로그인~116Dylan’s POVI did not expect to see her there.But I stood there, rooted, my mind racing, my heart pounding too hard, my eyes locked on Velma as she calmly removed her dark glasses and spoke with a steadiness that made my throat burn. She did not shout. She did not plead. She did not look afraid.She claimed her place.And God help me, I was proud of her.The discussion that followed was stiff, controlled, polite in that dangerous way people become when they know reputation is watching. The executives kept their voices low, their faces neutral, because no one wanted rumors spreading, no one wanted drama attached to a death that already carried too much weight.She asked about the burial arrangements with a calmness that made it clear she was not there to perform grief for anyone’s comfort. She listened. She spoke when needed. She did not stay longer than necessary.And then she stood to leave.Something in me panicked when I saw her turn away.I moved without thinking, my feet ca
115~Velma’s POVI smiled.It was not the kind of smile people give when they are pleased, and it was not sharp enough to be called cruel. It was quiet and measured. The kind of smile that comes from having already made peace with something painful.“And you?” I asked gently, my voice steady as I looked straight at her. “Do you truly love him?”The question landed heavier than I expected. I saw it in the way her shoulders stiffened, in the way her fingers curled slightly at her sides, as if her body reacted before her mind could catch up.“Or,” I continued, keeping my tone soft, almost thoughtful, “is all of this just for show?”For a brief second, her eyes widened. Just a flicker. Just enough to betray her. Then she pulled herself together, her face hardening like a door being slammed shut.“You have no right,” she snapped, the words coming out sharp, defensive, rushed.I did not raise my voice. I did not step closer. I simply held her gaze.“I had every right,” I said quietly. “He w
114~Velma’s POVHe exhaled, then smiled back, a little sad, a little proud. “You always surprise me,” he said.I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his. “You made me this way,” I whispered.He kissed my hair gently, the kind of kiss that stayed a second longer than it needed to, like he was trying to store the feeling somewhere safe.“I will let you go alone,” Theron said quietly. Then he pulled back just enough to look at me properly. “On one condition.”I already knew that tone. I let out a slow breath. “Theron…”“You get a bodyguard,” he said calmly, like he was stating the weather.I rolled my eyes without thinking. “That will make everyone stare. It will put a spotlight on me. I do not want that.”He crossed his arms, completely unbothered. “Then you are not going alone.”I looked at him. I really looked at him. His face was relaxed, almost gentle, but his eyes were set. That look meant the decision was already made.I smiled slowly, a little amused, a little tired. “
113~Velma’s POVTheron stared at me the moment the reporter’s voice finished speaking, and before I could say anything at all, the tears broke free.They did not come gently. They rushed out of me like something that had been waiting for permission. My chest tightened so suddenly that I had to grip the edge of the couch to steady myself. My breath came out uneven, loud in my own ears, and the room blurred as my eyes filled.“He was recovering,” I said, my voice shaking as I looked at Theron. “They said he was stable. They said he was doing better. How does someone go from that to… to this?”Theron moved closer immediately, the floor creaking softly under his steps. He knelt in front of me, his face full of concern, his eyes searching mine like he could hold me together just by looking hard enough.“Velma,” he said gently. “Breathe. Just breathe for me.”I tried, but the words only seemed to push the tears harder.“It does not make sense,” I continued, my hands trembling as I pressed
112~Velma’s POVI was still drawing when sleep took me.One moment, my pencil was moving slowly across the paper, shaping soft lines and shadows, my mind half focused, half drifting. The next, everything went quiet. The room faded. My hand relaxed. The sketchbook rested against my chest as I slipped into sleep without meaning to.I do not know how long I slept.I only know I woke up because someone was calling my name.“Mom.”The voice was close.“Mom,” Jaden said again, softer this time.I stirred, my lashes fluttering as light filtered into my eyes. The first thing I saw was his face hovering over me, his brows slightly pulled together, his lips curved into a small, patient smile. His hair was a little messy, his school uniform already loosened like he had rushed straight to me.I pushed myself up slowly, the sketchbook sliding off my chest and onto the bed.“Hey,” I said, my voice rough with sleep. I smiled at him. “You are back already?”He nodded, his smile widening. “Yes.”I re
111~Eva’s POVMy crying did not slow down.If anything, it grew worse.It felt like something inside my chest had cracked open and refused to close again. Each sob tore out of me, sharp and ugly, leaving my throat raw and burning. My shoulders shook so hard I could barely stay upright. The hospital air felt cold against my skin, smelling of antiseptic and loss.Then my mother’s voice cut through the noise again.“Eva,” she said, calm but firm, the way she spoke when she wanted control. “Stop crying. Enough now.”That was when everything broke.I pulled away from her touch as if it burned. My chest rose and fell violently, my breaths uneven and desperate. Fresh tears spilled down my face, hot and endless. My hands curled into fists at my sides, my nails biting into my palms.She had no idea.None of them did.They had no idea what I had done in that room. No idea how close I had stood to Chairman Fridolf’s bed, how pale his skin had looked against the white sheets. No idea how my hand
11~Dylan’s POVI did not expect to see her.Not there. Not like that.I had replayed that moment in my head a thousand times since it happened, but nothing prepared me for the real thing.Seeing Velma again felt like a physical impact. Like walking into a wall at full speed and realising too late
12~Velma’s POVMorning came softly, the kind that doesn’t announce itself but just slips in through the curtains.I woke to small fingers poking my cheek.“Mommy.”I kept my eyes closed on purpose.“Mommy,” Jaden said again, louder now, half laughing.I smiled before I opened my eyes. Of course it
10~Velma’s POVThe sounds of the airport thinned out until they barely reached me. Wheels rolling. Announcements overhead. People laughing, arguing, rushing past. All of it dissolved into a low, distant hum. Like I had been dropped underwater. Or like I was dreaming and hadn’t realized it yet.Or
9Velma’s POVFive years later….The night event with Theron changed my life in a way that I didn’t expect. Five years in which I had built a small, perfect world of my own, a world that revolved around Jaden, my little miracle, whose laughter and warmth could melt the darkest of fears, and Theron,







