로그인By the time I got back from yoga, my body felt lighter.Not physically.Mentally.Like for a brief moment, I had stepped outside of everything that had been suffocating me since Cheryl walked into this house and decided to rearrange my life like it was furniture she didn’t like.The quiet stretches.The controlled breathing.The reminder that I was still in my body. Still in control of it.I needed that.Because lately…It hadn’t felt like it.I stepped into the house slowly, slipping off my shoes at the entrance, the familiar scent of home wrapping around me in a way that should have felt comforting.But didn’t.Not completely.Not anymore.I walked further in, one hand resting absently on my belly, the other brushing lightly against the wall as I moved.Something felt off.Subtle.But there.Like the air had shifted slightly.Like something had already been decided before I walked in.And I hated that feeling.I found him in the living room.Flavian.Sitting on the couch, leaning fo
FLAVIAN'S POVI don’t like strangers in my house.It’s not something I say out loud often, but it’s something I’ve always known.Control has always been… necessary.Predictable environments. Predictable people.That’s how things stay steady.That’s how things don’t fall apart.And yet here I am.Standing in my own living room.Watching a woman I barely know move through it like she belongs here.Celeste.She stood by the window, her posture relaxed, one hand lightly resting against the frame as she looked out into the garden.Calm.Composed.Too comfortable.“You needed something?” I asked.She turned immediately, a small, polite smile forming on her lips.“Not at all,” she said smoothly. “I was actually hoping to speak with you, if you have a moment.”I hesitated.Not because I didn’t have time.Because I didn’t like the idea of it.But still, I nodded.“Go ahead.”Her gaze flickered briefly toward the hallway.Toward where Fiona had disappeared earlier.Then back to me.“It’s about
The next afternoon felt… intentional.Not tense.Just… important.I had spent the morning going over everything twice—notes, questions, even the small details I didn’t want to forget.By the time the doorbell rang, I was already in the living room.Flavian came down a moment later, adjusting his watch.“You’re nervous,” he observed.“I’m prepared,” I corrected.He huffed lightly.“Same thing.”“Not even close.”Amara ushered her in moments later.“Good afternoon,” the woman said warmly as she stepped inside, extending her hand. “I’m Miriam.”She looked exactly how I imagined; calm, grounded, the kind of presence that didn’t demand attention but held it anyway.“Fiona,” I said, shaking her hand. “Thank you for coming.”“Of course,” she smiled. “And you must be Flavian.”He nodded.“Yes.”A beat.“I’ll admit, this is new territory for me.”Miriam’s smile didn’t falter.“It usually is for fathers,” she said easily.That earned the smallest shift in his posture.We settled into the living
I shouldn’t have been this aware of footsteps.But I was.Even before I saw him, I knew Flavian was back.The sound of the front door closing was too controlled; no rush, no irritation, just the clean precision of someone stepping into a space they already understood was unstable.I was standing in the hallway when he appeared.Suit hanging from his hand.Sleeves rolled just enough to suggest he had stopped caring about formality for the day.His eyes met mine briefly.Not surprised.Just acknowledging.“You’re home early,” I said.“I said I would be,” he replied.I nodded once.A pause settled between us familiar now. Not comfortable. Just… habitual.Before I could say anything else, voices drifted in from the sunroom.Cheryl’s.And then Celeste’s.Flavian didn’t even hesitate.He walked toward it.And against my better judgment, I followed. closely.Just enough to see.The sunroom doors were half-open.Inside, Cheryl was seated with one leg slightly elevated, her posture carefully
There was something about her.I noticed it before she even spoke to me.Before she smiled.Before she introduced herself properly the night before.It was in the way she looked.Not openly.Not rudely.But… attentively.Like she was taking notes.By morning, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had settled into the house while I slept—something I couldn’t see, but could definitely feel.Like something had been added to the balance and everything else was shifting to accommodate it.I woke up earlier than usual.Not because I was well-rested.But because my body had gotten used to tension.To listening.To anticipating.I stayed in bed for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling, one hand resting over my belly as the baby shifted lightly.“You’re up early,” I murmured softly.A small kick answered me.I smiled faintly.At least someone in this house was at peace.By morning, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had settled into the house while I slept—something I couldn’t
The morning didn’t feel like morning.It felt like something suspended.Like the house itself was holding its breath after everything that had happened the night before.I barely slept.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it again.Cheryl on the floor.Flavian kneeling beside her.The hesitation.The silence between us afterward.It clung to me like something I couldn’t shake off...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................Flavian was already dressed when I came downstairs.“Good morning,” he said carefully.I nodded once.No smile.No warmth.Just acknowledgment.He studied me for a second longer than necessary.“You didn’t sleep,” he said.“I did,” I replied simply.It wasn’t a lie.But it wasn’t the truth either.Before he could say anything else, Cheryl’s voice floated from the hallway.“Oh, Flavian, we shoul
The next morning came too quickly.Like I was moving through someone else’s life.I smiled when I needed to. Nodded at the right moments. Flavian didn’t say anything.Maybe he didn’t notice or maybe he noticed everything and chose not to push.He kissed my forehead before leaving, his hand lingeri
Three months later.Normal had a different meaning now.Life had settled into something steady not perfect, but steady.Sean had not resurfaced.No calls. No sightings. No shadows creeping into her days.Time had moved anyway.And so had she.She was back at work. Back to routines that once felt im
The city glittered beneath them like a living constellation.Fiona stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of the penthouse suite, her arms wrapped loosely around herself as she stared at New York unfolding through glass. Behind her, she felt him before she heard him.“You’re thinking too loudly,” he
FionaThe kiss still lingered between us when we finally pulled apart.Flavian didn’t move away immediately. His hand was still at my waist, like he wasn’t ready to let go just yet.Neither was I.But then he exhaled softly, like he was forcing himself back into control.“I should walk you to your







