Mag-log inWyatt’s POVI'd been awake since four.I lay still thinking about the gala, thinking through every possible way that night could go wrong.Nate in the same room with Avery was bad enough already. Avery shifted beside me. Her arm came across my chest. She murmured something that wasn’t quite a word and pulled herself closer without waking up. Her breathing evened out again within seconds.She had no idea. She was warm and happy and excited about an invitation she’d earned. And she had absolutely no idea.Fuck.She woke up in a good mood. She got ready faster than usual, talked more, and laughed at small things. I sat at the edge of the bed pulling on my watch when she came to stand between my legs, tablet in one hand, already running through the showroom schedule out loud.The conversation somehow moved to the gala.She’d been sketching the night before. Dress silhouettes in the margins of her work notes. She turned the tablet toward me and showed me one. It was very Monochrome. “W
Wyatt’s POVMy phone lit up on the conference table beside the files. Avery’s name flashed across the screen. I picked it up and stepped out of the room without a word. The lawyers kept talking behind me.The hallway was quieter. I answered before the second ring."Hey, babe."Her voice was warm and a little breathless. “How are you? How’s California?”“Tell me the good news first,” I said, leaning against the wall.A laugh slipped out on her end. “I haven’t even said I have good news yet.”"You called me in the middle of a meeting with that voice." I smiled. "You have good news."“What voice?” she asked, amused.“The one that means something good happened.”“I’m not telling you on the phone then.”I exhaled through my nose. "Avery."“You’ll have to wait,” she said, sounding like she was enjoying every bit of it. I could hear the smile in her voice."I'll tell you when you're back," she said."That could be days.""Then I guess you'll wait days."I went back into the conference room
Avery’s POVThe showroom was already busy before nine in the morning when I entered.Phones ringing, garment bags moving across the floor, assistants rushing with racks while photographers argued over lighting near the bridal display.Somewhere in the middle of it, a stylist walked in without an appointment and announced she needed pieces for Vogue.Nobody even questioned letting her in.By ten in the morning, the showroom barely had room to breathe.A bridal stylist argued with one of the assistants over garment priority while two influencers filmed content near the jewelry displays as if they already owned the space.Someone from a luxury department store requested a private walkthrough for next week. Another wanted first access to three bridal designs before the collection officially launched.Everywhere I turned, somebody needed an answer from me.Either measurements, approvals, or press confirmations.New York had stopped treating Monochrome like a visiting brand. It was taking
Avery’s POVI heard the last few words in the hallway and stopped listening.I turned quietly and went back to the bedroom. I pulled the duvet up and closed my eyes. He came back maybe ten minutes later. The mattress shifted. His arm came around my waist and pulled me closer with the ease of someone who'd done it a hundred times. I moved into him and felt him exhale slowly against the back of my neck.I told myself I'd think about it tomorrow. Then I fell asleep.I woke up to New York light cutting through the curtains. Wyatt was already up. I could hear movement from the kitchen.I thought briefly about what I'd heard in the hallway. “…she still doesn't remember anything, I'm going to keep it that way.”and then I pushed it aside. It made no sense without context, and Wyatt had never given me any reason not to trust him. The kitchen smelled like coffee. Wyatt stood at the counter, already dressed and put together while I was still in the oversized shirt I’d slept in, hair loose.
Avery’s POV"Wyatt," I said again, sharper this time. "What is it?"He kept staring across the terminal. A vein jumped in his jaw. My eyes followed his line of sight, but before I could see who he was looking at, Wyatt stepped in front of me and took my bag from my hand. "Change of plans," he said."What?""We're using another exit."He kept walking, not once did he look back. That alone made my stomach dropped. Wyatt has always been in control of situations, but this felt different as if whatever he saw across that terminal had unsettled him enough to change exit in seconds. His warm hand found a small place at my back and guided me the opposite way. I glanced behind us, trying to catch another look but got nothing. Just travelers dragging suitcases across the pathway and security moving near the entrance. Still, the tension rolling off him was impossible to miss. Even his hand against my back felt firmer than usual.Elise and the rest of the team caught up behind us, looking
Wyatt’s POVI stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door softly behind me.I walked toward the kitchen, dragged a hand down my face, then dialed Marcus again.He picked up immediately. “Your engagement photos hit New York an hour ago.”I stared out at the city below. “How bad is it?”“Finance blogs picked it up first. Fashion blogs are worse.” I heard keyboard clicks on his side. “Monochrome and Kane Ventures are trending together.”“I expected that.”“You think Richard’s seen it yet?”My jaw tightened. “I told him before I proposed.”Marcus went quiet.“And?”“He gave me his blessing.”He paused, longer this time. “What about Nathaniel and Celeste?”I opened one of the fashion articles on my phone. Photos from outside the restaurant filled the screen. Avery beside me, laughing at something I’d said, the ring catching the camera flash.One specific picture made my chest tighten. She looked…happy, unaware of what was waiting in New York.“I don’t think they know who she is yet,” I
Nate’s POVIt was Monday morning after the wedding I woke up with a headache that wouldn’t stop.We had finished the press photo shoot for Vogue after the meeting yesterday and today was the two-hour interview about “the new Sterling power couple” that made my skin to crawl. Celeste answered most
Avery’s POVOn the third day I kicked Wyatt out, the beach house was already suffocating me because of its silence. I kept on checking the door, glancing at my phone expecting his name to light up the screen. No calls and no texts. He actually listened.I told myself this was what I wanted, space
Wyatt’s POVI didn’t sleep.I sat in my hotel room with my laptop open with running searches, making calls to contacts who specialized in things most people didn’t want to know about. Marcus also worked through all the night tracking vehicles, running plates and checking hotel registries within a
Avery’s POVI sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the wall for hours. Broken glass still littered the room floor. I didn’t have the energy to clean it.I heard voices through the thin walls. It was Marcus first, low and urgent. Then another voice cut through, louder and desperate.Wyatt...My ch







