LOGINZOE’S POV The office felt unusually quiet. Or maybe it only felt that way because my mind wouldn’t stop spinning. Across the hall, Julian had been locked in meetings with his PR and legal teams for most of the morning. People had been moving in and out of the executive floor for hours. Normally I would’ve been involved in some capacity, but after everything that had happened this week, I was grateful for the distance. At least it gave me time to think. Or overthink. I stared blankly at the spreadsheet open on my monitor, reading the same line for what had to be the fifth time without actually processing a single word. My phone sat beside my keyboard. For the third time in ten minutes, I picked it up. Still nothing. I opened my messages and stared at the conversation with Talia. Me: This isn’t fair, Talia. Dad can’t just decide who we marry because it’s convenient for him. I know we don’t always get along but surely you see how messed up this is. The typi
JULIAN’S POV The loud crack of Aaron’s golf club echoed across the quiet course as the ball soared cleanly through the morning air. “Damn,” he muttered, lowering the club. “That one felt good.” I barely looked up from where I stood near the golf cart, adjusting my glove. “You say that every time.” “Because I’m talented.” I snorted“You’re mediocre at best.” Aaron scoffed. “And yet somehow I’m still beating you.” “You’ve been keeping score?” I asked dryly. “Obviously.” A faint smirk tugged at my mouth as I stepped forward and positioned myself for my shot. The cool Thursday morning air helped clear my head slightly, but not enough. Not with everything currently happening. I swung smoothly. The ball flew across the green with precision before landing farther than Aaron’s had. His face twisted immediately. “I hate you.” “That is talent,” I replied calmly. Aaron rolled his eyes before grabbing another ball. “You’ve been in a weird mood all morning.” I di
JULIAN’S POV I stared at the reports spread across my desk, irritation simmering beneath my skin. Aaron and the rest of the campaign team had left hours ago. Maureen had also left for home a few minutes ago, after informing me that another venue had been canceled in Connecticut. Another “anonymous source” was feeding information to the press before my campaign even officially launched. And whoever was behind it knew exactly how to apply pressure without leaving obvious fingerprints. I let out an exasperated sigh as I skimmed through another email from one of the campaign coordinators. This was no longer a political competition. Someone was actively trying to destabilize me before I could even gain momentum. A frantic knock interrupted my thoughts. I barely looked up before calling out. “Not now.” The door opened anyway. Normally
JULIAN’S POV “So the campaign kicks off in NYC then we move over to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and lastly Oregon.” I listened quietly as one of Elijah Burke’s campaign strategists spoke, her manicured fingers tapping against the digital board displaying maps, schedules, projections, and polling data. The conference room was abuzz with energy. Half the people seated around the long black table had built political careers out of destroying opponents before they even realized they were in danger. There were Media consultants, campaign managers, financial strategists, and public image experts. Only the best in the game and now they work for me. “The NYC launch has to be flawless,” Elijah said smoothly from across the table. “First impressions matter more than anything else in politics.” Aaron, who sat two seats away from me, leaned back lazily in his chair. “Everything in politics sounds exhausting.” “It is,” one of the women mutte
MADISON’S POV I watched in disgust as Liam emptied yet another bottle of whiskey. My eyes drifted to the clock, it was barely past 9am. “Let me guess, you’re going to spend the entire day drinking again.” He gave me a deathly glare. “What is it to you?” “Because I’m the one who has to deal with your mood swings when the drinking starts and I’d rather not spend my day doing that.” He scoffed as he took another swig straight from a fresh bottle whilst scrolling through his phone. “Mind your own business.” “Speaking of business, shouldn’t you be at work by now?” “I called in sick.” I mentally face-palmed myself. Oh for the love of God. “Keep that up and you’ll be thrown out of this house when you can't afford the bills anymore.” He ignored me and continued scrolling on his phone, stopping when he got to a video whose audio I had heard countless times in the last week. It was the Video of Zoe giving a speech after being called on stage by her boss Julian. “Go
ZOE’S POV I still felt guilty for how I had told my parents to marry Talia off instead which was the reason I was currently standing on the front door even though I had vowed never to return. My sister and I may not have the best relationship but no one deserves to have their free will taken away… And no matter how much she irritated me…she was still my sister. I pushed open the front door without knocking. “Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing faintly through the quiet house. There was no response. That was odd, the lights were on, and the doors weren’t locked. Someone had to be home. “Talia?” I tried again, stepping further inside. Still nothing. A frown creased my brows as I slipped off my heels and set them by the door, my footsteps quieter now as I moved deeper into the house. The silence felt… off.
ZOE’S POVThe link loaded slower than my nerves could handle. My thumb hovered over the screen ready to back out, to pretend I never saw it. But of course, my curiosity got the better of me and I tapped it.A gossip site exploded onto the screen, all bright banners and tacky fonts. At the top, bold
ZOE’S POV Today was my wedding day and instead of feeling happy butterflies, I felt panicked flutters.My reflection stared back at me, the woman in the mirror looked flawless, airbrushed, like someone who belonged on a bridal magazine cover. She didn’t look like me. I’m sure most women have
JULIAN’S POV “Cassandra, that doesn’t work.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, leaning back in my chair. “No, listen to me—if Burke wants a meeting, fine, but tell him I’m not interested in getting into politics myself. Not now, not this year. I already told him this.” Cassandra’s calm clipped
ZOE’S POV I woke up with a heaviness in my chest that the sunlight shining across my bed couldn’t make lighter. The alarm blared, and I smacked it silent as I stumbled out of bed. I dragged myself into the shower, hoping the hot water would wash away last night’s frustration. By the tim







