Mag-log inMom 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 POV“He wouldn’t say that word. But I know the tone. We were wild in our day, but Bobby always had a conscience. He’s being used. He told me he had to give the appearance of cutting ties with the Augustus family. It was the only way to keep this mysterious someone satisfied. He provoked Char
Barrett leaned forward. “I worry, Charles. I worry he will do what you once did. That he will be torn between two women and destroy both of them in the process.”I flinched. “That’s not fair.”“It’s honest,” he snapped. “You hesitated, and Madelin broke. Emily is strong now, but love makes fools of
Charles’ POVI stood in the center of Damian’s office, arms crossed, the tension between us thick enough to choke on. The windows behind him framed the skyline in all its choking gray glory, but even that view couldn’t distract from the storm brewing between us. My son, seated with an infuriating ca
But something was off in the way Damian's eyes kept flicking toward me like he was searching for signs of some hidden truth.I took a sip of my soda and leaned in, voice casual. "So, who was on the phone?"He shrugged, reaching for a napkin. "Celeste. She reached out last week. Wanted to reconnect.







