ELISHA’S POVI took the glass he extended to me and noticed, for the first time, how nervous he was.It was subtle—almost imperceptible—but I saw it in the slight shake of his fingers and how his eyes darted to mine and then down again. Anthony, always confident, always in control, was uncertain tonight. There was no reason for him to be, not really. Not after everything we’d already been through. But maybe that was exactly why.Maybe because, finally, it was quiet between us. No battles, no layered meanings, no sharp words wrapped in softness. Just… us. And I think the quiet made him uneasy.I took a sip. Cool, sweet. It tasted like summer.He watched me for a reaction, his thumb twitching against the side of his glass. I looked at him directly, and I didn’t smile right away—I just let the moment hang there. The way the fading sunlight caught the edge of his jaw. The way he looked so boyish, despite everything he’d done, everything we’d survived. I gave him a small nod, then a smil
ELISHA’S POVThe hum of the air conditioning did little to cut through the quiet heat in the clinic that afternoon. It wasn’t quite busy, but the lull gave me a moment to catch my breath, finally settling at the breakroom table with Bethany, two lukewarm coffees between us.I leaned back, trying not to think about the day before, but the words were already forming.“Zane was waiting in the parking lot for you yesterday.”Bethany’s face froze mid-sip.“What?”I nodded, casually, but the weight of it was anything but.She sighed, setting her coffee down. “Sorry you had to deal with that.”“I’ve dealt with worse,” I replied. “It wasn’t a big deal. Just… he’s persistent.”Bethany tilted her head, eyes scanning mine. “I guess he isn’t used to being dumped?”“No,” I said with a short laugh. “I think he’s okay with something ending—as long as he’s the one ending it.”She smirked at that. “Of course. Classic.”“Typical of everyone in that group, really,” I added, voice dipping just enough to
NATALIE’S POVThe sun was blazing, the air thick with the scent of overgroomed turf, expensive colognes, and sweat disguised under perfume. I shifted uncomfortably in the white dress my mother insisted I wear, my hand resting on the mound of my belly, reminding me that I couldn’t drink.Not for another few months. Pity, because you’d need a barrel of alcohol to get through this farce. Everyone around me was sipping champagne or something equally bubbly, their laughter lilting through the private stands of the polo tournament like some perfect symphony of old money.I was bored out of my mind.Francesco’s father had organized the event, as he did every year. It was one of those elite traditions where nobody really cared who won the match, only that they got to show off their wealth to others attending in subtle ways while savoring the Michelin-starred catering. I sat on one of the shaded benches near the edge of the seating area, sipping a lukewarm glass of mango juice someone had h
ELISHA’S POVTo make things worse, Anthony pulled up beside me just as I unlocked my car.I blinked at the sleek, black vehicle as it slowed to a stop beside mine. The window rolled down smoothly—of course it did. His world was seamless, polished, effortless.I had driven myself to work that morning. I usually did now. But every few days—without warning or pattern—Anthony would show up like this. He’d call it convenience, or say he “happened to be in the area,” but I knew better.Mark would always take my car back to the mansion for me, without complaint. Like it was part of the routine. Like I wasn’t being… managed. Watched.Monitored.I should have hated it more. Some days, I did. But today? I didn’t know.There was something about seeing him just then—eyes flashing with immediate concern, lips tight, posture tense—that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t totally alone in the mess. That there was still someone on my side, even if the terms were… blurred. Complicated. May
ELISHA’S POV“What are you doing here?” I asked flatly, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.He smirked, and it was the same smug, obnoxious grin I’d seen too many times across too many rooms. “Hello to you too.”“What do you want?”He straightened up from the car, rolling his shoulders like he was just getting comfortable. Maybe to him, it was a casual gesture. But to me? Anything this man did was a threat wrapped in confidence.I took a step back.He noticed. “Relax. I’m not here for you, technically.”“Then why are you here?”“I came to catch Bethany leaving the clinic,” he said, like it was the most innocent thing in the world. “We haven’t spoken since you interfered at the charity ball.”“I don’t think I’m the reason she’s ghosting you,” I replied coldly.He tilted his head like that amused him. “Maybe not. But I wanted to talk to her. Clear the air.”“Okay. Well, you can step away from my car and leave now. Because she didn’t come in today.”That made him pause.“She didn
ELISHA’S POVI stared at the tiny window on the test, kneeling on the bathroom floor like it might make the result any easier to handle.Not pregnant, please not pregnant. Please.I’d skipped a few pills. Stupid. I was so caught up in life between the clinic, Anthony, and Adam, that for some nights, I had just forgotten and passed out on my bed. A couple of nights, I’d just passed out and forgotten. And now here I was, silently bargaining with every god, star, and invisible force in the universe.Please. I’ll be better. I’ll make spreadsheets. I’ll start tracking things properly. I’ll never talk to Adam again if it means this stays one line.Just one.One line.I stared at it so long my eyes started to water. It wasn’t the emotional kind of water. Just the kind that comes from blinking less than once a minute.When it became clear that second line wasn’t going to fill in, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding for what felt like hours. I cleaned up. I flushed. I washed my hands slow