My marriage was a cold, three-year cage. Then I found out I was pregnant with octuplets and received a $200 million divorce offer from my CEO husband. I took the money and ran. Now, I’ve got a new life, and the most powerful man in New York has shown up on her new doorstep, soaked to the bone, desperate to win back the family he never knew he was losing. But Aria’s done playing by his rules. This time, she’s the one in control.
#ModernDrama #EliteFamilies #FledWithHisEightChildren #DivorceDrama #CEOAndFamily #NewBeginnings #RevengeAndLove #AriaInControl #RomanticDrama #FamilySecrets
#ModernDrama #EliteFamilies #FledWithHisEightChildren #DivorceDrama #CEOAndFamily #NewBeginnings #RevengeAndLove #AriaInControl #RomanticDrama #FamilySecrets
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00:03One, two, three, four, five.
00:10I lay completely still, staring at the ceiling, my mind going blanker with every number.
00:15He finally set down the probe.
00:18Mrs. Shaw? Eight! Eight embryo sacs, all developing normally.
00:23My hand slowly drifted to my stomach, still flat, but somehow, eight lives were already there.
00:30The Shaw women had always been famously fertile.
00:32My mother delivered twins.
00:34My aunt had triplets in one go.
00:36But no one could have predicted that when it came to me, I'd skip straight to eight.
00:40The clinic was warm, but I felt only a cold gray settling over everything ahead of me.
00:46Would Lucian even want these children?
00:48He could barely stand to look at me on a normal day.
00:52And the Ford family?
00:53Would they ever acknowledge children I carried?
00:56Eight children.
00:58Formula, diapers, nannies, school fees.
01:02Every single item on that list was an astronomical figure.
01:07My own family was ordinary.
01:09I had no allies.
01:11What did I have to raise them with?
01:12The more I thought, the heavier it got.
01:15I walked back through the doors of the Ford estate.
01:18Then Leo appeared, Lucian's assistant.
01:20The CEO has spoken.
01:23Give you $200 million.
01:24Sign and never return.
01:32$200 million.
01:34I could raise eight children in luxury, send every one of them to private school, and still have plenty left
01:41over.
01:41What did I care about the title of Mrs. Ford?
01:44What did I care whether Lucian liked me?
01:47I had Leo arrange the transfer right then and there.
01:50And right in front of him, I signed the divorce papers, without a single moment of hesitation.
01:55I went back upstairs, packed only what was mine.
01:58The couture gowns, jewelry, and designer bags from the Fords.
02:02I left every piece untouched, right where it was in the dressing room.
02:07What wasn't mine, I didn't want.
02:09I collected the check and the divorce papers, wheeled my suitcase to the door,
02:14walked out of the Ford estate with my head held high.
02:17That wealthy world I once thought so far beyond my reach.
02:21Looking back, it was all just a passing illusion.
02:24From this moment on, there was no more Mrs. Ford.
02:27There was only Aria Shaw and the eight little lives she was carrying.
02:32Later, word spread across the entire city.
02:35Lucian Ford, the man who never hesitated, never wavered, had suddenly lost his mind.
02:44Immediately mobilize all lemping and resources.
02:46Find her for me.
02:47You find her, don't expect any of you to be okay.
02:50He was hellbent on finding her, his ex-wife.
02:54The one who'd taken his money, run off carrying eight of his children, and never once looked back.
03:01I walked out of the Ford estate and flagged down a car straight to the private bank.
03:05I converted Lucian's check into a card I could access anytime.
03:09With that done, I booked a first class flight to Savannah.
03:12Then I stopped at a luxury car rental and got their best vehicle.
03:17Once I was in the car, I went straight to my parents' place.
03:22Then they noticed I was alone with a suitcase, and the smiles froze.
03:26They knew immediately that something was wrong.
03:29When I told them Lucian and I were divorced, Mother teared up at once.
03:32She took my hands and couldn't stop crying.
03:35Father slammed his hand on his knee, grabbed his cane by the door, and headed for the Ford estate,
03:41his whole body shaking with fury.
03:43That heartless man.
03:45Even if he didn't care for you, he had no right to treat you this way.
03:51I'm going over there right now. This is outrageous.
03:56Dad, Mom, don't.
03:58Leaving him is a relief for me, not a loss.
04:01He gave me $200 million.
04:04That's more than enough for all of us, for the rest of our lives.
04:08I'm carrying eight children.
04:12I can't put them at risk.
04:15Besides, Lucian's been overseas on business.
04:19He's not even in the city.
04:21If we go over there now, we'll only make a scene for nothing.
04:25Hearing the octuplets, they stood there stunned for a long moment, not quite able to process it.
04:30But their love for me, and for the children I was carrying, won out over their anger.
04:35My parents had spent their whole lives running a small diner.
04:38They asked for nothing more than peace and quiet.
04:42Now I had money, and a family on the way.
04:44Leaving this city that had drained me so much was the best thing for all of us.
04:48We packed the few belongings, got into the rented car, and drove to the airport.
04:53The city's glitter and its games had nothing to do with me anymore.
04:57Back at the Ford estate, a very different scene was playing out.
05:01The divorce papers and the check had never come from Lucian.
05:05They had come from Camille Sutton.
05:08Camille shared no blood with Lucian.
05:10She had been taken in by Eleanor as a child and raised in their home.
05:15She had loved Lucian for as long as she could remember,
05:18and she had always seen me as a thorn in her side.
05:22She knew Lucian was away on an overseas project.
05:25She knew Eleanor was the one running the estate in his absence.
05:28She knew I was just a girl from an ordinary family.
05:32She convinced herself I'd clung to Lucian by any means necessary.
05:37To her, our marriage was nothing but a face-saving arrangement for both families.
05:42So she had made her move.
05:44She had someone mimic Lucian's tone and send me the message.
05:48She had paid off Leo to deliver the divorce papers.
05:52She was certain I had married into the Ford family only for money and status.
05:57She was sure that once I got divorce papers, I would fall apart, cry, beg, refuse to leave.
06:05Then she would step in and play the gracious peacemaker to show everyone how generous she was
06:12and turn the whole family against me for good.
06:15But she had calculated wrong.
06:17At that moment, she was drinking tea with Eleanor in the garden.
06:21Don't worry, Mrs. Ford.
06:23Aria fought so hard to marry into this family.
06:26She's probably in her room, throwing a fit and refusing to leave.
06:32I'll go calm her down later.
06:34It'll show everyone how gracious the Fords are.
06:40A nobody from a nobody family, and she thought she deserved to be Mrs. Ford.
06:46Getting thrown out is exactly what she brought on herself.
06:50Just then, the housekeeper Martha hurried across the garden.
06:54Mrs. Ford.
06:54Miss Camille.
06:56Miss Camille.
06:57Miss Shaw is gone.
06:58She packed only a few of her belongings.
07:01She didn't take a single piece of jewelry or designer clothing.
07:04She just left.
07:05Camille's hand paused on her teacup.
07:07Her lips curved into a faint smirk.
07:10She told herself I was playing hard to get.
07:13Running away to make Lucian chase.
07:15But Eleanor's face drained of color.
07:17The crystal teacup slipped from her hand.
07:20What did you say?
07:21She just left?
07:23All those valuables in this house, and she didn't take a single thing?
07:27It's true, Mrs. Ford.
07:29We all saw it clearly.
07:31Miss Aria only took her own luggage.
07:33She didn't touch a thing that belonged to the family.
07:36Eleanor stood up abruptly.
07:37She hurried straight to the master bedroom I'd been staying in.
07:41Camille followed close behind.
07:43Composed on the surface, something uneasy stirring underneath.
07:47My room had always been simple and tidy.
07:50Now, it was just empty.
07:52Every item that belonged to the Fords was still hung in the walk-in closet.
07:56Only my few casual clothes and a small stack of old books were gone.
08:02Eleanor had the rest of the estate checked immediately.
08:05The staff came back with the same answer.
08:08Miss Aria had taken only what belonged to her.
08:11Not a single item from the Ford family had been touched.
08:14Eleanor stood in the middle of the empty room.
08:17Her face paled, then turned ashen.
08:20Rage and something unnameable churned inside her.
08:25Ungrateful girl.
08:26Fine!
08:27She left!
08:28What's she proving putting on such a holiest-than-though act?
08:32But she knew better than anyone what she thought of me.
08:35That I had stayed for the money.
08:37That I had clung to the Ford name because I had nowhere else to go.
08:41And now, I had walked away without taking a thing.
08:45It felt like a slap across the face.
08:47The household staff stood with their heads down, not daring to breathe.
08:52No one had expected that kind of dignity from me.
08:55They had all quietly looked down on.
08:58Camille moved quickly to Eleanor's side.
09:00Mrs. Ford, please don't upset yourself.
09:05Aria's leaving just shows she didn't belong in this family.
09:08I'm here.
09:09I'll always be here for you.
09:20You're the thoughtful one.
09:22A hundred times better than that Aria ever was.
09:25She made a pretty speech about not wanting anything from us.
09:28But didn't she walk out with two hundred million dollars of Lucian's money?
09:31Deep down, she's just as greedy as everyone else.
09:35Two hundred million dollars?
09:38She stood frozen where she was, the blood draining from her face.
09:42She had only paid off Leo.
09:44She had only mimicked Lucian's tone.
09:47Sent the message.
09:48Had the papers delivered.
09:50She had never had any access to Lucian's accounts.
09:54Two hundred million dollars was something she couldn't have touched if she'd tried.
09:59So who had sent that money?
10:01A terrible thought detonated somewhere deep in her chest.
10:05A wave of cold dread swept through her entire body.
10:09Her plan had been simple.
10:11Make me fall apart after the divorce.
10:14Make everyone despise me.
10:16Clear the path for herself.
10:18But instead, I had walked out clean and calm.
10:22Carrying the money and vanished completely.
10:25None of this was what she had planned.
10:27Camille kept the smile on her face.
10:30But her fingertips were ice cold.
10:32And her heart had dropped.
10:34By then, I had already arrived in Savannah with my parents.
10:38Warm.
10:39Unhurried.
10:39No pressure.
10:41No scheming.
10:42Nothing that seeped into New York's walls.
10:44It was exactly the kind of place I had been longing for.
10:48I bought a penthouse right in the heart of the city.
10:51Generous light.
10:52Open space.
10:53More than enough room for eight children to grow and run and make noise.
10:58The interiors were warm and comfortable.
11:00Heated floors.
11:01The whole place breathing ease.
11:09Outside, the city moved.
11:12Inside, my parents' voices were low and easy.
11:15No cold rules.
11:17No judgment.
11:18Just warmth and calm.
11:22My mind clear for the first time in ages.
11:25When the babies came, I would be here.
11:28I would watch them grow.
11:29I would take them everywhere and give them everything.
11:34I would never have to answer to anyone again.
11:37I would never have to shrink myself to survive in someone else's home.
11:42A life like this was worth more than the Ford name could ever have been.
11:47Six months passed.
11:48I settled quietly in Savannah, my belly growing rounder each week as all eight babies thrived.
11:55Every day, I walked, read, and picked out tiny outfits and little shoes.
12:00The days were simple yet full.
12:02Back in New York, Lucien had finally returned after six months abroad.
12:07Sharp eyes.
12:08Not a single wasted movement.
12:11Mr. Ford, welcome back.
12:14Lucien got into the car and spoke without looking up.
12:18Six months.
12:19Tell me what happened at home.
12:21Leo stiffened head to toe.
12:23Mr. Ford, your wife, she...
12:27Speak.
12:29She signed the divorce papers!
12:31Lucien's eyes went dark.
12:33He had never intended to divorce her.
12:36He had never sent any papers.
12:39Drive.
12:40Faster.
12:41He went straight to the study.
12:42On the desk, folded neatly, was the divorce agreement.
12:46Lucien looked down at it.
12:47At the bottom of the page, the signature was clean and certain.
12:51Aria Shaw.
12:53Someone explain to me what happened.
12:55Mr. Ford, it was Miss Kimiel.
12:58She used your name to send Mrs. Ford the message.
13:01She used your identity to trick her into leaving.
13:04I had no choice!
13:06The temperature in the room dropped another degree.
13:11Lucien hurled the divorce agreement to the floor.
13:15The pages landed at Leo's feet with a sharp crack.
13:19Get out.
13:21Go to HR and submit a written statement.
13:24Your annual bonus is gone.
13:26You're on warehouse duty until I say otherwise.
13:29Leo fled.
13:31The room went silent.
13:34Lucien stood alone, surrounded by the weight of it all.
13:38Camille scheming.
13:40Eleanor's blind favoritism.
13:42Leo's betrayal.
13:44All of it made his blood run cold.
13:46But none of it was what was pressing against his chest right now.
13:51That was Aria.
13:53The fact that she was gone.
13:56Three years ago, at a charity gala, he'd walked into the wrong hotel room.
14:02Spent the night with her.
14:08By morning, she stared at him.
14:10Panic in her eyes.
14:12But her chin held high.
14:14He'd been caught in a scandal at the time.
14:17A rival had paid someone to photograph him and spread rumors about his private life.
14:24Marrying her had put an end to it.
14:27After the wedding, she never demanded anything.
14:29Never competed for his attention.
14:32She simply took care of everything quietly.
14:35Never making him feel she wanted anything in return.
14:39Before every business trip, she packed his bags overnight, tucked his antacids, and reminded him to take care of himself.
14:50Her eyes always gave away more than her words.
14:55At the annual gala, he hadn't been drunk.
14:58He had used it as an excuse to do what he'd wanted to do for a long time.
15:04To get closer to her.
15:06To break through the wall between them.
15:11And now she was gone.
15:13Carrying his children.
15:15Taking the money he had set aside for her.
15:20That $200 million had been sitting in a private account for months.
15:25He had planned to transfer it to her name once things between them warmed up.
15:29Something to make her feel secure.
15:31Camille had turned it into a weapon.
15:33It had become the reason Arya left.
15:37Lucian pressed his hand to his chest.
15:39Something ached there.
15:40Heavy and hollow at the same time.
15:43He understood it now.
15:44What he felt for her hadn't been cold civility for a long time.
15:49He had fallen for her.
15:51Slowly.
15:52Without realizing it.
15:53And by the time he understood that, she was already gone.
15:58Camille.
15:58Dawn had barely broken when the mood inside the Ford estate hit rock bottom.
16:04Eleanor sat at the head of the main hall.
16:06Both hands wrapped around her string of pearls.
16:09Camille stood nearby.
16:11Fingers twisted in her skirt.
16:15Eyes full of panic.
16:17She was working hard to hide.
16:19Lucian sat across from them in a black suit.
16:22Cold eyed.
16:23Still.
16:23Grandmother.
16:26She schemed against your grandson's wife.
16:29Against my children.
16:31This needs to be settled today.
16:33Eleanor looked at his face and said nothing.
16:36She had watched this boy grow up.
16:38He'd run Ford Group for years with precision.
16:41No room for sentiment.
16:42When he was angry, he didn't spare anyone.
16:46Not even family.
16:48Lucian, I know I was wrong.
16:50I lost my mind.
16:51I just...
16:54I love you so much.
16:56Watching Aria take the place that should have been mine.
16:59I couldn't stand it.
17:01Please.
17:02Just this once.
17:04I swear I'll never do it again.
17:06Lucian looked at her from his chair.
17:10You love me?
17:11Not a flicker of feeling in his eyes.
17:14Then why'd you impersonate me?
17:18You took the money I put aside for my wife.
17:22Just to trick her into leaving.
17:27Camille, that's not love.
17:28That's cheap.
17:30Vicious, even.
17:32You spent years throwing your weight around in this house because my grandmother dulled you.
17:38Belittling the staff.
17:40Making Aria's life difficult.
17:48Did you think I didn't notice?
17:51He paused.
17:53His voice dropped another degree.
17:55I let it go because you were raised here.
17:58I gave you that much.
18:00But you took it too far.
18:02You went after my wife.
18:04You went after my children.
18:06Camille's crying stopped.
18:08She thought Lucian was only playing around with Aria.
18:11Or putting up a front because of the rumors.
18:14But from his words, she heard something different.
18:17He'd actually fallen for her.
18:19For real.
18:21No!
18:22That's not possible!
18:26Lucian!
18:27How could you love someone so, so ordinary?
18:30She doesn't deserve you.
18:32She never did!
18:34Whether she deserves me is not your call to make.
18:38I am revoking every position you hold at Ford Group.
18:41Freezing every asset tied to this family.
18:45And sending you back to your hometown.
18:48You will not set foot in this house again.
18:51Not once.
18:52Not ever.
18:54Camille completely fell apart.
18:56I don't want to go back!
18:58I'll do anything!
18:59Please!
19:00Lucian shook her off.
19:01Hard.
19:02She hit the floor.
19:03Her forehead caught the edge of the table.
19:05A thin line of blood appeared at her hairline.
19:09Remove her.
19:10He didn't look at her again.
19:12The security moved in at once.
19:13Lifted her off the floor.
19:15And dragged her out of the parlor.
19:17Her cries faded down the hallway.
19:19And disappeared.
19:20Lucian.
19:22It was my fault.
19:24I should never have taken Camille's side.
19:27I should never have treated Aria the way I did.
19:30Grandmother.
19:31What's done is done.
19:32The frost in his expression eased.
19:34Just barely.
19:35But the warmth didn't follow.
19:37There's no point in saying this now.
19:40Aria is gone.
19:42She took my children.
19:45What I need to do is find her.
19:47And bring her home.
19:49Put out the word.
19:52Use every resource the Ford family has.
19:54Find Aria Shaw.
19:55Aria Shaw.
19:56Wherever she is.
19:59Bring her back.
20:00Yes, Mr. Ford.
20:01The six months after I left New York were the most peaceful of my life.
20:06My father spent his free afternoons fishing by the lake.
20:10My mother tended to the flowers she'd planted around the house.
20:14The days were quiet and good.
20:16I thought it would stay that way forever.
20:18That I'd simply wait for the babies to arrive.
20:21Watch them grow.
20:22And build a small, steady life.
20:24I wasn't expecting what came next.
20:27One afternoon, I took my parents to a fine restaurant by the waterfront.
20:31My mother's bracelet shifted as she reached for her glass.
20:35The restaurant owner stopped mid-sentence.
20:37Ma'am, that bracelet.
20:40Is that a Marley family heirloom?
20:42My mother's face changed instantly.
20:44She pulled her sleeve down and looked away.
20:47That bracelet had been with her as long as I could remember.
20:50She wore it every day, close to her skin.
20:53She had never once explained where it came from.
20:55I pressed her until she finally spoke.
20:58Eyes red from years of held back tears.
21:01My mother was the only daughter of Charles Marlowe.
21:05The Marlowe family was old money in Savannah.
21:08Deep roots.
21:09Considerable wealth.
21:10Years ago, she had been visiting New York when she met my father.
21:14They fell in love immediately.
21:16But the Marlowe's refused.
21:18My father was ordinary.
21:20The gap between their families was too wide.
21:24They would not allow it.
21:25My mother chose my father anyway.
21:27She cut ties with her family, left Savannah, and spent the next decade living under a different name.
21:34She never went back.
21:35She never told anyone who she was.
21:38She had missed home every day.
21:40But she was afraid her family was still angry.
21:43Afraid of walking back into the same walls of judgment.
21:46So she kept it buried.
21:48The restaurant owner was a distant relative of the Marlowe's.
21:51He had seen the heirloom years ago and recognized it immediately.
21:55He told us that Charles Marlowe had never stopped looking for his daughter.
22:00Every year, he sent people to search.
22:02He was nearly 70 now.
22:03His health declining.
22:04And his only wish was to find her.
22:07To make up for the time they'd lost.
22:09It's my fault.
22:10You gave up everything for me.
22:13Your family, your name, your home.
22:15All these years carrying it alone.
22:18I'm so sorry.
22:20Mom, Dad, let's go see him.
22:23Whatever he feels, he's still family.
22:26Blood is blood.
22:27You've both carried this too long.
22:29It's time to go home.
22:30They nodded.
22:31The restaurant owner guided us to the Marlowe estate.
22:34My grandpa was nearly 70.
22:36White-haired, but still sharp.
22:38Still present.
22:39The moment he saw my mother,
22:41the man who'd held himself together for half his life,
22:45finally broke.
22:46My, my girl.
22:47Dad!
22:50My mother ran to him and cried like a child.
22:54My girl.
22:55I'm sorry all this time.
22:57I'm so sorry.
22:59He looked at my father.
23:01The resentment was there,
23:02but so was the evidence of 30 years of care.
23:05My mother was loved.
23:07The resentment softened, then faded.
23:09Eight!
23:10Eight babies!
23:12My granddaughter!
23:13You don't have to worry about a single thing.
23:16Your grandfather has more than enough.
23:19You and the babies will want for nothing.
23:22He bought the surrounding properties and merged them into his estate.
23:26He assigned the Marlowe's private doctor to check on me every day.
23:29He brought my father into the family business.
23:33My father had good instincts for it.
23:35With grandpa's guidance, he found his footing quickly.
23:38He soon became one of the family's most trusted advisors.
23:41And I, as Charles Marlowe's only grandchild, his most treasured person, became the natural
23:48heir to the Marlowe name.
23:50Half the family's holdings passed into my hands.
23:53The girl who once lay awake worrying about raising eight children was now one of the wealthiest
23:59women in Savannah, a family at my back, my parents beside me, eight lives growing inside me.
24:07I had everything.
24:09I thought I would simply stay here, grow old in this warm city with my children and my family.
24:16But this would be the end of the story.
24:18I didn't expect Lucian to find me.
24:20Savannah was softly raining the day Lucian found me.
24:23Nothing like the cold nights I remembered from New York.
24:26I was lying on the sofa.
24:28It was peaceful.
24:29Then, I heard noise from outside the gate.
24:32A familiar figure stood in the rain.
24:34Black suit, straight posture, the same sharp edges in his face.
24:39But his eyes held something different now.
24:42Exhaustion.
24:43Something I couldn't quite name.
24:45He stood in the rain with his hair wet against his forehead.
24:49Lucian.
24:49I felt nothing stir in my chest.
24:52Not even surprise.
24:53With the Ford's power and connections, finding someone wasn't a question of if.
24:59Only when.
25:00He walked toward me, each step a little too quick.
25:03A little too deliberate.
25:05His suit was soaked.
25:07Fabric pressed against him by the rain.
25:09He stopped in front of me.
25:10His eyes dropped to my stomach.
25:12The visible swell of it.
25:14Eight lives inside.
25:16A flicker of tenderness, pain, and regret crossed his eyes before they went still.
25:22Aria.
25:22It was the first time he had ever said my name like that.
25:26I didn't answer.
25:27I signaled the housekeeper for a shawl.
25:29Mr. Ford.
25:30This is unexpected.
25:31What brings you all the way out here?
25:33Aria, I-
25:33He opened his mouth.
25:35Closed it.
25:35Opened it again.
25:36This man who'd run boardrooms and moved markets stood before me.
25:41Speechless.
25:42I came to bring you home.
25:45Home.
25:46Mr. Ford, I think you're confused.
25:48I'm not Mrs. Ford anymore.
25:52We're divorced.
25:53We're nothing to each other.
25:54I'm doing well here.
25:56I don't need your concern.
25:58And I'd like you to stop coming here.
25:59The divorce wasn't real.
26:01Camille sent that message pretending to be me.
26:03She forged my signature on the papers.
26:05None of it came from me.
26:06I never wanted to divorce you.
26:07Not once.
26:08And the 200 million, that wasn't Camille's money to give.
26:10It was already yours.
26:11I had this set aside calmed down months ago.
26:13I was just waiting for things between us to calm down before putting it in your name.
26:15Camille told you it was a settlement.
26:17She used it to get rid of you.
26:17She's been dealt with.
26:18All her positions are gone.
26:19Her assets are frozen.
26:20She'll never set foot in New York again.
26:21The staff who made your life Marable are gone too.
26:24My grandmother knows she was wrong.
26:26She's been waiting to apologize to you in person.
26:29He reached toward my face.
26:32His hand stopped in the air between us.
26:34It has nothing to do with me.
26:36What Camille did, how she was punished, that's Ford family business.
26:42It stopped being mine the day I walked out.
26:45I didn't leave New York because of Camille.
26:48I didn't leave because of your grandmother or the staff.
26:52I left because of you, Lucien.
26:56It was your three years of coldness.
26:59It was the warmth you never gave me.
27:02It was you who made me feel like I wasn't in a home, but a cage.
27:07I could barely breathe inside it.
27:09I watched every word.
27:12I weighed every step.
27:15And now I'm out, and you want me to go back?
27:20Aria, I know.
27:21I know I was wrong.
27:23For three years, I just refused to see what was right in front of me.
27:26I told myself I didn't know how to reach you, that I needed more time.
27:30At the gala that night, I wasn't even drunk.
27:35I used that as an excuse to get close to you.
27:38I thought I'd have more time.
27:39I thought you'd still be there when I finally worked up the courage to say it.
27:45The guilt in his eyes was real.
27:47I could see that.
27:48Had I ever felt something for him?
27:50Maybe.
27:51The time he stepped between me and the rude housekeeper.
27:54The morning he quietly took the antacids I'd left for his trip.
27:58The way he looked at me at the gala.
28:00Just a moment.
28:01Before things got complicated.
28:03Maybe there had been something there.
28:05But three years of cold had worn it down to nothing.
28:09Lucien.
28:11It's too late.
28:12I have everything I need right here.
28:14My parents, my grandfather, more money than I could ever spend.
28:20And eight children on the way.
28:23I'm not missing anything.
28:25Please leave.
28:27Don't come back.
28:29Don't disturb my life.
28:31Or my children's lives.
28:36On the other side of it, Lucien stood in the rain and looked at a closed door.
28:42He didn't leave.
28:43He just stood there.
28:44Still.
28:45Getting soaked.
28:47After that day, Lucien bought a house near mine.
28:50He didn't try to force his way back in.
28:52But he didn't disappear, either.
28:54He simply stayed close in his own quiet way.
29:00Every morning at dawn, fresh white peonies were delivered to my door.
29:04I'd once mentioned in passing that they were my favorite flower in New York, never thinking he'd heard.
29:10The dew-covered blooms filled the house with a soft, clean fragrance.
29:14Every afternoon, a prenatal tonic made by his own hands arrived.
29:18I heard he'd hired a nutritionist and spent days perfecting it.
29:23Temperature, taste, balance, all tailored just for me.
29:27Every bottle came with a short, handwritten note, firm yet gentle, always telling me to
29:33eat well, rest, and not overwork.
29:37Every evening, he stood outside my gate, staring at the window lights for hours.
29:43He only left once my bedroom lamp went out.
29:45He never entered, just watched quietly from afar, asking for nothing in return.
29:51Word spread through Savannah.
29:53The CEO of Ford Group had come all the way from New York to wait outside his ex-wife's house
29:59every night.
30:00The woman who had taken his money, run off with eight of his children, and shut the door in his
30:06face.
30:06Some people called it devotion.
30:08Some people said he had it coming.
30:10He didn't seem to care what anyone thought.
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