"Mutual breakup窶能" George scoffed. He had read the text Emma's ex had sent her and it wasn't hard for him to figure out that the guy was still into her. He was trying to low-key flirt with her. He was messaging her constantly even though her replies were three or four hours apart.??

"George窶能" Emma stopped when he suddenly sat down and took out his phone. "What are you doing?"??

"Messaging a woman I used to date." When she frowned, he added, "Oh don't worry, we ended things on very good terms. It was a mutual breakup and we are just good friends now."??

She pursed her lips and frowned as she watched him type something before sending it out.??

After sending the message, George tossed the phone aside.??

Emma crossed her arms in the front and glared at him while he sat there frozen, not knowing what to do.??

Though he believed he had proven his point to some extent, he had no idea what his next move should be.

George awkwardly cleared his throat and got up. "I'll just leave."??

He then grabbed his jacket from the couch and walked out of the apartment.??

"Idiot窶能" Emma muttered as she watched him leave. She wanted to stop him but she knew they would end up fighting even more if she did. It would be best if they avoided each other for a few hours to calm the situation.??

窶?..

[Collins Mansion]??

After having their dinner, Rachael and Andrew took a walk in the garden before going to bed.??

"We will leave for Russia in a week, okay?" He informed her.??

"Okay." She hooked her arms around his and sighed.??

"Rach, if you don't want to go, we can cancel." Though he wanted to take her to avoid unnecessary conflicts which might put her into danger, if she didn't wish to go, he would find a way out.??

"It's not that I don't want to go." Keeping quiet for a while, she added, "I just feel like your family won't like me, especially your grandmother."??

After talking to her once, Rachael had a feeling that Helen wasn't a big fan of hers and she definitely had problems with their marriage.??

"Did she tell you anything?" Andrew frowned. Rachael hadn't told him about the exact conversation she had with Helen when she called her a few days ago. But he knew his grandmother. She wasn't someone who would have a normal conversation with anyone.??

When she did not say anything, he asked, "Rach, what did she tell you?"??

"She said a few things." She did not reveal what those few things were and to stop him from pestering her, she quickly added, "When I was talking to her, I felt like she isn't happy about you marrying me instead of someone she had in mind."??

"That's rubbish," he scoffed. "Even if I hadn't married you, I would never married someone of her choice."??

"Don't get all hyped up." She caressed his arm. "I didn't mind."??

"It doesn't matter if she accepts us or not," Andrew stated. He couldn't care less. "We have accepted each other and are happy together, that's more than enough."??

He kissed the back of her hand. "What does she know about our relationship? Only I know how hard I have worked to make you mine. For so many years窶能" He stopped midway when he realised he was revealing a little too much after being lost in the moment.??

"Many years?" She chuckled. "Don't tell me you had a crush on me when we were little."??

"What if I say I did?" He smiled.??

"Hmm窶能" She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Then I would say that we both married our childhood crush."

Her words made him laugh. "I knew you had a crush on me."??

"Of course, you were a handsome kid," she remarked.??

He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Too bad I went away. If I hadn't gone maybe窶能" He sighed.??

Maybe if he had got a chance to stay back, they would have gotten together a long time back. She would have never started a relationship with her ex.??

"Don't you think it's better this way?" She remarked. "I mean, we never know what would happen if you had stayed. Maybe things wouldn't work out between us because we both were young."??

"Our relationship is much better because we both are mature and have a sense of understanding," she added.??

Andrew couldn't agree more. Though he regretted not making a move earlier, he also thought what they had now was more than perfect.??

Infact, his life had become perfect because of Rachae.??

Now he had a home he couldn't wait to come back to because he knows that his amazing wife will always be waiting for him.??

She had made him feel a sense of satisfaction and belongingness he hadn't felt in years.??

"I love you." He kissed her forehead.??

"I love you too."??

窶?..

historical

[Ben's car]??

After their sudden make out session inside the car, Ben still refused to let her go. He kept holding her in his arms.??

Though Tina didn't mind the sudden affection, it felt very weird. She didn't understand what had gotten into him all of a sudden.??

He had suddenly turned very possessive and bold and this confused her even more.??

She involuntarily tightened her grip around him. She was scared that he would push her away like he always did.??

Though she said she didn't want anything from him anymore, it wasn't true. Her heart still wanted him no matter how big of a jerk he was.??

Ben could feel the sudden stiffness of her body. To make sure she was okay, he pulled away. "What happened? Is everything okay?"??

Tina looked down and shook her head.??

"Tina, look at me." When she refused to look up, he grabbed her chin and lifted it up.??

When her teary eyes met his, Ben started panicking. "Why are you crying?"??

His question made her cry even more. The tears streamed down her cheeks continuously.??

"I am sorry." Thinking that he had scared her or made her feel uncomfortable, he quickly apologised. He was blinded with jealousy and anger that he completely disregarded her feelings.??

"Hey窶能" he wiped her tears away. "Don't cry, I am sorry."??

She shook her head. "Don't apologise, it's not your fault."??

"Why are you crying?" He insisted, "Tell me, please."??

"I am scared窶能" She buried her face on his chest.??

"Scared of what?" He frowned.??

"I am scared that you will again say that it was a mistake." She clutched his sleeves. "You do something that makes me feel special and good but the very next moment, you throw a bucket of cold water on me."??

At this point, she had no idea if she was supposed to be happy and high on her hopes or not.??

Understanding her concerns, he kissed the top of her head and sighed. After what he had done and the way he had behaved, it was normal for her to feel insecure.??

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have behaved that way." No amount of apology was enough to make up for how much he had hurt her.??

"I will never repeat it again, I promise." He hugged her tightly. The fact that she was crying because of him, made him feel miserable.??

He had developed a liking of Tina the first time he had seen her when Andrew and Rachael were signing their marriage certificate.??

The way she snapped at him and called him creep without giving him a chance to explain, amused him alot. He found her feisty attitude very interesting.??

He easily ignored the different feelings he had for her as he didn't want to get involved in any relationship after the last one he was a part of.??

But things changed after he went out with her for the first time. Though he didn't tell anyone or express it, he was very excited for their meeting. He had lots of fun with her even. Even a simple dinner felt nice in her presence.??

After their date, it became even harder to ignore the feelings he had with her. And before he could know it, he kept drawing towards her.??

Even though he wanted to be with her, he was scared. The last relationship had broken up. Only he knew how hard it was for him to get over it.??

His failed relationship had sucked out the last ounce of hope he had on any kind of relationship, especially with a woman.??

Not wanting to get his heart broken again, Ben had made up his mind never to get involved in a relationship ever again. This is why he unwillingly told Tina nothing could ever happen between them.??

But who would have thought that he would feel more attracted towards her after turning her down. The feelings he had for her turned into something so strong that he could no longer ignore it.??

窶?..