Nobela ni Divine Osas

AMELIA I smiled as Adrian pushed open the front door of the house and we stepped inside. I could perceive the faint smell of paint, polished wood and new furnishings. My eyes slowly swept across the space. Everything looked beautiful. We walked further into the house. Remember this house? The one Adrian and I had gone to months ago to spend the weekend together and also where he had proposed to me. Yeah, that one. It was still the same beautiful place I had fallen in love with, but over the past weeks, a few thoughtful renovations here and there had completely transformed it into something even more special. And now, with it being two weeks to our wedding, everything was finally coming together. This was our final walkthrough before officially moving in. We were moving in next week, so that we could settle in properly before the wedding. When Adrian had first brought up the idea of us making this house our permanent residence, I had immediately loved the idea. Adrian

AMELIA It was now officially three weeks until our wedding. I was almost eighteen weeks gone already. My belly had finally protruded, not so much though, forming an unmistakable curve against my clothes. I welcomed the change with open arms, especially because when I was only about three months gone, my stomach had not still protruded that it almost felt unreal. Now, seeing the physical proof of the life inside me every time I looked in the mirror made the entire experience feel more beautiful. We had an anatomy and update scan appointment scheduled for today. Needless to say, I was excited I was sitting on the couch downstairs and waiting for Adrian. I must have drifted off into a light sleep, because the next thing I felt, was a gentle hand brushing against my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly to find him kneeling right in front of me. He smoothed a stray lock of hair behind my ear and smiled. "It's time to go, darling. The car is ready." I smiled back, blinking away

The morning traffic moved slowly, but eventually I got closer to the café. My mind was focused on the conversation ahead. I was on my way to meet with Raven. You heard that right. Two days ago, just a few hours after I had taken that step and sent out the digital wedding invitations, a notification had chimed on my phone. It came from an unknown number, but the moment I opened the text and read the words, I instantly knew it was Raven. She had reached out in a very polite, careful tone, asking if it would be okay by me if we could meet up briefly in person to talk. And now, here I was, pulling up to the parking lot. I turned off the engine, grabbed my purse and walked out, going into the café. Scanning the place, I immediately spotted Raven sitting at a smaller table tucked away near the back corner. She looked up, her eyes locking onto mine and she instantly stood up the moment I approached the table. "Hi, Amelia. Thanks for coming," she said, gesturing toward the empty ch

She sighed again, looking a bit conflicted before she spoke. "He got this massive professional opportunity in Canada, darling. A permanent relocation. He's moving there permanently to oversee a brand-new corporate development." She paused, before she continued. "But before he made his final decision, he told me that he is very, very serious about the both of us and he wants our relationship to work. And because he wanted us to build a future together over there, he actually went out of his way to secure an opportunity for me in Canada too. "He pulled strings and got me a full partnership with a top hotel chain over there to be the head of their pastry division. He wanted to give up the opportunity and stay back here when I told him that I couldn't relocate but I can't do that to him and so I ended the relationship." I sat still, processing her words. I waited for a few seconds, expecting there to be a terrible catch to the story, but nothing else came. I shook my head. "Mom, I

AMELIA The wedding was getting closer with every passing day and a good number of the invitations had already been finalized and sent out. Lately, there was also plenty of romance in the air outside of my own life. Zoey and Caden. A laugh escaped me as I thought about it. Because whether she admitted it or not, my girl was falling. Hard. The signs were all there. The random mentions and the way she suddenly acted completely uninterested whenever his name came up despite somehow bringing him up herself. Classic Zoey behavior. She was gone and she didn't even know it yet. Also, one thing I didn't think twice about was my choice of maid of honors. Yes. Honors... plural. Because honestly, who exactly decided there could only be one? As far as I was concerned, Zoey and Brianna both had to be. The both of them had consistently had my back through every single up and down since our college days. And the three of us had survived college together. We had cried together, celebrate

On my way home from the hospital, my chest was quietly bubbling with excitement. A smile kept finding its way onto my face. My mind was filled with different thoughts as I wondered exactly how I was going to break news to Adrian. I wanted the moment to just be perfect and entirely ours. Somehow, however, I managed to keep the secret when I got home. Barely though. The evening and dinner passed normally. Every now and then though, my hand would unconsciously drift to my stomach. I stood in the bathroom, finishing up my simple nighttime skincare routine. Satisfied, I walked out, into the bedroom. Just then, the bedroom door opened and Adrian stepped into the room. He had gone down to the kitchen some minutes ago for water. I couldn't help but smile the moment my eyes landed on him. It was funny how we were both currently wearing matching pajamas. The one I had convinced him to get for the both of us which he happily did. He closed the distance between us, stepped up close an

Ryan didn't answer immediately. He looked at her before finally exhaling a sharp breath. "Sylvie, you should not worry about that right now. The point is, we have what we need." "Can you stop saying that?" Her voice came out more strained than she intended. "Stop telling me not to worry! Every time you say that, it only makes me worry more. It makes me feel like there’s another monster hiding in the dark that you’re not telling me about." Ryan’s eyes softened, the hard edge melting away for a fleeting moment. He walked toward her and reached out to cup her cheeks in his large, warm hands. His thumbs brushed over her cheekbones, grounding her. "I need you to really just relax," he said, his voice low "You have me. I told you I would handle this, and I am. Please, just trust me for a little longer." Sylvie stared into his eyes and eventually, she let out a jagged breath and nodded. She stepped away from his touch and walked into the living room, sinking onto the plush couch. S

Hours later, Ryan stood at the stove, one hand resting on the counter while the other stirred the pasta slowly, almost absentmindedly. The kitchen was quiet except for the soft bubbling of water and the faint clink of utensils against the pot. The smell of garlic and butter had already filled the space. He exhaled quietly, his mind not entirely on the food. Just then, he heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned slightly, just enough to glance over his shoulder. Sylvie stood at the entrance of the kitchen, her hair slightly messy from sleep, her eyes still heavy as she rubbed at one of them with the back of her hand. For a moment, he just watched her. "Hey," he said gently. "How was your nap?" She let her hand fall from her face and gave a small stretch, her voice still laced with sleep. "It was… fine. Surprisingly. I didn't think I'll even be able to close my eyes." There was something almost amusing in her tone, like even she hadn’t expected to rest that well. She wa

She powered the phone on. When the screen lit up, for a split second, nothing happened. Then, vibration. A sharp, aggressive buzzing in her palm. She flinched. It hummed relentlessly, like it had been waiting for this exact moment. Notifications began to pour in one after another. The screen filled so quickly she could barely read anything. Messages stacked on top of messages. Her hands started trembling almost immediately. Ryan’s grip tightened slightly around her free hand, steadying her, but he didn’t try to take the phone. At least not yet. Her eyes scanned the top of the screen. Liana. Dahlia. Mum. Dad. Zade. The names blurred together. Then she tapped Liana’s chat first. The messages were frantic. ~ Sylvie where are you?? Please answer your phone. You didn’t say anything before leaving. Are you safe? Sylvie I’m serious, just tell me you’re okay. ~ She scrolled upward. There were even more. Messages sent hours ago. Voice notes she hadn’t opened. Her throat tighte

The first thing Sylvie noticed when she woke up was the quiet. Her lashes fluttered open slowly. For a brief moment, she didn’t remember where she was. The ceiling above her wasn’t hers. The curtains weren’t hers. The faint scent in the air, wood, detergent, something subtly masculine wasn’t hers either. Then it all came back. Ryan, his house, the way she had fallen asleep with her cheek pressed against his chest. As she shifted slightly under the covers, she realized she had slept unexpectedly well. Her hand moved instinctively to the other side of the bed, it was empty. The sheets were cool too. She blinked at the space beside her, processing it. She realized Ryan was already up. She sat up slowly, pushing the duvet down to her waist. Morning light filtered through the curtains in pale streaks. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet met the cool floor. She stretched slightly, shoulders rolling back, then stood as she slipped her feets into the hous

The mall lights were already glowing against the deepening evening when they pulled into the parking lot. It was one of those malls with glass front, automatic sliding doors, soft gold lighting. Ryan cut the engine and glanced at her. "You okay?" She nodded. "Yeah." He stepped out first, walking around the car to open her door. She noticed the way he automatically took most of the weight, always positioning himself between her and everything else. Inside, the mall hummed with life. It was almost six-thirty now, the early evening rush still alive but beginning to thin. Ryan slowed his steps so she could walk beside him. "Pick whatever you want," he said quietly. "Don’t worry about anything." She looked at him. "Ryan..." "I mean it." His voice was firm but soft. "Whatever it is at all that you need." She hesitated. "I can pay for some of it." He gave her a look, gentle, but unyielding. "No. You shouldn’t worry about that. Just… trust me. It’s not an issue." She swallowed and

For a few more suspended seconds, their foreheads rested against each other. Their breathing mingled in the narrow space between them. His thumb still lingered near her cheek, warm against skin.But then, the reality of the last twenty-four hours surged back into Sylvie’s mind. The abandonment, the panic, the tears shed on Liana’s shoulder, it all came rushing back, She pulled away suddenly creating a distance. Her eyes, which had moments ago softened with relief, began to shine with something else entirely. Tears. They gathered quickly, blurring her vision. "Why?" she demanded, her voice breaking before it could fully rise. "Why did you leave? How could you? You left me." Ryan froze. She stepped back further, shaking her head as if the sight of him standing there only made her more angry. "Do you have any idea what that did to me?" she asked fiercely. "Do you have any idea?""Sylvie, listen to me..." He instinctively reached for her hands, but she yanked them away from him.