ESTELLE “Hey. Please, come in. I’d been so excited since last week.” Willa was so carefree. Her eyes always lit up, and she met you with a huge smile. At least, that was how she showed me. “Hi.” We kissed each other’s cheek as she welcomed me into her art gallery. The entrance instantly showcased a few signature pieces by some well-known artists. “I took Micah with me. Micah, this is Willa Linden.” “Nice to meet you.” “Friend of Estelle is a friend of mine.” She began showing me inside the gallery. Some were intriguing pieces, bold paintings, and sculptures. “Interesting.” But one painting caught my attention. “You like it?” “Yeah.” “Knox has his way of creating bold colors. His technique is an illusion, three-dimensional. Do you know Mykel?” I turned my head at her. “Mykel Creed? I don’t personally know him, but yeah.” “You will meet him soon. He comes to see the guys when he’s not busy. How’s my brother?” She knew something. I could see it in her eyes. “I’m meeting him o

ESTELLE Linden had good taste in gowns. My mind went wondering how many women he dressed up for a party. The white long sleeves floor-length gown had a deep v-cut and thigh-high slit but still looked sophisticated and elegant. He even complemented it with a Serpenti diamond necklace that matched the earrings from a famous jewelry brand. My makeup was light except for my Star statement red lipstick. I wore my hair down in loose curls. I caught him gazing at me from head to toe. Thanks to the Spanx, and even without, my baby bump wasn’t noticeable. I was scared he would notice it when I was naked. “Did I pass your standard, dear sir?” I looked at myself again in the mirror before turning to him. He remained at the door, but judging by the look in his eyes, he seemed satisfied. And did I mention he looked so good in a tux? “You’re stunning. The word stunning doesn’t even fit to describe you tonight.” I took steps close to him, and he took my hand and kissed it. “You clean up pret

ESTELLEMy heart was in my throat to find Linden outside my bedroom. Maybe this was how it felt when someone caught you lying or in an awkward compromising position. His eyes went to my hands, tying my robe.Breathless, I asked, “What are you doing here?”“You’re not answering my call. You’re not replying to my messages. What’s going on?”“Call me if you need anything,” Dr. Chesca said.“I will. I’ll walk you out.”“No need, dear. Micah will bring my things to the car.”“Thank you.” I turned to Micah, and she nodded.“Hello, ma’am.” Shit. “I’m Gabe Linden.” He offered his hand.“Hi. I’m Dr. Chesca.” My doctor delightfully shook his hand.“Is Estelle okay?” he asked quickly. His expression changed, filled with worry.“Yeah. I came to check her up. She’s complaining of lower abdominal pain. Nothing a mild analgesic can’t help.”“I’m relieved. Thank you, doctor.” Linden nodded in understanding, but I still saw mixed emotions in his eyes.There was a moment when you wished you could stop

ESTELLEThe shoot for the upcoming campaign started. We took models of different colors, sizes, races, and gender because I always believed in diversity, that women and trans were beautiful and had a place in this world.I had lunch with Willa, Micah, and my mom during the break. Willa was so friendly and got along with Mom pretty quickly.When we came back to the gallery, they already started for the last part. “Darling, can I borrow my daughter?”“Of course, Mrs. Moore.”“Just Deirdre, darling. I would look too old by Mrs. Moore.” Of course, she was joking.“Where are we going?” I asked as she dragged me out of the gallery.“Once the shoot is done, the staff will return to the office. I really love the new collections. I can already see them sold out.”“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom. I wish the launch would go smoothly. I don’t want surprises and disasters. The only surprise I want is how the customers and fans positively react to the products they love.”We entered the we

ESTELLE I hadn’t heard from Linden in hours, and he didn’t pick up my call. I started to get worried, but I would know if something had changed in his plans. I was still curious about how Hanslo could possibly help him from prison. I may know nothing about how things work in Osmium, but just the tensions and his sleepless nights, I had a feeling what was going on was bigger than Jasper’s missing. I went home to my house quickly when I felt a little more tired than before. “Do you need anything?” Qamar asked. “I’m good, thanks.” “I already booked a movers company. They can have your things in two days.” “Thank you, Micah.” I blew a huge breath as I went to my closet to change from my work clothes. “I feel like I can sleep the whole day.” “Where is she?” I quickly covered myself with my unbuttoned shirt when I heard Linden’s stern voice asking for me. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t believe I still felt when we’d been dating for almost three months now. “Why are y