LOGINMom 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
Jack clenched his jaw. “The bastard. Jonathan told me the details…”“I didn’t tell anyone,” I said, voice cracking. “I thought I could manage it. I thought if I gave him what he wanted, he’d leave me alone. But then… then he brought Charlotte into it.”Jack turned fully toward me now, his expression
Albert’s POVThe villa glowed like gold at sunset — glass walls gleaming, the scent of salt and orchids drifting in from the sea. From the terrace, I could see the jungle falling away in waves of green until it met the pale blue water below. The sun was sinking into it now, leaving the horizon bruis
I stared at him, shaking my head in disbelief. “But how did she even—how could she send him money without anyone noticing?”“She used her personal account,” he said. “And Lucy’s been helping move the money ever since. Every payment your mother sent went into a Swiss account under Lucy’s name, and fr
Emily’s POVThe kitchen was alive — a roaring, glorious symphony of heat, sound, and motion. The sharp sizzle of oil, the soft percussion of knives against wooden boards, and the faint hum of the string quartet playing in the bar outside filled the air. The ancient Roman dinner menu was a success.







