LOGINAvery’s POVThe music became slower and softer. People were still watching us. After what had just happened. After Wyatt’s ‘soon’ and my instinctive retreat into his chest. I turned my head and met his eyes. I tried to read what he was thinking.“Dance with me,” he said, his voice low, meant only for me.I hesitated.I should’ve said no. I should’ve stepped back, created space, reminded both of us where the line was supposed to be. That would’ve been the smart thing to do, but I didn’t.“Okay,” I said finally.We moved toward the open space, blending in with the other couples, but I could still feel every eye in the room, watching not even trying to hide it.His hand settled at my waist, steady, and mine rested on his shoulder, light at first, then firmer. Neither of us pushed too far. His thumb brushed rough against my waist, not enough to draw much attention, but enough I felt it.We moved together. The music filled the silence between us, but I was aware of everything else, the
Avery’s POVThe opening event was everything I’d hoped for.Monochrome’s new headquarters officially launched.The space was filled with designers, investors, and industry people. The energy was buzzing but elegant. Champagne glasses in hand, soft music threading through conversations. Everything was perfect.This was it.Proof that Monochrome had survived. That we’d come out stronger. That everything Daniel and Maison Delacroix did hadn’t been enough.I moved through the crowd. Greeting guests, thanking people for coming, playing the part of a confident CEO.Wyatt was there. He’d arrived early. He helped with last-minute setup like he always did, making sure everything was perfect. Now he moved through the event like he actually belonged here.Which, in a way, he had. He’d made this building happen. Pushed it through and made it real.But it wasn’t just that.He stayed close. Not in a way that drew attention. Not hovering. Just…there, always in reach.Even when I wasn’t looking, I kn
Wyatt’s POVI picked up Avery at her old office. The moving truck was already half-loaded, boxes stacked together near the curb, her team moving in and out of the old Monochrome branch.She stood off to the side, watching it all with a quiet kind of satisfaction on her face.Today was the day. Monochrome’s official move into the new headquarters.“Ready?” I asked her when she got in.“More than ready.” She shut the door and glanced back at the truck. “I’ve been waiting for this part for weeks since the last walkthrough.”I started the engine. “The part where everything becomes real?”She nodded. “Yes.”The drive was easy. No pressure, no weight hanging between us the way it had few weeks ago.She talked about the move like she’d been holding it in for weeks. How each department would settle, which teams would clash, who’d try to claim spaces that weren’t theirs.I listened, letting her talk as we drove.“You’ve been around a lot,” she said suddenly, glancing at me. “More than some of
Wyatt’s POVWe got in the car and I started driving. Avery stayed quiet for a few blocks, her gaze fixed outside the window, her hands resting loosely in her lap.“Wyatt,” she said finally, her voice steady in a way that immediately put me on edge. “I need to tell you something.”My grip tightened on the wheel. “What is it about?”“Pull over. Somewhere we can talk.”I found a quiet street, pulled over, and turned off the engine. The silence that followed felt heavy, pressing in from all sides.“A few weeks ago,” she began slowly, turning to face me, “I got a call. From someone, a female.”“A warning,” she continued when I didn’t respond. “The person told me not to trust you. That you don’t do anything without a reason. That whatever you’ve told me about helping…there’s more to it.”Cold chill ran down my spine.“Did they say who they were?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay even.She shook her head. “No, the line went dead before I could ask who it was.” “At first, I thought it was
Avery’s POVWyatt picked me up at eleven. He was right on time.I’d been looking forward to this all morning. After everything with Daniel and Maison Delacroix, I needed something that felt normal. Something steady and forward. The building represented that. A fresh start. A new chapter for Monochrome. A future I could actually plan for.I got in his car. He smiled. But something was off about it. Strained or maybe he was forcing it.I pushed the thought away. Probably just tired. We’d both been running on fumes for weeks. Between the launch and the legal battle and everything else, neither of us had slept properly in days.The drive was quieter at first, then Wyatt filled it with small talk. He asked about work, about the settlement, what comes next for Monochrome. But he watching me differently, his attention wasn’t where it should’ve been.Every now and then, I caught him looking at me. Not casually and not the way someone glances over in conversation.“Everything okay?” I aske
Wyatt’s POVI left the hospital, got in my car and sat there with the engine running.I’d gotten what I wanted. Permission to pursue Avery without hiding it. But at what cost?Watch her, report back. Proof that she wasn’t faking it.The condition sat heavy in my chest. It felt wrong. It felt like I was already crossing a line I wouldn’t be able to come back from.But I’d agreed. Because refusing meant Richard would tell her everything himself. Blow up everything before it even had the chance to become real. And I couldn’t let that happen, not again.I drove without thinking at first, just moving through the city, trying to clear my head.But it didn’t work. Richard’s words kept replaying. “You watch her closely.” “Make sure she’s not playing you.” “Prove the amnesia is real.”I’d told him I was certain, that I’d know if she was faking it.But was I? Really?Or was I just seeing what I wanted to see? Believing what I needed to believe?I picked up my phone and sent a message to th
Nate’s POVI stared at my phone, waiting for it to ring.It had been one fucking week since Davis promised me a “confirmed location”.Since then, nothing. Radio silence.My father was still in the hospital. The recovery was slower than what the doctors and I had wanted. They said a week minimum. Th
Wyatt’s PovRichard had called when I was with Avery last time and I had to leave early the next morning, after dropping some essentials she would be needing till I am back. Major investors were threatening to pull out, millions of Dollars on the line. I had to go and handle it in person secretly w
Nate’s POVCeleste stared at the papers on my desk like they might bite her.“Davis Investigation Services.” She read it out loud slowly. Then her eyes dropped again to the name written in bold capital letters on the top “Avery Monroe.”My stomach sank. The room seemed to tilt slightly. I opened my
Avery’s POVThe grocery bag split open in the parking lot, apples rolling everywhere.I stood there watching them scatter, I was too exhausted to chase them. My pregnancy hit thirty-two weeks yesterday and my belly was so huge I couldn’t even see my own feet. Every movement sent sharp pain through







