LOGIN[Sarah’s POV] When the world finally began to bleed back in, it wasn't the sun that I felt first, but the rhythmic, agonizing throb in my temples. My eyelids felt like they had been stitched shut with lead. "Sarah? Sarah, can you hear me?"The voice was low, vibrating with a jagged edge of restraint. I forced my eyes open. The ceiling of my bedroom blurred, then sharpened. I wasn't in the mud anymore. I was tucked into my own bed, the silk sheets a stark contrast to the grit I could still feel under my fingernails.Mae was standing by the window, her face a map of fresh tear tracks, holding a tray that trembled in her hands. Rosa sat in the armchair, her rosary beads clicking like a frantic heartbeat. But it was the man sitting on the edge of the mattress who held my world together.Tyler.His eyes were bloodshot, his shirt wrinkled as if he’d been clawing at his own skin. The second my gaze locked onto his, the memory of the CCTV footage all came back rushing.I bolted upright, t
[Sarah’s POV] I was running through the rows of vines, the grapes hanging like shriveled, blackened hearts. The fog was so thick I couldn’t see my own hands, but I could hear him. “Mommy? Mommy, it’s dark.” Caleb’s voice was small, drifting from the edge of the North Ridge. I pushed through the tangled branches, the thorns tearing at my nightgown, drawing blood that looked like ink in the moonlight. I reached the clearing where the old oak stood, but Caleb wasn’t there. I turned, heart hammering against my ribs, and saw a figure standing by the service gate. It was Lucy, her face pale and translucent like a ghost's, holding a bundle wrapped in Caleb's favorite blue blanket."He's not yours anymore, Sarah," she whispered, her voice echoing as if from the bottom of a well. "I've taken what's you're just as you've taken what's mine... We're even now." She stepped backward into an abyss, and as she fell, she let out a jagged, piercing laugh that shattered the sky. I bolted upri
[Tyler’s POV]Ever since Sarah had revoked my ban and initiated this partnership, the atmosphere in the building had shifted. The staff no longer looked at me with pity. I leaned back in the heavy leather chair, and adjusted the lapel of my suit. Across the polished mahogany table, four of our lead analysts were walking through the final projections for the merger."The Canadian logistics are stabilized, Mr. Rider," the head of operations said, tapping a pen against a tablet. "With Sarah’s new security protocols, the leaks have stopped. We’re projected to see a twelve percent rise in the third quarter."I nodded, though my mind was elsewhere. I was looking at the security camera in the corner of the ceiling. Every time I saw a lens, I felt the phantom weight of that footage from Sarah’s office with my face in it. To the world, and as far as I knew, to Sarah, I was still the man who had walked into her office and sold her out. That accusation sat in the back of my throat like a bitter
[Sarah’s POV] The drive back from the city was a blur of gray asphalt and flashing streetlights. Tyler sat in the passenger seat, uncharacteristically silent, the weight of the Julian Vane interview still hanging between us like a physical shroud. I pulled the car into the estate's gravel driveway, the tires crunching with a finality that usually brought me peace. Not tonight. I barely had the engine off before I was through the front doors. I didn't even make it to the stairs to drop my bag when a shadow detached itself from the dim hallway. "You’re late," Skye said, stepping into the light. She wasn't wearing her usual smirk. Her expression was pinched, her eyes darting toward the front door where Tyler was just entering. "I’ve been waiting two hours. We need to go to your office. Now." "Skye, I just walked in..." "Office. Now," she repeated, her voice dropping to a low, urgent hum. I looked at Tyler, who gave a tired shrug, and then I followed her. We marched up the stairs in
[Sarah’s POV] The bright studio lights were clinical, bleeding the warmth out of the room until every shadow felt like a jagged edge. I adjusted the cuffs of my silk blouse, the fabric cool against my skin. To the world, sitting here next to Tyler for our first joint broadcast as the heads of the Rider Group was a sign of a historic alliance. Across from us sat Julian Vane, an interviewer known for peeling back the layers of high-society scandals. He leaned forward, his smile sharp and predatory. "It’s a sight many thought they’d never see," Julian began, his voice smooth. "The former King and the new Queen of Riders Group, shoulder to shoulder. Tyler, the board was famously hesitant about your return. How does it feel to be back in the building you once built, but this time, answering to the woman you once divorced?" Tyler’s jaw tightened. I felt the tension radiating off him. He opened his mouth, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. "It feels like evolution, Julian," I
[Sarah’s POV] The air inside the production house was cool, smelling of damp concrete and the sharp, metallic tang of the fermentation tanks, but the atmosphere was anything but calm. I stood near the central bottling line, my heart a steady, cold thrum in my chest. Then, the heavy industrial doors swung open with a violent clang. Norman marched in, his face a mask of disbelief. He stopped dead ten feet away, his gaze locking onto Tyler. He looked like he’d been slapped. "What is this?" Norman’s voice roared, echoing off the high ceilings. I didn't move. I just watched him, noting the way his hands were already curling into fists. "Norman. You’re back early. we weren't expecting you until evening." "I asked what the hell he is doing here!" Norman stepped forward, ignoring me entirely and directing his rage at Tyler. "Has everyone lost their minds? Sarah, have you forgotten what happened the last time this man was allowed on this property? He’s a thief who stole your intellectu
[Sarah’s POV]I was leaning over a harvest report when the door opened, and Norman stepped in. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second... an uncomfortable spark before he abruptly looked at the floor."The south perimeter is clear," he said, his voice clipped and professional. "Big Elijah is back o
[Sarah’s POV]The restaurant was a quiet, high-end far removed from the alleyway where I’d found Mandy. I watched her now, sitting across from me, her fingers trembling as she shoved pasta into her mouth. She ate with a desperate hunger that made my chest tighten."Slow down, Mandy," I said softly,
[Tyler’s POV]The silver fork in Lucy’s hand scraped against the fine china, a sound that set my teeth on edge as she chatted away."I’m telling you, Tyler, the steak is practically raw," Lucy said, her voice a sharp, annoying buzz in my ears. "We need to fire the chef. Everyone is getting on my ner
[Sarah’s POV]Norman drove the Maybach like a madman. The tires screamed as we tore up the gravel driveway of the Hale Estate. My heart was in my throat, pounding against my ribs with pure terror.As the car came to a halt in front of the main house, I didn't wait for Norman to open the door. I jum







