Alina POVThe night after the blow-up with Dante felt like it lasted a year.I’d fallen asleep in my clothes, half-curled on the far edge of the bed, my hand throbbing from gripping that stupid shard of metal. Dante hadn’t said a word after my last scream—just sat there, watching me, like he was waiting for me to run out of fuel. Eventually, I had. I hated that he looked so calm while I felt like my veins were on fire.When morning came, I needed air that didn’t taste like arguments.The shower was too hot, almost scalding, but I stayed under it until my skin flushed pink. Then I pulled my hair into a tight, high ponytail, swiped some lipstick on like war paint, and grabbed my purse. No note for Dante. No breakfast. Not even a glance at him if he was awake.The driver dropped me in front of a luxury boutique whose window displays were practically whispering you don’t belong here. Not that I cared. The glass doors parted with that faint whoosh and the scent of leather, perfume, and ex
Chapter 14George POVThe second the door shut behind Rosemary, I could finally breathe.Not much, just enough to keep from chewing through the inside of my cheek.Barry was still by the window, staring out like he was trying to burn a hole through the glass. His shoulders were tight, his jaw working like he was grinding down whatever words he wanted to throw at me.I didn’t blame him.Hell, I knew exactly what I’d done the moment I sent that text. The “pregnant” one.The one that made him rush down here like the building was on fire.And yeah… it was dirty.But you try sitting in an office with Rosemary shrieking like a parrot on amphetamines, threatening to “ruin” you in every way imaginable.If I’d told Barry, “Hey, she’s here yelling about money again,” he would’ve texted back “Handle it” and gone back to whatever argument he was having with Camelia.But tell him someone’s claiming they’re pregnant with his kid?You get the man in fifteen minutes flat.I scrubbed my palm over my f
Barry POVBy the time I pulled into the parking lot, my knuckles had gone pale around the steering wheel. The engine’s growl died, but my pulse didn’t.The moment my foot hit the pavement, I could feel eyes on me.Not the casual “oh, boss is here” kind. This was heavier. The kind of stare people give when they’ve already decided they’re going to whisper the second you pass.The security guard at the door actually froze with his mouth half-open like he wanted to greet me, but I guess his brain decided against it. Smart man.I pushed through the glass doors.The air inside felt… loaded. Like someone had sprayed the scent of gossip through the vents.Staff were everywhere—some pretending to work, others not even bothering. Every face tilted toward me just enough to be obvious.One of the interns—tiny girl with glasses—quickly ducked behind her monitor like I had a sniper rifle instead of a phone in my hand.“Morning,” I said flatly.No one answered. Not even the fake cheerful “good morni
Chapter 12Barry povThe morning sun cracked through the blinds like it had a vendetta. Sharp rays sliced across the floor, highlighting every damn thing wrong with the space.I stepped out of my room, barefoot, shirtless, and already irritated. My eyes dragged down the corridor, past the crooked photo frame Camelia kept promising to fix, to the living room that looked like a scene from a low-budget apocalypse.Cushions on the floor. A throw blanket tangled in a mess. Empty snack wrappers lounging like they paid rent.What the hell?“Camelia?” I muttered under my breath, my voice laced with confusion more than anger—for now.I moved toward the dining table. No scent of toast. No fried eggs. No coffee.Just a lonely jug of lukewarm water sweating beside a damn plate of sliced apples. Two slices. Like she thought I was some starving hamster.I stared at it like it might rearrange itself into an actual meal. My heart thumped faster than I liked. A joke? Maybe. But I wasn’t laughing.I sn
Chapter 11Alina povI brought out my sleeveless lace top, dragging the baggy jeans out of the hanger. In the middle of pulling it out, my finger twisted between the fabric and the hook. The pain shot up so fast that I gasped. My face twitched, my eyes widened as the sting hit deep."Damn," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my finger, trying not to cry over something so stupid. I was still snickering at myself when I suddenly felt a hand slip around my waist."You have to be careful next time. Not everything around you reminds you of him," Dante’s voice whispered, his lips barely an inch from my ear. His breath was hot, too hot. I froze for a second, my heart pounding.I closed my eyes, the ache in my hand forgotten. His words hit harder than the pain. Not everything reminds you of him. The betrayal that lived at the back of my mind came storming to the front again. My ex-husband’s lies. My sister’s laughter. Their wedding. Her dress. My empty hands.I snapped. I slapped his hand of
Chapter 10Dante povThe night was over and sunlight shone into the room. I turned to the other side of the mattress, tapping it to check on Alina. My fingers met cool fabric, no warmth, no body, just empty space.I blinked, eyes wide open now.Gone?"What are you looking for?"Her voice curled through the room, a familiar silk I could never confuse for anyone else’s. Curtains rasped against the rod as she tugged them aside, letting the sun spill its gold all over the floorboards.She was standing tall, barefoot in one of my shirts again, holding the curtains like the sun belonged to her.I chuckled under my breath."Good morning," she said, not turning."Good morning to you, Alina," I mumbled, voice still half-asleep, half-entrance.She let go of the curtains, releasing the light like a weapon. It spilled over her face, across the ridge of her cheekbones, the arch of her brow, the slight swell of her lips,unsmiling.That’s when I noticed it.She wasn’t just standing there for the mor