LOGINGenevieve’s POVLucien set the bowl in front of me like he was presenting a gift.“Eat,” he said, almost… pleased with himself.I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “Of course.”The soup was hot, thick with potatoes and salted fish. My stomach knotted at the smell, but I made myself take a spoonful, then another. My hands didn’t shake this time. He noticed.“You see?” Lucien said, settling across from me. “This is how it should be. You listen. You stay close. You don’t run.” His smile stretched—too wide, too proud. “We’re happy.”Happy. Yeah, right. I swallowed the lump of terror in my throat. I gave him a soft little nod. “Yes. I—I am.”He beamed.That was my chance. Make him comfortable. Make him believe.His hand brushed my cheek. I didn’t flinch this time.“You’re finally understanding,” he murmured. “I knew you would.”I wanted to vomit, but I leaned into the touch. “Thank you… for taking care of me.”His eyes darkened with pleasure. “Good girl.”The air died in my lungs.When he fin
Celeste’s POVI stared at the flowers like they were some kind of trap.A perfect arrangement sitting in a crystal vase on my dining table. Elegant. Thoughtful. Expensive.And quite infuriating.“They’re gorgeous,” Harper said as she walked by, stealing one of the blooms to sniff dramatically. “Like… stupidly gorgeous. Annoyingly gorgeous.”I groaned, pressing my palms to my eyes. “Don’t remind me.”“Oh, I’m going to,” she said cheerfully. “Because this is the best entertainment I’ve had all week.”I dropped my hands and glared weakly at her. “Harper… Theo sent these.”“Exactly,” she said, plopping into a chair. “Beautiful flowers from a beautiful idiot.”I sighed—loudly. “He has a baby, Harper. A baby. And a woman with him. I don’t even know if she’s his wife or girlfriend or—whatever she is. I don’t know, and I shouldn’t care.”Harper raised a brow. “But?”I stared at the note propped beside the vase, the handwriting I knew too well.“But it bothers me,” I admitted quietly. “That he
Damien’s POVA dozen executives sat stiffly around the glass table inside the conference room, pretending they weren’t terrified of being here with me.I didn’t blame them. I wasn’t exactly in the mood to play nice.Numbers flickered across the projector screen—balance sheets, quarterly summaries, ledger entries, things I usually scanned through in minutes.But today… something was off. I had started noticing it a few days ago when I was reviewing everything. “Stop there,” I said, raising a hand.The finance director, Mr. Holt, froze. “Y-yes, sir?”I leaned forward, eyes narrowing on the highlighted section. “Explain this.”Silence.A single line item. A transfer. Large enough to matter. Small enough to slip under the radar—if the radar wasn’t mine.From Vaughn Enterprises. To a consulting firm I’d never heard of.Solmar Holdings.“Who authorized this?” I asked.No one answered.I could practically hear their pulses spiking.Finally Holt cleared his throat. “It’s an external project
Celeste’s POV“Try this one,” Viv said, holding up a dress in the softest shade of rose. “The cut is perfect for you.”I blinked at her, half-expecting her to take it back or laugh like it was a joke. But she didn’t.She actually meant it.This whole… day felt unreal.Shopping? Manicure appointments? Coffee and pastries in between?With my biological mother? I must be dreaming.It was like stepping into someone else’s life. I reached out and touched the fabric of the dress. “It’s beautiful.”“Good,” Viv said with a smile. “I think it’ll look fantastic on you. Let me buy it for you.”“Oh, no. That’s fine. I can pay for it.” “Oh, please, Celeste,” she argued gently. “Let me. I wasn’t around for you in your younger days, so just… let me do this…” She looked so vulnerable. How could I say no to that? So I nodded and smiled. “Thanks so much.” We were in a tiny boutique tucked into one of the narrow streets of Provence, sunlight spilling in through the window, dust motes dancing lazily
Soline’s POVThe bass hit first—vibrating through the floor, up my legs, right into my stomach.Same bar. Same group of people I used to call my friends.But everything felt different now.“Girl! You’re finally back!” Lissa squealed, throwing her arms around my neck. Her perfume was strong enough to choke a ghost. “We thought you died or something.”“I was just… busy,” I said, which was a lie, but whatever.They dragged me to a booth in the corner. Neon lights flashed across their faces—too bright, too sharp. Empty bottles already cluttered the table. Someone slid me a shot.“Soline, come on, don’t be boring,” Jay said, already high on something I didn’t want to identify. “We got the good stuff tonight.”He pulled out a small packet.My eyes widened. Months ago, I would’ve snatched it. No thinking. No hesitation. Anything to drown out the noise in my head.But now?“No,” I said simply.Four pairs of bleary eyes blinked at me.Lissa frowned. “Since when do you say no?”“Since I’m tryi
Celeste’s POV“Hold that straight,” Margaux said, tugging the edge of the fabric like it personally offended her. “If this hem ends up crooked, I’ll blame you forever.”I laughed softly and steadied the material. “It’s straight. You’re just dramatic.”She shot me a look over her glasses. “Dramatic people create good fashion.”“Right. And humble ones keep the business alive.”She snorted. “That would be you then.”We were knee-deep in the last batch of pieces for the Contrast Collection—reversible jackets, functional skirts, utility bags. Colette’s café was already promoting the upcoming showcase. Everything was finally moving forward, and for once, the weight on my chest felt lighter.My phone buzzed against the table.Margaux didn’t even look up. “If that’s Colette asking for another teaser photo, tell her she’s getting nothing until I finish this damn seam.”“It’s not her,” I said, wiping my hands on my apron before checking the screen.Damien.My lips betrayed me by smiling.He usu







