DARK SEDUCTION (BOOK 1) (Slowly Editing)

Chapter:38

Max noticed that Anna was not herself. She had withdrawn into herself once more, turning into the old Anna he had first met. No longer the cool-headed, bubbly personality he had come to love, she seemed distant and preoccupied. More than once, he asked her what was wrong, but she kept stalling, forcing him to push her to open up.

When she finally did, showing him the hate mails she had been receiving, Max saw red. He vowed to move heaven and earth to catch the person responsible and bring them to justice. He was irritated by the situation and wondered which woman was behind this cruel trick. He decided to report the matter to the police, hoping they could trace the culprit through their phone number.

Deep down, Max suspected someone, but he hoped he was wrong. He sincerely hoped he was wrong because this time, he was not going to stand for it. There was only so much one could take. It did not take Max long to unravel the mystery of the hate mails, but he was contemplating a smart way of settling it without hurting Anna or reactivating the news of his broken engagement.

Leila was a bit unstable, and what she needed now was a strong dose of love to make her forget him. She also needed a strong hand to keep her in check, or she might tip over. She had convinced herself that she was in love with Max, but he was beginning to fear that she might just be obsessed with him. Over the years, she had molded him into all the things she wanted and never had, including her parents' love and attention.

Max knew he needed to handle this issue with tact, so he decided to put a call through to Ethan. Although he did not like the fellow much, he considered him to have a sound head on his shoulders and a kind of grudging respect for him. Secondly, he thought he had to step up plans for his wedding. Apart from preventing Anna from having second thoughts about marrying him, it would also permanently remove him from the attention of other single ladies. They would allow Anna to get a break when they found out that he had been officially taken.

Ethan picked up the call on the second ring, and Max was shocked to hear what Leila had been up to. Ethan pleaded with Max to allow him to handle it, and Max agreed. He predicted Ethan was right, in his overbearing way; he genuinely cared a lot for Leila. He knew what it must have caused Ethan to give that apology. He seemed the kind of fellow who hated putting himself in a situation where he had to apologize to anyone. He was just what Leila needed.

Anna and Emma got married together in December. It was terribly cold, and Emma was already pregnant, though the pregnancy was not visible yet. Only four of them knew. It was such a happy occasion, and it was like the whole town was there. The brides looked so lovely, and the grooms looked so dashing. The wedding ceremony was held at Max's family home in the courtyard, and it was grand. It was the happiest day of Anna's life.

She found out that her parents-in-law cared about her a lot. Everything she was wearing was courtesy of her mother-in-law. The wedding gown and the matching jewelry that went with it were passed down from one Ramirez bride to the other. They walked up to their grooms, and there were tears in Anna's eyes. She took her vow first, then turned to watch her best friend in the world say hers. It was the happiest moment of her life. Everyone she had ever cared for was present, including her mom, who was such a hopeless romantic, grinning from ear to ear. Even her dad, whose expression used to be quite unreadable, seemed really pleased.

After the wedding, they all went to Paris for their honeymoon, and it was so much fun. Two months after the honeymoon, Anna announced to her husband that she was pregnant. They went off to break the good news to Max's parents, who were happy for the couple. Emma gave birth to a baby boy, Ryan, exactly seven months after the wedding. The little boy was the exact replica of Henry. Anna gave birth to a baby girl who looked a lot like her. Max was wild with joy. Two pretty blondes all to himself. He named the baby Mirabel.

Emma came to visit a few months later, looking good. Marriage and motherhood seemed to agree with her. The two friends chatted for a long time about their babies, their hopes, and aspirations. They smiled, looking at their young ones playing and the men who had come to mean a lot to them. They hoped they would live long and happy lives together.

Unknown to the little ones, their parents had already begun scheming on how to make them marry one another. After all, why not push such a beautiful friendship into becoming family? Little Mirabel began crying as if on cue, and Ryan joined her, screaming their poor little lungs out. Each one was picked up by their mother, and the two mothers smiled as they proceeded to nurse their child, cooing softly to get them to sleep. Anna wished they would have many years of such happiness and beautiful friendship. At last, the little ones were asleep, and their mothers proceeded to take them inside. It was really chilly outside anyway.

Once the babies were laid to sleep, their respective husbands, who had suddenly become best friends courtesy of their wives, each pulled his fairly new bride in for a kiss. The future looked bright for the two couples, and they were excited to see what it held for them.

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