The Billionaire's Runaway Ex-Wife

Anne rose:

"To burn with the fire of unrequited love and keep hoping for it to be returned one day is the greatest punishment one can bring on oneself."

My life took an unexpected twist when I married the enigmatic billionaire, Nicholas Hart.

Despite sacrificing my dreams and family for Nicholas, our marriage remains loveless. A glimmer of hope emerged when I discovered that I was pregnant after four years of marriage but a shocking revelation in his office shatters all of my illusion of happiness – his first love has returned after five years, reigniting old flames.

Maybe, I was never enough or I was just not her.

After four years of endless devotion and love, I realized my husband's heart belongs to another woman, instigating me to make a heartbreaking decision of divorcing him.

Nicholas Hart has burned me with the fire of his betrayal and I was nothing but ashes.

I made the most reckless decision to leave him– I faked my death to leave the man who refused to leave me even after shattering my heart into tiny unfixable pieces.

…..

Nicholas Hart:

She was the best thing that ever happened to me and I realized when it was too late.

In the end, she became all of my 'I wish' and 'what ifs'.

….

Five years later, Anne Rose Swift is living her life as Roseanne De Luca with her son in a foreign country, away from Nicholas' world. An incident causes their worlds to collide again.

Will Anne Rose give another chance to her husband? Or will she move on with her new life? Are they still bound by the thread of fate? Or would they cause immeasurable pain to each other's heart again?

Divorce

Anne Rose entered the tall building of Hart Enterprises. She recalled the last time when she came here to see her husband. Never. She had never entered the threshold of this building.

"I'm here to meet Mr Hart, "Anne Rose said to the receptionist.

Although she had never been to his office, the reception instantly recognised Mrs Hart. "I will inform the CEO that you are here to meet him," The receptionist said with a polite smile. "Don't ring him," Anne said with a smile. "I'm here to surprise him."

"Alright, Mrs Hart, " the receptionist answered.

Anne walked to Nicholas' office with a lot of thoughts in her mind. She was thinking about how he would react seeing her in his office. Things between them had been cold for a year as the incident that happened one year ago changed the entire dynamics of their relationship. If she hadn't given up on him then, things wouldn't have gotten bad with them.

Clutching her purse tightly in her hand, she imagined how he was going to react to the news that she was going to bring with him.

'Nicholas, I'm pregnant. You are going to be a father.'

'Will you love me now?'

'I will finally give you a child.'

Four years into their marriage, she had been trying to get pregnant but to no avail. But after five years, there was a hope.

Standing outside his office, she took deep breaths and mustered up the courage to open the door. As she opened the door, she saw Nicholas hugging a very familiar woman.

A tall figure. Dark long hair. Green eyes.

She had never met this woman before but she knew who she was.

Sabrina Taylor.

Nicholas' first love.

She had heard that Sabrina was back in the country but she never thought that the woman would be back in her husband's life too.

Heartbroken and betrayed, Anne ran from the office. Tears were trickling down her cheeks as she could vividly see her husband's betrayal before her eyes.

What had she not done for him?

She gave up everything for him. Her dreams. Her dignity. Even her father. But what did he give her in return? Nothing but tears and heartbreak. Emery was right, she was a dumb woman who would lose her husband to Sabrina because Nicholas had only loved his first girlfriend, never his wife.

"What do I do?" Anne cried. "I did everything to make him happy. I sacrificed my life for him but he didn't see any of it. I never mattered for him. I will never matter for him. His heart only beat for one woman. I would never be her."

Her phone rang. It was Emery who was calling her. She wiped her tears and picked the call. "Where are you?" Emery asked her, restlessly.

"Nowhere, "Anne answered in almost a whisper. "Look Anne, I was not supposed to tell you about Sabrina. I wasn't supposed to say her name before you. Please don't tell brother Nicholas. Please. He will be mad at me . Please, Anne."

Anne scoffed inside her heart. He could cheat on her but didn't have the courage to tell her. What a pathetic man!

"No, Emery. If it wasn't for you, my eyes wouldn't have opened, "Anne said over the phone. "Thank you, my sister-in-law. If not for you, I would be Blind Dumb Wife of a cheating husband. Thank you for everything."

"Anne, you are scaring me," Emery said. "Please don't do anything rash."

Anne chuckled while tears streamed down her face. "I will do one last sensible thing." With this, she hung up the call and drove back to home.

At home, she was surprised to find her husband already sitting there.

"Where were you?" Nicholas asked her the question.

"It doesn't matter, "Anne answered. Her tone was weird but he didn't pinpoint it. She placed an envelope before him.

"What is it?" Nicholas asked, looking at the papers inside it.

"Why don't you read it?" Anne said, unemotionally. He had never seen her behaving in this way. Perhaps, she was in the rebelling phase.

As much as he understood, his wife had a timid personality. She never misbehaved with anyone. It was a surprise for him to see her acting angry and pissed.

Nicholas said, pissed, "I can read what it is."

What on earth was this woman planning? Divorcing him? Was she out of her mind?

She said angrily, "Then, sign it."

She would not tolerate a cheating man anymore. She hardened her heart and explained how badly he broke her. How she gave him all of herself and how he threw away her love! She didn't blame him at one point because it wasn't in our control who we love. She was freeing both of them from this misery.

Nicholas said, losing his temper, "Anne Rose Hart, stop the nonsense. If your head is muddled up, go get sleep."

She smiled at him, "Actually, my head is cleared after four years. Please sign the papers, Nicholas."

"And if I don't?" He raised his brow.

"Then, I will take it as your declaration of love towards me." She smiled.

Nicholas answered, "I don't do love, Anne Rose."

"Oh yeah?" She said, sarcastically, "Sign the papers. I don't want to be with a man who doesn't love me."

Nicholas spoke out, tired and pissed, "I am not participating in this nonsense."

Anne almost yelled at him, "Sign, the fucking papers, Mr. Hart."

Nicholas looked at his wife in the new light, "Look at you raising your voice, Little Rose."

"What little games are you playing, Little Rose?" He pulled her closer to her and whispered in her ear.

She gave him a smile and said, "I want to leave you."

"Oh, do you think you can get rid of me by getting me to sign these papers?" He chuckled. How brave and stupid

at the same time!

She firmly said, "I will."

"Fine, "Nicholas laughed and signed the paper. She glanced at the signed papers and as she was about to take them, he held her hand and said, "Not now, Little Rose." He carried her on his shoulder while she yelled at him to let her go but he took her to his bedroom, "Let me show you what I feel for you."

Anne shouted and hit his back with her fist but it didn't seem to affect him, "Fuck you, Hart."

She said through gritted teeth, "Do you think sex is going to change my mind? Trust me, it will not! You can seduce me all you want but the first thing I will do next morning is leave your ass here."

Nicholas dropped her on the bed and ripped her clothes like a man starved and she accepted his touch for the one last time.

"Have your milk, "Nicholas gently asked her later.

She angrily said, "I will not have it. Everything you offer me is like poison to me." "Go to sleep, Little Rose. We will talk about divorce later."

He felt the urge to vomit while saying the damned D word. Her head was muddled up. She would come to senses after a good night's sleep. Or he would make love to her a few more times and she would realize why she could leave him.

Death and life

The following morning Anne Rose was lying on the bed naked next to her husband who was sleeping peacefully. Her pale skin was covered with hickey marks. She remembered the fervor of the lovemaking– no– sex that she had done with her husband. He had never shown his animalistic instincts until this life when she proposed divorce to him.

If he thought sex would repair the cracks in their shattered relationship, he had another thing coming.

She decided to submit the signed divorce papers in the court and then meet her father in the jail.

Her entire world was wrecked when she married Nicholas. She married him with great dreams in her eyes. But a day after their marriage, her father was arrested for having involvement with the mafia. She begged Nicholas to let her meet her father but he refused saying that his wife could never have connections with a man having been arrested for such charges.

Since she was divorcing her husband, there was no reason for her to stop visiting her father. The first thing she would do after her divorce was to finally meet her father. On the other hand, Nicholas was sound asleep when his phone rang.

"Sir, your wife is here to submit the divorce. What shall I do?" The judge asked from the court.

Nicholas sighed looking at the empty bed. Thinking of his angry wife, he said, "Take it and send her home safely."

The judge said, "Okay sir."

"Who is with her?" Nicholas asked.

The Judge answered, "She is alone."

"Where is Johnson?" Nicholas asked about the head of security whose only duty was to keep his wife safe.

The judge answered, "He is not with her."

Nicholas said, angrily, "Fuck. My wife is alone in the city. Her security is not with her."

When Nicholas was dispatching security to bring his wife back home, she was rejoicing in the freedom of singlehood.

After receiving the confirmation of divorce, Anne was on the way back. She decided to visit her father in jail. She went to see him but her father refused to see her. Hurt and broken, she burst into tears in her car. It had been four years since she saw him. How could he not bear to see her? It was inhumane of him to reject seeing her who had been trying to get a glance at him. If he didn't wish to speak to her, it was understandable. But why couldn't he let her look at him?

As she was leaving the central jail, she was driving aimlessly. Suddenly, a truck came out of nowhere and hit the car.

Anne could feel her bones getting crushed but she managed to get out of the car. Her leg was injured and there were some injuries on her head. As she was away from her car, she saw several men approaching her damaged car and pouring kerosine on it. Soon, both the car and truck were engulfed in a flame and a few minutes later, the car blasted.

Anne's heart gave up when she saw this scene. What on earth was happening? Who were these people?

"Boss, She is dead. Mafia King Nicholas' wife is no more."

Mafia King and Nicholas? Her husband? No, it can't be true. Her husband was a good man. How could he? He loved another woman but he was not a bad person.

All of a sudden, everything started hitting her. Especially the reason why he married her. Nicolas married her because her father was arrested for the crimes of the Hart family. Hatred and anger filled her heart and she wished to meet and kill that bastard but before she could do anything, someone hit her head and everything went black.

Anne didn't know after how many days or hours she woke up. Her head felt like it had been run by a truck and her entire body was sore. She could hear a familiar voice. Still, she could not make out where she was. After trying for sometime, she was able to open her eyes.

A man said with a cocky smile, "Congratulations on escaping death twice, Anne Rose Swift."

A woman who seemed to be in her forties said, "Shut up, Ronan. Don't startle her. She is just conscious"

Ronan scoffed, "Regina, it's not my fault. I almost lost my life saving her."

"Aunt Reggie?" Anne whispered as she saw her Aunt Reggie. She was not her biological aunt but her nanny who took care of her from the beginning. She was very attached to this lady from her childhood but she didn't see her after she turned fifteen.

Anne whispered, "You saved me. Thank you."

"Always such a sweet girl, "Regina murmured.

"Who are these people?" Anne questioned.

Ronan said from behind as he noticed being ignored by the sick young lady, "Hey, we saved you. Girl, you have two mafia groups wanting to kill you. What have you done?"

Regina added, "She is Jacob's daughter."

Ronan's mischievous persona changed into an angry one as he muttured, "That fucking traitor. I will kill him with my hands once I find him."

"What did my father do?" Anne questioned. She could not believe that her father was associated with the wrong people. He had always shielded his life from her. At this moment, she realised that it was not her husband alone who betrayed her but her father two. The two men who she loved more than anyone else betrayed and lied to her.

Regina answers, "You should ask him when you see him."

"Aunt Reggie…"Anne whispered, troubled, "What is happening?"

"I wish I knew, "Regina answered. "We just received the intel that you were going to be ambushed by your father's enemies. We didn't expect a second group to come and try to kill you."

Anne asked, stunned, "Why did you save me?"

Regina smiled and answered, "If I won't save you, who will, child? I have been saving you from the time you were a baby. Your safety's responsibility is with me."

"Why?" Anne could not understand it.

Regina answered with a sigh, "I wish I knew. It's my only job to save you."

Anne said, "You don't have to do that."

Regina laughed. "If I don't do that, I will be dead. You are my purpose in life, Anne."

Reggie gave her three options, "You have three options now:

1. Go back to your husband and live the same life you were living.

2. Go back and fight for your survival. Everyone wants you dead.

3. Or just die."

"Will you let me die, Auntie?"Anne questioned.

Regina cracked up and said, "I can kill Anne Rose Swift Hart."

Anne said, firmly, "Please kill her. Her life was nothing but a lie from the beginning. Free me from that burden, please."

"I will happily do that but before that I want you to meet someone. Your savior. The one who saved you today, "Regina answered her. "Today will be my last mission if I kill Anne Rose Swift Hart."

Anne looked at the door where Regina was looking and entered a man with the darkest eyes she had ever seen and heard, "Meet Nathaniel the man who brought you safe here."

"I will never forget your beneficence, Sir, "Anne said, bowing. "If there is a time when I can do something to express my gratitude, please never shy away from saying it."

Nathaniel just stared at her, silently. He turned to look at Regina, "Kill her."

New Life, New Beginnings

It was the day when Anne Rose Swift Hart was killed and Roseanne Deluca was born.

Time flew instantly and memories were slowly fading. Yet, there were times when she would wake up with tremors and nightmares. Five years were not enough to forget the twenty five years that she had lived as Anne Rose.

"Rosie, the customer on table five is creating a ruckus. She is saying that she asked for an extra extra hot coffee but we served it extra extra cold. It's been thirty minutes since we served her coffee while she was busy on her phone, " Maria, the barista said to her. "She is disturbing other customers too. A few even left seeing a commotion inside. It's still morning and she is affecting our business."

"Let me handle it, "Rosanne said, looking at the said lady scolding the other barista. "Bring your manager. I want to meet her. What kind of services this place has!"

At the same time, the lady's phone rang. "Jackson, I told you to not call me. Can't you understand what I want…."

The lady was engaged on the call once again while the other barista whispered in Roseanne's ear, "She has been on call for an hour. It was her mistake but she is putting it on us."

"Alright, leave and help Maria on the counter."

When the lady disconnected the call, she looked at Roseanne and said, "Manager, you have unruly staff who can't discipline. I asked for a simple coffee but look what I was served with. Can a person not even get a simple coffee after such a hard day? Is it too much to ask for?"

Roseanne gave a smile to the lady and said, "I apologize for the inconvenience. Would it be alright if we get you another coffee now? It will be at home."

The lady was stunned for a moment. Somewhere she knew that she was at fault yet… "I…"

"Is it okay, Madam?" Roseanne asked.

"Yes, but…"

"Perfect, "Roseanne said. "Maria, get the lady the coffee she wanted. And stop dilly dallying!"

"Sure, "Maria said, surprised. "Jennie, make the coffee."After dealing with the customer, Roseanne walked towards the kitchen and she followed her.

"Rosie, why did you not say anything to the woman?" Maria went inside and expressed her dissatisfaction. "You know she was clearly wrong."

"Miss Maria, a customer is never wrong, "A cute voice said from the corner of the kitchen. As she looked towards the source of the voice, she saw a cute munchkin sitting on the kitchen counter while the workers were engaged in their usual activities.

Maria's face softened as she glanced at the bundle of cuteness and said, "Yes, little lord. You are right. How dare I say something to your mother."

"Yes, Miss Maria. Mommy is always right too, "The little munchkin replied with a hint of pride.

"May I ask why are you in the kitchen? Your mother will not be pleased to see you here. Kitchen is a dangerous place."

"I came to have a man-to-man meeting with Mr Walls."

The head chef who was working on an important dish looked up and asked in shock, "Me?"

"Yes, Mr Walls, "The Little boy said. "Mr Walls, I'm giving you the honor of making me chocolate cookies now."

Maria's lips twitched as she heard it. "Little Lord, how about you go out and sit somewhere safe? This place is not safe for you."

"What's wrong with this place?" The little boy asked.

"There are knives and fire in the kitchen, "Maria said. "There are chances of you getting hurt here. We don't want to take any chances. Let's go out."

"I am sorry, Miss Maria but unfortunately I can't leave Mr Walls—"

"What's happening here?" They all heard a voice and stiffened.

"Rosie…"

"Mommy."

"Boss."

Roseanne glanced at three people in the kitchen and read the guilt written on their faces.

"Maria, did you serve the coffee to the customer?" She asked the first person. "Yes, "Maria answered. "Jennie made the coffee and served it."

"Go and see if the customer is saying something else, "Roseanne said to her employee turned friend.

"On it, boss!"

When Maria left, Roseanne turned to Mr Walls and said, "Mr Walls, we had a big order for the evening. I gave my word to the client that we would deliver it by the evening. Is it ready?"

"Yes, boss, I will finish it soon, "Mr Walls said and went back to work.

Now that everyone was back to their work, Marie turned her attention to the little boy sitting on the counter.

"Who dropped you from school?" Roseanne asked.

"Grandma did, "The little boy answered, pouting.

"How many times did I tell you that the kitchen is off-limits for babies?" Roseanne asked him.

The little boy lowered his head and whispered, "Mommy, I am sorry. I should not have done it. I only wanted chocolate cookies."

"Come here, "Roseanne said, extending her arms. The boy jumped into her arms and hooked his arms around her neck while she held him and walked out of the kitchen. She kissed the side of his head and murmured, "Baby, you scares mommy with your shenanigans. Next time if you want something, come to mommy first, okay?"

Her son, Leon, was the biggest gift of her life. The little boy had brought so much joy to her life that she could not count them on hand. If it wasn't for Leon, she would not be able to start her life over in this new country. Her son was born with many complications. The doctors were surprised when he made it alive. Her baby boy was her little lion who made out to make life better for his mother.

If there was something precious that Nicholas Hart had given her, it would be their son– Nathenial Leon Hart. She named him Nathenial to honor the man who was not only her savior but her son's too.

"Leon, shall we go and pick your sister from the airport?" Roseanne asked her son who broke out into a big smile.

"Mommy, Coco is coming?" Leon asked with sparkling eyes.

Roseanne smiled and nodded her head. "Shall we go?"

"Yaay!"

"What about cookies?" She asked.

"Mommy, we will have cookies with Coco, at home."

"Alright!"

"Can we also have hot chocolate?"

"I can't see why you can't have it."

"I love you, mommy!"

"I love you too, my Little Lion."

Family meet

At the exit of the airport.

A woman dressed in a long black winter coat walked elegantly towards the exit gate. Her long legs were looking sexy as she was rocking her winter boots. Her long red hair was kept open and to make her more attractive she was wearing a beret cap. She exuded a confident and alluring aura as she walked past the crowd who couldn't help but look at her.

The woman was so gorgeous with her fair skin, pale blue eyes, long beautiful and healthy red hair and freckles trailing her cheeks and nose that one couldn't help but wonder if it was stardust.

It wasn't just her who was capturing all the attention, it was also the cute toddler who was holding her finger. Leon knew that his mommy was the prettiest woman in the world and it was fine with him when people stare at her because beautiful things are meant to be seen. Just like his mommy.

The people were in awe of the little boy who walked as if he owned the world. The little prideful boy was too much for people's hearts to handle.

"Mommy, Coco!" Leon pointed out at the other side where a little girl appeared with a tall and handsome man.

"Coco!" Leon yelled.

Coco heard her brother's voice and looked at him. She saw both her brother and mommy standing together. She gave a quick glance at her father asking if she could go to them and Nathaniel nodded his head.

"Mommy, "The adorable girl ran towards her mommy. As she reached her mother, the latter engulfed her in a big hug. "Mommy, I missed you."

"I missed my Little Fairy too, "Roseanne answered. "How was your vacation?"

"Mommy, please scold daddy later for me. He didn't take me to a lot of places. I had to stay in hotels a lot, "Coco complained, cutely.

Roseanne looked at Nathaniel with fake anger and asked, "Nathan, how can you do this to our Coco? You should have brought her to all the places. We three will go on vacation and leave you in hotel rooms."

"Yes, mommy, "Coco harrumphed. After a while, she said, "Mommy, I wanna visit the restroom." "Why didn't you tell me? We just walked past one on the way, "Nathan asked his daughter.

"Daddy, you can't enter the ladies washroom, "Coco sighed. "When will you follow the rules? Coco feels embarrassed to go to the restroom with Daddy."

Nathaniel let out an exasperated sigh, "

Roseanne said to him, "Nathan, why don't you load the luggage in the car while I take Coco to the restroom. Leon, be with Nathan. Don't wander here and there."

"Okay, mommy, "Leon spoke like a good boy.

While Nathaneil was loading luggage in the car Leon wandered off to the other side of the airport as he saw a very eye-catching car parked there. He was addicted to car racing and loved all the coolest cars. This car was the same car that his favorite racer drove. It slipped his mind what his mother asked him to do and walked to the other side.

As he was walking to that side, he collided with long and hard legs and fell on the ground. "Ah, "Leon groaned.

"Are you okay, kid?" A very dark and scary voice asked him.

As Leon looked up, he saw a man dressed in a black suit. This man was very tall and robust just like Nathaniel, Leon noted. He exuded a cold aura when he looked at the boy.

When the boy looked back at the man, he was struck by the familiar face that brought him to his deepest and painful memories. He found himself caring for the boy just because he reminded him of someone very close to his heart.

"Where are your parents?" The man asked.

"I didn't get lost, "The boy replied. "I am here to see this car."

The boy pointed at the red Ferrari. "Is it yours?"

"No, " the man answered. He didn't use such flashy cars.

"Okay, then move, "Leon said and went to look at the car from close.

"Do you like this car?" The man asked the boy whose face scrunched up to show his annoyance. For some reason, he liked annoying the little kid acting like a man.

"If I didn't, why would I be here?" Leon rolled his eyes and said flatly.

"Fair enough, " the man's lips twitched.

On the other hand, when Roseanne and Coco came from the restroom, they didn't find Leon with Nathan who was still loading the luggage.

"Where is Leon?" Roseanne asked.

"He will be here seeing the cars, "Nathan answered. "He is a smart boy. He will not wander off anywhere."

Roseanne sighed. "You are right." She saw her son with two men whose only silhouettes were visible to her.

"Coco, go call your brother, "Roseanne said.

"Okay, mommy, "Coco went to call her brother .

"Leon!" Coco came shouting. "Mommy is calling for you!"

When she saw that her brother was talking to unknown people, she said, "Why are you talking to strangers ? Didn't mommy ask us to not do that? What if he kidnaps you and calls our mommy for ransom? Our mommy will have to sell our coffee shop to free you, dummy."

Leon exasperated with his sister's loud mouth. "Let's go!"

On the way back, he chided her, "Coco, we can't tell people that we are poor. It's a secret that stays in the family only."

"Oh, is that so?" Coco asked, thinking deep.

"Yes, next time don't do this."

Behind him, the man named Johnson asked, "I wonder what amused Mr Hart?" Nicholas let out a hearty laugh. "Kids can be quite adorable."

"I have three. All I can say is that they are pain in the ass, "Johnson answered with a sigh.

Nicholas didn't say anything. He just looked at the family of four from far away. He could not make out the faces of the parents as they were facing the other side. All he could say was that the mother had red hair and the father looked like a handsome man. He saw the father putting kids in the Cadillac and then sat in the passenger seat while the woman sat in the driver's seat. For some reason, he couldn’t help but want to see the woman's face.

Perhaps, it was the boy who resembled his late wife so much that he couldn't help but wonder if his mother was her. Before he could delve in Anne Rose's memories, he heard Johnson say, "Mr Hart, Miss Taylor is calling you."

Nicholas' face broke into a small smile as he heard that Sabrina was calling him. "Tell her that we are leaving the airport and will be reaching her soon."

Meanwhile, Coco and Leon were sitting on the backseat while Roseanne was driving and Nathaniel was sitting in the passenger seat.

"How is the cafe doing?" Nathaniel asked. Five years ago, he fabricated Roseanne Deluca's identity and gave a new life to Anne Rose. He created a solid background for her. Whereas she changed her physical looks entirely by dying her hair red and changing her style over all. He could no longer guess that she was the same woman from five years ago.

He not only made a fake identity for her but invested in a cafe which she had been running. She had worked quite hard and made it a successful business. Today, the cafe had ten branches in the country that she was running. The woman surprised him with her business mind.

Anne Rose was a woman who was deprived of opportunities to showcase her best talent but Roseanne Deluca knew her worth and talents. Single handedly, she had raised two kids and was managing a successful business. In the world's eyes, she was a mother to two children while he was their father. Some years ago, they got divorced and now they are co-parenting

their kids together. When the truth was that Leon was her son with Nicholas Hart and Coco was his biological daughter. Coco lacked a mother and Leon lacked a father and both Anne and Nathaniel came to a decision that they would become parents to these children.

On the backseat, Leon whispered in Coco's ears, "What did you find out?"

"Your biological father lives in the USA, "Coco whispered in Leon's ear. "I tried to spy on my father but it became very hard. Our parents don't treat us as babies. They are always very careful in front of us."

"I tried to inquire about Gmaa but she is a hard nut to crack, "Leon whispered back. "Coco, I know that your real mother is in the USA too. That's why Daddy didn't want to take you there."

"Will we ever find out about our father and mother?" Coco whispered, sadly.

"We will, "Leon said, stubbornly. "We will find them and ask them why they hurt our mommy and daddy. We will show them that just because they abandoned us we still lived a good life."

"I want to meet my father and tell him that it is his loss not mine and mommy's, "Leon said, pridefully.

Coco sadly whispered, "I just want to ask my mother why she hurt my daddy."

The two kids hugged each other and vowed to find those two people and make them regret their decision.

Life About To Change

“We reached home,” Coco and Leon said as they entered the doors of their home.

Roseanne looked at the kids and said, “Leon and Coco, go and wash up while I set the table for lunch.”

“Mommy, what about cookies?” Leon asked his mother. If his mother was thinking that he forgot about his cookies then she was very wrong. He never forgot about things that he liked. He got his sweet tooth from his mother and he loved any kind of sweet dish. Among all, his mother's cafe’s cookies were his favourite.

Roseanne let out a sigh, “Yes, Leon, Mommy did not forget about the cookies.”

This boy! His obsession with sweets runs deeper.

“Can we have it after lunch?” Leon asked quickly.

Roseanne told her son, “Sure but first go wash up.”

“Coco, let's wash our hands and then we will have cookies,” Leon said excitedly. Coco ran behind him after hearing this.

When the kids went to wash their hands, Roseanne turned to Nathaniel and asked, “How is Regina?”

The reason why Nathaniel went to the USA this time was to accompany Regina to meet a doctor. Regina had been sick for a year and her health had been deteriorating with each passing day. It hurt their hearts to see her suffering but there was nothing they could do for her.

Nathaniel answered her with a straight face, “There is no improvement in her health. We consulted the top oncologist in New York but they are of the same opinion as the doctors here.”

Roseanne’s face fell upon hearing this. “I wish there was something that we could do for her.”

Nathaniel said after a pause, “We can’t control death. Anyway, Regina does not want to travel back here. She says that her life is uncertain and it will be better if she finds peace there. We should not disturb her. If she wants to die there, we should let her be.”

Roseanne wanted to chide him for using harsh language for Regina but she didn't because she knew that it was Nathaniel’s nature to be apathetic about everything. He could say cruellest things with a straight face. She couldn't say that he was a kind man but he was kind to her and it was enough for him. Perhaps, he cared for her because she was Coco’s mother. Regina was nobody to him and she could not expect him to feel the same things as her.

“Must she stay in the USA?” Roseanne asked him. It would be better if Regina came to stay with them here. This way, she could take care of Regina and repay her for saving her life. If it was not for Regina, she would not be able to live this peaceful life here in this country. She would have been long killed with her son. Fortunately, Regina saved her and today she had two beautiful kids and a family that she always craved for. She wanted Regina to feel the joy of family and not return to the USA as that place was the beginning of everyone's nightmares.

Nathaniel stared at a wall blankly and said, “Just because it holds bad memories for us does not mean everyone has the same memories associated with the country.”

“You are right,” She reluctantly agreed. Just because the USA was the beginning of her nightmares didn't mean the same for Regina.

After a while, he began to say, “I want to talk to you about your father—”

Roseanne looked at him frustrated and said, “Nathan, please I told you so many times that I don’t want to talk about him. I no longer wish to see him or hear of him. His daughter died a long time ago.”

She told him many times that she did not want to talk about her father. Since he cut all ties with her, she did not want to include him in her life either. She had enough lies and deceit. She did not want such people in her life who had nothing but trouble to bring to her life.

“It's important. He is—” Before he could say anything, the kids' voice was heard.

“Mommy. Daddy!”

Roseanne told him, “The kids are here and we should not talk about these forbidden topics when they are around. I don’t want them to hear anything and get curious. You know how Leon is. If he gets curious about something, he will want to know about it.”

Nathaniel did not say anything after this and nodded his head. He did not want his kids to know about such forbidden topics too.

“Mommy, where are our cookies?” Leon asked. He was oblivious to the conversation between two adults.

Roseanne rolled her eyes. “What's the rush? Have your lunch first.” She looked at Coco and said, “Baby, I made your favourite pizza. I missed you so much.”

“Thank you, Mommy,” Coco smiled brightly at her. “I missed you too!”

The family started their lunch. It was a joyful time for the four of them. Suddenly, Roseanne’s phone rang. She stood up to take the call.

“Yes, Maria,” Roseanne said over the phone. “There is a big order? Okay. How big is it?”

“Two hundred people?” Roseanne gasped. “Every morning?”

She was so thrilled about it, “Oh my God! That's such a big order.”

“What happened, Mommy?” Leon asked.

Roseanne looked at her family and said, “A new office for some fashion house has opened near our cafe. The owner came to our cafe one day when I wasn't there. She liked the coffee and made two hundred people’s orders for every morning for the indefinite future. Can you believe it?”

“That's great, Mommy.”

“Who is this person?” Nathaniel asked.

Roseanne asked the name and after getting an answer she replied, “It's someone who goes with Miss Taylor.”

“Miss Taylor?” Nathaniel whispered the name.

“Yes! Miss Taylor from La Grâce fashion house,” Roseanne answered. With a twinkle in her eyes, “It's such a good opportunity for our cafe.”

Her cafe was her pride and happiness. It gave her the confidence she had today. From being a meek young girl to a submissive wife to a confident entrepreneur, she had come a long way. If her twenty-year-old self could know that she would make such progress in future, she would be so shocked.

“Will you consider looking for this person on the internet?” Nathaniel suggested.

“Okay. I will, ”Roseanne gave him the answer, “Even I want to know about Miss Taylor. Nathan, I have a feeling that Miss Taylor is going to change my life.”

Avenge Your Wife?

“Nick?” Sabrina said his name with a wide smile as he entered the door. She ran to hug him. “I can't believe you are here.”

When the door rang, she was hoping that it was him. She had heard from his assistant that he was coming but now that he was in front of her eyes she could not believe it. Nevertheless, she was extremely happy to see him here.

Nicholas held her and said, “How can I be not here? You invited me of all people. If I won't come, who will?”

His tone was full of tenderness and patience. A few days back she sent him an invitation calling him for the grand inauguration of her fashion house. She had been working on it for quite some time. He was happy to be a part of her success. Thus, he wanted to be a part of her success.

Sabrina smiled widely at him. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

His words touched her heart and she could not help but hug him again. When he did things like this for her, it became very difficult for her not to worship this man who was nothing but kind and loving to her.

Or it was what Sabrina thought about him.

They took seats around the table and a server began serving them with drinks and food. They were casually enjoying chatting with each other as he asked, “When is the launch event?”

It would be silly to add but he didn't see the date and timings for the inauguration. He just knew that it was occurring someday this week.

Sabrina answered him, “It's this Friday evening.”

Nicholas nodded his head, “That's still two days away.” Taking a pause, he added, “ Anyways, since I was coming here, Johnson set up meetings with other clients. For the next two days, I will be meeting with them. Rest assured, I will reach for the launch event.”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, “Is it meeting with other clients or with other mafia bosses?”

She was taken aback by his actions when she realized that he had ulterior motives. It dawned on her that he didn't come for the genuine desire to be with her, but rather with specific plans in mind. Though she initially believed he came because he wanted to, the revelation left her disheartened. The joy of anticipating his visit for her sake now felt futile, overshadowed by the disappointment of his hidden agenda. Anyways, what could she do now?

Nicholas sighed, “Sabrina–”

He tried to explain but she didn't let him complete his words as she was hurt by him but she did not want to let him know about this either.

Such a complication made her heartache.

At this point, Sabrina had decoded all of his plot. She finally understood why he was in Italy. Still, it did not help stopping the hurt she was feeling.

She said, surprising him, “I also heard that there has been a movement in Italy and your people were killed here. Are you here for that?”

She was part of the same world he was. She knew the inside news very well. The news regarding the Hart family had reached her. No news related to him could escape her ears.

“Sabrina—” Nicholas tried to speak.

Feeling dejected, she sighed, “I knew it.”

Nicholas gently took her hand, prompting her to meet his gaze. As he held her, he softly spoke, "That's not the full story. I wouldn't miss this launch event for anything, especially since you've dedicated five years to it. You're my best friend, and I genuinely want to see you thrive and succeed."

He was not merely saying it for the sake of dissolving her anger. He meant every word he said. Sabrina had been his rock for these five years. She was his lover once upon a time but due to some reasons, they parted ways. However, when they met again, his world had flipped upside down. He lost his wife and he didn't know how to live after that. Sabrina emerged as his best friend at that time and helped him do better in life. He did not know what to do if it was not for her. For this reason, he would always be grateful to her.

His words melted her anger away. She was so weak against him. She could not even get angry at him. She pursed her lips. After a while, she said, “How long are you here for?”

“I don't know…” Nicholas answered. Genuinely, he did not know how long it would take him in Italy. He had been here for a mission. He was here to catch a man who was playing dead in the eyes of the world. Once he caught that man, he would be able to do the last remaining thing for his late wife. His Rose. His beautiful Rose. When she died, he promised that he would get her what she always wanted. What she prayed for every night. The freedom of his wife's father. He would catch that man and prove his father-in-law innocent. His wife was not here to see this but he knew that it would provide her great relief to know that her father was an innocent man and her father was finally free from the allegation of a wrong crime that he never committed.

Sabrina asked him, “How can you stay in Italy for long? If I remember the peace treaty that your father signed, your family can't stay here for long. The European Mafia will not allow it. I don't understand.”

There were many mafia families in the world. There were a couple of them in each continent. In America, the Hart family was one of them. Initially, there were three mafia families but one of them was dismantled a few decades ago and only two families survived. One was run by the Hart Family and another by the Wolfe family. It was a treaty signed by the American Mafia with the European Mafia families that they would not step foot in each other's land to terrorize their people or related activities. They were allowed for vacations, business trips or personal business but nothing that had anything to do with the Mafia. Even the number of days they could stay in a particular continent was fixed. And if they arrived, they had to inform each other.

As realization dawned upon Sabrina, she asked with wide eyes, “Please tell me that you are not here to start another war? Are you perhaps here to avenge your wife?”