Semua Bab Ex and Son Beg, But I Never Turn Back: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Willow's POVThe next morning, I sat on the hotel floor, glass bottles of essential oils and spice dishes splayed out in front of me. My intention was to start creating perfumes based on my mother’s notes, so her handwritten formulas sat in a stack of notebooks beside me.The air was filled with the strong scent of the oils.At first, I’d attacked the challenge with optimism and excitement, but hours later, all I had to show for my efforts were oil stained hands and a bunch of scents that weren’t working. The perfumes I’d created were all missing something, a soulful balance that, no matter how hard I tried to adjust the recipes, I just couldn’t seem to achieve.A deep sigh escaped my lips as I scrutinized the notebooks. What was I doing wrong? The first perfume was far too pungent and lacked delicacy. The second perfume was sharp and jarring, making my eyes sting. The third and the fourth perfumes smelled musty.And the fifth?That one had gone straight down the drain as I stifled a g

Willow's POVThe house loomed before me, an imposing presence. Ivy snaked its way up the trellises, and massive curtains hung inside on the floor to ceiling windows. The perfectly manicured lawn was a deep green, a stark contrast to the deep gray paint on outside walls.It had been two years since I’d stepped foot inside this house – the house which was both familiar and increasingly strange.The house had been a happy home once, and images of my mother standing in the kitchen pulling fresh cookies out of the oven, smiling, donning her ‘Best Mom Ever’ apron I’d given her for mother’s day flashed through my mind. I could see the formal living room, decked out with Christmas decorations, a large fir tree displayed in the corner.Those memories felt distant though now as I stared up at the house. My mother had died and her laughter and smiles no longer filled the house.It was shortly after my mother’s death that things really went sideways, and all the pleasant memories I had of living i

Willow's POVBeatrice appeared out of nowhere and triumphantly made her way down the stairs, her hand on the railing as she dramatically took each step one at a time.She was trying to act innocent, but I knew she knew where the missing were. So I called her on her bullshit.When I’d first asked about the missing pages, my father had denied knowing anything about the missing pages. He asked me to please stay for dinner.“It’s been so long we’ve shared a meal,” he said.That’s when Maddison came in. She greeted me, but her expression betrayed her, showing that she was anything but pleased to see me.I shook my head adamantly.“I don’t want to stay for dinner,” I told my father. “I just want to find the pages and go.”“You heard her,” Maddison chirped. “She doesn’t want to stay.”From there, the conversation had escalated and we'd started fighting. Maddison accused me of neglecting my father. My father tried to defend me, but I told him not to bother.That’s when Beatrice had interrupted

Willow's POV“Zoe,” Beatrice scolded. “Those papers are important. You shouldn’t have given them to Willow without asking me first!”“But I heard Aunty Willow say she needs them,” Zoe replied, averting her eyes. She seemed to be a sweet, soft spoken child, and hearing her call me ‘aunty’ tugged a little at my heartstrings.“Whatever,” Beatrice said, rolling her eyes. “Run along, Zoe. Go and get changed. Your piano teacher will be here in an hour.”Zoe nodded and then darted out of the room.I held my mother’s pages tightly to my chest, clinging onto them for confidence. They were the only things I had left of my mother. And now that I had them, nothing was going to stop me from leaving with them.Beatrice stood off to the side, looking cautious. Clearly, she was intimidated by my fighting prowess. She’d always thought I was so weak and docile. Well, I just showed her that was clearly not the case. She wouldn’t dare confront me directly again.“Go ahead then, take them,” she said, feign

Willow's POVBefore I could even react to the complete 180 change in Adonis, Logan stormed up to the table. His face was ashen as he pointed at Adonis.“Who the hell is he?” Logan demanded. “Your lover? I knew it. No wonder you were so eager to move out. You’ve been cheating on me.”Adonis stood up suddenly, his chair making a loud noise as it dragged across the floor, causing other patrons to turn their heads towards us. Adonis’ entire demeanor changed. His playful eyes were sharp now and he glared at Logan, standing about two inches taller than him, an imposing figure.“You have no right to accuse Willow of cheating. From what I understand, it was YOU who betrayed HER.”Adonis’ voice was low and authoritative. He was pretty damn good at pretending to be straight.Logan’s face contorted into a look of rage.“You’re her lover, aren’t you,” Logan seethed.Adonis displayed a provocative smile.“Not yet,” he said with a taunting tone. “But I admire Willow very much. What’s not to love? Sh