Novels by Nyx Vale

Hailey's POV The week passed in aching silence.Maxwell and I moved through the penthouse like ghosts. He'd take Gio to school while I buried myself in board preparation. I'd handle bedtime while he worked late in his office. We existed in separate orbits, carefully avoiding collision.His ultimatum echoed constantly.I hadn't decided. I couldn't decide. I was too terrified of making the wrong decision.Now I stood outside the boardroom, Christina beside me, watching board members file in with expressions ranging from sympathetic to calculating."Ready?" Christina asked.I wasn't. But I nodded anyway."Stay calm." She said quietly. "Don't let Denis provoke you. Stick to facts.""I know.""Hailey." She touched my arm. "You've earned this. Don't forget that."I walked into the boardroom.Denis sat at the far end like a predator who'd already tasted blood. Tiana sat in the gallery, not a board member, but clearly invited as family representation. Her smile was cold when she saw me.Maxw

Hailey's POVThe car was suffocating despite the driver's silent presence in the front seat.I stared out the tinted window, Floyd's words replaying in my head like a curse I couldn't shake.Not because I wanted him back, I didn't. But because those words had ripped open wounds I'd thought were healed. Reminded me of how completely I'd loved him once. How easily he'd discarded me when something shinier came along.How terrified I was of it happening again.Maxwell sat beside me, jaw locked, radiating tension like a live wire. We hadn't spoken since leaving the fundraiser. Hadn't touched. The space between us on the leather seat felt like miles instead of inches.The penthouse was dark and silent when we arrived, the city lights casting long shadows through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The driver barely had time to stop before Maxwell was out, striding toward the entrance without waiting, without looking back.I followed more slowly, exhaustion settling into my bones like lead.Inside

Hailey's POVThe Ramsey Industries Annual Fundraiser was supposed to be my victory lap.Instead, it felt like walking into a battlefield in heels and a designer gown.I stood at the entrance of the ballroom, Maxwell beside me in a perfectly tailored tux, his hand resting lightly on my lower back. To everyone watching, we looked like the perfect power couple, polished, united, unstoppable.Only I could feel the tension radiating through his touch. The distance that had grown between us over the past week as we'd worked separately on board strategy. We'd email documents back and forth, leave notes on the kitchen counter, coordinate around Gio's schedule like divorced parents instead of married partners. The irony wasn't lost on me that our fake marriage felt more strained than some real ones."Ready?" His voice was neutral, carefully controlled."As I'll ever be."We walked in together, and every head turned. I felt the weight of their stares, wondering if the rumors about Denis's coup w

Floyd's POV The penthouse was quiet when I got home, just the noise of the city through the windows.Kim was curled up on the couch in leggings and an oversized sweater, her laptop open, wine glass half-empty beside her. She looked up when I walked in."You're finally back." She closed her laptop. "Just got home from the gallery an hour ago. How'd the visitation go?"I dropped my keys on the counter. "Bad."She tilted her head. "Bad how?""He wouldn't even look at me." The words tasted bitter. "The second the session ended, he ran to Hailey like I was some kind of monster or something. He didn't look back once."Kim set aside her wine glass. "Well that was expected."I poured myself a scotch, definitely a mistake after the drinks with Mason, and sat beside her. "He wouldn't talk to me," I said finally. "Every time I tried to connect, he'd bring up Maxwell. 'Daddy took me to the museum.' It was so constant it made me sick.""He's five, Floyd. He doesn't understand the situation yet.

Floyd's POV I want to go home to my actual real daddy.Gio's words replayed in my head on a loop, each repetition twisting the knife deeper.My son had looked at me like I was a stranger. Worse than a stranger. A threat.And when Hailey had finally said it was time to leave, Gio had practically thrown himself at her like I was something dangerous he needed to escape from. Five years. I'd missed five years of his life.Five years of first words and first steps and bedtime stories. Five years of scraped knees and birthday parties and learning what made him laugh.And now some other man was reaping the benefits of my DNA while I sat in supervised visits watching my son draw away from me.The way Gio's whole face had lit up when he talked about Kingston. The absolute trust and adoration in his voice.That should've been for me.My phone buzzed. It was Mason.Mason: How'd it go?I stared at the message, not knowing how to answer.Terrible. Horrible. My son thinks I'm nobody while calling

Hailey's POV Gio didn't let go of Maxwell for the rest of the day.The moment we got home from the visitation center, he'd wrapped himself around Max like he was trying to disappear into him. Even now, four hours later, he was still glued to his side."Daddy, can we build the Lego set?" Gio asked for the third time, his voice so small it made my throat tight."We already finished it, buddy. Remember?" Max spoke with patience. "Want to start a new one?""No." Gio shook his head. "I want to build that one again. The castle.""Okay. Let's take it apart and start over."I watched from the kitchen doorway as Maxwell sat on the floor with Gio in his lap, carefully dismantling the castle they'd spent all week building together. My son kept looking up at him every few seconds. Making sure he was still there."Mommy!" Gio's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Come help us!"I set down my cold coffee and joined them on the floor. Gio immediately shifted between us, one hand on Max's arm, the ot