MasukAlina’s POVMy hands gripped Edrick’s as tightly as they could.I still could not tell what she was doing. Was she messing with us? Or is she really in a messed-up state herself?“Aria.” I sighed. “You can ignore us all you want. But nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to save you. This is the end.”Her smile grew wider, just by an inch.Did she not know how much trouble she’s in? There is no saving her.Or maybe she did not want to be saved.The more I stared at her, the more that twisting feeling in my gut intensified.She’ll pay. She’ll pay for what she did to me and Clover, and she would regret ever touching my daughter.“Since you refuse to speak, that is all,” I said, turning to Edrick.We should leave and let the cops do their jobs.Edrick shook his head, then stood.I stood to my feet, hands still clutching him.Aria looked up, her eyes settled on our intertwined hands.She gulped, and for the first time since we stepped in, an emotion flashed through her eyes.Hurt.Her gaz
Edrick’s POVMy phone rang at the worst possible time. But it was from John.“I need to take this,” I said. Alina gave me a quick nod.“Sir, I have an update on Aria.” John’s voice came through.I immediately sat up. “What happened?” I took a step away from Alina.“She’s fine. She’s conscious and stable now. The doctors have cleared her to leave the hospital.”I released a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.“And where is she now?”John paused for a moment.“We have taken custody of her. She’s being escorted to the station to begin the arrest process.”My jaw tightened. Finally.“So it’s happening?”“Yes, sir. She’ll be processed and questioned at the station. The charges against her will follow from there.”“Can we come? Now?” I asked. Knowing Aria was finally stable made my stomach churn, but somewhere beneath the anxiety was a small sense of relief.“Yes, at the station,” he said.“Good.”I ended the call and turned to Alina.She was still seated on the rug, but her eyes we
Alina’s POV“How long?” I asked again, and instead of an answer, Edrick pressed a kiss on my forehead. My body stiffened immediately.“Come on, Clover. You need to rest.” Edrick moved towards her and tucked her in bed. It was 12 in the afternoon. I was about to question him, but Clover’s eyes started closing slowly, and soon, she was far in sleep land. I looked at Edrick.“The medicine she’s on,” he said. “Helps with sleep.”I gave him a nod. My frown was still in place.“Come on now, let’s leave your sister to sleep,” Edrick said to Jaime.Jaime hopped out of the room, leaving just the two of us.“We should talk elsewhere,” Edrick said.I followed him out of the room and down the hall to another fully furnished bedroom. Something about it felt so familiar. I wondered. I sat on the neatly laid bed, and that was when I saw it.My suitcase.Not just that, all my other stuff had been brought here.“Are we moving here, completely?”“Alina, after a lot of thinking, I believe it’s best.
Alina’s POV.Clover is awake.My baby is awake!I stayed in Edrick’s arms while the doctors checked Clover.I knew if I let go of him, I’d end up running into the room. He was the only one holding me.It felt like an eternity, but the waiting room door opened. I finally released myself from Edrick’s hold. We practically raced forward before the doctor had taken two steps toward us.A smile spread across his face.“I've finished examining Clover,” he said. “She's doing very well.”I squeezed Edrick’s hand as I held my breath.“She’s recovering just as we'd hoped. Her vitals are stable, and there are no signs of any immediate complications.”I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.“Does that mean she's okay?” Edrick asked.“Yes,” he replied with a reassuring nod. “She'll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days so we can continue monitoring her, manage her pain, and make sure the wound is healing properly. If everything continues to go well, she'll be ready to go home aft
Edrick’s POVMy eyes went from the machine to Clover’s small face, to her fragile hands. She doesn’t deserve this.I was absent, yes. But now, I have a chance. A chance to give her all the love she deserves. To make up for all the moments I had missed.She just needs to wake up.That’s all I ask for.I buried my head in my palms. Exhaustion was getting to me, but I needed to keep going. I won't let my body fail me. Not now.My eyes were still on Clover when the sound of the door opening pulled me out of my trance.“Alina!” I stood up.Her shoulders sagged, her eyes were droopy. She was not crying, but damn, she was close.“What happened?”She looked at me as she let out a deep breath.“You were right. She’s crazy,” she whispered. “But what does this mean? Huh? What does it mean? Is she really crazy?”“It doesn’t matter what it means. All I know is she will pay,” I said, pulling her into my arms.“I hope,” she whispered against my chest. “I hope.”As if on instinct, she pulled away, he
ALINA’S POVThe closer I got to the hospital, the sweatier my hands got.I forced myself to focus on the road and think of nothing else, but my heart was beating so hard and so fast it was almost impossible.I made it to the hospital in one piece. Even then, I felt as though a single touch or a single word would shatter me.“Aria Vale,” I said to the receptionist.I could not remember the room she was kept in.She called one of the workers to lead me down the long corridor to the last door on the floor.I halted at the glass window.There she was, lying in bed, eyes closed, dressed in a surgical gown.Her bruises looked fresher than I had expected.She looked like a mess. Like a broken version of me. Like everything I felt inside had somehow taken human form.My hands pressed against the glass as I watched her. Her wrist was still cuffed to the bed. That alone gave me a sense of peace.The door opened, and a doctor I hadn’t noticed was in there stepped out.“Doctor!” I called, making
Aria’s POVI did not stop running until I reached the part of the house where I could crashout in peace. The library.No one ever comes here. The door slammed shut behind me, but it did nothing to quiet the noise in my head. My chest rose and fell too fast, anger and humiliation burning through me
Edrick’s POVShe was shaking so hard I thought she might break in my arms. And for some reason, it felt like I was the one falling apart. My chest tightened with every sob that escaped her lips, and I held her closer, like maybe if I held on tight enough, I could stop her pain from spilling any fur
Alina’s POVThe spa was tucked away on the far side of the island, a world apart from the chaos of the main villa. Palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, and the soft, rhythmic crash of waves made the place feel like it existed outside of time. I could already tell I’d fallen in love with the smel
Edrick’s POVTwo dates a week. Flowers every night. No staying late at the office. No excuses. No distractions.I was doing everything right, or at least everything a man in my position was supposed to do. On paper, I looked like the perfect husband. Attentive. Present. Trying. But none of it felt







