Chapter 226: BONUS CHAPTER 11 (TALIA)

“Hey, why are you daydreaming all alone here?”

I gently tapped Agnes on the shoulder. She was sitting alone under a blue umbrella, overlooking the busy beach.

“Where’s Bruce?”

“In our suite. He got a call from his men. I don’t know what happened, but after he answered the call, Bruce went out onto the balcony and started cursing. I left our suite because I couldn’t stand his anger.”

I plopped down on the empty chair next to her. That was the risk of marrying Morgan men. They were busy men with problems.

“I guess we’re in the same boat. Cielo had to call an impromptu meeting when he should have been enjoying this anniversary trip with me.”

Agnes turned to me, her face beaming with joy.

“I guess the universe just gave us a chance to have fun without those Morgan men.”

I grinned.

“You’re right. Why should we be upset just because they’re busy? We can have fun without them. Any ideas?”

"The first thing I want to do after arriving in Florida is get some sun. What do you think?"

"Agreed. Let's tan our pale skin."

I hadn't noticed the navy duffel bag before. Agnes stood up, carrying it in one hand.

“Let’s go. We should find a comfortable spot to sunbathe.”

“You’ve prepared your stuff?” I chuckled.

“Better prepared than nothing.”

“I think I’ll get some lemonade at that cafe. It’s really hot here.”

“Yeah, I’m thirsty too.”

We walked side by side to a bohemian-style beachside café. It was cozy. The interior was dominated by turquoise with beach-themed accessories. I noticed photos of several actresses and perhaps other important figures displayed on the walls in wooden frames. I assumed the café was quite famous and had good reviews.

“One lemonade to go. How about you, Agnes?”

“One piña colada to go.”

“Alright. Fifteen bucks. Your order will be delivered to your table.”

I held Agnes’s hand as she reached for her purse from her duffel bag.

“Let me pay. This is Cielo’s.”

She chuckled softly.

“That credit card must be really heavy. I was just imagining all the money in Cielo’s safe.”

“No, it’s nothing. I don’t even know how much he has in his safe.”

“Seriously, you don’t know?”

We walked to an empty table in the corner of the café. It was very comfortable, with a large window overlooking the beach.

“I don’t see the point in knowing how much money he has in his safe. As long as all our basic needs are met, that’s enough for me. Even though we’re married, I still respect his privacy.”

“Wow, that’s something new for me. I thought there were no more secrets between husband and wife after marriage.”

“Every couple has different rules. Personally, I respect whatever Cielo decides, as long as it’s not something negative. Besides, if Cielo wanted me to know, he would have told me without me having to ask. He’s been more open with me than he was when we first got married.”

“Ahh… I need to learn a lot from you before deciding to marry Bruce. I know things about marriage aren’t always rosy.”

“Indeed, but that doesn’t mean marriage is scary. Honestly, how a marriage works depends on how you handle it. You can make it fun or terrible.”

“I want something like yours and Cielo’s.”

Agnes rested her chin on her hand while looking at the people passing by around the beach.

"Don't ever want a wedding like ours. It's not as beautiful as you see it now. Bruce must have told you about Ethan, right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry about that."

I waved my hand in the air.

"You don't have to. All the horrors have been forgotten by the wonderful things that have happened in my life in the past three years."

I smiled at her.

I'd truly put all that bitterness behind me. The past is the past. I only remember the good times and let go of the bad.

"Our drinks are here, let's go to the beach and get some sun."

We found a nice spot on the beach to sunbathe. I was already wearing a bikini under my dress, and so was Agnes. I thought I'd go straight to the beach with Cielo. But going to the beach with Agnes wasn't bad either. We exchanged lots of stories about our respective lives.

"Nice bikini."

"Yours is nice too."

"I swear, your bikini is so cool. You look like a virgin in that white two-piece."

I chuckled at Agnes's hilarious expression. She looked at me like she was staring at her idol.

"How do you manage to keep such a flat stomach after giving birth twice?"

"What else? Hit the gym and diet. I had stretch marks throughout all my pregnancies. And they were especially bad during Celine’s pregnancy because she was bigger than Zaiden."

"If you did have stretch marks, I don't see them at all now."

"I did a treatment to get rid of them in addition to a strict diet and exercise. By the way, you look great in that yellow bikini, too."

Her cheeks flushed. She tried to hide her embarrassment by taking a sip of her piña colada.

"Bruce picked it out for me. He said I looked great in this yellow bikini."

"He's right. The halter neckline accentuates your amazing collarbones."

"He told me that too," she said shyly.

We lay on the carpet, facing the beach. Sunglasses shielded our eyes from the glare of the sun. Several men blatantly approached us, pretending to offer to apply sunscreen, but Agnes fiercely shooed them all away.

"Gosh, I don't know how Cielo would react if he found out his wife was being seduced by those lecherous men."

"He'll be fine."

"Really? I know he's fucking possessive of you."

I spotted Cielo walking with Bruce from a distance. They were both wearing short-sleeved shirts with three buttons undone and shorts. Sunglasses perched on their noses. Many women stared at them in awe, but they continued walking straight ahead, nonchalant.

"I have an idea."

"What?"

I just winked at Agnes.

Coincidentally, a blonde man who had been stealing glances at me walked over. He was tall, muscular, and sexy. His blonde hair was long and flowing in the wind. He had a solid, confident stride. If I didn't have Cielo, I probably wouldn't have turned down the chance to date him. But I had Cielo, and that guy was nothing compared to my powerful husband.

He crouched down in front of me with a playboy smile.

"Hi. I noticed you two are stunning among all the women on this beach."

"Wow, thanks. You're very charming too."

Agnes's eyes widened in surprise. She signaled me to shoo the man away, but I shook my head slowly.

"By the way, I'm Raymond, and you?"

"I'm Talia, and this is my best friend, Agnes."

"Nice to meet you two. It's my lucky day to find two beautiful women alone on the beach."

Raymond picked up my bottle of sunscreen that lay at my feet.

"May I?"

He almost touched my legs, but I quickly pulled them to my chest.

"It's okay. I don't mind putting this sunscreen on your skin. The sun can burn your beautiful skin."

"But I—"

"What are you doing here?"