LOGINElara pov The lounge was too quiet for comfort. Not peaceful quiet. Not restful silence. The kind of silence that made every thought echo louder than it should. Elara sat on the edge of the couch, a half-empty glass resting loosely in her hand. The amber liquid inside had already blurred the edges of her focus, softening her restraint but sharpening her emotions. Or maybe it was the other way around. She wasn’t sure anymore. The sound of footsteps pulled her attention up. Alexander entered the room. Controlled as always. Straight posture. Cold expression. That familiar distance that made it feel like he was always standing somewhere else, even when he was right in front of her. His eyes moved to the glass in her hand. “You’ve been drinking too much lately,” he said flatly. Elara let out a soft laugh, bitter at the edges. “Now you care?
Celyne povThe drive back from the cemetery felt longer than it should have. Maybe because my mind refused to stay quiet. Or maybe because no matter how hard I tried, Alexander’s voice kept replaying in my head. When do you plan to come back to the house? The question irritated me more than it should have. How could he ask me that so casually? What if I didn’t want to come back? What if I was tired of returning to places that only reminded me how temporary I was in his life? My fingers tightened slightly against my lap as I stared out the car window. And then there was something else bothering me. He remembered. My parents’ death anniversary. Even after everything between us… he still remembered. That alone unsettled me more than I wanted to admit. A tired breath left my lips as I leaned back slightly. Maybe I was overthinking ever
Alexander pov The cemetery was colder than Alexander remembered. Not because of the weather. Because of the silence that followed grief. And the way it never truly left a place like this. His eyes stayed on Celyne. Replaying what he had just seen—her being caught by someone else. She was standing. Barely. Like her body had decided to obey her only halfway. There was a man beside her. Unknown. New. That alone was enough to make Alexander’s gaze narrow slightly. He didn’t recognize him. And that bothered him more than it should have. Celyne turned slowly. Her eyes met his. No shock. No softness. Just exhaustion. Like his presence here no longer carried weight the way it used to. Alexander spoke first. “How is my child?” The question landed clean.
Celyne POVGrief never arrived loudly for me anymore.It came quietly.Like something familiar.Something that had already made a home inside my chest years ago and never truly left.The day had finally come.The remembrance.Every year, I told myself it would get easier.And every year, I lied.I stood in front of the mirror for a long moment, staring at my reflection without truly seeing it. The black dress hanging loosely against my body only made me look paler than I already felt. My fingers brushed lightly against my stomach instinctively.A soft breath escaped my lips.Sometimes I still couldn’t believe there was a child growing inside me while my own body was slowly betraying me.Life and death existing together.Cruel.Almost poetic.I looked away from the mirror before my thoughts could sink deeper.Today was already hard enough.And somehow, my aunt deciding to come along only made it worse.That alone was suspicious.Mandy hated emotional gatherings unless there was somethi
Alexander POV The office felt too structured today. Too clean. Too quiet. Like everything had been arranged with precision, yet nothing was actually under control. Alexander leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the glowing screen in front of him, but not seeing a single word on it. The contract he had been reviewing for the past twenty minutes remained unchanged—still open, still unread, still meaningless. His jaw tightened slightly. Focus had never been a problem for him before. But lately, everything demanded a version of him he could no longer fully access. A knock interrupted the silence. Without looking up, he answered flatly. “Come in.” The door opened and his assistant stepped in, holding a slim folder and a tablet. “Sir,” she said carefully, “these are the updated reports from legal. Also… Mrs. Wynn requested confirmation on the meeting schedul
Mandy POV The problem with soft-hearted people was that they never understood how the world truly worked. And Celyne— she was exactly like her mother. Weak. Emotional. Always allowing feelings to ruin opportunities standing directly in front of her. Mandy tightened her grip around the steering wheel as frustration simmered heavily inside her chest while driving away from Clara’s apartment. The image of Celyne standing there refusing her still irritated her deeply. “I’m not going back to Alexander.” Her mocking imitation filled the silence of the car. Mandy scoffed bitterly. “Stupid girl.” The city lights blurred past her window as annoyance slowly turned into anger. Did Celyne even understand what kind of chance was sitting right in front of her? Women would destroy entire lives for opportunities like that. Money. S
Alexander POVThe moment I stepped out of the house earlier, I already knew I wouldn’t be able to ignore it.It wasn’t something obvious.Not something I could clearly point at.But it was there.That feeling.The one that doesn’t sit well.Celyne said she was going to Clara’s place.Simple.Clear.
Clara POVThe room was quiet. Too quiet, even for my liking. But I liked it that way. Silence was easier to control. Easier to think in. Easier to remember.I sat at my desk, hands folded neatly, my gaze drifting to the dark screen of my phone. Nothing. Still nothing. Perfect. Patience was a virtue
Elara POVThe dining table was quiet now.Too quiet.But even in the silence, the tension from earlier still lingered in the air, heavy and unsettling.I stood by the window, my arms crossed lightly, my gaze unfocused as my thoughts replayed everything that had just happened.Every word.Every expr
Celyne POVThe door closed behind me softly.But the moment I stepped fully into my room…Everything I had been holding was shattered.My legs gave out before I could stop myself, and I sank slowly onto the floor, my back resting against the door as if it was the only thing holding me together.A s







