LOGINZoey's POV London was waking up the way London always does. Pale light slipping through the window like it was too polite to be called sunlight. The sky that same permanent gray. But inside Annie's house, there was warmth that didn't come from the heating. It came from the fact that, for a few hours, I got to just be a sister. The kitchen was already alive when I walked in. Fresh coffee in the air. Fruit abandoned on a plate. A pitcher of juice someone had set on the table. Annie was sitting with her legs tucked under her, wearing a sweatshirt, hair tied up in a messy bun, holding her mug like it was part of her identity. I had my mug too. Except I wasn't drinking. I was staring at the coffee like it might give me answers. Annie took a sip, studied me over the rim, and made that face that said, 'I'm not going to push—but I'm absolutely reading you.. "That's going to get cold," she said calmly. "I know." "No, you don't," she corrected. "You're looking at that cof
Christian's POV I didn't like lying to Zoey. But right now, I had to. And I had to do it quietly—for three reasons. The first was simple and frustrating: I didn't know if this would work. And if I didn't know that, I wasn't about to build expectations. Not for her. Not for me. Not for anyone. The second was practical: it involved Kensington. And anything tied to Kensington could turn into headlines in seconds. Speculation. Rumors. Stories spreading across networks like they were facts. I'd seen it happen too fast to ever trust "no one will find out." The third reason was the one that made the guilt sit heavier—and at the same time justified everything: I wanted it to be a surprise. Zoey deserved a real surprise. Not just something expensive or beautiful. Something that meant something. So when I told her that morning I was heading to the Serene Port office early… I lied. I was actually flying to Solara Bay to make it all happen. The car dropped me at the airport b
Zoey's POV I stood in front of the bathroom door like it was a portal to another life. In my hand, a pregnancy test still in the box, looking offensively innocent—like it had no idea the kind of emotional chaos it was capable of causing. Matthew had come back fifteen minutes earlier, out of breath and triumphant, like he'd slayed a dragon. In reality, he'd just argued down a pharmacist who tried to sell him prenatal vitamins "just in case." "Alright," he said, crossing his arms. "Are you going to take it now, or are we going to keep staring at it like it's a piece of art?" I swallowed hard. Once I took that test, I wouldn't be able to pretend anymore. It wouldn't be just a dramatic spiral, a bad day, a mix of stress and a weird husband and an overly sensitive heart. I looked at the bathroom door again. Then at the test. Then at Matthew. "I…" I started—and stopped, annoyed at my own hesitation. Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Zoey, for the love of God. You've done th
Zoey's POV I couldn't stay in that room pretending everything was fine while Matthew stood there chewing on a "it's probably nothing" with a face that clearly said it was something. "Come," I said, already walking, not giving him a chance to argue in front of the staff. I pulled my brother down the hallway and into the winter garden—the only place in the house that made me feel like I was outside without actually leaving. Glass, plants, soft light. No staff passing by. No clinking dishes. No sense that anything I said could turn into gossip in fifteen minutes. Matthew stayed standing, hands in his pockets, wearing that patient expression of his. I didn't want patience. I wanted an answer that made my stomach stop tightening. "Zoey…" he started. "Shh," I cut him off, already pulling out my phone. I wasn't going to investigate. I wasn't going to stalk. I wasn't going to do anything that made me look like I'd lost my dignity. I was going to call my husband. Simpl
Zoey's POV I woke up with that immediate feeling that something was off. Christian's side of the bed was empty. I blinked slowly, still half tangled in sleep, staring at the wrinkled mattress beside me like it might explain itself. Okay. I knew. He'd said he had to leave early. But… he didn't even say goodbye? I sat up, pulled the comforter to my chest, and took a breath, trying not to turn something small into a full-blown crisis. That's when my phone buzzed on the nightstand, like the universe had heard me and decided to correct me immediately. I grabbed it. It was a message from him. [You looked so beautiful sleeping, I didn't want to wake you. Love you. PS: I'll make it up to you tonight, so be ready.] I read it twice. By the second time, I was already smiling. Of course. Christian being Christian. The man who wouldn't wake me just to say goodbye. "Okay," I murmured to the empty room, a soft, silly smile on my face. "I'll be ready, Mr. Kensington." When
Zoey's POV I walked into the bedroom with my body begging for bed and my mind still full of the bakery—Mia's voice treating my birthday like a global event, Madeline eating for two with a confidence I admired and envied. I took a quick shower, washed my hair, and came back in wearing a robe, looking like the domestic version of myself—the version I actually like. I went straight to the vanity, because skincare is my daily therapy: cleanse, hydrate, pretend it organizes my thoughts too. I tied my hair up and started massaging my face. The mirror gave me my bare skin—and Christian already lying down, far too comfortable for a man who carries an empire on his shoulders. He glanced up just enough to see me… then went back to his phone. "Today was funny," I said, watching my reflection. "Mia started that whole 'thirtieth birthday party that shuts down Verdania and the world' thing. Then Madeline laughed and said 'intimate' and 'Kensington' don't belong in the same sentence. And Mi
Madeline's POV After lunch, Marcus invited me to take a walk through the olive groves that stretched across the entire property. It was a perfect Castorian morning. Sunlight filtered softly through the silvery leaves of the olive trees, creating a delicate dance of light and shadow on the packed e
Marcus' POV The cabins were far more impressive than I'd expected. When Luke mentioned rustic accommodations, I'd pictured basic wooden structures with just the essentials. What we found instead was something else entirely. Sophisticated alpine architecture that blended rustic charm with modern co
Marcus' POV The Range Rover was perfectly equipped for our little expedition into the Castorian mountains. When Christian first suggested this competitive retreat, I'd imagined a complete disaster. But glancing in the rearview mirror at the group riding with me, maybe it wouldn't be so bad after a
Madeline's POV It had been ten days since we'd arrived at the Galleo property, and I found myself counting them like a prisoner scratching marks into a wall. Not because I felt trapped. If anything, there was something deeply freeing about being there, far away from all the toxicity that had domin







