Se connecterMom claps. “See? Good sense.”Dad groans, drops into a chair, and rubs his forehead. “Fine. Sparklers. But I get to choose the color.”“Deal,” I say, leaning over to kiss his temple. He pretends not to smile but I see it anyway.I never thought I would have this again—a father who tries, really trie
Maya’s POVFrance changed me. I did not expect it to. I thought all I wanted was revenge, a reckoning, a balancing of the scales that would make everything feel right again. But standing at the kitchen window of our townhouse with the late-morning sun warming the old stone, watching Oscar toddle aft
After a few minutes, Emma sits beside me, nudging my shoulder. “How are you really,” she asks, her voice softening.I smile. “Good. Really good. For the first time, everything feels... quiet.”“You deserve quiet.”I nod, my eyes warming. “He is different now. Softer. Present. You should see him read
Emily’s POVSix Months LaterI wake before the alarm, before the morning light even filters through the curtains, to a soft flutter beneath my ribs. A tiny kick, gentle but unmistakably there. I smile into the pillow, pressing my palm over the swell of my stomach. The baby is awake, stretching, gree
Damian’s POVI do not think I exhaled until the plane door shut behind us.No reporters.No blinking notifications.No family emergencies.No corporate disasters waiting like open jaws behind every email.Just Emily beside me, fingers loosely threaded with mine, her head resting on my shoulder as if
Emily’s POVThe morning light over the farm looks unreal, soft as milk, drifting across the grass in wide strokes that make everything glow. It is the kind of light you only see on days you remember forever. A gentle breeze carries the smell of lilac and fresh earth, the decorations swaying slightly
Damian's POVThe rest of the meal passed in excruciating slowness. Every second felt stretched, every bite of food from those around me an irritation. When the plates were finally cleared and everyone began to rise from their seats, I stood without a word, walking toward the study without waiting fo
Emily's POVMaya’s glare burned into me like a brand, her perfectly sculpted face twisted in restrained fury. Louis, standing beside her, was no better. His sharp, assessing gaze flitted between me and Damian as if trying to decipher why we were here at all, as if our presence alone was an offense.
Maya's POVLucy Laurent, the woman who would soon be my mother-in-law, was going to drive me insane.No, she already had driven me insane.Every single day, it was something new. Some trivial argument over a meaningless detail, some clash of preferences, some new and insufferable eccentricity she in
Emily's POVI remained still. My heart pounded in my chest, but I did not move.That drove her completely mad.Maya’s expression tightened, frustration flashing behind her eyes. This was her moment of triumph, her moment to watch me crumble, to see me break beneath the weight of her cruelty, and I r







