Vivian threw her head back with a cry, her hands clutching his shoulders hard as she started to ride him. By the time she came in his arms, she was limp with exhaustion and she could only think longingly of sleep.
But her husband had other plans.
Bringing her back inside the house, the billionaire made love to her once more by the staircase and made her come again when they made it to the upper hallway. By the time his lovemaking came to an end, they had just made it to his bedroom, and dawn was already breaking outside their windows.
“Sleep in today,” he urged softly as he pulled the covers over her. “I can take Eula to school.”
She shook her head sleepily at him. “You’re too busy—-”
“While you’re barely able to keep your eyes open.” Luca placed a soft kiss on one naked shoulder. “If you truly wish to please me then do as I say, cara, and just sleep in.”
And so she did.
The house was quiet when Vivian woke up, and a quick check around the place told her that both Luca and Eula were indeed gone. Remembering last night’s marathon lovemaking made Vivian blush, but even so, she couldn’t stop happiness from unfurling inside of her.
How wonderfully cunning her husband was, to “punish” her in such a way.
But it was also uncanny, the way he had known she wouldn’t be able to feel right until she had done something to atone for her mistake.
After taking a shower and changing into a floral blouse and black skirt, Vivian looked at herself in the mirror, thinking, Forget about yesterday. Forget about the past. Today is the start of a new chapter in your life, Vivian Day-Valencia. From here on, your life will be a mistake-free zone, and you will work hard and succeed at becoming the ideal wife to Luca and mother to Eula.
She nodded determinedly. “Got that?”
Satisfied with her private pep talk, Vivian turned away and left the bathroom with her spirits fully restored. Disconnecting her phone from the charger, she checked it for messages but the first thing that caught her eye was the email from Google Alerts, telling her that there were about a hundred of articles suddenly posted about Luca’s ex-wife Maria.
Vivian chewed on her lip, torn with indecision.
Did this qualify as stalking? Yes.
Did this mean she was insecure about Maria? Yes.
So what was the best thing to do?
Delete the email without looking, obviously, Vivian thought.
That was the best thing to do, which was why she ended up doing the worst thing she could do.
Curiosity killed the cat, Vivian couldn’t help thinking as she clicked the message open.
Multiple headlines from different websites greeted her, but they all amounted to the same thing, and they all shared the same photo.
Vivian whitened.
It was a photo from Maria’s Instagram account, and it showed the older woman attending Eula’s school play.
The hashtag: #happyfamily
Chapter Seventeen
Vivian flashed Eula a smile, and the little girl smiled back at her. With classes starting late, she had just enough time to pick Eula up at school and drop her home before heading to class. Which was a good thing, she thought numbly, considering what she had found out this morning.
Vivian cleared her throat. “So…” How should she bring up Maria without sounding like she was an intrusive, jealous, insecure, and paranoid stepmother?
Eula looked at her expectantly. “So…” The little girl mimicked her voice perfectly, and despite everything Vivian couldn’t help grinning.
“You’re too cute.”
“You’re too cute also.”
Vivian wriggled her brows.
Eula wriggled her brows back at her.
“Why are you copying me?” Vivian asked laughingly.
She expected Eula to say something funny, but instead Eula said with quiet seriousness, “Because I want to be like you.”
Oh! Vivian’s eyes smarted at the unexpected words, and she drew the little girl close, hugging Eula tightly to her. “I love you, principesa.”
“I love you, Vivi.” Eula hugged her back just as tightly.
For a few moments, they stayed like that, with only the gentle hum of the air-conditioning breaking the silence within the Rolls Royce’s luxurious interior. Vivian absently watched the shadows play on the leather seats of the car as she struggled to keep all her worries at bay.
So what if Maria had come yesterday?
Maria was Eula’s birth mother, and she had every right to attend her daughter’s event if she wanted to. As a stepmother, Vivian had to understand—-
“Mummy was at school yesterday,” Eula suddenly said.
Vivian nearly jumped in her seat. “Really?” The word came out a croak.
Eula pulled away, looking up at Vivian as she continued in a noticeably wary tone, “She talked to me.”
“O-oh?” Vivian forced a smile. “That’s a great thing, isn’t it?” But the little girl didn’t answer, a withdrawn look crossing Eula’s face, and Vivian’s forehead creased. “Eula?”
Eula snuggled back to Vivian wordlessly, and when she looked down, the little girl had her eyes squeezed shut tightly, obviously pretending to sleep.