Mag-log inAlicia's POV The kitchen smelled like butter and warmth. I’d started baking before dawn, my hands working from memory. Rolling dough. Cutting circles. Lining them up on the sheets. The kind of work that kept my mind quiet. Elena sat at the counter with her laptop open, attention split between wh
Edward's POV The office was still dark when I arrived. Six-fifteen. Early, even for me. But I'd been awake since four, staring at the ceiling while my mind cycled through what was coming. Sleep had been impossible. I unlocked my office door, stepped inside, and closed it behind me with a quiet c
“That’s not an easy thing to sort out,” he said. “Yeah.” “Especially when it’s been broken before.” I looked at him. He kept his gaze forward, face composed but knowing. “I’m not asking you to explain,” he added. “Just saying trust isn’t automatic. It shouldn’t be.” I turned back to the window,
Alicia's POV Daniel closed the door to what he’d called his workspace, a room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a desk so pristine it looked like a showroom display. The tour had been brief. He didn’t linger or oversell it. "And that's it," he said, turning back toward me. "Not much to see, reall
Edward's POV I stood exactly where she'd left me. My arm was still extended slightly, reaching toward nothing. The balcony elongated, and empty. Below, the city throbbed with sirens and traffic, uninterrupted. I did not move. My chest felt tight. I forced air deeper. Held it. Released it slowly
I turned, and whatever he saw in my face made his grip loosen. "What changed?" My voice rose, sharpened. "You really want to know what changed, Edward?" He stared at me, silent, his hand still wrapped around my wrist. "The night Lily had her procedure." I let the words drop heavy between us. "Do







