Caleb POV
“Babe!” I heard a woman’s familiar voice called out, and it froze me in place.
My phone kept buzzing in my pocket, but I ignored it. It was probably Mandy wondering where I was.
We got separated earlier after we landed and retrieved our luggage. Mandy went to the car ahead of me while I stayed to go to the restroom.
My trip to the restroom took a long time. I got sidetracked by two three-year-old kids blocking my path.
“We are lost, and we are looking for our mommy.” The little boy said haughtily, while he held his sister’s hand.
I was amused and amazed at the same time at the protective way he stood just a little bit forwa
Caleb POV“Daddy.” The quiet little voice of my little girl touched a cord in my heart and tugged, making it impossible to breathe.I let her hug me as I try to regulate my wayward heart from skipping. She called me Daddy.I could not hide the delight on my face, and an involuntary smile creased the corners of my lips and eyes.When the little girl let go, her brows wrinkled in concentration.“Where have you been, Daddy? Why can’t we find you?”I was stunned.“You are looking for me?”My little girl nodded enthusiastically.
Cassy POVThe kids started to squirm in my arms.“Mommy, let go,” Oakley said.I realized I was hugging them too tight. Reluctantly, I let go.“Are you alright? You were not hurt anywhere?” I inspected them from head to toe.After seeing they were not hurt from their little adventure, I got up to meet the officers in the room."Thank you, sir," I murmured my heartfelt thanks to their chief. He was sitting on his desk when I approached him."It was Officer Brent who found them and brought them here." The chief admitted, feeling a little awkward at the profuse show of gratitude.
Caleb POVMy phone continued buzzing, but I could not seem to pull myself out of my daze.Did Cassy fall in love with someone else in the past three years?My mind rebelled at the idea. Cassy cannot fall in love with anyone except me. I am her husband. Then, an idea struck. I called Greg outright. “Hey, Mandy is mobilizing a search team for you. Why aren’t you answering her call? Are you still at the airport?” He was chuckling, but I cut him off. What I have to say is more important. “Listen, Greg. Can you check at the Civil Affairs Bureau whether my marriage to Cassy is still legal?” “What happened? Did Adam do something underhanded to rescind the contract?” My friends knew the animosity Cassy’s brother had for me. It was a mutual thing.We had been at it since college and had never outgrown the rivalry. The situation with Cassy only compounded it.“None that I heard of, but it would not hurt to be sure.” "Okay. Give me an hour, tops. I will call you right after I do some v
Caleb POVWhat Greg said had me worked up.“That is nonsense!” I said bitingly when Greg, our other friend James, and I met for drinks later.I slammed my glass to the counter with the amber liquid sloshing and spilling onto the wooden top, but I did not care. I still have to get my wife back, and Greg’s comment was not helping me in the slightest.“Hey, do not bite my head off. It was just pure speculation on my part.”Greg took the paper towels from the bartender to dab at the spillage before crumpling them in his hands and putting them aside."Sorry, man.” I clapped Greg on the back.I realized his point was valid, but it made me glower inside just thinking about it, especially now that I finally get to know my kids. “But what if it was true?” James interjected.He laughed when I glared at him.“Serves you right. Now, you have two men to watch out for. First, the doctor you accused Cassy of cheating with, and now, this private investigator.”The two looked smug. And I wanted t
Cassy POV“Hmp! Why is he here again?” My little girl was blatantly showing her displeasure at the sight of Reynold this morning.She stopped almost immediately when I glared at her.The uncharacteristic show of rudeness stumped me. Why can’t my kids be more docile? Why do they have to speak their minds brazenly at others?Reynold tapped me on the shoulder to let me know that he did not take offense at Oakley’s rude behavior, but as a mother, I could not help feeling embarrassed. I did not raise my kids to be impolite with other people.I trained them to speak their minds but not to show disrespect.“And where are we going?” This time, it was her brother who asked me.All the time while he sat in the back passenger cabin of the car, he had his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyebrows were drawn inwardly to show he was unhappy with our guest.Slamming my forehead with the heel of my palm, I took a deep breath to muster enough patience. I was ready to blow my fuse and bellow at t
Cassy POV“So, what brings you here, boss?”“Will you quit calling me that? It gives me the chills. We always address each other by our first names. That should not change.” I never had any airs, and Norma knows that from way back.“Well, three years ago, you were a renowned bestselling author, but now, after your brother took the reins of the business, you already owned two lifestyle magazines in circulation as part of the publishing company. And the franchise talk is now in the offing. You are going to be a multi-billionaire soon.” In just a few sentences, Norma gave me a rundown of what has happened at the company since I became inactive.“And what’s more, the merchandise department is performing great, raking in million
Cassy POVTory drew me inside. We wound up squeezing ourselves between bodies gyrating like snakes to the sound of a flirty modern dance tune so we could cross to the VIP rooms she reserved for us just before we got inside the club. A member of the club, Tory easily wiggled her way around. “Tory, sweetheart! Long time, no see.” A drunk man blocked our path, surprising both of us. He was raising a liquor glass in the air as if toasting us. “Get out of my way, Rick.” She bumped the guy so he would be dislodged from our path, allowing us to walk through. The guy might be drunk, but he was proving strong. He wouldn’t budge. Instead of unblocking our path, he looked in the direction of the couches and smiled. "I am with my friends." He told Tory menacingly, warning her not to embarrass him in front of his friends. Rick's friends are looking at us. They were laughing and bumping fists while egging him on.Spurred by the support, he looked Tory in the eye.Bah! As if he can order T
Tory POVWhen Caleb took Cassy away after dropping the bomb that they were married, the entire club became silent.It was a you-could-hear-a-pin-drop kind of silence. That kind of silence.Then, it became a bedlam right after.Everyone started talking. They could not understand what had just happened.Caleb is one of the most outstanding bachelors out there, and people knew he and Amanda Hayes were engaged for a while.Then, here comes a nobody whom he claims as his wife. Of course, people will start talking. Everyone was so generous with their opinion; you would think all of them were flawless the way they dished out unsavory things against my best friend when they did not know her at all.Talk about judgment!I hate it when people talk about Cassy like she was some kind of gold digger without knowing her full background.I heard some girls saying that the reason Caleb hid her was because she was someone unworthy of his stature. I would like to refute them, but it was futile. People