It was one in the morning when Charles made a phone call to Brookesville. His call was transferred twice before he finally reached the person he was looking for. Speaking in a hushed voice, he talked to the guy. He was asking a favor, so he had to negotiate terms with the guy on the other end of the phone. Gwynn was sitting right next to him. So, he offered tempting terms. The guy didn’t agree to it immediately, but he said he’d give it some thought and come back to Charles. Charles let out a sigh of relief. Hanging up the phone, he said to her, “He’s thinking about it. There’s a very good chance he’ll agree to it. That’s how it normally works.”Now that the work was done, she relaxed a little and changed her attitude. “I’m sorry for what I did earlier, Charles.”Her expression was tender, calm, and exquisite.He stared at her for several seconds before smirking. “It’s my duty to serve Noah.” There was some level of anger in his tone, but she didn’t let it bother him. It was v
Gwynn held the cup of tea in silence. After a brief moment, she collected herself and said softly, “Charles might’ve agreed to work with us, but I’m going to have to stay back in Hucksburgh. Otherwise, he’ll go back on his word when he gets the chance.”Kim nodded in approval. The night grew darker. Gwynn took a shower, got changed into a comfortable sleeping gown, and laid down on the bed to rest. She missed Noah, who was locked up in Brookesville. She thought about how shoddy the cell he was in looked and how he had injuries all over.The moon cast a chilling glow down on Earth. She closed her eyes gently in the dimly lit room. She was pregnant. It didn’t matter what happened. She had to get a good night’s sleep and keep her baby healthy. …Gwynn stayed in Hucksburgh for the next couple of weeks. Charles saw her everywhere. That meant he didn’t have a chance to go back on his word.That night was the night when Hucksburgh’s annual New Year party was held. Renata wasn’t
The next day, Gwynn took a flight back to Brookesville. The moment she got off the private plane, she went to Lockwood Manor for both of her kids. Zoe learned the good news and shed tears of joy. So, she and Mason took Lorian and Holly back to Noah’s villa to reunite them. The villa felt empty without its master in it. Gladys was moving swiftly in the house, tidying the place up. She wanted Noah to come back to the same lively home he used to know. The servants were also cleaning up the villa. Some of them went outside to buy the necessary stuff for the New Year celebration. All in all, everyone had a job to do.In the afternoon, Mason went away to pick up Noah. Gwynn was making the floral arrangement in the living room when a black Bentley pulled into the villa. Holly was leaning on her grandma when she heard a familiar footstep at the door. Her voice was tender when she exclaimed, “Daddy!” At the next moment, she dashed forward and held her father’s leg. Lorian did the s
Noah was back in the afternoon. He was still dressed sharply, but his hair was tousled and his deep-blue shirt, which he wore underneath a gray coat, was stained with a few drops of dried blood. It took her one glance to know that he had been in a fight. It felt as warm as spring in the bedroom. Gwynn took his coat off for him and used her lean fingers to scratch the stains on his shirt. Raising her eyes, she looked at him. “Did you pick a fight with someone? Come on, Noah. You’re forty-one years old, for Heaven’s sake. Did you really take a flight to Hucksburgh just to beat someone up?”He towered over her and stared at her profoundly. After a brief moment, he hugged her and rubbed her shoulder with his chin, like a golden retriever acting cute with its mistress. “Yeah! I flew to Hucksburgh just to beat Charles to a pulp. Believe me when I tell you I took it easy on him. He’s lucky that I’ve had a better handle on my temper, or I would’ve poked his eyes out.”She wasn’t sure
The kids were running downstairs. Holly’s voice was crisp as she called out to Lorian. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the moment. Lifting the blanket, he freshened up, got changed, and went down the stairs. It was very lively down there. Gladys kept both of the kids with her and taught them how to make pizza. He wasn’t sure how it got there, but Gwynn was painting on a canvas next to them. She learned arts in college. So, she was doing a good job. The moment she was done with it, she asked the servant to hang it up. The garden was decorated with a lot of lamps, casting adorable light everywhere. Noah stood there and took in the view. Then, tears filled his eyes. It was both a familiar and novel sight. This was where his happy, blissful life with Gwynn started. Gladys raised her eyes and saw him. She didn’t bother being polite and proceeded to berate him while she was making pizza. “You’re over forty years old, Noah, but you’re still not anywhere decent and upstand
At that moment, Noah raised his eyes and saw Gwynn on the balcony. It was evening and there was smoke rising in the air. Actually, they couldn’t see each other’s expressions clearly. However, they had been married for so many years that they knew each other very well. All it takes is a gander at the face, and they’d know what each other was thinking. His eyes grew dark and profound. Gwynn was jealous because he brought another lady home. Frankly speaking, he was very happy to see it. Then, he chuckled at her. His smile was nothing short of a spectacle.On the other hand, she was a little frustrated. …Gladys might’ve grumbled about it yesterday, but her heart inevitably softened when she saw that it was Ayanna. What was more, the young lady was pregnant. Rubbing her hands, she led Ayanna into the villa. “It’s cold out there. You can’t afford to catch a cold.”Tears welled up in her eyes. She used to round up money for her heavily ill mother by working for Noah. However
Ayanna stayed back to celebrate New Year’s Eve with them. It was seven in the evening when Gladys led the servants to serve the dishes. There were two dining tables to serve. She, Noah, and Gwynn sat at one of them while the rest of the servants and gardeners sat at the other. Both of the tables had the same dishes, and Noah gave each of the servants a handsome bonus. All of these were Gwynn’s ideas. She said to him earlier, “I know everyone receives double pay for working during New Year’s Eve, but today’s the day families gather and reunite. It’d be too inhumane to ask them to have dinner alone in the kitchen. They’re already working here on this important day.“So, perhaps we could celebrate New Year’s Eve with them. It could motivate them to work harder in the future.”She had been in charge of matters in the villa ever since they remarried. He had told her then, “Just do whatever you think is right, Gwynn.”That was why there were two dining tables here tonight. The
Holly acted cute with her father.It was New Year’s Eve, and she wanted to sleep with both of her parents. He wanted to agree to it, but his words were caught in his throat when he thought about how Gwynn promised he’d get some action tonight. Now, why would he give up on something he’d surely get?So, he tried to coax and sweet-talk his daughter.Holly held her pillow and ran away. “Daddy doesn't love me anymore.”Lying down on the bed, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Lorian followed her out of the bedroom and looked after his younger sister for his parents’ sake. He took her to his bedroom and gave her a lot of candy. …Back in the master bedroom, the light was soft and hazy. Twisting a hot towel, she knelt by the bed and wiped his body. He had some alcohol in him. So, his body felt a little hot, especially his neck. There were some rashes on the red patch over there. It emanated the sexiness only a mature man possessed. The towel in her hands wiped over that area