LOGINJosie’s POVAfter some weeks I was in the living room with Alexander the pain hit me like a wave I couldn’t outrun, he rushed me to the hospital immediately, I gripped the edge of the hospital bed so hard my knuckles went white, breathing through another contraction while Alexander held my other hand like it was the only thing keeping me anchored to the earth, the room was bright and sterile, monitors beeping steadily around us, but all I could focus on was the pressure building low in my belly and the two little lives fighting to come into the world.“You’re doing so good, baby,” Alexander whispered against my temple, his voice rough from hours of watching me hurt. “They’re almost here, our boys, just a little more.”Lily had wanted to be here, but we had decided she was too young for the delivery room, she was waiting in the family lounge with the nanny, drawing pictures and asking every five minutes if her brothers were here yet, I had promised her she could meet them the second th
Josie’s POVThe last morning on the island dawned soft and golden, the kind of light that made everything feel like a dream you didn’t want to wake from, I stood on the private beach with my bare feet in the warm sand and my hands resting on the gentle curve of my stomach, the twins were moving more today, strong little kicks that pressed against my palms like they were saying good morning, the pregnancy glow the doctor had talked about was real, my skin felt warmer, my hair thicker, my body fuller in a way that made me feel powerful instead of fragile, I was carrying life after everything the world had tried to take from me, and it showed.Alexander came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, his hands covering mine on my stomach, he rested his chin on my shoulder and kissed the side of my neck, slow and lazy like we had all the time in the world.“Our boys are active this morning,” he murmured, voice still rough from sleep. “They know their dad is here.”I smiled and lea
Josie’s POVThe morning of the wedding felt like the whole world was holding its breath. I stood in front of the tall mirror in the master bedroom of the estate, the white silk dress hugging the gentle curve of my stomach where our twins were growing. The fabric was soft and flowing, chosen so it wouldn’t hide the pregnancy but wouldn’t make it the center of everything either, the diamond collar sat at my neck the one Alexander had given me rested just below it, both felt like promises now instead of weight.Lily stood beside me in her pink flower girl dress, twirling so the skirt flared out, she had grown so much in these last few weeks. The nightmares were fewer. The therapy sessions had helped her talk about the bad man she had seen me shoot. She still had moments where she climbed into my lap and held my stomach like she was protecting the babies, but she laughed more now. She called Alexander “Dad” without hesitation and she kept asking when the twins would be here so she could t
Josie’s POVThe safe house had started to feel like a cocoon. The walls were thick, and every night Alexander held me like the world couldn’t touch us, but the world was still out there, victor was still breathing, sarah was still married to him and still carrying her proof like a loaded gun, the Langfords were still pulling strings from the shadows. Yet here we were, two days before the wedding, trying to pretend the storm had passed.I stood in the small sunroom with the wedding dress hanging on the door. It was simple white silk with a soft skirt that skimmed over my stomach. The babies were starting to show now. A gentle curve that made my clothes fit differently. I ran my hand over the fabric and felt one of them kick hard like he was reminding me he was there. Twins. Two little boys the doctor had confirmed on the last ultrasound. I still hadn’t told Alexander the gender. I wanted to wait until the wedding night. A gift. A promise. Something pure in the middle of all the blood
Alexander’s POV Josie was curled against me on the bed, her hand resting on her stomach like she had done every night since the hospital, I could feel the babies move under my palm when I placed it there, two little lives we had almost lost, two little lives I had almost taken from her once without even realizing it, the guilt sat heavy in my chest like it always did when the lights went out and the past came crawling back.She hadn’t slept much since the attack, the dreams were getting worse, she would wake up gasping and reach for her stomach like she was afraid they were already gone, I held her every time, I told her we were safe, I told her I would protect them, but I knew the real reason she couldn’t rest, it wasn’t just the attack, it was me, it was the lie I had kept for fifteen years, the one she had started to see through the cracks.I couldn’t do it anymore.I turned on the small lamp beside the bed and sat up. Josie stirred and opened her eyes, she looked at me and I saw
Josie’s POVThe safe house felt different after the leak. The air was lighter, like the storm had finally broken. I sat at the small kitchen table with my laptop open and watched the news ticker scroll across the screen. Victor’s face was everywhere. The old photos from his military days. The leaked documents showing the payment to the fixer. The witness statement that placed him at the hunting lodge the night his father died. I had sent it all. No more hiding behind anonymous tips. I signed the email with my name.Josephine Hart-AlexanderThe vengeful architect was back. I wasn’t hiding anymore. I was done being the woman who waited for the next knife. I was the one holding the blade now.By noon the stock had stopped bleeding. By three it was climbing again. Board members who had been whispering on the side lines started calling to congratulate me. I answered every call with the same calm voice. The empire was ours. The name was ours. Victor was the one running now.Alexander came i
Josie’s POVI slipped my hand into Alexander’s and we walked back toward the bright lights of the ballroom together. My gown caught the glow of the lanterns and the diamond collar around my throat sparkled like victory.Julian was gone.Sarah would be next.The rival family could keep throwing what
Josie’s pov I let the smile stay on my lips just long enough for him to see it then turned away from the crowded ballroom like I needed air. The dark red silk of my gown whispered against my legs as I stepped through the tall glass doors and out into the garden. Cool night air brushed my bare s
Alexander’s POVThere was this mind-numbing thrum coming through the floorboards, in a hypnotic way. The whole world was probably dreaming, but I was just sitting there, staring into the dark and overthinking every move we had left to make.Josie was curled tight against my side, her head on my sho
Josie povThe words "Let them come" were still cooling on my skin when the nightstand vibrated. It wasn't the rhythmic buzz of a social call, it was the frantic, jagged hum of an emergency. Alexander’s phone.I watched his face as he answered. He didn’t move his hand from my waist. His thumb was s







