LOGINMichael's POV(Several minutes earlier...)I should have walked away, looking back on it now, that was probably the smartest thing I could have done.I was worried about Theo, concerned about Henry, exhausted from Fernando and now some ridiculously overdressed stranger had appeared out of nowhere claiming to know my husband.Technically, still my husband. The distinction mattered, at least legally.The stranger folded his arms and stared at me and I stared right back.The man looked like he belonged on a fashion runway rather than inside a hospital..His jacket was probably worth more than most people's car.His jewelry practically sparkled under the hospital lights and een his shoes looked expensive.Everything about him screamed money and a lot of attitude."You really don't know who I am?" he asked dramatically."No."His hand immediately flew to his chest. The gesture was so exaggerated that I almost laughed."That is genuinely offensive" he said.I raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"
Fernando's POVHenry stood in front of me, the hospital hallway suddenly felt too quiet.My mind immediately began calculating possibilities.How much had he heard?Had he heard me threaten Theo?Or had he heard everything?I couldn't tell and that uncertainty bothered me more than I wanted to admit.Behind me, I could feel Theo watching and the bastard wasn't saying anything.Probably because he was enjoying this.I slowly stepped into the hallway and pulled the door mostly closed behind me.My face remained calm, my expression relaxed. Inside, however, I was already trying to determine the safest way to navigate this conversation."Henry."My voice sounded surprisingly normal and his eyes narrowed slightly.I offered him a smile."How long have you been standing there?" I asked.His answer came immediately."Long enough" he replied. I forced myself not to sigh."What are you doing here?" I asked.Henry folded his arms."I could ask you the same thing" he countered. I decided to co
Michael's POVI had walked into the doctor's office expecting answers, what I hadn't expected was another problem.It felt like my life had become a never-ending cycle of disasters, secrets, and people trying to destroy each other.My heart was still racing from everything that had happened tonight and now i was in the doctor's office."Mr. Carter"The formal tone immediately put me on edge and I leaned forward in my chair."Is Theo okay?" I asked.The doctor nodded as a small smile appeared."Yes" he replied.Relief immediately washed over me. I hadn't even realized how tightly my shoulders were clenched until that moment."The surgery was truly successful" he added.I let out a breath."Thank God."For a brief moment I thought the meeting was already over then I noticed the doctor's expression change.My stomach tightened."What is it?" I asked.The doctor glanced down at one of the files then back up at me."During our examinations we discovered something unexpected" he said.Immed
Fernando’s POVThe moment Michael disappeared down the hallway with the doctor, I made my decision to make ny move.I wasn't interested in speaking with nurses, I wasn't interested in sitting quietly in a waiting room and I certainly wasn't interested in pretending Theo and I could coexist peacefully.There was no way I was going to be okay being with the man who was trying to come in-between Michael and I.There was something that needed to be said, something that had been hanging over both of us since the night everything went wrong.I glanced toward Henry and Kim. They were talking quietly near the chairs and neither of them paid much attention to me.Perfect. There was no better time than the present. The last thing I needed was an audience.I walked toward Theo's room and the nurse at the station looked up so I gave her a polite smile.One of the benefits of money and confidence was that people rarely questioned you.She returned to her paperwork and as I pushed the door open, T
Michael’s POV"The surgery was a success but we still need to monitor him" the doctor said before leaving. The doctor had reassured us that Theo was stable and the surgery had been successful but hospital procedures meant none of us could immediately rush into his room.So we waited and waited.Kim paced nervously, Henry kept reassuring her while Fernando stood nearby with his arms folded.I sat quietly, occasionally glancing toward Theo's room. Every time a nurse emerged, my attention immediately shifted, every single time.Kim eventually stood up."They're really making us wait."Henry smiled softly."They just finished surgery.""I know, but I want to see him" she sighed dramatically.A nurse eventually approached us."You can begin visiting" she said.Kim immediately stood.The nurse pointed at her."One person at a time."Kim nodded so quickly it was almost funny."I'll go first" she said.She disappeared into the room and the door closed behind her while the rest of us resumed
Fernando's POVI knew exactly what was coming. The moment Theo woke up, everything would change, maybe not immediately or dramatically but eventually.The truth had a way of finding its way into the light and if Theo decided to tell Michael what really happened tonight, then the small amount of progress I had managed to make with Michael would disappear overnight.Or worse.Michael would take Henry and move even farther away from me and then New York would become impossible.The thought irritated me.For years I had watched from a distance, I had convinced myself it was necessary and I had accepted it.Now that they were standing in front of me again, I wasn't willing to lose them a second time, especially not to Theo.The hallway remained quiet.The only sounds came from nurses moving through the building and the distant beeping of hospital equipment.Michael sat in one of the chairs nearby. His elbows rested on his knees while his eyes remained fixed on the operating room doors.He
Fernando’s POV The gates to my mansion compound groaned open like some great beast waking from sleep. Archer’s car — sleek, black, and almost predatory in its polished sheen — rolled forward. Sunlight flashed across the tinted windows as it crossed the threshold, entering my domain like it had
Michael’s POV The heat of the air rose in waves, mixing with the bitter scent of exhaust fumes and old coffee spilling from somewhere near the dumpsters. I could hear the muted hum of the city just beyond the wall of Kafé Verse’s parking lot. But right here, right now, the world felt fixed into
Fernando’s POV The sun was dipping toward the horizon, painting the beach in streaks of gold, but I barely noticed. My focus was locked on the two men kneeling in the sand of the parking lot, their wrists bound tightly behind them. Henry was clinging to one of my bodyguards his small fingers gri
Michael’s POV The moment Archer stepped through the café door, the air thickened and it felt like the entire world around me had suddenly gone still. I wasn’t afraid of him—not in the way most people were—but that didn’t mean my pulse didn’t kick into overdrive. My fingers curled into my palms







