로그인Mom 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
But lately… lately something had shifted. I looked at Damian, headstrong and impassioned, with his tech project and his grand plans. He was the one who carried the fire. Not me. And maybe it used to bother me, maybe it used to feel like a betrayal of everything I had worked for. But now… now I wasn’
Jonathan’s POVShe sat in the dappled light like a vision out of time. Her dress was long, flowing, a sea of flowers captured in silk. Over it, she wore a plain sport jacket, slightly oversized, but stylish. Her legs were crossed, the slit of her dress revealing smooth, tan skin that went on forever
The phone on my desk buzzed, and I snatched it up. “What?”“Mr. Augustus,” came the calm, overly sweet voice of my assistant, Ruth. “Just a reminder, you have golf this morning with the senator. Lunch at the club follows. Shall I call for your driver?”My heart sank. “Golf?”“Yes, sir. Scheduled two
Emily’s POVCocktails were served in the drawing room, the scent of rosemary and citrus in the air. Barrett had laid out olives, nuts, and soft cheeses on silver platters. I perched beside Charlotte, pretending to sip my drink, though my throat had tightened considerably.Celeste laughed, lightly, a







