June 22, 2024. 1 Chapter. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I will have a surprise in the next set of chapters. It will be worth the wait. The next chapter will be on Monday.
### FLASHBACK ###High school was a time of heightened emotions for Riley. The absence of a father figure in her life became a gaping void only magnified by the sight of her friends with their dads. Yet, Renee, her mother, steadfastly refused to broach the subject of Riley's father for reasons unknown. As the school day came to an end, Riley's footsteps echoed through the empty hallways. She hurried home, her heart heavy with unspoken questions. The familiar scent of her mother's cooking greeted her as she entered the kitchen. "Good afternoon, Riley. How was your new school?" Renee asked. Yes, a new school. This was a result of their nomadic lifestyle in the past years, constantly moving from one city to another. But now, her mother had secured a stable job in Halliport, and Renee believed it was time to settle down. "School was great, Mom," Riley said. "I met new friends.""Wonderful. Let's have dinner now because, as you know, work starts early for your mom," Renee said while set
Adrian heaved a sigh, following Riley's request. He pulled her closer to him and pecked her forehead. He acknowledged, "Okay. If that is what you wish. I will let it go."Riley's demand for him to back off left Adrian with a lingering sense of unease. It wasn't long ago that Renee had asked him to investigate her accident, a request that had led Adrian to suspect a connection to Riley's father. 'What should I do now?' Adrian pondered. 'Could I really leave it alone?'Adrian figured he would let it rest, but that didn't mean he would stop. Besides, he still had many things to do. As for now, Adrian will focus on their honeymoon. "Thank you, Adrian. Thank you for telling me, and thank you for understanding me," Riley said. "Of course," Adrian nodded, his voice filled with empathy. "I am the same, with father issues. So, I understand how you feel. Forget I ever mentioned your father. Let's go to the resort."Not long after, their private transfer arrived at the airport runway, and they
While Adrian argued with this affluent man, Riley blankly stared at the woman behind him. She looked so pretty and familiar. It wasn't until the man introduced himself as the CEO of a big corporation that Riley finally recognized the woman. It was Gabrielle Taylor, the actress in the movie The Fallen Princess' Return! It was said that Gabrielle married a Billionaire from Braeton City, and Mr. Kyle Wright was it! Gabrielle approached Kyle Wright and said, "Handsome, it's okay. I want to take Kenneth to the beach now -""Exactly!" Kyle said. "That's why we need to have the right villa.""Gaby, just stand back and let me do what I do best," Kyle implied. Adrian was clearly about to refute when the Wrights' young toddler ran toward him. The boy smiled brightly while looking at the wheelchair and exclaimed, "Wow!"Riley was taken aback, and Adrian was the same. The boy suddenly climbed up on Adrian's lap and sang, "The wheels on the bus go round and round. Round and round. Round and roun
"Adrian? This villa is huge? It has -" Riley hastily walked around the villa and opened each room. They both turned up in the living room when she announced, "There are three bedrooms!""And look here," Riley pointed to the view from the living room. There was a lanai outside, but after that, expansive artificial ponds bordered their villa from outsiders. The small ponds were mere decorations in Riley's view. What followed next was the distant beach. "We are completely secluded!" With her hands up, Riley took a complete turn, saying, "It's perfect for us."Since Max had his room, Adrian could walk around freely. He loosened his necktie and revealed, "I supposed. I just thought that we would have fun with a bigger pool."Riley kicked off her shoes. Her legs were feeling better, so she danced to Adrian's side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "What are we going to do with three bedrooms?"Adrian smirked. He said in a lustrous voice, "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to do you i
"I don't know if this is a good idea," Riley said while sitting on Adrian's lap. "Exercising your legs will make you feel better, Hun," Adrian suggested while driving his electronic wheelchair to the beach. A groan left Riley's lips. She whined, "Why did you have to push so hard!""You weren't complaining last night," Adrian pointed out, and he laughed. "Did you forget the words that came out of your mouth? Harder! More -""Stop it!" Riley chortled as she covered her face. "Let's just go."The couple was in their swimwear, eager to enjoy the beach. Adrian did not like the crowd. So, they had to go early in the morning to achieve this. To their surprise, they were not the only ones at the beach. The Wright couple were taking their young boy for a swim."Hi!" Riley waved upon seeing them."Oh, hello!" Gabrielle said back. She was in the water, carrying her son. Not too far, Kyle was walking toward the coast. Riley was the first to greet him, "Good Morning, Mr. Wright."Kyle nodded in
Brian entered the villa, shocked to see Mara and Claire's sister around. They were laughing loudly at the TV show they were watching. Claire's sister, Carrie, was wearing pajamas. Mara was also in her sleeping wear, but her face was still covered in makeup, and surprisingly, she had new pieces of jewelry on. "Oh, Brian, son. How is your day?" Mara got up with a big smile. Carrie also greeted him and stood up. A frown formed on Brian's face as he asked, "What's going on? Why are you all here?"Claire walked out of the kitchen, bringing a bowl of popcorn. She smiled at him and first placed the food on the table. Then, she approached and kissed his cheek, revealing, "Babe, Ma, and Sis will be living here for a while to help me with the wedding plans. I hope it's okay."Brian and Claire found another chapel for their small wedding, which will take place next Saturday. It was very last minute, so many things had to be coordinated with the wedding planner. He did not necessarily like liv
"William?" Mara repeated. "Y-yes, I know him.""Ma, I've been telling Brian he is my godfather," Claire said while rushing beside her mother. "Mr. William?" Carrie had a puzzled look on her face. Brian saw varied reactions. Mara was shocked. Carrie was confused, but one thing was sure: They all knew William Barlowe. "Ma," Claire stood beside Mara and confessed, "I'm sorry. I did not tell you. Uncle William came to see me last Monday."Claire narrated what happened during her two meetings with William. Then, Mara said, "Oh, my goodness!" She held Claire's arms and defended, "Claire, you must understand. Your godfather is only watching out for you. He was probably shocked that you are suddenly getting married.""Oh," Carrie said with a sad face. "So, William is Claire's godfather? How did that happen?" Brian asked. Mara explained to him that she used to work with William Barlowe's family. She said, "When I got pregnant, William promised to be Claire's godfather. He looks after Clai
What would happen if the legal wife confronted her husband’s mistress? Riley imagined she would remain composed. After all, she was in the right, and she had every reason to fight, but her body unknowingly shook from anger. It was challenging to contain the hatred she harbored for this woman before her. “What are you doing here?” Claire Monet, the young mistress, asked.Riley Allen Martin, twenty-seven, the legal wife and accomplished jewelry designer, responded fiercely, “I decided to fight for my marriage.”“But you've already agreed to the divorce,” Claire reacted, her big blue eyes narrowing and her face darkening.Ignoring Claire, Riley attempted to walk past her, but Claire grabbed her wrist and pointed out, “I’m pregnant with Brian’s child.”Pulling her arm away, Riley curtly said, “I need to talk to—”"Ahhh! Miss Riley? What did I do to you?” Before Riley knew it, Claire was sprawled on the floor, calling, “Brian, she pushed me! Help! Our baby!"Stupefied, Riley was shocked