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Arcado’s POV
Brittany laughed as I tickled her sides; her laughter warmed my heart, and every time I looked at her, I was reminded of her mother. She was unquestionably a papa’s girl, and I wouldn’t trade my family for anything. They are my heart and soul, and anyone who even thinks of harming my family will be damned.
“Papa”, She squealed and squirmed away from my grasp.
“Ah-uh, you can’t get away from me, I’m the big bear.” “I rumbled, and a smile spread across my face as she laughed loudly.
“Pwease stop,” she exclaimed.
I let go of her form and stretched out my arms, and when she stood up from the bed, she ran into my arms. When I heard her sigh of content, her scent hit my nostrils and a grin spread across my face. Even though she was only three, she already felt like an adult, as if she were growing up too quickly.
It was the happiest moment of my life when she was born. I never imagined meeting such an amazing woman, marrying her, and having beautiful children, but here I am. The quiet room was filled with the sound of soft snores, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I felt her head rest on my shoulder.
I rose from my seat and walked to her crib. I carefully placed her in it and wrapped the duvet around her petite frame. She opened her eyes slightly and smiled before drifting off to sleep. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to gaze at her, and tears welled up in my eyes.
I was unable to imagine my life without my family, and I thanked God every day for them. I was a mess before I met Griselda, but when she came into my life, I began to change into a better man, not just for her, but also for myself. I leaned down and kissed her forehead, wiping away my tears.
“Thank you for making me the happiest man,” I said quietly.
I walked out of her room, giving her one last look. I walked into our own room, softly closing the door, and my breath was taken away by the sight before me. She sat in front of her vanity mirror, stroking her small baby bump and smiling wide.
“Hey, Mi Amore,” I said as I bent and wrapped my arms around her.
Our gazes collided, and I felt my heartbeat accelerate by the minute. Three years have passed, and she can still make me feel like a teenager. Her grin broadened as she turned to face me. I raised my hands to gently stroke her cheeks and tucked a strand of fallen hair behind her ear.
“He’s kicking like hell in there,” She laughed softly as she rubbed her stomach.
I placed my hand on her bump and listened carefully, and my wish was granted when I felt a kick. I looked down at Griselda with a huge grin on my face and clear adoration in my eyes. I wrapped my hands around her waist, capturing her lips with mine.
She stood up without breaking the kiss and reached up to grab my neck. With a moan, she drew me closer and intensified the kiss. Swiveling us around, I walked her backwards until her legs gently touched the bed’s edge.
She drew me on top of her and away from the kiss, falling backwards. She took a deep breath and stared into my soul. Her hands came up to cup my cheeks, and she kissed my brow.
“What was that for?” I inquired.
“For being you,” she replied simply.
I gave her a small smile and let my hands run down her body until they reached the hem of her dress. I tossed it aside and looked down at her full breasts, which were hidden beneath her bra. She took off my shirt and traced my tattoos without saying anything. Even after three years of marriage, she was still captivated by them.
As I unclasped her bra, I felt my cock tighten as I stared at her now fully exposed breasts. I smirked at her before dipping down and catching one of her nipples with my mouth. I sucked and licked as if my life depended on it, and her moans became more audible with each game I played with her.
My hands found their way inside her pantyhose, and I rubbed her clit to make her even more excited. I could tell she was soaked and ready for me. I smiled as her flushed face met mine, pleading with me to give her what she desired.
“Please, Arcado,” she begged, and that was my undoing.
I entered in one swift motion, removing her panties and my boxers, and both of us groaned at the contact. I rolled over and let her do whatever she wanted with me. Her breasts bounced up and down as she rode like a pro on my cock.
My one hand cupped her bump, while the other cupped her breast. I watched her face contort with delight as I met each of her thrusts. She looked down at me and leaned in to kiss my lips. Our tongues battled for supremacy, and neither of us gave up.
“Arcado, I’m about to come,” she exclaimed loudly.
I rubbed her clit in circles, thrusting into her tight core, until I saw her eyes roll in pleasure and knew she had come. As I felt myself coming, my cock throbbed and I let out a loud groan. She exhaled as she collapsed on top of me.
“I love you,” she said quietly.
“I love you too,” I said as I kissed her on the cheek, rolled us over, and drew her closer to me.
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Skyler’s POV
Her aura changed the moment she walked in; whoever had called her had obviously ruined her mood, but I wanted to make her feel better, so I placed my hand on her thigh under the table and smiled when she looked my way. I’d rub her thigh gently every now and then to make her feel safe.
I wanted to ask the question that had been bothering me since she returned, but I bit my lip to keep me from opening my mouth and spilling the question. I didn’t want to interfere with her private life, but something inside my head kept telling me that whoever had called her said something she didn’t like.
“Everything okay?” I asked, leaning over and looking at Donald and Chloe.
She gave me a small nod and returned her attention to her food. Her plate was nearly empty, but she continued to play with her fork, never eating the remaining food. Her muscles tensed, and she took a deep breath before briefly closing her eyes. While watching Donald and Chloe, my hand snaked around her waist, trying to comfort her discreetly.
When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I put down my fork to answer it. When I heard Dexter’s panicked voice, I stood up and started walking to the door. What Dexter said rendered me immobile.
“Come quickly, something happened to Griselda,” he yelled, and hung up before I could respond.
“Are you leaving already?” Amira’s voice drew my attention to her.
“Something came up, I’m sorry for cutting this short,” I forced a smile on my lips.
“Oh, well, it’s okay,” she said, sounding disappointed.
“I’ll call you,” I said as I bent down and kissed her on the cheek.
“OK,” she said softly as she closed the door behind me.
My heart and mind were racing with unwanted thoughts. I couldn’t imagine my life without Griselda; I didn’t like her at first, but as we got to know each other, she became like a little sister to me, and I couldn’t let anything happen to her. I got into my car, reversed out of the parking lot, and sped away, trying to get to her as soon as possible.
I parked my case and rushed out of the driver’s seat, taking the quickest route home. The guards were standing near the mansion with stoic expressions, but some of them were worried. I yanked the door open and dashed up the stairs to the doctor’s quarters.
When I saw Arcado and Brittany’s tear-stained faces, my heart broke. I ran up to them and enveloped Arcado in a hug. A sob ran through him, and he buried his face into my shoulders, seeking comfort that I knew only Griselda could provide.
“W-what happened to her?” I asked quietly, closing my eyes in anticipation of his response.
“I’m not sure, she was fine one minute and then she fainted,” He snorted and drew away.
I felt a tug on my jeans and looked down, my eyes glistening with tears as I saw Brittany trying to hold hers back. Picking her up, I gently placed her head on my shoulders and comfortingly patted her back.
“Papa won’t tell me, but mama will be fine, right?” her baby blues asked.
“Of course, she’s your mom after all,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.
A commotion drew our attention to the door, and Eli dashed in. When they laid on Brittany, his eyes scanned us and he dropped to the ground, balling his hands into fists. He stood up and rushed towards us a moment later.
“I just spoke to her on the phone 20 minutes ago and she sounded fine; how could she be in the hospital?” His lips quivered and he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.
Before any of us could say anything, the door opened and the doctor walked out. Arcado arrived in an instant and looked at the doctor with hopeful eyes. Sighing, the doctor rubbed his eyes.
“Nothing happened to her, right?” he inquired.
When he said, “We stopped the bleeding, but we don’t know when she’ll wake up,” a pin could be heard through the silence.
“Blood?” Eli hissed as he approached the doctor.
His hands tightened around Abraham’s neck and slammed him against the wall. As he tightened his grip on Abraham’s neck, his eyes turned murderous. I cast a glance at Arcado, who was burying his head between his legs.
“Snap out of it, Eli,” I growled, yanking him away from Abraham with an apologetic smile.
“When she fainted, it was due to her blood not flowing regularly, we got rid of the excess blood she had, but we don’t know when she”ll wake up, because she lost a lot of blood,” the doctor explained.
“But how about she and the baby?” I heard shuffling behind Abraham’s back, and my gaze shifted away from the doctor.
“They’re fine, which is good news,” Abraham said, nodding to Arcado.
“Can I see her?” Arcado inquired, and Abraham nodded.
Arcado gave us a sidelong glance before bursting through the door with Brittany. I sighed and sat in the waiting chair, closing my eyes. My ears and mind began to relax, but I couldn’t get rid of this strange feeling in my stomach that kept telling me something bad was going to happen soon.
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Amira’s POV
“What happened to the brave girl you used to be?” He hissed menacingly, staring into my eyes, hatred swarming in them, making breathing difficult.
“Please stop, it hurts,” I whimpered as he slapped me across the face.
As I crashed to the floor, unable to support my own weight, a smirk appeared on his lips. The excruciating pain seemed to grip my mind and body, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get up. My lips screamed in agony as he grabbed a fistful of my hair and slammed my head against the wall.
A warm liquid ran down my forehead and onto my cheeks. My vision became blurry, and I struggled to keep them open because I knew what he would do if I passed out. I knew in the back of my mind that I deserved it because I had been blinded by the man before me. When he kicked my stomach and bent down with a smirking face, I let out a scream.
“Oh, don’t cry now, it doesn’t look good on you,” he chuckled menacingly before kicking my stomach again and turning around to walk away.
As I saw him walk into the bedroom, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I winced as I slowly stood up from my position, pain coursing through my body. I took a deep breath and began to stand up, gripping the countertop. My eyes welled up with tears as I saw myself in the mirror.
The girl I once was was reduced to ashes in front of my eyes, and in her place, an emotionless one took over. It’s strange what fate has in store for us; I never imagined I’d be in this situation.
When I heard the bedroom door open, my thoughts came to a halt. My head snapped up, and I could see him clearly in the mirror. When my gaze traveled to his hands, his eyes burned me and I shivered in fear. Those long, soft, slender hands that had once held me now held a belt.
“Come here,” he hissed, grabbing my arms.
“No, no, please don’t do this; I’ll do whatever you want, just not this,” As he tossed me onto the bed, I let out a shriek.
He discarded my dress and glared at my body, not even listening to my pleas. I bit my lower lip to keep my whimper at bay and flinched when the belt made contact with my skin. When he turned me around and hit my breasts with it, I tried not to scream.
“This is what you get for not hearing a word I said, you’re nothing without me,” He roared, hitting me even harder.
As I continued to scream, tears streamed from my eyes and blood poured from my body. My throat closed up on its own, and I knew I was going to pass out at any moment. My eyes closed on their own, and a sense of calm washed over me as I imagined myself seeing my parents’ smiling faces.
How can a once-beautiful love turn into a colorless thing? He was always watching my every move, no matter how hard I tried to avoid him.
My eyes opened wide, and I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart. My mind raced with a million ideas, and tears streamed down my cheeks like a waterfall. I closed my eyes in relief as I clutched the bedsheets and looked around the familiar room. I assured myself that it was just a nightmare and slowly rose from the bed.
I ignored my reflection as I walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower. When the water became lukewarm, I ripped my clothes off and jumped into the shower. My tense muscles instantly relaxed, and I sighed as I leaned against the wall. That nightmare was a reality I created; it occurred when I attempted to flee from him, but, as he always said, he would find me and punish me until I passed out.
“You’re nothing without me,” His voice rang in my head, and a shiver passed through my body.
“You’re wrong, I’m stronger without you,” I said quietly to no one in particular.
When a knock on the door echoed throughout the room, I turned off the water. I stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around myself, and unlocked the door. Pale blue eyes met mine, worry etched on her face as she noticed my distraught expression.
“One of those days again?” she asked quietly, her eyes welling up with tears.
“Yeah, but you know, I always get over it,” I shrugged, but my mind demanded that I tell her the truth.
She drew me into her soft embrace and mumbled sweet nothings into my ears without saying anything. The tears fell once more, and no matter how hard I tried to stop them, they didn’t, instead falling even harder. I swallowed the lump in my throat and drew myself away from her, biting my lips enough to draw blood.
“What did he say the other day?” She rubbed my back gently and soothingly.
“He’s here,” My voice came out softly whispered.
“What?” she exclaimed, her eyes widening.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding my head.
“Oh my God, we have to relocate,” She paced around the small bathroom, mumbling incoherent words.
“W-we aren’t moving.” I stated as I stared at her trembling form.
Rather than me freaking out, she was doing it for both of us. I was unable to explain how I felt right now, but deep inside my heart, there was this fear eating away at me. But I had to be strong, I’m not going to let him bring me down, not now or ever.