ANMELDENDaniel's POV Back at the resort, the atmosphere was completely different. The loud chaos of the club was replaced with quiet tension. We all sat in the private lounge. James had already wiped the blood from his lip, but his shirt was torn from the fight. I leaned back in the chair across from him, while Cassian stood near the window and Leo remained by the door. For a long moment, no one spoke. Then James finally broke the silence. “You owe me an explanation.” “Never,” I said, leaning forward slowly. “If anyone here has an explanation, it’s you.” “You must be insane!” he spat. “You just attacked me in public, and you’re here blabbing about what I don’t know.” “Maybe if you didn’t sabotage my company, all this wouldn’t have happened.” “And who told you I did?” “I don’t need to be told, James.” He rubbed his temple. “Daniel, as much as you and I hate each other.…” He looked up. “I’m not stupid enough to destroy my own investment.” The words hung in the air, because he was
Daniel’s POV The moment the plane touched down in California, I already felt the anger sitting in my chest in a way I have never felt before. It hadn’t cooled during the entire flight. If anything, it had grown worse. I stared out the window as the plane taxied across the runway, the bright California sun reflecting against the glass. Most people would have admired the view, the tall trees, the endless blue sky, and how calm it has always been. But I didn’t come here for sightseeing, I came here for answers. And if James thought he could hide from me after what he did, then he clearly didn’t know me well enough. By the time we got off the plane, Leo already had a car waiting. Cassian had also arrived from his side of the city after I called him earlier for an emergency meeting. None of them asked questions. They didn’t need to. The tension around me was explanation enough. Leo drove while I sat in the back seat, my elbow resting against the door as I stared out at the pa
Daniel’s POV The moment I walked into the company, it was exactly as I expected. My staff were all busy, phones buzzing, instructions flying here and there. Better. Because they knew me well enough to imagine what I could have done if I had walked in on them acting cool and calm while everything we had built for months was on the verge of crashing down. After Brenda called me this morning to inform me that a bug had been detected in the Evergreen dating app, I knew better than to tell Annabel. It would only demoralize her. She had poured all her sweat and time into bringing that app to life. And just when we were so close to achieving our goal….now this? I was still lost in my thoughts when hurried footsteps and heavy breathing approached from behind just as my finger hovered over the elevator button. “Boss.” “Mr. Stroke.” I didn’t need to be told before turning around that it was Brenda. Finally, she appeared before me, panting. “Good morning, Mr. Stroke,” she greeted, low
Annabel’s POV Moving into Daniel’s house should have felt like a dream. It should have felt like safety, like finally breathing after months of chaos. But the instant I crossed the threshold, I realized I was walking into a battlefield I didn’t even know existed. Daniel’s arm slid around my waist as I stepped inside, warm and familiar, and for a split second, I almost allowed myself to relax. “Welcome home, baby,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my temple. Home? The word sounded sweet on his lips, but in the pit of my stomach, a cold knot had already formed. “Don’t let your bags hit the floor. Someone might trip,” a soft voice said behind me. I froze and turned. Fiona stood in the hallway, perfectly poised, a smile so bright it could’ve blinded someone. But the glint in her eyes was sharp. I could sense the anger written all over her face. I never expected her to have moved in with Daniel so easily and so quickly. Daniel, oblivious, was already talking on his phone in th
Daniel’s POV I was still in my office staring in an open window without looking at anything in particular, the thought of finally losing Annabel still clustered in my head, tormenting me. God. After everything we have been through. My phone vibrated from the table the third time, loud and taunting that I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I cursed under my breath and walked over to get it. With my hand still tucked inside my pocket I picked up my phone and it was an unknown number. “Hello, who is this?” The end line was silent at first and I got annoyed, but was about to cut it off when his voice rang out. “Is me Daniel, Annabel’s father” he added desperately. I didn’t even know how I felt at the moment, because he was the last person I expected to call me and I wondered what it could be. “Mr.Green.” I called out in a low voice. “How may I be of help?” Silence. Then, his rough breath came out from the phone before he spoke. “We need to talk. I’m at Annabel’s place.” My
Annabel’s POV I exhaled, shaky and tight. Then, slowly, I flipped the tube, eyes still closed, muttering my last prayers before opening them. I stared frozen, I didn’t scream, didn’t cry, didn’t move. Two sharp, undeniable pink lines stared back at me. Solid. Bold. Loud. My knees weakened instantly, and I lowered myself slowly onto the cold bathroom floor, my back pressing against the bathtub. The air suddenly felt too thick. My breath too thin. It was like my whole body forgot how to function. The tube looked at me, judging. You are pregnant! You are fucking pregnant, Annabel. For your father’s son. My fingers shook so badly I dropped the test. It clattered against the tiles, the sound heavy through the silence. I pressed both hands to my face. “No…. no….. no… not now…..” I whispered into my palms, every word cracking. At this point, I just wanted to throw myself off any cliff, punch my stomach, or scream to the heavens for one miracle, just one. This was not how I pictured
Annabel’s POV I always thought the day my mom walked out on us was the worst Christmas of my life. I thought nothing could bruise me the way that day did. But I was wrong, because this one…. this one carved its own scar. It’s been two days. Two fucking days since I walked out on Daniel, half-ex
Annabel’s POV Packing shouldn’t be this hard. It’s just clothes. Just shoes. Just books I barely read. Just memories I should’ve outgrown. Yet every shirt I folded felt like it had Daniel’s hands somewhere on it, his ghost. His scent. His presence. My suitcase lay open on the bed, waiting.
Fiona’s POV “You left me with nothing,” I said hoarsely. “You broke me, Richard. You made me doubt myself until there was nothing left to save.” He tilted his head slightly, a bitter smile curving his lips. “Don’t sell lies to me, I was once a perfect husband until life happened to me, you shame
Daniel’s POV I had expected my father to be gone by morning, but when I got down to the downstairs lounge, his face was the first thing that greeted me. He was wearing that wild, annoying smile that somehow managed to crawl under my skin and settle there like an old wound refusing to heal. Annab







