Getting into the company, Mallory hurried pass her colleagues' place because she wasn't in the mood to fake laughter and smiles. She knew they'd definitely question her about it, and perhaps, she'd be ready for that time.She reached her desk and glanced at Wilder's office to know if he was there yet. Able to spot him from the large, glass-made transparent door, she confirmed he was in.She exhaled deeply, preparing herself to go meet him.She'd be lying if she said it wasn't difficult, addressing her ex-husband like her boss. A man she had been waiting on her whole life.She went for the door, knocked and walked in when he answered.He was there on his seat, an aura of authority surrounding him. His suit jacket was casually draped over the arm of his chair, leaving him in his crisp white shirt, elegantly tucked into his sleek black trousers.It was undeniable that he exuded an undeniable handsomeness. Good lord! Mallory was almost tempted to run into his arms. She wanted to lay on hi

Mallory arrived home to meet Ronan playing with the kids. They were under the shed of the house, the kids giggling as they jumped all around him, putting ribbons on himNoticing her, they stopped."Mummy!" They chorused and scuttled to her for a hug. She gave them that."Hey, darlings. How was school today?" She tousled their hair."It was boring!""Great!"They gave different answers at the same time, making Mallory chuckle.She shifted her gaze to Ronan who was still seated and smiling."Hi." She muttered to him."Mum, Uncle Ronan said we'll all go for dinner when you get home!" Lyra beamed, having to tilt her head back to look into Mallory's face.Mallory's brows furrowed as she shot Ronan a hard stare. She softened her gaze when she looked at the kids."Uh... I'm afraid that cannot happen. Mummy's very tired and still has some work to do," she cooed, playing with Lyra's bristle.A frown crept into the children's faces."But, mum...""Come on. Why don't you go in and wait for me?"

Mallory managed to fix her hair just before she got into the cab with the kids. She dropped them off at school, then proceeded to the company. The whole time, it had taken her a lot of effort not to shed a tear.She hated Isla for her words that morning. But she wondered if she was feeling so bad because most of them were true. Maybe she really was badluck to the family. Her parents died because of her. For years, Mallory had tried to bury the painful memory of how unfortunate her life had been. How difficult it had been. When she got to the company, she had to force back the tears that rimmed her eyes. She got to her floor and hurried pass their Chloe's station, not being in the mood to laugh with any of them. On her desk, she rested her head and remained that way until she heard footsteps. She lifted her head to find Wilder coming forth, with a man behind him holding his briefcase. In that fleeting moment, the chaos within her stilled. A sense of serenity washed over her, suffus

"What were you saying?" Wilder asked, getting rid of the distraction. Mallory swallowed tersely around the lump in her throat. "Um... I was just... I mean, I wanted to ask if I should include any of the current amendments in your speech." She was so thankful her voice didn't make a crack by the time she finished."You can." He replied. "Okay, sir." Mallory dropped the call as quickly as she could. She didn't know how shs was still breathing, because her lungs felt like they'd stopped working. She took a very deep breath and a moment to calm herself. Then, she forced herself back to work. ....Although Mallory had become hurt and weak, and had to force herself to finish with the speech. As soon as she was done, she retired to the room where her kids were sound asleep. She sat on the edge of the bed and with a wistful smile, watched as they slept peacefully. It hadn't been easy having to bring them up without their father. Two years ago, it had been even more complicated as Cas

"Hey," she propped her hands on the table, titling towards Mallory. "You're...?""Miss Harrington," Mallory tried to keep a neutral face as she answered. Did she do something wrong?"No. I meant your first name." Kreeya smiled. Although, the smile looked as fake as a puppet's grin, it got Mallory confused she'd even bother. "Oh. It's... It's Mallory." "I see. How's the job going, Mallory?" The conversation was too unreal, Mallory couldn't conceal the amusement on her face.Kreeya was a mean bossy lady. She had no reason to be kind to Mallory. "Work's going just fine, ma'am. Thanks." She answered, anyway, her gaze beginning to fall. "Oh, it's nothing." She reached for a pen and paper from the table and scribbled down some numbers on it. "I'd really want us to be cool, Mallory. So... what do you think about chatting me up sometime? Let's say... when you have something interesting to tell me? I could be really generous."Right then, her intentions became clear to Mallory. She h