All Chapters of THE WIFE WHO STOLE HIS HEART: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The call came at 2:47 PM on a Tuesday that had started like any other. I was in a video conference with our Tokyo branch when Sarah burst into my office, her face pale with panic."Mrs. Romano, you need to get to St. Mary's Hospital immediately," she said, her usual composure shattered. "Emma's had an accident."My world tilted sideways. The people on my screen kept talking, but I couldn't hear them over the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. Emma. My baby. My everything."What happened?" I asked, already grabbing my purse, my hands shaking so badly I could barely hold it."The school called. She fell at recess—something about the playground equipment. Lucas is already on his way, but they said..." Sarah's voice broke. "They said it's serious, Mrs. Romano. They need you there immediately."I ran. For the first time in years, I sprinted through the halls of Romano Enterprises like my entire world was collapsing. Because it was. All my power, my money, all the careful walls I'd buil

The family room in the kids' ward felt way too small for what we had to talk about. Emma had moved to a normal room that morning, excited to show her dad her favorite books. But the truth of what was coming next was like a third person sitting between Mikel and me.Dr. Martinez had said Emma needed constant checkups, less stress, and – most importantly – both her parents around if she had blood problems later on. He didn't say it, but we both knew Emma was happier when her dad was there."Okay," I said, opening the folder my lawyer got ready super fast. "We need some rules."Mikel was across from me, still in yesterday's clothes, his hair a mess from sleeping in a hospital chair. But he was really paying attention to the papers I laid out on the table."I'll agree to whatever's best for Emma," he said right away."No, don't." It came out harsher than I meant. "Don't agree without reading it. It's not like before, Mikel. We're not married. You can't just trust me to take care of everyt

"Emma, I promise, no matter what happens between Mommy and me, I will NEVER leave you again. Even if we don't agree, even if we live in different places, I'll always be your dad, and I'll always wanna be with you."She looked right at me, checking to see if I meant it."Okay," she said. "I believe you. But Daddy?""Yeah?""I think you gotta say sorry to Mommy. Like, with flowers and a speech, maybe a song. She's been sad about you for a long time."My five-year-old was giving me relationship advice about her own mother. I wanted to both laugh and cry."Good advice," I said. "Any other ideas on how to fix things?"Emma smiled, happy to help. "Her favorite flowers are white roses, not red ones. Red roses make her think sad stuff. And she likes you to see the little things, like how she makes my food into hearts, or the bedtime stories."I was getting a crash course in Bella from our daughter. It was a lot to take in. Emma had seen all of her life for five years, while I was just a stran

Emma got serious. "He's watching you to make sure you don't make Mom sad again. He said people can get another chance, but they have to earn it by changing, not just talking.""That's fair.""And he said that if you hurt Mom or me again, he'd make sure you couldn't find us, even if he had to take us to another world." Emma was calm when she said this. "I don't think he was kidding."I had to smile, even though I knew Lucas was serious."I wouldn't blame him. You and Mom are the most important people."Emma smiled and went back to her drawing. I looked at this kid who knew so much about families."Dad, can I tell you something that might be hard?""Yes, sweetie.""I think the reason Mom won't let herself love you again isn't because she doesn't want to. I think it's because she's scared that if she loves you and you leave again, it would hurt so much that she couldn't take care of me well."That hit hard. Bella wasn't just saving herself—she was saving Emma from a mom who might fall ap

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel's private dining room felt like just the spot to hash out secrets. Sophia got there twenty minutes early, picking a corner table so she could keep an eye on who came in but still stay hidden. She spent a couple of hours getting ready, settling on a navy business suit that screamed "I'm in charge," while her bright red lipstick hinted there was more to her than just work.Thomas Romano showed up right on time, his silver hair slicked back and his face hard to read. Even at 62, he acted like the big-shot businessman he'd always been, though Sophia noticed he was a bit more slumped over than he used to be. He hadn't been this way five years ago. Elena Romano's moves to steal his media empire really did a number on him."Sophia." He sat down across from her, no handshake. "I gotta say, I was curious when you called. How long has it been—three years since we talked?""Since the Peterson deal, yeah." Sophia smiled, remembering how both of them tried to outbid Elen