MasukMom 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
Jonathan’s POVI could feel Damian’s eyes on me before I even opened my mouth. He was coiled tight, a spring ready to snap. Emily sat across from him, pale and quiet, her hands clasped around a cup of tea that had long since gone cold. The air between us was tense—thick with dread and anticipation.
Charlotte’s POVThe moment the video call ended, the room fell into a strange, heavy quiet. The air conditioning hummed softly above us, stirring the curtains beside the window, but even that sound felt distant. My hand was still trembling slightly from holding the phone, my pulse racing from the ru
Madelin’s POVThe car ride into the city felt endless. The sound of the tires against the road was a constant, dull hum that somehow made the voices louder. They whispered over the music, over Jack’s gentle attempts at conversation, over everything.You’re making a mistake. He’ll tell them everythi
I looked up at him sharply. “You’re sure?”He nodded. “Positive. But I can’t see where they went after. The trail ends there. She’s protected.”I leaned back, feeling the weight of it all pressing on my shoulders. “He’s moving money through her. Using her name, her accounts. That’s how he’s stayed a







