LOGINMeritIt was hours later when Weston opened the door again. The metallic scrape of the lock sliding back made her jolt upright. He stepped inside carrying a tray, as if this were a routine domestic visit instead of imprisonment. He set it carefully on the nightstand beside her bed. Merit didn’t hesitate. She lunged for the open doorway, her bare feet slapping against the cold floor. She made it halfway up the narrow staircase before Weston’s arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her clean off her feet.“Let me go!” she screamed, kicking and clawing at him. Her fingernails scraped against his skin. She twisted violently, but he only laughed—that calm, almost amused sound—and carried her back downstairs as though she weighed nothing. He dropped her onto the bed without ceremony.“This won’t work if we don’t work together, Merit.”“You can’t keep me down here!” she sobbed, scrambling backward against the wall. “What did I ever do to you? You could’ve just said you didn’t want a child
AxlHis phone buzzed and he exhaled slowly, staring at the screen before flipping it face down on the counter. Even now, there were expectations of him, places he needed to appear at, people to meet, cameras to smile at.“Is there a way to get out of this building without anyone knowing?” he asked.North frowned as he scooped pasta onto two plates. “Why?”“Because we can’t be seen leaving or coming back. I can post something saying I’m in Cambridge visiting my friend. That gives us an alibi. People already know I don’t do the whole ‘public appearances and autographs’ thing unless I have to.”North set the plates down and leaned against the counter. “Yeah. There’s a maintenance staircase. It leads into an alley at the back. No cameras.”“Good.” Axl nodded once. “Tell me more about this house Weston has. You’re sure he’s there?”“He goes every last weekend of the month. Sometimes more. It’s remote. Quiet. No neighbors for miles. He calls it his escape.” North’s jaw tightened. “He’ll be
MeritShe wiped more tears from her face, the skin beneath her eyes raw and tender. Nothing in her life had gone the way she’d imagined it would. She was supposed to be a society princess, admired and envied, married into power with photographers flashing cameras at every event. Instead, she was alone, pregnant, and clinging to the last fragile threads of hope.She had missed so many classes that she’d officially lost her scholarship. The email had come three days earlier. Formal. Polite. Final. She hadn’t even cried when she read it. She’d simply stared at the screen until the words blurred together. There was no one to call. No one to explain it to. No one who would care enough to fight for her.Axl had told her to go home. He had told her not to contact Weston again. His voice had been controlled, distant. Cold. He still had a week left on his tour. He said he would call her. It was all she had left now, but Axl always kept his promises.The cold glint in his eyes had returned that
NorthIt had been four long weeks. He hadn’t heard from Aspen or Axl. Charlotte had moved out of their Cambridge apartment, but he still saw her around campus. She avoided looking at him, and he knew he had to do something about it. Avoidance didn’t erase what had happened. It just let it rot quietly beneath the surface.His father had given him hints, and he’d done his own digging, even hired a private investigator. They’d lost five hundred million dollars when Weston had taken over their largest company. The smaller ones were still technically theirs, but the foundation had cracked. Now North could take them all back if he wanted to. He was in two minds about doing it. They were no longer wealthy in the way they once had been. They still had assets, but if they wanted to maintain their lifestyle, they’d have to start selling. Pride would have to come before comfort.North’s phone buzzed on the coffee table, dragging him from his thoughts. He looked at the unknown number on his scree
NorthNorth stared at his phone for a long time before he finally pressed the call button. His thumb hovered for several seconds, pulse hammering in his ears. He knew it probably wouldn’t change anything, but he had to try. That was the worst part. He already knew exactly how this would go. He already knew Weston would twist every word, shift blame, and turn the knife slowly. The line rang twice.“Well,” Weston said mildly. “This is unexpected.”North closed his eyes. His father’s voice still had that effect on him. Smooth. Controlled. Polished. Like every ugly thing he did was part of a larger strategy. Like nothing ever rattled him.“Where is she?” North asked. His voice was controlled, it had to be.A soft chuckle filtered through the speaker. “Straight to demands. You really are becoming impatient lately.”“Where is my mother, Weston?”Weston paused deliberately, stretching the silence thin. He’d always done that—weaponised quiet. “She’s fine,” he replied at last. “As fine as some
AspenThe weeks blurred together quietly. Her broken heart refused to heal. North never called and neither did Axl. She didn’t call North either. Their silence was answer enough to the burning questions in her heart. If either of them wanted to fight for her, they would have. That was the truth she forced herself to swallow every morning. Her body changed in slow, subtle waves. It became her main focus. Something she could control.She wore looser clothes and bought sundresses instead of jeans. Fresh vegetables and fruit replaced the frozen pizzas and instant noodles that had once filled her cupboards. She started exercising gently, following pregnancy-safe routines she found online. Every morning, she stood in front of the mirror and told herself she mattered. Her baby mattered.She started sleeping on her side. She researched everything. She read articles at midnight about development milestones and nutrition. Through it all, she kept a diary. One day, maybe Axl would want to know.
MeritThe chilly wind whipped her hair about her face, but she didn’t bother trying to tuck it behind her ear. Her arms were hugging herself, trying to keep warm as she stumbled down the street. The cocktail dress she was wearing did nothing to maintain body heat. The thin fabric clung to her skin,
AxlHe was more amused than angry when North told him what had happened in the kitchen. Aspen, on the other hand, was pissed, and she’d left not long after Merit. He sat on the couch in his trailer, feeding Peyton a bottle before putting her to bed.The small living room glowed softly under the sin
AxlThe adrenaline from the fight was wearing off, but he still felt hyped up. The warm shower was quick, and he dressed even quicker. Peyton was taken care of until Sunday night, and he needed the downtime. He needed to unwind and just be a teenager for one night. The silence in the locker room p
MeritShe looked at the last text Aspen sent her and frowned. She was supposed to wear jeans, a top that wasn’t revealing, sneakers or boots, nothing with a heel. She had no idea where they were going, only that they were going to watch Axl. The lack of detail made her nerves prickle, curiosity tan







