LOGIN“Not yet,” Adrian replies. “She’s got a lot going on right now, but once things settle, I’ll tell her… I’m not about to let her slip through my fingers.”His words land heavier than they should. It’s just a simple confession, but it hits me like a two-edged blade, slicing somewhere in my heart.I do
NOAH.I’m sitting across from Adrian and Gunner, my mind still reeling from the hard truth they just hit me with.I can’t deny it. Back then, I would’ve shut down anyone who dared to speak against Chloe. I would’ve defended her without question. But now, after reading that entry, after the illusion
He studies me, waiting for the rest.“I kept my mouth shut because you were happy,” I continue. “And it wasn’t my place to blow up your marriage just because I thought she was two-faced.”His jaw tightens and silence settles over the table, but for once, Noah actually listens instead of snapping bac
ADRIAN.I walk into the private whiskey lounge after dropping Sierra at home, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still riding that high, especially when I remember her beautiful smile.This has been our favorite place for years. Inside, warm amber light washes over dark mahogany walls and deep leat
“Inhale through your nose,” she continues. “Slowly. Deeply. Let your ribs expand.”I breathe in.“For four… three… two… one. Hold. And release.”The room fills with the sound of synchronized exhaling and honestly, it’s strangely powerful.We move through gentle stretches, supported child’s pose with
Then I see it. A low, cream-colored building tucked into the greenery. Large windows. Wooden accents. A stone pathway leading up to double glass doors. There’s a small wooden sign near the entrance with delicate script burned into it.Willow Grove Prenatal Wellness.I blink at it.“Adrian…”He parks
Sierra.I wake up with a heaviness in my chest, the kind that sits right behind the ribs and makes breathing a little bit difficult. I blink up at the ceiling for a long moment, trying to understand why I’m still here. Why I agreed to stay. Why Noah wanted me to stay, because nothing makes sense.My
“But what if it does happen?” she echoes. “You’re telling me that after everything, after all these years, you don’t feel anything for him? Even a tiny bit?”“I got over the love I had for him, Lilly.” I say quietly, forcing the words out even though they scrape against something raw inside me.Ther
It’s subtle, barely noticeable to anyone else, but I feel it. The quiet inhale he takes. The way his arm pauses in midair for half a second longer than it should. Almost like the jolt hit him too.My heart stumbles painfully in my chest, and suddenly the kitchen feels too small, too warm, and too ch
The two maids freeze, their eyes darting between the housekeeper’s frown and my stunned expression.“Why are we being fired?” one of them stammers. “We didn’t do anything wrong!”The housekeeper crosses her arms, her voice clipped, the familiar coldness back in her eyes. “Didn’t do anything wrong? D







