Penelope woke up before the sun had fully risen, a thin line of dawn slipped through the heavy hotel curtains, washing the room in pale light.

For a moment, she lay still, her mind hazy-until the memories of the previous night came crashing back. Her chest tightened.

Carlton lay asleep beside her, his arms loosely draped across her waist, his breathing slow and steady. Carefully, she lifted his arm away and slid out of the bed.

Spotting a Louis Vuitton shopping bag resting on the dresser. Without hesitation, she pulled out a simple dress from it and slipped into it, then folded her wedding gown-the symbol of everything that had gone wrong-and gathered it into her arms.

The room felt unnaturally quiet, weighed down by reality.

Her heart pounded as she approached the door. She paused briefly when she noticed her car keys on the rack. Taking a deep breath, she glanced back at Carlton one last time. He remained asleep, peaceful in the dim light, unaware that this moment would be their only one.

She considered leaving him a note, but she stopped herself.

Some things are never meant to be explained. She grabbed the keys and slipped out quietly.

She hurried down the hallway, into the elevator, and out of the building.

The cool morning air hit her like a slap as she stepped out of the building. Relief washed over her as she saw her car parked in the valet stand. Looking slightly bruised but intact.

She climbed in and shut the door, exhaling shakily.

Her phone lay on the passenger seat, its screen glowing with missed calls and unread messages.

She picked it up and saw numerous missed calls and messages from her Dad, Hill, Geoffrey, and even Mrs. Oretha. Penelope's heart sank as she stared at the screen, but she didn't return any of the calls nor reply to the messages.

Each number represented a conversation she wasn't ready to have, a judgment she wasn't ready to face. With a clenched jaw, she tossed the phone back to the passenger seat, fired the engine, and drove off.

The city slowly woke around her, but Penelope felt detached from it all. A few streets away, she pulled over beside a public trash bin. Her hands trembled as she reached for the wedding dress.

For years, she had imagined walking down the aisle in it.

Now, without ceremony or tears, she shoved it into the bin and slammed the lid shut.

She didn't look back.

The drive home was blurry. By the time she arrived home, the house was already alive with noise.

Her father. Geoffrey. Hillary. Mrs. Oretha.

Everyone.

She parked and took a moment to steel herself. The moment she stepped inside, the tension thickened. Her father's face hardened when his eyes landed on her.

"What is this?" he demanded. "Are you out of your mind?" His face was burning with anger and fury.

The accusation hung in the air, Penelope stared at her father, and a cold emptiness settled in her stomach.

Before she could respond, Hillary rushed forward, arms outstretched. "Pen, please-"

Penelope stepped back, avoiding her touch. Geoffrey moved next, reaching for her hand, his voice strained with panic. "Penelope, thank goodness you're alright. Where were you? Talk to me.

She pulled away again, her face unreadable, her silence louder than any accusation. She walked past them into the house, Mrs Oretha waiting in the hallway.

"You could have taken your calls, you got us all worried," Mrs Oretha said, her tone gentle but firm.

"I will no longer be getting married to Geoffrey," Penelope announced, her voice steady and loud enough for everyone to hear.

A stunned silence fell over the room. Geoffrey's face turned pale, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. "What do you mean babe?" he finally managed to ask.

"You heard me correctly," Penelope replied, her voice unwavering. "I am not marrying you Geoffrey."

Her father's anger erupted. "You embarrassed me. You made me look like a fool in front of my friends, my family, and everyone. Penelope, you disgraced me."

"You were nowhere to be found at your wedding, guests left in disappointment, and you came home reeking of male cologne, and you said what?" her father's voice almost breaking through the hard walls.

Hillary stepped forward, her expression one of concern. "Penelope, what's wrong? Are you having cold feet?"

Penelope turned to her, a stranger hidden behind a mask of feigned sympathy. The betrayal echoed in her memory, clear as day. How could she have been so blind? She mused as she looked at Hill with a blank expression, feeling a surge of anger and betrayal.

'How did I never realize what a calculating bitch you are?' she thought, but didn't say anything.

Her father's voice broke through her thoughts. "If you are not marrying Geoffrey, then you are not setting foot in this house again."

The words landed hard.

Penelope's heart ached at her father's words. It hurt her that he cared more about the wedding than her well-being. She took a deep breath, standing tall. "I am not getting married. It was my choice to get married, and now I no longer want to get married. You can do whatever you want, Dad."

Her father's face twisted with rage. "Then you leave this house and never come back. I don't want to ever see your face again.

Penelope felt a pang of sadness but stood her ground. "Fine. I will leave," she declared, since she desperately needed time and space.

She needed space away from both Hillary and Geoffrey. She couldn't bear to look them in the face and she never wanted to let them see or know how they had hurt her.

The shock in the room was palpable as she turned and walked upstairs, and immediately, Mrs Oretha and Hillary hurried after her.

Before either of them could walk into her bedroom she slammed the door in their face and locked it.

She grabbed a suitcase and began to pack, her hands trembling slightly but her resolve firm. She picked up her passport and her essentials, tears streamed down hùer face, but she wiped them off immediately, and took one last look around her room, then headed back downstairs.

Downstairs, her father's voice continued to echo angrily, Mrs Oretha trying to calm him down, while Hillary and Geoffrey whispered to each other.

Penelope looked around the house, at the faces she once trusted, at the place she once called home-and felt nothing but resentment.

As she reached the bottom step, her father glared at her. "You really mean to leave?"

Penelope nodded without hesitation, her eyes meeting his. "Yes Sir"

Without another word, she walked past them all, out the front door, and into an unknown future that awaited her.

As Carlton stirred awake, he rolled over reaching out instinctively, but his hand met only cold sheets. Groggily, he opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight filtering into the room.

When he saw the other side of the bed was empty, he sat up, remnants of sleep still clinging to him, and scanned the quiet room.

He glanced at the clock on the nightstand, it was ten in the morning.

He frowned, running a hand through his tousled hair.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet on the plush carpet.

He stood, stretching, and took a slow lap around the suite. Her clothes were gone. The only trace of her was the subtle fragrance that still hung in the air.

Her scent lingered in the room, a faint tantalizing reminder of her presence.

He remembered the night vividly, the intensity, the passion, the way her presence had ignited something in him. But now, she was gone.

Frustration gnawed at him. He had just returned to the country the previous day, and the jet lag had hit him hard. He had slept more soundly than he had in weeks, and in his deep sleep, he hadn't heard her leave.

Carlton grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed his driver. It rang twice before he answered. "Good morning, Mr Banks."

"The lady from yesterday- is her car still parked outside?" Carlton asked, ignoring the pleasantries.

"No, sir," the driver replied. "I didn't see the car when I got here four hours ago."

He cursed under his breath, thanking the driver before hanging up. He paced the room, his mind racing.

He had no way of finding her, no clue about who she was or where she had gone. The realization only added to his frustration.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. There was nothing he could do now but hope that somehow she would show up again.

For the time being, he needed to go check the state of his father's company. Pushing aside his irritation, he headed to the bathroom to shower and shave.

The hot water did little to ease the tension in his muscles. His thoughts kept drifting back to her-her moan, her touch, the way she had made him feel alive. But now she was gone, leaving behind only a memory.

Carlton stepped out of the shower and toweled off, his mind gradually shifting to the day's events.

He dressed up, choosing a black shirt and a tailored suit. As he was fastening his cufflinks, his phone rang. His mother.

"Hi, Mom," he greeted, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he finished dressing.

"Carlton, dear, are you alright? I just heard about the accident."

"I'm fine. I wasn't hurt," he assured her quickly.

Alright. You need to come home," she said, her voice tinged with urgency.

"Home? What for?" he echoed, confused.

"The wedding didn't take place yesterday. We all left there in disappointment," she said.

Carlton paused, his cufflink dropped. "What happened?"

"I have no idea," his mother sighed. Just come home. Hopefully, Geoffrey will explain everything to us all.

"Anyway, I'll be there soon," he said, ending the call.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his mind reeling. The bride had jilted his cousin? This day was turning out to be far more complicated than he had anticipated.

He finished dressing quickly, grabbed his keys, and walked, slipping them into his pockets. With one last glance around the room, he left the suite, the scent of her perfume still faintly lingering in the air, a ghost of the night before.

He stared out the window as the driver drove him to his father's house, his thoughts a tangled mess of frustration and curiosity.

Who was she? And what on earth happened with his cousin's wedding?

When he arrived, his mother met him at the door, her face drawn with worry.

"I'm glad you're here," she said. Pulling him into a brief hug.

"What's going on?" Carlton asked curiously.

His mother sighed. "Let's go into the house. Your father is waiting, she said, and led him inside.

"What's this about Geoffrey being jilted?" Carlton asked as soon as the door closed behind them.

His mother shook her head, looking both angry and resigned. "According to his mother, she disappeared a few hours before the wedding yesterday and was out all night with her lover. She showed up early this morning, announced she was no longer getting married, and refused to explain herself.

Then she packed her bag and left."

Carlton frowned. "Just like that?" he asked as he settled into the seat opposite his father.

"Just like that," she confirmed.

"I never believed in fairytale weddings, they always turned out badly. The main reason I didn't attend." Carlton murmured.

"Thank goodness you didn't attend, you would have been so embarrassed," his mother said.

"Poor Geoffrey. He must have been devastated," Carlton said, and his mother nodded.

"This is such a mess. Can you imagine how much embarrassment and humiliation this family has to suffer? I can't believe he wanted to get married to someone so irresponsible," his mother added and Carlton sighed.

"Well I suppose a broken wedding is better than a broken marriage," Carlton pointed out.

"You could say that. Now that you're back, let's talk about the company. I'm stepping down for you to take over at the next shareholder's meeting," his father announced.

"When you say takeover, do you mean you would be stepping down completely or as your puppet?" He asked with a raised brow and his father chuckled.

"I'm going to let you do your thing, I'm getting older and tired. All I want is to retire and spend all my time playing with my wife and playing golf," his father said and this time Carlton chuckled.

"You are not old at all, you're only in your late sixties. And I have no problems taking over as long as you don't expect me to stand in front of cameras reciting words I don't mean or pretending to be who I'm not," he said easily and his father nodded in agreement.

"I understand that you don't want to be under public scrutiny, and I will respect it, as I've always done," he said, and Carlton nodded.

"Then I believe I'm ready to step into leadership and carry the reins forward."

Seven years passed by like the wind. Exactly seven years after walking out on her father and leaving the country, Penelope returned with her six-year-old daughters, Daphne and Dahila and Grace, their trusted nanny since she had them.

Seven years ago, she had not only left her home but also the country-and now, she was back. Not because she had any desire to confront her past or face her father, but because she wanted to return to the country of her birth with her little girls.

Images of the past seven years flickered before her eyes, the deception of Geoffrey and Hillary's

betrayal, the abrupt departure, the loneliness of a foreign land, and the unexpected pregnancy.

A pang of anger shot through her as she thought of her father's ultimatum to her on that morning seven years ago, marriage to Geoffrey being cut off.

"He should have handled it better," she muttered under her breath as she always did whenever she replayed the incident in her head.

It still hurt and angered her each time she remembered how her father had reacted when he should have simply tried to make her open up about her reason for calling off the wedding.

All of that didn't matter now. All that mattered was her little girls. Daphne and Dahila were now the joy of her life, and the best part of her life was being their mom.

Looking down at Daphne and Dahila who was fast asleep and nestled beside her, a radiant smile lit up Penelope's face. "My bundles of joy," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she leaned down and kissed their forehead.

Feeling her mother's lips, Daphne sleepily opened her eyes and returned the smile before

drifting back off, Dahila still sleeping soundly.

Looking into Daphne's deep blue eyes which she believed she had inherited from her father, the memory of her carefree night with the stranger surfaced.

She pushed the memory aside, not wanting to think about it or about the stranger who had given her the best sex of her life, and the best

gift of her life-her babies.

She didn't want to think about how she had slept with a stranger whose name she did not know, and whose face she could not remember, in a desperate attempt to numb the pain of betrayal.

No matter how great the sex had been, or the fact that she sometimes thought about how a perfect stranger had managed to make her feel so good, she didn't want to dwell on that.

Especially not when she wasn't even sure she would be able to recognize the stranger if ever she crossed paths with him again.

As the cab drove them to their reserved hotel, Daphne chattered endlessly as she looked out

the window asking questions which Grace happily answered, while Penelope was preoccupied

with her thoughts.

The taxi driver's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Here we are, ma'am," he announced, pulling up in front of The Luxe Banks Palace hotel. Penelope thanked him, fumbling slightly as she paid the fare while Grace carried Dahila the sleeping beauty, while Daphne happily jumped out of the car.

As soon as Pen turned to go into the hotel, she paused when it suddenly dawned on her that she was standing in front of the same Hotel where she had spent the night with that stranger seven years ago.

When The Luxe Banks Palace had been recommended to her as a child-friendly Hotel, she had not thought much of it before making

reservations here.

Was it a coincidence that this was the first place she was staying after seven years away? The very same place she had spent her last night, and where her daughters had been conceived?

A knot of nervous excitement tightened in Pen's stomach. It was a strange coincidence, a full-circle moment that both unsettled and

exhilarated her.

Memories, bittersweet flickered at the edges of her mind but she quickly pushed them away and took a deep breath to calm herself.

As Pen and her little crew stepped into the hotel lobby, a uniformed figure materialized, whisking away their luggage with practiced

ease.

"Welcome to The Luxe Banks Palace, ma'am. Let me help with your bags," he offered, already lifting the suitcases.

Penelope nodded, murmuring her thanks before turning to Grace, "You all can sit over there while I check us in," Penelope instructed Grace.

The lobby buzzed with activity.

Taking Daphne's hand whose eyes were wide with wonder, and carrying Dahila on her shoulder, who is still sleeping soundly, Grace led her to a velvet sofa where they sat down, while Penelope approached the reception desk.

"Good evening. I have a reservation under Penelope Will." The receptionist, a young woman with a warm smile, began typing on her computer.

"Welcome, Ms. Will. Just a moment while I pull up your reservation. Meanwhile, Grace, Dahila and Daphne settled into a

plush loveseat in the lobby. Grace sat with a serene expression, observing Daphe as she gazed around, her wide blue eyes taking in the beauty of the hotel.

Across from them, a figure hunched over a phone caught Daphne's eye. Curiosity tugged at her, and she scooted closer to the edge of the sofa, her gaze fixed on the man.

As if sensing her stare, he lifted his head, a smile, warm and genuine, crinkled the corners of his eyes when he saw the little girl staring directly at him, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"Hello, little one!" Carlton greeted with a friendly smile as he looked over at the pretty little girl in front of him.

"Mister, holding that phone so close to your face is bad for your eyes!" She declared, her voice clear and piping as she pointed at his phone.

"Daphne" Grace scolded, but Carlton chuckled, a genuine sound that rumbled pleasantly as he lowered his phone, and Daphne's face lit up in response.

"Is that right?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Who told you that, little one?" "My mommy," Daphne replied with the seriousness of a child imparting wisdom.

Carlton's gaze shifted to Grace, who was now watching the interaction with mild amusement.

He assumed she was the girls' mother and offered her a polite nod. Dahila was usually the calm one, content to sleep quietly, while Daphne could turn a place upside down within minutes. Then Carlton turned back to Daphne. "Well, your mummy is very wise.

Thank you for looking out for me, Daphne."

"How did you know my name?" Daphne asked, her eyes wide with wonder, and Carlton grinned.

"A little birdie told me," he said, even though he had just heard Grace refer to her as Daphne,

"Can I call you Daph?"

Daphne nodded enthusiastically. What's your name?"

"My name is Carl. Are you staying at the hotel, Daph?"

Daphne, ever eager to share, nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! We're going to have a really nice room," she said, her excitement bubbling over.

Carlton smiled. "That sounds wonderful. You and your sister should try out the hotel's playground. It's a lot of fun."

Daphne's eyes widened. "Playground?" Carlton chuckled. "Exactly! Slides, swings, a

whole jungle gym, it's a kid's paradise."

Daphne's excitement was tangible as she turned to look at Grace. "Can we go?" she pleaded, bouncing in her seat.

"If you're a good girl, we can go tomorrow," Grace promised while she patted Dahila's back.

"I promise to be good, I can't wait to tell Dahila when she wakes up, " and Carlton smiled.

Daphne turned back to him, "We have the same eye color, but my sister has my mommy's eyes" she told him, and Carlton nodded.

"That we do. Maybe it's a sign that we should be friends," he said, and she shook her head.

"I'm not supposed to be friends with strangers," she said, her expression innocent.

"I'm not exactly a stranger anymore since you know my name and we are going to be neighbors for some days since we both live here, " he explained.

"You live here too? Will your room be as nice as ours?" She asked, and Carlton laughed a deep, hearty sound.

"Yes, I do. I've been living here for years. And my room is the nicest in the Hotel," he said and her mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise,

"You don't have a mommy and a home?" "I do have a mommy and a home. This hotel is my home too because I own it."

Daphne's eyes grew even wider, and she was about to ask another question when Grace , who

had been listening to the exchange with a wary smile, exchanged a glance with Penelope, who

had just finished checking in and had signaled her to come along.

"It's time to leave, Daphne," Grace said as she rose, Dahila stirred awake and glanced around.

"Daphne, thank Mr Carl for his time," Grace said as she took Daphne's hand. "Thank you Mr. Carl," Daphne said and Carl smiled at her, and waved at Dahila who didn't return his gesture.

"Enjoy the playground before you leave," he said, and Grace gave him

a polite nod before walking away with

Daphne and Dahila.

Carlton leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful frown replacing his earlier smile. Although he was a lover of kids, the little girl, Daph, with

her bright eyes and bossy pronouncements, had

stirred something unexpected within him.

A warmth, a tenderness he couldn't explain, and for some reason, he wanted to see her again, but wasn't sure about Dahila's expression.

Carlton shook his head, dismissing the odd feeling as he returned his attention to his phone. This time, he made sure not to bring the phone too

close to his face.