BLAISE The moment Amanda's lips met mine, I couldn't claim to be entirely taken aback, but I hadn't expected it. While I had believed Lila's claim that Amanda was merely pretending, because I doubted it was a mere coincidence that whatever health crisis Amanda had, came up when Lila and I were sharing a moment, but I chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. Gently, I pulled her away from me and noticed the desperation in her eyes. "You can't even return a kiss now?" She inquired with a hint of disappointment. I exhaled a heavy sigh. "Amanda, before I parted ways with my wife to come to your aid, I assured her of your harmlessness and good heart. It appears now that I may have been gravely mistaken." "You know deep down that I'm a good person, and I can see that somewhere in there, you still have feelings for me," she asserted, her eyes searching mine, maybe for a flicker of the past. I couldn't help but shake my head. "Amanda, I've forgotten that in high schoo

LILA Blaise's body tensed as Amanda entered the room, surrounded by her crew, her infectious smile drawing applause from every corner. I glanced at Blaise, trying to decipher his reaction. There was something about Amanda's dance that seemed intentional as if she aimed to remind him of a past connection. Wow, this woman was a master of manipulation. Amanda's beauty was undeniable, and her choice of attire now made perfect sense. I hadn't anticipated her performance here, of all places. Turning my gaze away from Blaise, I struggled to keep my rising anger in check. How was she even allowed to dance here? Who had given her the permission? As my frustration simmered, my eyes unintentionally met Ace's across the room. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling trapped in a whirlpool of emotions. I didn't want to witness Amanda's dance, nor did I wish to see Blaise's reaction. But I couldn't look elsewhere either, because the presence of Ace, expectantly waiting to lock eyes with me, le

BLAISE "What in the world is happening!" I exclaimed, frustration lacing my words as the call abruptly ended. Lila's violent bout of vomiting blood had subsided, but her complexion had turned ghostly pale. It was clear that without immediate intervention, she wouldn't make it. It almost felt as though some unseen force was conspiring against her survival. Richard, who had been absent from the festival due to an emergency surgery, had initially seemed like our saving grace when I reached him, and he said he was just finishing from surgery. However, his journey to the pack house was marred by a sudden tire blowout, delaying his arrival. As I scanned my surroundings, I realized that all my own tires were mysteriously flat, except for one vehicle that happened to be out of fuel. Something was terribly amiss. Without hesitation, I instructed Richard to return to the clinic. Cradling Lila in my arms, I sprinted all the way towards the pack clinic, but Richard was nowhere to be

Dear Readers,I am thrilled to announce the completion of the rewritten version of my book. The journey has been exhilarating, and I am equally excited for you to dive into this new story. My greatest hope is that you find as much joy in reading it as I did in writing it. Please, remember this book is participating in a contest and I am counting on you guys to emerge as a winner. If you enjoy this book please don't forget to vote and comment. Thank you.Wishing you all a Merry Christmas in advance and a Prosperous New Year!

BLAISE "So, what are you going to do?" Ace inquired, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon as if seeking answers from it. We sat on the balcony, cradling mugs of freshly brewed coffee. Leo had left the hospital to meet with some business partners arriving today. Lila remained in her hospital room surrounded by a protective circle of friends from the vineyard, seemingly unwilling to leave her side out of fear she might be harmed again. Tired of the noisy atmosphere, I had snuck out to find some solitude and had instead found Ace, who graciously offered me coffee. "I intend to send you back to Italy, exile you, just like Father did," I replied. Ace turned to face me, his expression serious. "When you put it that way, it sounds like the truth. Are you deceiving yourself, Blaise? Have years of self-deception made you believe it's the truth?" I turned to face him squarely. "Do you really want to discuss that now?" "Yes," Ace asserted firmly. "I also want to make i