LOGINThe engines went quiet at six. The hull met the pier. The crew moved above us. River light came through the porthole, grey and silver, crossing the ceiling in slow panels. She was on her side facing me. Her hair across the pillow. Her mouth softly parted in the way that belonged only to sleep. I
Edward’s POV The hull rose and settled with the slow pull of the river. I lay in the dark with my jacket on the floor and my shoes beside it and listened to the boat. The timber. The joins. The engine below running its low faithful count. The porthole showed clouds. The moon behind it traced the
"I fell off a bicycle when I was seven," I said. "Broke my arm. The left one." "You're afraid of the dark," he said. "You sleep with the curtain open so the street light comes in. You never told me directly but I worked it out in the third month." I set down my wine. "You remember that." "I remem
Alicia's POV The dress arrived at four. I found the box on Elena's table. Black paper, no ribbon, his handwriting stark on the card: The water. Inside, folded in tissue, was the black silk from the wardrobe at the estate. The one I had left hanging there. I showered. I pinned my hair up. At seve
Edward's POV The grey light filled the room. Alicia's leg lay across mine, heavy with sleep. Her hair spread on my shoulder, across the pillow. Her palm rested on my chest, rising and falling with my breath. The arm beneath her had gone numb hours ago. I flexed my fingers until the pins and needl
Alicia's POV He was on the floor. I looked at him until the silence found its shape. He looked back. The full version of him. Just Edward on the floor, his eyes on mine, waiting without arranging what he was waiting for. "We never chose each other," he said. "Let me choose you." "Then start,"
Edward's POV My hand closed around her wrist before I thought about it. The room was still watching. Whispers rippled outward like water. Lucy stood frozen, wine dripping down the front of her gold dress. Dark red against bright gold. Impossible to miss. Her mouth opened in shock that looked almos
Edward's POV The boardroom emptied at four‑thirty. Cold coffee sat in a chipped mug. My phone lay facedown on the table. In my mind, the guest list played on repeat: the Carters. Jennifer Caldwell. Senator Whitmore. Three board members have been circling since my father's death. Waiting. They didn
Anaya's POV I woke to an empty bed. The sheets on Edward's side were cold. Undisturbed. He hadn't come to bed at all. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, trying to decide if I cared. My chest felt tight, but I couldn't tell if it was hurt or just tiredness. Maybe both. Maybe neither
Edward's POV I pushed through the front door at half-past eight, loosening my tie as the cool air of the foyer washed over me. The house was too quiet. No music from upstairs, no housekeeper bustling about. Just the low sound of the chandelier and the faint clink of silverware from the dining roo







