LOGINA Few Weeks Later…DAMON'S POV:The thought came to me in the middle of a peaceful night.I woke up around three in the morning, my pulse moving a bit fast, my mind completely clear, and the lingering traces of a quiet dream slowly fading away. I turned my head on the pillow, expecting to see Isabelle resting beside me. However, she was not in the room. She was over in her designated workspace down the hall, the room she had set up when she first stayed over, where she liked to gather her thoughts and work on her stories whenever inspiration struck.I lay there for a long time, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about everything we had been through together. I thought about the easy way she laughed when she was relaxed. I thought about the soft, gentle way she looked over at me when she thought I was busy with something else. I thought about the incredible courage she showed back at the cabin, standing her ground without hesitation to make sure I stayed safe.My mind kept going
MAXWELL'S POV:She sat up straight, giving me her full attention. "Who is the gentleman?""Damon Varek."She stared at me in surprise, her expression shifting through several thoughts at once as the name registered in her mind."The groundskeeper's son," she whispered, a small smile appearing on her lips. "The young boy who used to make her laugh so easily. The one who promised to take care of her when they grew up.""The very same man."She stayed quiet for a few moments, processing the news, before standing up and walking over to sit beside me. She reached out and took both of my hands in hers."We need to go visit him, Maxwell," she said softly.I looked at my wife, slightly surprised by her quick response. "You are not upset or concerned about this?""Concerned?" She offered a warm, comforting laugh that filled the quiet room. "Maxwell, we have watched our daughter spend years attending polite dinners with men who never truly understood her. We watched her smile politely,
MAXWELL'S POV:I was sitting in my top floor office at the Valancourt company building, reviewing a stack of quarterly reports that I had already gone through several times, when my phone screen lit up with Isabelle's name. I picked it up right away. I always answered immediately whenever my daughter reached out. She was my constant source of pride, the biggest reason I worked so hard every day, and the motivation behind every difficult decision I made to keep our family business standing strong and yes, including my sons too."Hello, Dad," she said. Her voice sounded noticeably different over the line. It was light, cheerful, and full of genuine warmth. "I have something important to share with you."I leaned back in my leather desk chair, instantly preparing myself for whatever situation she was facing. Over the years, parenting had taught me to stay ready for any sudden challenge, whether it was an unexpected problem or a tough situation that needed my immediate attention."I
DAMON'S POV:They sat side by side with their hands folded, looking completely subdued. They resembled two individuals who had been caught doing something improper and were waiting to hear the outcome of their actions.I looked across at them without any emotional noise or tension in my mind, no lingering anger, no resentment, just total clarity about where we stood."I know the full story of what happened years ago," I said calmly.My mother's face lost its color. "What are you talking about, Damon?""Isabelle heard the conversation you two had before I left all those years ago," I explained. "She heard you discussing her family, her status, and how you planned to use our connection to benefit yourselves."My father opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, looking entirely flustered."That is not—we never intended to—""Do not bother lying about it," I interrupted softly.My tone was measured, flat, and completely firm, the exact voice I used when dealing with serious matt
DAMON'S POV:The chime at the front entryway sounded precisely at eleven o'clock in the morning.I was sitting on the comfortable sofa in the main sitting room, my leg resting on a soft pillow while an unopened book lay across my lap. Isabelle was over in the kitchen area preparing hot tea, humming a quiet melody to herself. The entire residence felt calm and peaceful, offering the quietness atmosphere that naturally settles over a home after a major ordeal has passed.The sudden chime broke the peaceful moment instantly.I heard the soft sound of Isabelle's shoes as she walked across the foyer toward the entrance. I heard a brief, quiet murmur of voices near the doorway, and then she called out to me from the hall."Damon," she said, her voice sounding calm but careful. "Your parents have arrived."I closed the hardback book, set it down on the side table beside my seat, and took a slow, steady breath.My parents, Martha and Victor Varek. The two people who had raised me in t
DAMON'S POV:She was resting on her side, facing toward me with her soft hair spread out across the pillowcase and one hand resting lightly on the mattress between us. Her expression looked completely peaceful, her breathing slow and regular in her sleep.I stayed still and watched her for a long while, feeling a deep swell of appreciation and warmth in my chest.I moved my hand carefully across the sheet and touched her fingers.Her eyes opened gently at the contact. She looked up at me, her gaze slightly sleepy but full of quiet affection."Hey," she whispered softly."Hey," I replied in a quiet tone."You should be resting.""I could say the same about you."A small, sweet smile appeared on her lips."I could not fall asleep over in the chair," she murmured, moving just a fraction closer. "I wanted to be close to you."I looked at the woman who had stood by me through the most difficult moments, who had cared for me without hesitation, and who had given me a real reason
Celestine Valancourt stood in the bathroom of her penthouse apartment, her bare feet cold against the imported marble floor, staring at a little plastic stick that had just completely and utterly rearranged her entire universe. There were two little pink lines staring back at her. Two little lines
KIER'S POV:I pour myself a drink and I sit in the dark and I wait for her to come back.She always comes back.But she does not come back.A week passes. Then another. The penthouse stays empty. My calls go straight to voicemail. My texts go unanswered. I send messages through her email, through s
She watched from the window as her father walked out to greet him.August Valancourt shook Lysander's hand with both of his, the way he did with people he truly respected, and he said something that made Lysander nod solemnly. Then her mother appeared, and Isabelle kissed Lysander on both cheeks, t
Celestine started cooking at three in the afternoon, flour on her hands, music playing low from her phone and the smell of tomatoes and garlic filling the whole penthouse.She made the sauce from scratch, the way her grandmother taught her when she was maybe ten years old. She rolled out the pasta







