LOGINHaley paused for a moment as she sat on the edge of her beige leather sofa, the dim glow from the city lights outside casting long shadows across the living room of her Victorian apartment. How on earth does a stranger know so much about me already? She wondered, her mind replaying the conversation with the private investigator, Nelson. Every detail she had shared with her realtor had somehow been transmitted to him, yet he handled it like a professional, precise and confident. This is good. I need someone who won’t fumble, who won’t betray me.The thought made her stomach tighten. Her hand absently stroked the edge of the drawing she had kept tucked under the sofa cushion—a drawing she and her brother had made as children, a secret code only they could understand. If he’s alive… I can’t let him down. I just can’t.Earlier that morning, she had left baby Kyrell with Eric, taking a rare quiet moment for herself. The nanny had taken her day off, leaving Haley with a silent house and tim
“I missed you, girl!” Jace’s voice cut through the foggy San Francisco night as he yanked Eden’s waist toward him. The dim glow of streetlights stretched shadows across the quiet, narrow street, and the faint hum of a distant cable car echoed in the distance.“I don’t even know why you dragged me out here. I told you I wasn’t feeling well, and I didn’t want to come. Let go of me, Jace!” Eden whispered, her voice low but edged with steel as she struggled to free herself from his firm grip. She wondered why he kept acting this way. Every time she thought she was done with his craziness, he always proved her wrong. She was beginning to get frustrated and was on the verge of telling Kyrell she couldn’t continue. But she had made a promise.Jace chuckled softly, leaning closer.“Come on, Eden… We can still have what we once had. We can enjoy ourselves like before.” His dark eyes glinted in the streetlight. Jace strongly believed that Eden would come around, so he kept trying.“I—we—I’m try
Kyrell felt a rush of joy the moment Eden’s voice came through his phone. She was pregnant. Their first child. His heart pounded as a grin spread uncontrollably across his face. He could barely contain himself.“Eddie, I love you! I love you so much! Thank you for coming into my life; thank you for this baby!” Kyrell said, his voice practically trembling with excitement.There was a pause on the other end. Then Eden muttered, “I… I don’t know, Kyrell. I just… I don’t know.”“Don’t know about what? Are you not excited about having my baby?” he asked, brow furrowed.“I just… I want you to know that Jace never—never ever—touched me. I never let him. We… we never went further than a kiss. I swear it, Kyrell, I swear,” Eden said, her voice quivering as she struggled to hold back tears.Kyrell hit the mute button and let out a chuckle. Why was she panicking? She had done nothing wrong, yet here she was, crying over a situation that didn’t even exist. But he decided to play a little, teasing
“Are you absolutely sure about this, Kyrell?” Eden asked, adjusting her phone on the nightstand as she FaceTimed him. The glow from her screen reflected softly across her face.Kyrell leaned back in his hotel chair, the faint hum of Chicago’s skyline behind him.“I’ve never been surer,” he said, rolling his sleeves up. “It’s not the easiest thing to do without stepping on someone’s toes, especially Kennedy’s, but I’ll keep it clean. I just don’t want anyone feeling disrespected.”“I get that.” Eden sighed, curling a strand of hair behind her ear. “This morning, I tried bringing up passwords with Jace, just to test him. He said, ‘Everything revolves around me.’”Kyrell frowned. “Everything revolves around you? That’s his answer? The man still acts like you’re his wife after all he’s done. After what he put you through, he still plays the hero.” He shook his head. “Listen, just… be careful when you try to open that safe, alright?”“I will,” she promised softly. “He’s in that closet for
“A man came looking for me? Who could that even be?” Haley asked, her brows pulling together as she slipped off her sunglasses and glanced at the nanny, who stood nervously by the entryway.“Yes, ma’am.” The nanny replied, clasping her hands.Haley exhaled sharply, dropping her leather handbag on a table as she crossed to the kitchen. She yanked open the refrigerator, grabbed a chilled bottle of sparkling water, and took a long, slow sip.The nanny remained where she stood, waiting.“He didn’t leave any details, ma’am,” the nanny said after a pause. “He just asked to see Kyrell.”Haley turned, her expression hardening.“And what did you do?” Her voice rose an octave. “Don’t tell me you let a stranger near my baby.”“Not at all, ma’am!” The nanny, Grace, said quickly, her voice trembling. “He first asked for you
The phone buzzed sharply across the messy nightstand, slicing through the heavy silence of Jace’s apartment. He hesitated for a moment before picking it up, exhaustion dripping through his voice.“We had a deal, Jace,” the caller snapped, his tone venomous.“I know,” Jace replied quietly, rubbing his temples. “You just need to be patient with me. Things aren’t going well right now. I’m handling it.”“How’s that my business, huh?” The voice on the other end roared. “You think I’m stupid? You think I’m some kid you can toss excuses at? You’d better wire our money now.”Jace’s throat tightened.“I’m dealing with a financial setback,” he murmured. “I just need time, a few weeks, maybe. I’m doing everything I can to keep from going under.”“You think I care about your sob story, Jace Bellamy?”







