"Now come give mummy a kiss."

The twins kissed either sides of her cheeks and bade her goodbye as they ran into their class with the other kids.

She smiled as she watched them go. They had finally settled into their new school and had each other's backs.

Samuel, like his father was a fearless and protective little boy. He watched over his sister and protected her especially from bullies, as much as his little self could. And Sandra would talk down whoever messed with her brother.

She was glad they had each other.

She quickly turned to leave the school and head to work.

They were living really fine. Her salary and the tips she got on some occasions have been more than helpful in fending for her and her children.

It had been three weeks since they moved in and the twins had adapted really fast to their environment and was even enjoying their new life. To them, their current apartment was like heaven compared to the old one.

They didn't know their mother had lived in far better places.

She sighed, vowing that someday, she would give them the luxurious life she had once had. She would never let them suffer in life.

Several times, they had asked of their father. Especially Sandra. And as expected, she had been telling them that their father had traveled and would be back soon. And the innocent kids would always buy the story especially when she tells them that he was going to buy lots of gifts on his way back.

She knew that no matter how much she provided for them, they would always crave a father's love. Since their father does not even know of their existence, she would have to get married to another man who would love her children like they were his.

She had been getting several proposals from men over the years but she had turned them all down.

She would get married again someday. But if no man would give her kids the needed love a father should give to his children, then she would never ever marry but raise them herself and when the time was right, she would tell them the truth.

❤️❤️💎

It was time for lunch and she went down to a fast food to get some snacks and drinks. The good foods there were very expensive and she didn't want to waste money on these foods that day so she would have enough to prepare the dinner they would have that night.

She was going out of the eatery when she bumped into a man.

"Oh I'm so sorry, wasn't paying attention..."

A gasp from the other person halted her blabbing and movement and she stilled.

Oh no.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" He stared at her with wide eyes. "Annabelle is this really you?"

She quickly slid past him and tried to get away but he caught hold of her arm halting her escape.

"Anna please!" He cried. "Where are you going? Why are you trying to run away again?"

"Let go of my arm Dominic." She said firmly but calmly.

"Promise me you won't try to leave." He said desperately. She looked at for some seconds then clenched her teeth and nodded.

Then he released her arm and stared at her like a child that had finally found it's lost pet.

"I can't believe it's you." He whispered. "Where have you been? I have searched for you everywhere!"

She became quiet, then shook her head.

"Long story."

"What happened to your number?"

"I changed it when I left." She said curtly.

He scratched his head in nervousness. "My God, it's been over six years Anna. Six years! What happened? You know what we both need to talk."

She shook her head. "I can't, I need to go back to the office."

"Please Anna," he pleaded. "I have been looking for you for years. You can't just slip away again."

❤️❤️❤️

She looked around the restaurant. It had changed from the last time she was here. There had been some new renovations and touches and the place looked more luxurious.

It was David's favorite restaurant. She wondered if he still came here.

"It feels so surreal being with you here." Dominic said. "I'm so sorry for everything you've been through."

She sighed.

"That's just a tip of the iceberg. A lot of things has happened these past years, Dominic. I am no longer the Annabelle you used to know. I'm a mother now."

Dominic's eyes widened. "R-really? You're-you're married?"

She shook her head. "I'm a single mother." She smiled as she thought of her kids. "To twins, a boy and a girl."

Surprise and curiosity were written all over Dominic's face.

"How old are they?"

"They turned five not long ago." She looked pointedly at him. "They're David's children."

As expected, Dominic paled. She didn't mean to tell him yet that David was their father. But she felt she had to, so he wouldn't think they were his as they had slept together as he said, of which she had no memory of.

"You bore David's children?"

He whispered.

"Yes but he does not know and I intend to keep it that way." She saw Dominic relax a little. "We only moved back here three weeks ago. But for the past five years, we've been living in the outskirts as I said earlier."

"I'm so sorry Annabelle. For everything you've been through."

She nodded then paused.

"H-how is David?"

A pained expression crossed his face and disappeared again.

"Well, you know we're not the best of friends. But after you left, he went back to his playboy lifestyle. He changes women like he changes his underwear. Whenever he is in the gossip news, it is with a different woman. Asides that, his businesses have been waxing stronger and he has been conquering other firms and businesses as I heard. If he is not buried in work, then he is buried in between a woman's legs."

Annabelle didn't know what to say to that or how to react.

"But what about Chanel?"

"Well, she's still there." He grimaced. "Always have been, but at the background. It was only recently that they both announced their engagement."

Annabelle drowned back the pain and hurt that had threatened to surface.

What did she expect? It had been six years. She had even thought they would have been married a long time ago.

She had no right to feel pained. Their marriage had ended six years ago. She blinked back the tears.

"How about his parents? His father?"

"Both still alive and well." Dominic replied. "His father kinda fought against that sickness that had threatened to take his life. He is well now."

"Thank God." She took a deep breath. "What about Monali- my mother and sister?"

Dominic scowled a little. "Alive and well."

Annabelle noticed he wasn't telling her everything. "There's more."

He sighed. "Your mother and sister are something else, I tell you. Some months after you left, your mother tried to force Lydia on David."

Annabelle sharply sat up. "What!?"

Dominic nodded. "Yes. Something about them still keeping to the contract of their son marrying her daughter, which could be any of her daughters. So since your marriage with him didn't work out, he had to continue with her younger daughter."

"That's insane!" She exclaimed lowly. "How did David react to this?"

"As I heard, he was mad and bluntly refused. Said that it was the last thing he'd do in his lifetime and even the next life. He didn't go through with it."

Annabelle commended him in her mind.

"Anna," Dominic called. "David is six times richer and more arrogant than he was since you last saw him. And he moves in a much higher circle now."

She understood what he was driving at.

"I do not plan to ever get back with him. I won't be surprised if he still dislikes me but I do not care anymore. I have my children and they are enough for me."

"Good." He said with a satisfied smile. "Now let's eat, we shall continue this conversation later."

*

Annabelle let him have her number and he promised to call her but she was against his visiting the house for the meantime.

That night, as she lay in bed with her kids she pondered on all Dominic had said.

Things had really changed since her disappearance. She should be happy for David for getting engaged to the love of his life. She should be. And she forced herself to. What kind of a person would she be if she wasn't happy for them?

It was all for the best.

❤️❤️💎

One afternoon a week later, all the staffs in Annabelle's firm gathered together in the conference room to welcome their CEO who had been out of the country for a year.

Annabelle had never met the woman so she was curious to see who she was and what she looked like.

It was said that the woman had been married three times to three different men and divorced each one after a while. She grew bored easily. And since her last divorce, she had decided not to marry again.

She had no children, according to what people said.

The woman came into the room with two escorts amidst clapping and cheering and she smiled and nodded as she went.

She was a beautiful and fashionable woman in her early or mid fifties with a beautiful skin like glass.

Miss Ingrid Bernadette Rowland, popularly known as Lady Ingrid.

She was an authoritative and formidable woman but it was obvious that she also had a soft side and smiled easily.

After she finished addressing them and finally throwing a toast, the employees started leaving the room one after the other while some of the top executives remained with the woman.

Annabelle followed the other workers out then turned her head to take one last glance at the CEO and she was stunned to see the woman staring right back at her with a slight frown on her face.

❤️💎