Diego's POVSelena was finally mine. I couldn't wait to show her my love and devotion, to prove I was committed to making our marriage work. Her smile throughout the ceremony seemed forced, tense even. But during the reception, when she held her children, a genuine smile lit up her face. She laughed with them, took pictures, and even playfully placed the crown on Jada's head. The little girl, oblivious to the oversized crown, giggled and declared herself a princess.While Jadon clung to his mother, his eyes wide with curiosity, Nana approached me for a dance. Selena, carrying Jadon, joined us on the floor, swaying gently with her son."Congratulations again," Jane said. "Such a shame your father couldn't be here." I knew the apology drill was coming.Honestly, his absence didn't bother me. Everything went smoothly. But Jane seemed determined to make excuses for him."He'd be here if it weren't so important," she muttered, her gaze glued to her feet. She wasn't the most graceful d
Selena's POVI was so tired that I slept half of the time for our short flight. By the time I felt a touch on my shoulders, it was Diego. He looked down at me with a grin.“We are here.”“Where is the 'here'?” I asked, rubbing my eyes and sitting upright in my seat. I couldn't feel the motion, so we must have landed. “Sorry, I slept off.”“It is no problem. Come and find out where we are,” he helped me with my seat belt and took my hands. We stepped out of the jet, and my jaw dropped.We were on an island. I looked around for a hint of which island. Queens, that was where we were. Diego led me to the glass house away from where we landed.“Wow, this is massive, Diego,” I said, shocked.“Wait till you see the inside of it,” he said with a wide grin and walked ahead of me to the house. “They will bring our things in, don’t worry,” he called back to me.I gathered my wedding gown and hurried after Diego. He was waiting for me at the door. I stopped beside him. “Ready?” he asked, looking d
Diego's POVI saw the look on Selena's face; she looked so torn. Her bottom lip trembled with unshed tears. Her heart must have gone to her kids. Her kids were like the thread that kept her together.And I wouldn’t be the one holding her back from what makes her happy. I just vowed to make her happy, I won’t do otherwise now. With my mind made up, I spoke.“Go get ready, we are flying back home,” I informed her, pulling out my phone and calling Johnny.“But Diego…” Selena started to object.“We are leaving,” Johnny picked up the call. “Get the jet ready, we have an emergency back at home.”“Yes, sir,” he responded and hung up.Selena was still rooted in her position. I touched her shoulders, which were so stiff. “They will be fine once we get back home. Go get your bag ready.”“We just got here,” she complained. “They will stop crying once they are sleepy or tired.”“Are you for real?” I felt like laughing but instead said, “Let’s go back home.” I placed a kiss on her forehead and pus
Jake's POVI realized that it does not have to be an hour or a whole day before one's life can turn upside down. All it took was seconds for the news to go on air.It spread like wildfire; my phone has been ringing since I left New York. I knew reporters would be waiting for me at the airport since the news had gone out that I was in New York for business. I traveled to South America and took another flight back to Italy.No one would be expecting that. I made sure my disguise was in place as I exited the gates. I saw the reporters, but hopefully, no one noticed me. I called for a cab, still leaving my car in the airport parking lot. Who knows, they might be waiting for me there.I took the cab to the penthouse I stayed in with Selena when we got married. No one would be expecting me to go there. I tried calling Jeff, but it would take me to his voicemail.How on earth did the news get out? Was it my doctor? Did he spill my secret for money? I closed the door behind me as I walked into
Selena's POVMy mind was not at peace. It had been a few days since my wedding to Diego. The marriage itself seemed good, the kids were happy, but a hollowness persisted within me. I possessed everything I thought I ever wanted, yet something crucial remained missing.I knew the news on my phone wouldn't be pleasant, but staying totally informed felt necessary. Picking it up, I stumbled upon a report of Jake attending a board meeting. Had he lost his mind? They'd tear him to shreds!Before I realized it, I was pacing my office, I felt so much anxiety eating me up. Having faced rejection myself, I understood the challenge of facing those who despise your success, and I knew Jake did too. So why this reckless behavior?My assistant knocked and entered, her eyes searching mine with concern. "Is everything alright?" she inquired."Yes," I forced a nod, dismissing her worries. Suddenly, a memory flashed to me, it was when Jake addressed my mother as Gracie. It had to be true then. But from
Diego's POV I watched her intently, sensing she was carefully choosing her words, saying what she thought I wanted to hear. There had to be a limit to how much she could tolerate.I knew exactly what to ask to break down the walls she'd built around her emotions. Jake Marino. Couldn't she just forget about the damn guy?"Heard from Jake lately?" I inquired casually.She lowered her spoon, surprise flickering across her face. "What?""He's facing some challenges, I heard," I said, unable to hide the glee in my voice when I saw the news. He was gone, back to where he came from. Hopefully, this would be his downfall, ensuring he wouldn't return."Well, I saw it on the news too," she replied evenly."Why the concern for Italian news, then?" I pressed.She bit her lip and closed her eyes, a tactic I recognized. She'd probably count to ten to control herself, but I wouldn't give her the chance."You still love him, don't you?" I blurted out.Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at me. "Di
Selena's POVThe weight of my decision settled on me. Had I just done the right thing by divorcing Diego? The media would have a field day with this story. What would my family say?Pushing the anxieties aside, I decided to face them head-on. I called everyone for dinner – it was better to rip the bandaid off now. Hillary joined the group as well.Max was on "big brother" duty, keeping the kids entertained with cartoons in the living room. This way, the adults could talk freely."Why the sudden dinner at my place, Selena? And why are the kids with you? Is Diego on a business trip?" Mom launched into a flurry of questions."Diego isn't away. He's at home, actually," I replied.My answer drew a collective gasp from the table. "What's going on?" Gracie, ever the voice of reason, asked."We... we decided to separate," I stammered."Separate? What kind of separate are we talking about?" Mom's frown deepened.Taking a deep breath, I blurted, "We're divorced."The room exploded. "Divorced? Wh
Jake's POVIt turns out that the meeting did not go as planned. I wasn’t even able to say a word in my defense before the whole room erupted. Accusations were flying from different angles; I heard even stranger things about myself.Jeff had to lead me out of the room to a safe place, away from the eyes of the angry mob. I was unable to speak to my mom or sister. I needed to ask about my father’s health. He should be here to take over the company, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen soon.Once again, I was summoned to the company to speak for myself so the board members could decide if I should be thrown out of the company or not.But instead of Jeff and the security men leading me towards the private elevator, they wanted me to take the front door. To show the people, the media, that I would boldly take back my position, not caring what was being said about me.To me, it sounded like a crazy idea, because for some reason I wasn't aware of it, the mob gathered was angry. It