All Chapters of TEMPTING THE TYCOON : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Who was behind this message?, and what did they mean by saying that Gabriella's mother had gone mad?Thinking of the mother of the girl I call daughter, going mad was not a particularly pretty picture in my head.“Why has Julian not deemed it fit to talk about this?” I asked myself.I decided to hire a private investigator to look into the matter. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing, not when my own sanity was being questioned.As I waited for the PI to get back to me, I tried to go about my daily routine as normally as possible. But it was hard to pretend that everything was fine when I was secretly seething with anxiety.Julian noticed that I was on edge, but I brushed it off, telling him that I was just stressed about some work-related issues."You're working too hard, Aria, have you been painting all night again?" he said, concern etched on his face. "You need to take it easy."I forced a smile, trying to reassure him. "I'm fine, Julian. Really."But the truth was, I was far f

I was taken aback when Gabriela asked, "Did my mom ask about me?" Her voice was laced with a mix of sadness and longing.I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "No, Gabriela, I haven't spoken to her yet. But I'll try to reach out to her, okay?"Gabriela's eyes welled up with tears, and she whispered, "Please tell her I want to see her."My heart went out to this little girl, and I knew I had to make it happen. "I'll find a way, Gabriela. I promise. But I have to warn you, your dad might not be okay with it."Gabriela's face fell, but I quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll figure something out. You will see your mom, okay?"Gabriela nodded, and we shared a hug.Fast-forward to my visit to the mental asylum, I was surprised to find Lauren looking more cognizant and better than I expected. She didn't seem like someone who belonged in a mental asylum.I explained to Lauren that Gabriela wanted to see her, but Lauren was adamant, "I don't want to see her. She's a reminder of my past w

I called Ethan immediately, my heart racing with anticipation. "Hello, Ethan. What's going on? Why did you text me about Gabriela?"Ethan burst out laughing. "Oh, my ex-wife calls me again. What do I owe this pleasure? Do you miss me, or is it just about your stepdaughter?"I rolled my eyes. "Don't be stupid, Ethan. If there's one thing I hate, it's you. Love doesn't even come near it."Ethan chuckled. "Oh, please, Aria. Stop being tough. We both know you miss me. I could marry you again in a second if you just say the word."I felt a wave of disgust. "You're unbelievable, Ethan. I thought you'd be married by now, or at least engaged. Why are you still bothering me?"Ethan's tone turned serious. "Because you married my rival, Julian. That's what I don't like. You need to find your way back to me, or you'll never see Gabriela again."My eyes narrowed. "If you have Gabriela, put her on the phone."Ethan laughed. "What would that gain me? I could just help you find her... if you come bac

I sat on the bathroom floor, the positive pregnancy test still trembling in my hand. My heart trembled. This was not the time for this.. I couldn’t be excited, I couldn’t feel the joy that should come with creating life. All I felt was fear. Fear of Julian’s reaction, fear of what will happen to the baby in a world where its father has so many enemies. Fear for missing Gabriella.I strolled around the quiet mansion like I normally do if I’m trying to relax. Julian had left earlier without informing me as he has always done since the kidnap of Gabriella hadn’t told him. I placed my hand on my belly. I couldn’t tell him about this pregnancy. At least not yet.“We agreed that there would be no kids in this relationship. Damn I messed up.” I muttered to myself. I wasn’t even sure if Julian still had any proper kind of affection for me anymore. With this whole Gabriella thing he has been a bit hostile. This couldn’t be more wrong timing. I stayed deep in thought until I fell asleep on t

Julian’s paranoia was increasing.He oversaw the locking of the gate , and sometimes locked it himself. Everyday there was a new guard he hired.. He did a never ending vetting of the security guards. He watched the security cameras, sometimes deep into the night.“You don’t have to do this, Julian. You’re overworking yourself. With this, your business and political career, you’ll most likely run mad,” I said.He remained stoic. “I already failed once.”“She’s home.”“And she still wakes up crying. You think I don’t hear her? You think I don’t know the reason you have those bags under your eyes is because you stay awake at night comforting her!?.”I sat beside him. “I don’t mind doing that, you should rest, Julian. You’re not a god, Julian. You can’t control everything.”He looked at me. “No. But I can control this house.”I was tired at this point.The next night, I saw reason to agree with Julian’s protectiveness.It was in the night time when I heard some noise, I went out to check