,” I shrugged, “I also asked him about that. You know, I love decorating my own home, and that 'shabby cabin' was my little project. It clears my mind. He was really against it at first, but he ended up giving in.”“You seem quite proud of a mistress,” Samantha said sharply, causing the other

"Uhm.. anyway, thank you for this" I murmured. "Make sure to finish it all," he added with a teasing smile. He was smiling a lot with me lately. Not that it is bad but it was dangerous for my heart. I raised a brow, "Are you keeping an eye on my eating habits now?" "I have to, I don't know if you are stubborn to eat at the right time" His words caught me off guard. To divert the sudden fluttering of my heart, without thinking, I grabbed the water bottle from the brown bag and tried to hit him. “I have healthy eating habits, thank you” He effortlessly dodged the bottle, his laughter filling the car. A faint warmth crept onto my cheeks. Swiftly, I averted my gaze, focusing my attention on the brown bag on my lap and pulling out the lunchbox. Upon opening them, my eyes immediately zeroed in on the chocolate cake and fresh fruits inside. The aroma wafting from the containers teased my senses. "If Samantha cooked this, I might think twice," I blurted out. He glan

Florence As I slowly stirred from sleep, I became aware of the sensation of being lifted off the ground. I slowly opened my eyes and the night sky greeted me. My eyes shifted to Nicholas who wore a serious expression while I was cradled in his arms in a bridal-style carry. Confusion clouded my thoughts as I blinked. "I'm sorry, you can put me down now," I murmured, attempting to wiggle out of his grasp. “Stay still, Florence if you don't want to fall, '' he commanded firmly. His grasp tightened around me. His serious tone made me pause, and reluctantly, I complied, stopping my attempts to wriggle free. I sighed, “Why didn't you wake me up?” "If I had a choice, I would just let you rest on the bench. But the mosquitoes were having a feast on your blood. I had to carry you away from there before they had a full-course meal." His lighthearted comment made me chuckle, imagining the mosquitoes treating me like an all-you-can-eat buffet. “Thanks” I whispered and I felt hi

But as I fished for the key, I couldn't seem to find it. Panic stirred within my chest as I patted down my pockets again, searching. “What the heck?!” I groaned when I didn't find it. My heart sank as the realization hit me – they were gone. Breathing deeply to calm hoping against hope that I had perhaps dropped the keys somewhere along my shift. But there are no keys around. My car stood silent while rain clouds gathered ominously above. Maybe I left it in the locker room earlier. With a resigned sigh, I accepted my fate. It's not like I have a key to the shop anyway. “At least I have a phone to call Percival” I whispered to myself, hoping to find positivity in my afternoon. Walking home was my only option tonight. I tightened the hood of my jacket around my face as the first droplets of rain began to fall. The rain started as a gentle drizzle, but it turned into a full-fledged storm within moments. The cold raindrops pelted against my skin, soaking me through in sec