LOGINDiane's POVI did not sleep the night before the meeting.Not because I was nervous.Because I was excited.Andre had no idea I did late at night.I was doing more studying than I did in school.He has no idea I requested copies of shareholder agreements from contacts he forgot I still have.I am not emotional.I am focused.The Deluca franchise in this region is under his supervision. He built it carefully. He manages expansion, partnerships, and licensing. Investors trust him because, even though he was involved in so many scandals, he was none as eloquent in speech and confident as he was.They trust him because he has never shaken.That is about to change.The meeting was arranged quietly. Not anywhere linked directly to Andre’s office.A private conference suite at a hotel across town. Neutral ground. Discreet.Five men confirmed.All of them hold significant shares in the regional division he oversees.None of them is sentimental.I arrived early.I wore grey. Nothing loud. Noth
Diane's POVI studied my reflection. My face still looks soft. My eyes still look normal. No one would guess what I am thinking.He wants to play noble.I can play too.By evening, I was at the new house.I chose it months ago when I returned.Just in case.Everything in the house smelled new.Andre came two days later to check on the place. He brought a doctor’s number again. He brought vitamins.He looked around quietly.“It is secure,” he said. “That is good.”“Thank you,” I replied.He avoided my eyes.He thought I did not notice.The maid arrived the same day. A quiet, observant woman. “The assistant will start next week.” He said.Perfect.More eyes. More ears.He stood in the middle of the living room like a visitor.“You should call me if you need anything,” he said.“I will.”He looked like he wanted to say more.He did not.When he left, I stood by the door and watched his car disappear.Then I locked it behind him.If he wants to send gifts to Lisa, I will know. If he meet
Diane's POVI wake up before the sun most days now.Not because I am tired. Not because I am sick. I wake up because my mind is so restless.This is still his house.Even though he moved out.Even though he said he needed space.Even though he sleeps in a hotel, like I am the intruder and not the woman he believes is ‘carrying his child’.I had thought that this idea of having a child with him will make him be around more, but it seemed not to have the desired effect.He checks on me. He sends money. He calls. He asks if I have eaten. He sounds responsible. Guilty. Dutiful.I told myself he would come back fully if the fake baby was born.The mansion was too quiet for my liking. I sat by the window and watched the garden. Andre had not been home in weeks. He came by for visits now, like I was a patient in a hospital. He brought flowers and asked how I was feeling. He never stayed long.My phone buzzed. It was Cam, the man I paid to watch Andre. Cam rarely calls. He prefers to send sho
Lisa's PovI felt my jaw tighten. He was saying I brought noise. “You have never worked with politicians before,” he went on. “You do well with property cases and contracts. Those are small and tidy. This is messy and public. Do not be insulted. It is just different.”“The client had their preferences,” I said. He shrugged like he had not heard that in the slightest. Dwayne was a man who had been given chances because he knew how to kiss asses. He had never had to fight for a case like Tom Carter’s. He had never walked into a room where the stakes were names and reputations and the press. He had never had a client like that look him in the eye and ask for a change.The thought made something in me turn. The firm was not perfect. It had its plays and its politics. I had come back into the law and found that new maps had been drawn. Kenneth had called me Rachel in that same meeting. He had trusted me. That vote of confidence mattered more than the gossip of a junior partner. It matte
Lisa's PovWhat did I do? What happened between Tom Carter and me? It was connected to my father. It had to be. But what was it? Was it a legal case? A personal argument? Did I threaten him? Did I accuse him of something?The not knowing was a hole inside me. People kept referring to a past I could not access. They judged me for actions I did not remember. Andre. Diane. Now, Tom Carter and his campaign manager.I felt a sudden, fierce determination. I might be off the official case. But I was not done. This was no longer just about my father. It was about me. I needed to find out what I had done. I needed to know why my face was on a blacklist.I stood up and walked back to my desk. The Carter case files were still there. For now. Soon they would be taken away. I had to work fast. I had to find the truth before the trail went completely cold. The answer was in those files. I was sure of it. I just had to find it.I packed my papers slowly. The Carter folder felt heavier on my arm when
Lisa's POV Ross gave me a long look to see if he wanted to answer something I could not. “You have history. You, of all people you should know. You should play this smart.”Kenneth’s face tightened. He did not like the line Ross had drawn. “We will not make decisions just like that. We'll deliberate on it,” he said. “We make decisions on skill and evidence. Rachel has the competence and the will to see this through.”Ross shook his head. “This is politics,” he said. “We do not need competence only. We need a name that will not blow back. Tom Carter is not the kind of man who tolerates headlines about his lawyers. He might demand a change.”My stomach twisted. The room spun with a small mechanical sound. I wanted to ask what he meant by being on Tom Carter's blacklist. I wanted to ask the exact question. But I kept my face calm. I had learned that anger or surprise did not help when people held cards.“Let me be clear,” Ross said. “If we are to keep Mr Carter as a client, you must dec
LISA'S POV I waited near the stair railing. The moment I heard the gates open, my heart jumped in my chest. Andre was back.I hadn't been great since when Diane showed me the article that morning. I decided I was going to address it when Andre returned. Diane was out, had been out all day as a m
Andre's POV Same day. Home The office elevator ride felt longer than usual. I leaned against the mirrored wall, loosening my tie with one hand. Today has been hell… board meetings, angry investors, and meeting with my father... The sky was already dark by the time I left the office.I didn’t
Andre's POV (Present Day) I stared at the contract document in front of me, the words were blurring together. With each second going by, I thought of the choice I had to make. It's been two weeks since Diane returned. I still remember the first night after she woke up in my house. I had left
LISA'S POVThe sun was drying us off faster than the towels.We sat side by side on wooden beach chairs, still a bit breathless from our swim or play in the water… whatever you wanted to call it. My legs were stretched out, and I leaned my head back, closing my eyes for a second.Then I turned to







