تسجيل الدخولLIAM'S POVI was buried under what felt like the eighth mountain of paperwork for the day.Blueprints were spread across my desk, my laptop was open to three different spreadsheets, and my phone had not stopped vibrating with calls from executives who suddenly believed every minor issue required my personal attention.Sure I loved being a CEO and I loved working,But the only downside to it was long hours, endless meetings, and a chronic dependence on coffee.I rubbed a hand over my face and reached for the next file when the door to my office creaked open.“Hey there, stranger.”My entire body reacted before my brain did.Anika was here, standing in the doorway like she had stepped straight out of every pleasant thought I had been trying not to have all day.My face split into a grin so wide that my cheeks hurt.I dropped the file immediately and stretched my arms toward her.“Come here, Angel.”She smiled that beautiful smile of hers and walked over to me without hesitation.The mom
BREE’S POV I was practically vibrating with excitement.For one, I had been pacing around the living room for what felt like hours, checking my phone every few seconds and glancing toward the front door like an impatient child waiting for Christmas morning.After days and days of waiting, Simon had finally done it.He had secured a meeting with the House of AKINA.This was not some hoax or a dream.This was real.I mean even in such a short span of time, she had made a name for herself.Women practically sold their souls just for a chance to wear one of AKINA’s gowns.And now, I was going to have a custom wedding dress made by the designer herself.I squealed and hugged myself.My wedding was going to be the grandest event Havenridge City had ever seen.People would talk about it for years.No one, and I mean absolutely no one, was going to outshine me.I rested a hand on my stomach and smirked.“You weren’t so useless after all.”My baby shifted slightly beneath my palm, and I laugh
ANIKA’S POV“Are you sure about this, Anika?” Felicia asked.I simply shrugged.“That man has been bothering both my PA and you so much already, so why don’t I just give him what he wants and meet with him?”Simon Smith had sent at least five hundred emails in the past few days.And that was excluding the endless calls he had made, all with one singular intention.To meet AKINA.So that I could curate a custom wedding dress for Bree.So yes.I would probably meet him.But make no mistake.But make no mistake, this was not just going ahead to be some cliché where I by some magic end up forgiving any of them.No.Quite the opposite in fact.I was never going to forgive Simon Smith.Or Bree.This was all part of the plan.A little earlier than I would have preferred, but que sera, sera.Felicia still had those scrunched-up eyebrows that told me she was not convinced.“Bree is a crazy jealous woman who will not hesitate to make your life a living misery if she finds out that you are AKINA
ANIKA’S POVI could not help myself.I rolled my eyes so far back that they might as well have gotten lost somewhere in the back of my head.I mean, I had such a great day today. With Liam, everything felt like a dream.From the moment I woke up to his voice singing happy birthday to me, to the cupcake, to the perfect present, down to the bowling. This had been the best birthday of my life.All we wanted now was to have some dinner to close off the day.And somehow, like a bad rash that refused to go away, Simon and Bree had appeared to ruin it.This dream had quickly turned into a nightmare.Liam took my hand and bent down, his warm breath brushing against my ear.“I know that you can handle this, babe, but just know that I’ve got you.”A shiver ran down my spine, and not because of Simon.I looked up at him and mouthed silently.“I love you.”His lips curved into that devastating smile that made my knees feel weak.“I love you more, Angel.”Well, I highly doubted that.But that was
SIMON’S POV“Today is my birthday.”I looked up to see Bree Kingston standing in front of me with her arms folded across her chest and a pout on her face.Was she seriously throwing a tantrum right now?“Happy birthday,” I said.The honest truth was that I was not even in the best of moods.How could I be when I had sent about a hundred birthday messages to Anika wishing her a happy birthday, and not a single one of them went through?So much time had passed since she disappeared from my life, and I was still freaking blocked.Blocked.The word itself felt like a slap to the face.The woman I had once called my wife wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.Bree stomped her feet against the floor like some spoiled five-year-old brat.“That’s it?” she asked.I arched a brow at her.“I am still struggling to see your point here.”She hissed.“No gifts? Just nothing?”She ran a hand through her hair, and when she looked at me again, her eyes had filled with tears.“This isn’t you, Simon,”
ANIKA’S POVI thought that was all when it came to my birthday celebration, but I was wrong.Liam Danson was taking me to dinner.I was glad that I finally told Liam that I loved him because God damn.In the car, we were wrapped in a comfortable silence, the kind that did not need words to fill it. The only sound was the soft melody of Peace and Violence by Faouzia drifting through the speakers like silk.One of Liam's hands rested on the steering wheel, and I tried very hard not to stare at the delicious veins running up his forearms. The other hand was interlocked with mine, his thumb tracing lazy circles over my skin every few seconds, each touch sending a tiny electric storm dancing through me.By God this man was perfect.“Where are we going?” I asked, squeezing his hand.Liam arched one dark brow and glanced at me, amusement glittering in his blue eyes.“I already told you, Princess. It is a surprise.”“Liaaaammm.”“Princesssss.”I huffed dramatically and slumped back into my se







