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
Emily’s POVThe bed still smelled like him.Emily lay awake, her cheek pressed into Damian’s pillow, eyes wide open in the early morning dimness. The sheets were soft, cool, and faintly scented with cedar and bergamot—his cologne, the one that clung to his neck when she hugged him goodbye that last
Jonathan looked like he wanted to argue but didn’t. “You’re gambling with her safety.”“I’m trying to guarantee it,” I said quietly, but my voice came out like steel.Soma broke the tension. “Damian, my team will keep surveillance on every hotel where Albert’s been spotted. But there’s bad news ther
Emily nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. Her mother stood and brushed her hands on her apron. “Now. You need a distraction.”“I don’t feel like cooking,” Emily muttered.“Good,” Sienna said brightly. “Because I made a reservation.”Emily blinked. “What?”Her mother smiled innocently. “Your fa
Somchai: We have men. Easy to take. When?Albert smiled, typing slowly, deliberately.Albert: Soon. She’s being watched now. I need her alone. Wait for my signal.He sent the message, then turned toward the bed where Lucy’s silk robe lay draped over the edge. She was in the adjoining room, likely pr







