LOGINA few minutes later, I found myself standing in the boys’ room.The lights were dim, just the bedside lamp glowing softly, casting warm shadows on the walls. Their room smelled faintly of baby soap and clean sheets, that comforting scent that always settled my heart no matter how heavy it felt before.The old master was already on video call.He had insisted.“I want to see them,” he had said earlier, his voice firm in that familiar way that never accepted refusal. “Even if they’re asleep.”So here I was, holding the phone carefully, angling the camera toward the bed.The boys were fast asleep.One of them had his arm flung over the other, legs tangled, lips parted slightly as he breathed. The other had curled toward him, thumb tucked near his mouth, lashes resting softly against his cheeks.So peaceful.So innocent.“So handsome,” the old patriarch said softly through the phone.I smiled, my lips trembling just a little.“They look just like Vincent when he was little.”I couldn’t he
The house had finally gone quiet.Not the tense kind of quiet that made my shoulders ache, but the soft, fragile silence that came after children fell asleep—when the world seemed to tiptoe out of respect for their dreams.The boys had been exhausted.Happy, loud, glowing with excitement the entire afternoon. When Vincent and I picked them up, they’d practically bounced into the car, talking over each other, laughing, asking questions that didn’t need answers.“Is this how you’re going to pick us every day?”“Both of you together?”“Like this?”I hadn’t answered.I didn’t trust my voice.Now they were asleep upstairs, doors half-closed, lights dimmed just enough. I could still picture the way they’d curled into the blankets, smiles lingering on their faces as if even sleep couldn’t erase their joy.I sat on the living room sofa, my legs folded beneath me, my phone glowing faintly in my hand.Lilian’s post filled the screen.Words carefully chosen. Screenshots cropped just enough. A na
The house had finally gone quiet.Not the tense kind of quiet that made my shoulders ache, but the soft, fragile silence that came after children fell asleep—when the world seemed to tiptoe out of respect for their dreams.The boys had been exhausted.Happy, loud, glowing with excitement the entire afternoon. When Vincent and I picked them up, they’d practically bounced into the car, talking over each other, laughing, asking questions that didn’t need answers.“Is this how you’re going to pick us every day?”“Both of you together?”“Like this?”I hadn’t answered.I didn’t trust my voice.Now they were asleep upstairs, doors half-closed, lights dimmed just enough. I could still picture the way they’d curled into the blankets, smiles lingering on their faces as if even sleep couldn’t erase their joy.I sat on the living room sofa, my legs folded beneath me, my phone glowing faintly in my hand.Lilian’s post filled the screen.Words carefully chosen. Screenshots cropped just enough. A na
The first thing I noticed was the way the room smelled.Hospitals always smelled the same—bleach, antiseptic, false cleanliness trying to hide decay. I hated it. I hated that I was here again. I hated that my body had failed me once more, weak enough to land me on a white bed under fluorescent lights.I hated that while I lay here, she was smiling.My manager stood at the foot of the bed, tablet in his hands, his expression cautious. Too cautious. That was how I knew something was wrong.“Say it,” I snapped. “Whatever it is, say it.”He hesitated.That hesitation lit something dark inside me.“The media broke something this morning,” he said carefully. “It involves CEO Vincent.”My fingers tightened around the sheets.“Go on.”“There are photos. From last night.”The tablet was already in his hands, but he hadn’t shown me yet. He didn’t need to. I could already feel it—something cold crawling up my spine.“Who?” I asked.He swallowed. “Ms Alice.”The name hit me like a slap.I sat up
Early that morning, I was already awake.Paris looked cold from the hotel window . The city hadn’t even finished waking up yet, but my day was already spiraling into noise.My laptop sat open on the desk, a video call connected to the board directors. Their faces filled the screen, familiar expressions of worry, judgment, calculation.One of them cleared his throat.“Mr. CEO,” he began carefully, “we’ve received updates regarding your grandfather’s health.”I listened, arms crossed, jaw tight. I already knew. I’d been briefed last night. But they talked anyway, voices layered with concern that felt more like obligation than sincerity.Then another director leaned forward, adjusting his glasses.“With all due respect,” he said, tone sharpening, “you’ve been absent again. Do you intend to continue neglecting company matters?”My eyes lifted slowly.The air shifted.“Do you want to ruin this company?” he continued boldly. “Do you know how many rival companies are trying to make our stock
The house was quiet again.Too quiet.I sat in the living room long after I heard the sound of his car leaving the compound. The engine faded into the distance, but the echo of it stayed behind, lingering in my chest like something unfinished.I didn’t move.The sofa still carried the warmth of where he had sat earlier. My body felt strangely light and heavy at the same time, like my mind hadn’t caught up with what my heart had already done.Just a few moments ago…I had almost grabbed him.The thought startled me.My fingers curled slowly against my palm as the realization sank in. I had been about to stop him. To ask him to stay. To say something—anything—that would have kept him there just a little longer.I didn’t understand myself.I leaned back and covered my face with both hands, my elbows resting on my knees.“When did this happen?” I whispered.I knew I had feelings for Vincent. I’d known that for a while. But I hadn’t expected them to rush back this fast. This deep. This unc







