Yvette Matthews had a great early childhood. She had loving parents that has given her a great life. Her father was a 5-star master chef while her mother was a well known patissier in the culinary world. Her life was great but all of that changed when her parents got into a car accident and died. Yvette was orphaned at a tender age of six years old.

In her parent’s wake, a middle aged man with his ten year old son came. He told Yvette that he was her parents’ friend from college and was willing to adopt Yvette. Her having no next of kin and rather than her going into foster care, the adults in the foster agency agreed after checking the man’s background. It was known that the middle aged man was the CEO of a large 5-star hotel and restaurant group that not only operated in the country but around the world.

Yvette lived a life as a princess being doted by her stepfather and stepbrother. Even though she lived a life full of luxury, she stayed humble and studied hard to be a good chef and patissier like her parents. She loved her new family, and she harbored romantic feelings with her stepbrother, Joseph Hamilton. Something she kept a secret since she knew her feelings cannot be reciprocated.

But all of that changed when her stepfather died of old age. When the lawyer of his stepfather read his last will leaving seventy percent of his fortune to Yvette including the rights to the Hamilton hotels. This shocked many especially her stepbrother, Joseph, since he was only left with thirty percent. But there was a clause in the will, that Jospeh could be the CEO if he marries Yvette and they produce an heir.

Her life started to turn gray since Joseph was forced to leave his current girlfriend whom Yvette knew he loved so much and marry her to get the CEO title. Joseph’s kindness and pampering turned into hate and disgust. He became cold and aloof, coming home late and going to work early in the morning. Yvette’s only solace was the son she bore with Joseph on their wedding night. She poured all of her love to her little son.

But fate was cruel to her once again when she found out that Joseph was seeing his ex-girlfriend once again. Hearing from someone that they were meeting in a hotel room, she mustered the courage to confront them. Yvette saw the ex-girlfriend in the hotel room wearing sexy lingerie. They got in the heated argument.

“Seph does bot love you.” The ex-girlfriend said. “He just married you to get the position that should be rightfully his!” She shouted.

“Do you not think I know that?!” Shouted Yvette. “But he is still married to me!”

The two were pulling each other’s hair in the hotel balcony which is located at the 43rd floor. They both went over the railed in the heat of the moment and they were holding for dear life.

“Dianne!” Joseph voice was heard inside the hotel room.

“S-Seph!” The ex-girlfriend shouted. “Help me!”

“Dianne!” Joseph was alarmed to see her hanging on the balcony. “Yvette? Why are you here?!” He sounded surprised.

“H-Help me.” Yvette cried. 

“Hold on! I am going to get you out.” Joseph said but he pulled his ex-girlfriend first and took off his coat to put on to her.

Yvette’s heart was crushed. She knew in that time that who Joseph really loved was Dianne and not her. This erased all of her hope on being loved and had let go. She felt her body falling for a long time.

Yvette’s body felt light and she thought that she had now thrown all of her guilt and the burden in the loveless relationship. She wished that in her next life, she would not have this kind of love once again.

But then she opened her eyes once again, to the day when the lawyer would read her stepfather’s last will.

“I will changed my fate.” Yvette thought. “In this life, I will not be drowned in a loveless marriage with my stepbrother.”

No fanfare. No recognition. Just the muted hum of an airport that had seen too many arrivals to care about one more man stepping onto its polished floors.


I pulled my coat tighter around me as I exited the jet bridge, the air inside Charles de Gaulle cooler than I expected. Not cold—just crisp, alert. Like the city itself.


People moved around me with purpose. Conversations overlapped in French and English, laughter punctuated by rolling suitcases and the soft chime of arrival boards updating destinations.


For once, I didn't want to arrive anywhere too fast.


I wasn't here as the CEO of Hamilton Group. Not officially. My presence hadn't been announced, no assistants waiting with clipped smiles and itineraries color-coded down to the minute.


Because this time, I wasn't here to take control.


Chapter 56 - Arrival Without Claim