Sixteen
Melanie
Shane squeezed my hand as we headed through the hospital hallway, sterile and tense. We approached Karl, who stood with a pained expression on his face. I had never seen Karl so visibly emotional. His usually cold demeanor was replaced by red-rimmed eyes and a narrowed forehead.
“How is he? Is he alive?” Shane’s voice was tense.
“Thank God he’s alive.” Karl let out a heavy sigh.
“What happened?”
“It’s my fault.” Karl’s gaze dropped.
“And how is it your fault, huh?”
“I shouldn’t have been so harsh on him.”
“Harsh?” Shane’s teeth gritted, stretching his neck. I felt his hand tightening around mine, the pulse in his neck throbbing. “Anders is a grown man. He should take responsibility for his actions. And you know what? This whole car crash seems fishy to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just another one of his tricks.”
Karl’s gaze landed on me, and I felt the awkward tension between us. It was as if the air had thickened, and I wasn’t sure what to do with myself.
“Shane.” His gaze was back on his son. “Please don’t say anything around Anders that could throw him off balance. At least for now. I’m genuinely worried about his mental health.”
Shane cleared his throat as if trying to fight the wrath brimming in him. “Can you see that he’s been playing everyone from the very beginning? This is just another one of his games.”
“I know what he did behind your back is inexcusable, and I blame myself for the hatred between my sons.” Karl sighed. For the first time, he seemed… helpless. “Shane, I don’t expect you to forgive him. I just want this war between you two to end.”
Shane exhaled heavily, rubbing his pulsing temples before setting his gaze on his father. “I got back with Melanie,” he spoke in a low tone.
Karl nodded, his gaze shifting to me and then Shane again. “I can see that.”
“Maybe it’ll be for the best if I take Melanie and Hope away for a few days. Disappear from Anders’ sight. I don’t want him near my family.”
“That might be a good idea,” Karl agreed.
Shane nodded. His body was tense, and despite the anger, maybe even hatred radiating from him, I found pain in his cold gaze. I saw the inner fight he was battling with himself reflecting in his eyes. He turned to walk away, leading me after him, my hand still in his. With a short exhale, he turned back to face Karl. “Keep me updated on Anders’ state.” His voice was low. “He’s my brother, after all. Even if I hate it at the moment.”
“I will.” A trace of a smile raised at the corners of Karl’s lips. His attention shifted to me. “I wish for the best for both of you.”
My lips pressed in a forced smile. I found it hard to believe. I nodded softly and followed Shane out.
Shane canceled all his meetings, securing a few days off from work, and the very next day, we were on his private plane on a flight to Miami. All three of us. Our first time as a family.
We have chosen a hotel by the ocean, with the soothing melody of crashing waves serenading the air. Our suite offered a captivating view of the ocean. It all felt so serene.
Every day in this paradise felt like a chapter from a fairy tale. Magical. We would spend our mornings exploring the city. In the afternoons, we would relax on the deck of Shane’s private yacht, relishing the sun.
Every moment of watching Shane embrace his role as a father made me smile. He was a natural. His interactions with Hope revealed a different side of him. A side I thought a dangerous man like him didn’t have. He had. A tender, loving, and caring side that melted my heart. The beach became our playground, filled with laughter and the building of sandcastles. I had never before seen Shane’s eyes sparkle with such a rare light and genuine happiness than when he spent time with his daughter. I tried to capture these moments in photographs and videos as if to freeze time.
With each passing day, it seemed like our bond grew stronger and our love deeper until it felt like nothing could ever tear us apart. This place would forever hold a special place in our hearts. We were creating memories as a family. Far, far away from all the secrets, lies, and intrigues we left behind. And it felt so refreshing. The only thing that reminded me of reality was a bodyguard who followed us everywhere like a ghost the entire time.
We settled into our chairs in a restaurant, our skin sun-kissed, hair tousled and gritty with sand after a day spent at the beach.
“I had a lot of fun tomorrow!” Hope exclaimed.
“You should’ve said you had a lot of fun today, sweetheart.” Shane chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Tomorrow is the day that comes after today.”
Hope giggled mischievously. “I know, Daddy. I was just teasing you guys.”
Shane and I exchanged amused glances, our brows raising before bursting into laughter.
“A smartie, just like your mommy,” Shane teased with a playful glimmer in his eyes.
“She may be a smartie like her mommy, but she is undeniably such a daddy’s girl.” She was, and I loved it.
“Will Daddy live with us from now on?” Hope surprised us with the sudden question.
Shane and I exchanged a fleeting glance before he turned to her. “Would you like that, princess?”
Hope’s eyes sparkled with excitement I’d never seen before. “Yes!”
Shane planted a tender kiss on her forehead, his hand caressing her cheek. “We’ll see what we can do about it.” Hope beamed.
“What do you want to eat, Hope?” I asked, shifting the conversation.
Although things between Shane and me had improved, and we were back together, we hadn’t talked about the future yet, and I didn’t want him to make any decisions only because of Hope.
“I want a cupcake!” Hope clapped her hands.
I giggled, knowing it was my turn to take the role of a responsible parent. “A cupcake is a dessert, love. You can have it after you eat something nutritious first.”
A waiter came by, and his voice reached me from behind, “Are you ready to order?” My heart skipped a beat. The voice was so familiar. Too familiar.
No, it couldn’t be.
My mind raced as the familiar voice triggered a cascade of memories. With my heart pumping in my chest, I slowly turned to face him, and my eyes met the person I least expected to see in Miami. Austin. My fleeting fling from my days back in Malta. In an instant, my cheeks flushed red. I was well aware that Shane wasn’t a saint during our time apart, and Austin meant nothing to me. He was just a fleeting, inconsequential fling. It was just sex. No strings attached. No emotional connection. And yet, I couldn’t help but feel so damn awkward.
“Are you okay, Melanie?” Shane followed my gaze and looked at Austin with a kind of suspicion in his eyes.
“Melanie? Is it you?” Austin beamed as his eyes met mine.
I managed a forced smile. “Austin, hey.”
My gaze involuntarily wandered toward Shane, who couldn’t suppress a subtle tightening in his jaw. His sun-kissed skin seemed to intensify the deep shade of blue in his eyes, now flickering with a hint of jealousy.
Unfazed, Austin added with a half-smile, “Wow, what are the odds? Running into you here.”
“Yeah, what a small world,” I replied, desperately trying to dispel the unease. My gaze shifted toward the menu, hoping to steer the conversation away from the not-so-expected encounter, but Austin didn’t seem to take the hint.
“What are you doing in Miami?” he asked, completely ignoring Shane or Hope. “You disappeared a few months ago with no word. Everyone was worried about you.”
“What do you want to eat, baby?” Shane interfered. The word ‘baby’ rolled off his tongue with an intentional emphasis, his gaze flickering toward Austin.
Austin cleared his throat, and his gaze dropped to the notebook in his hand. “Excuse me. I’m ready to take your order.”
I quickly picked a Mediterranean-style quinoa bowl for myself and broccoli egg muffins for Hope. I felt so damn awkward.
Austin turned to Shane. “Sir?” His tone was harsh.
“I’ll take the same as my beautiful lady,” he stated with a side smirk, handing the menu back to Austin. He reclined in his chair, his gaze boring into Austin. And believe me, his gaze can be intimidating. Austin swiftly took the menu and rushed away, leaving behind that awkwardness that settled over me.
“So… where do you know each other from?” Shane asked, his head cocking.
I took a moment to collect my thoughts. “We used to work together at a restaurant back in Malta.”
“Was he something more to you?” He leaned forward. “There’s tension between you two.”
What else could I’ve expected? Shane had always read me like an open book. Or any other person, for that matter. Considering his position, I suppose it was only natural he had that invigilating skill. “We had a… fling.” My heart was pounding. “But he didn’t mean anything to me. It was just—” I was about to say ‘sex,’ but I looked at Hope engrossed in her drawings with the crayons Shane must’ve given her that I hadn’t noticed.
Shane nodded, his head tilting. His gaze pierced right through me. Leaning even closer, he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, his husky voice soothing, “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Let bygones be bygones.”
A soft smile played on my lips, but a furrow formed on my brow, “Sooo… Aren’t you jealous?”
Shane’s lips curled into a smirk, revealing his gorgeous white teeth. Every time he would smirk in such a way, my knees would turn to jelly. “I didn’t say that,” he teased.
I studied his face, attempting to break the puzzle he’d always been to me. A mystery I could never solve. This man was an enigma to me, and everyone else.
“You are here with me now, and that’s what matters to me,” he said in his low, husky tone. “I have you and our daughter by my side. You chose to be with me and not any other man. This has to mean something, no?”
My eyes brightened up, and a smile painted my face. “I love you, Shane,” I muttered softly, and Shane ran his teeth over his bottom lip. It was so damn sexy.
“I love you, baby.”
I missed it. The way he called me ‘baby’ with his husky tone and a flame of desire in his eyes.
Out of nowhere, Hope chimed in, “You may now kiss the bride!” The infamous line, combined with the innocence in her voice, drew another round of laughter from all of us.
I felt complete. Grateful for the family we were building together.
Back at the hotel, Shane tucked Hope into bed. She demanded he would do so each night, and I would joke I was being replaced. But I didn’t mind. I glanced through the slightly ajar door of her room in the suite. A soft smile played on my lips, watching her nightly ritual of insisting on Daddy reading her a bedtime story before drifting off to sleep.
I went to the bathroom to freshen up and do my evening beauty routine when Shane’s husky voice reached me from behind. The warmth of his body against mine sent shivers down my spine.
“She fell asleep,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.
I nibbled my lower lip, a soft smile forming as Shane planted kisses along the side of my neck, drawing me closer into his embrace. I looked at our reflection in the mirror, sinking in his arms. “Did she?” I teased.
Shane’s hand roamed up my thigh, slowly, teasingly, higher and higher, sliding underneath my silky robe, his touch igniting a fire within me. “Now that our little princess is asleep, I have a few ideas in mind,” he murmured suggestively, sending goosebumps across my skin.
“Oh, yes?” I murmured.
Teasingly, Shane traced his tongue along my earlobe, sending a jolt of desire coursing through me. “Oh, yes,” he growled, spinning me around to face him, our gazes locking.
His fingers trailed a tantalizing path from my neck to my belly, each touch igniting a spark of lust.
“Why resist, then?” I bit my lip, maintaining eye contact and a deep growl rumbled down Shane’s throat.
His gaze roamed my body before meeting mine with a smirk, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip. Drawing me closer, he whispered against my ear, his touch sending shivers down my spine. “The only thing I can’t resist in this life is you, Melanie.” He suckled my earlobe, sending a jolt of electricity down my spine. “You’re my undoing I can’t resist.”
With each soft, wet kiss he trailed down my neck, the tension between us intensified. My breath slowed and deepened as desire ignited within me.
His warm breath against my skin sent shivers cascading through my body. The gentle yet teasing caress of his fingers kindled my desire. I gasped sharply as his hand moved to my inner thigh, the sensation building with each inch it climbed. He lifted his eyes, burning like a flame, to meet mine, shoving his fingers inside me, making me release a gasp. His fingers pushed deeper, sending waves of pleasure surging through me.
“I want you, Shane,” I pleaded, drowning in the intoxicating lust between us.
With a swift motion, Shane spun me around again so that I was again my back to him, our reflections meeting in the mirror. A loud groan escaped my lips at the first, deep thrust inside me. Shane covered my mouth with his hand to muffle the sounds. His other hand slid under my belly, guiding my movements, matching with his. As our bodies melded together, my breath, heavy and rugged, seemed to blend with Shane’s seamlessly. I supported myself on the marble countertop, watching the reflection of our bodies in the mirror, moving in sync as he drove me to ecstasy.
The following day was our last day in this place thatbecame our haven. We woke up early to watch the sunrise on the beach. All three of us together. A family. My family. I wished we could stay here forever and continue to live this idyllic life. However, as the saying goes. There’s always a calm before the storm. Our days here were calm before everything started falling apart again, all at once like a destructive hurricane.
“It’s Elena,” Shane said, his expression grave as he handed me the phone after a brief conversation. “She wants to talk to you.”
Taking the phone, my gaze flickered between Shane, who took Hope from my arms, and the device pressed to my ear. “Elena?” I greeted, my voice hesitant.
I heard a heavy breath on the other end, followed by Elena’s gravelly tone. “Melanie, your mother is here. She wants to meet you. She begged me to call you and relay the message so you can schedule a meeting when you’re back in New York.”
My blood ran cold. My mother? That was the last thing I expected. I couldn’t believe my ears. I struggled to process the news. My heart started pounding in my chest. The world around me seemed to spin. I had come to terms with being disinherited by my parents. I had accepted that I had no family left. And now this.
“Melanie?” Elena’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Are you there?”
I glanced at Shane. He held Hope in his arms, worry etched in his eyes. I saw a man who cared for his daughter. A man who wouldn’t hesitate to kill in a heartbeat. Just to make sure his child was safe. Not because he was a dangerous criminal, but because he was a father.
“Tell her that I don’t want to see her. Ever again.” I ended the call hastily, running my hands through my hair.
The only family I had was here with me. With my daughter now in my life, I was even more resentful toward my parents. How could they reject their own child, treating me as though I were disposable? I loved Hope more than anything. I’d die for her. I wanted to give her the world, the love she deserved, and make her feel loved and wanted, protected.
I felt Shane’s hand gently weaving through my hair as he embraced me, planting a comforting kiss on my forehead.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here,” he whispered. His voice was like a soothing remedy to my broken soul. I tried not to break, not to cry in front of Hope, but tears were streaming down my cheeks already. I couldn’t prevent it.
“Why are you crying, Mommy?” Hope asked shyly, her small hand tenderly stroking my hair.
I took a deep breath, trying to blink away the tears. “It’s nothing, sweetie.” I gently caressed her cheek before glancing at Shane. “Could you please bring me a glass of water from the bar?” I mustered a smile.
I knew Shane would understand me and no words were needed. I wanted him to take Hope away for a brief moment so I could calm my nerves, and I knew he picked up on it. I saw it in his eyes. He nodded and kissed my forehead once more before carrying Hope toward the nearby bar.
I turned to the ocean, its vast expanse stretching out before me. The soothing breeze and rhythmic waves crashing against the shore never failed to calm my racing thoughts.
“Melanie.” A firm grip on my elbow startled me. I looked up to meet Austin’s dark brown eyes, his black brows furrowed. “We need to talk.”
“Don’t touch me!” I tried to yank out of his grip, but it only tightened.
My eyes met with the bodyguards, who wanted to react immediately, but I shook my head. I wanted to handle Austin on my own. I knew he wouldn’t cause any harm.
“You didn’t mention your baby daddy is some big shot,” he spoke in a tone that made my skin crawl.
“I didn’t think I owed you any explanations,” I retorted.
“Well, you did. You left with no word. Now, you seemed to be embarrassed of me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Austin leaned in closer. His presence loomed over me like a stormy cloud about to unleash its fury. “Is it his money that made you get back with him?”
I felt disgusted at his insinuation. I shook my head and squinted. “You know nothing about me or my life. Now, let go of me,” I demanded, struggling against his hold.
Before I could break free, Shane hissed from behind Austin, his voice laced with danger as he held Hope by her hand. “Keep your hands off my woman.”
But it worked. In an instant, I saw the shift in Austin’s expression, a flash of dread replacing his earlier insolence. And he let me go.
“Good boy,” Shane hissed.
Austin turned to face him. “Who do you think you are, dude?” Bad move.
Shane scoffed, though his eyes blazed with lethal anger. “Listen, dude, because I give warnings only once.” He leaned close to Austin’s ear, probably so Hope wouldn’t hear, speaking in a dangerously low tone. “Touch her again, and I’ll break your hands.”
Austin took a hesitant step back as if to distance himself from Shane, who held his gaze, his eyes piercing. There he was. My big bad wolf. I realized I loved it. I loved the danger in him, the rush he was giving me. I loved it from the start. Perhaps, it was one of the reasons I felt so attracted to him. Because despite the huge red flag he was, he was giving me a sense of security I’d never had before.
“Be grateful my daughter is watching, or it wouldn’t be just a nice talk,” Shane added, unfazed.
Austin looked at me with a questioning look in his eyes, and I couldn’t resist mocking, “He’s not joking.” My lips fought back a smirk. “He’s an unpredictable psycho.” I shrugged.
Austin’s jaw clenched and his gaze dropped to the ground before he walked away, muttering something under his breath. My gaze locked with Shane’s. My hero. My knight in shining armor. And my wicked villain. All in one. All mine.