Annie sat stiffly a few seats away, her perfectly composed facade beginning to crack. Her jaw was clenched, her knuckles white as she gripped the armrests. Every glance Alexander stole in Emma’s direction felt like a dagger to her heart.
Finally, after what felt like forever, they landed at the airport, and Emma tried to grab her bags, but Annie stopped her by gripping her wrist.
“I will help you with your bags, Emma.” Annie said, looking straight into Emma’s eyes with her brightest gaze.
Although she had no idea what was going on in front of the airport, she was sure of one thing: Emma’s fans and well–wishers would be waiting for her out there, and considering all the ill things people had said about her in the past, she needed her name rectified, and by helping Emma was the fastest way she could think of.
“You…” Emma tried to argue, but Annie was the one to back down.
“I’ve got this. You need to reserve your energy, Emma.”
Slowly, she let go of her bag straps and left Annie to them.
And as Annie had expected, the whole airport was filled with people waiting for Emma.
With Emma on the right side of the Ty tree, Alexander in the middle, and Annie on the left side, they walked into the midst of the crowd with the help of the guards.
Annie made sure to make the bags look way heavier, and she plastered her toothpaste smile on to her face.
But the moment they stepped out of the airport, the air changed as a tiny, feminine voice filled the air.
“Mommy!” Little Emily ran up to her mother with Ethan on her tail.
Annie’s expression changed for a microsecond before it went back to neutral.
Looking at the way Alexander was looking at the twins as they hugged their mother made her stomach churn to the fullest.
For two weeks, she had thought over and over about becoming the twins stepmother. Whether Emma was ready for it or not, there was no way she could do that now, not with the look on Alexander’s face.
“Babe,” Jaden whispered urgently, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I will order for another ride as soon as possible.”
She nodded while ignoring Alexander’s gaze which was burning into her back. But before they could take another step, the sound of shouting and hurried footsteps from a distance froze them in place.
Emma turned her head sharply, and her heart sank.
Paparazzi!
A swarm of them flooded into the parking lot, cameras flashing and voices clamoring as they rushed toward her.
“Mrs. Black! Over here!”
“Are you really back to your health?!”
“Is it true that your ex–husband donated his liver for you?!
Panic coursed through her veins. The bright flashes blinded her, and their voices made it impossible to think. Jaden stepped protectively in front of her, shielding er from the onslaught, but it was clear they wouldn’t make it back inside without being mobbed.
“Damn it,” Jaden muttered, looking around for an escape route.
Suddenly, Alexander’s voice sliced through the chaos, smooth and commanding. “Get in the car, now.”
Emma hesitated.
She refused to give in, refused to give him the satisfaction of a win, but the paparazzi were closing in too fast. She couldn’t afford the exposure now.
Not another word was said as she reached for Jaden’s arm and took off in a sprint toward the limousine. Alexander moved aside, opened the door, his face unreadable. Once she and Jaden were inside, Alexander hopped into the passenger seat, and Kevin, his personal assistant, hit the gas.
As Emma and Jaden settled uneasily into Alexander’s luxurious limousine, Emma’s gaze swept across the interior and land on Annie, seated comfortably and with an air of entitlement that churned her stomach. Annie’s presence was a thorn in her side, sharp and unrelenting.
Emma’s lips thinned into a straight line. She hadn’t expected Annie to be here, but deep down, she realized she should have. Annie was Alexander’s girlfriend after all. She was the woman he had chosen and trusted over her.
Annie greeted her with a beautiful smile, the one so oiled and perfect it could melt the hearts of millions through the screen. But not Emma’s. Emma was no fan; she had seen the cracks behind Annie’s facade. She knew the truth lurking beneath that polished exterior, and it only deepened her disdain
“Emma,” Annie said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. “How are you feeling now? I do hope you’re recovering well.” Emma’s chest constricted as anger simmered, bubbling just below the surface. Annie’s kindness was as hollow as a rickety
