Chapter 11: Business TensionsMarcus's fingers drummed against his mahogany desk as Stanley Chen, head of legal, droned on about shareholder concerns. I watched from the corner office's leather couch, pretending to review quarterly reports while stealing glances at the man who'd turned my world upsi
Chapter 12: Hidden ConnectionsThe morning sickness hit just as James walked into my office."Are you okay?" His voice carried that familiar concern that used to make my heart flutter. Now it just made my stomach churn harder."Fine," I managed, gripping my desk. "Just... haven't eaten."He frowned,
James's phone screen felt like a ticking bomb between us. Marcus's hand tightened on mine as the footage played on loop – his tender touches, my vulnerable moment, all our careful secrets exposed in harsh fluorescent light."Interesting morning routine," James said, his voice deadly quiet. "Tell me,
Chapter 14: UltimatumsVictoria Henderson's smile promised destruction as she glided into my office, manila envelope tapping against her manicured nails. The same nails that had once patted my cheek at holiday parties, calling me "the daughter she never had." The irony wasn't lost on me."Am I inter
Chapter 15: Victoria's GameThe exclusive restaurant Victoria had chosen hummed with power. Every table hosted someone who mattered in our city's hierarchy - politicians dining with donors, celebrities with publicists, business titans with ambitious protégés. The perfect setting for her ambush."Sop
Chapter 16: Corporate WhispersThe Henderson Industries boardroom felt like a courtroom as I slipped into Marcus's side entrance, careful to avoid the main hallway where executives might spot me. The tension suffocated the space - thick enough to slice with the letter opener on Marcus's immaculate d
Chapter 17: Unexpected AllyI never thought I'd see Rachel Winters on my doorstep again."You look like hell," were the first words out of her mouth. Same Rachel—designer jeans, cashmere sweater, and the brutal honesty that had once made her my closest friend before she became the woman I caught nak
"James gets chatty after sex. Always has." Her smile was sharp. "And I've been recording our conversations since he contacted me again last month, trying to pull me into their scheme.""You've been sleeping with him again?" Something about that hurt in a way that made no sense, given everything else
Chapter 63: Beyond the VeilThe dimensional rift swallows us whole—William and me—tearing us away from the laboratory, from Marcus screaming my name, from Truth's desperate attempt to stabilize reality. We fall through cascading layers of existence, neither here nor there, our bodies dissolving into
Chapter 62: Betrayal's ShadowI stare at the pregnancy test, my third one today, still showing that unmistakable double line. My hands shake as I place it on the bathroom counter next to the others. Twelve weeks. The doctor confirmed it yesterday. Twelve weeks pregnant with Marcus's child while his
The nodule at my throat pulses hot against my skin. Of course. I'm whole now—mother and daughter, connected across dimensional barriers. I place my hand over the embedded convergence technology, closing my eyes to focus on that connection."Truth," I call, not with my voice but with my consciousness
Chapter 60: The Whole TruthReintegration feels like drowning and burning alive simultaneously. Seven consciousnesses crash together like tidal waves, memories flooding through me in a chaotic torrent. I am a police chief interrogating a suspect. I am a soldier crawling through mud under enemy fire.
Chapter 59: Convergence PointDimensional travel doesn't get easier the second time. If anything, it's worse—like being forced through the eye of a needle while fully conscious. My atoms scream as they're compressed, stretched, and reassembled. Marcus's grip on my arm is the only constant, an anchor
Chapter 58: Fractured ReflectionsDimensional travel feels like being torn apart and reassembled by a careless child. My atoms scatter, stretch across impossible distances, then snap back together in new configurations. I scream, but there's no sound in the void between realities—only endless pressu
Chapter 57: Dimensional CrossfireCatherine's smile chills me more than the pendant's icy burn against my palm. The hospital security uniforms worn by her team can't disguise their military precision as they fan out around us."We need to go," I whisper to Jacob, who stands frozen beside me, his eye
Chapter 56: Fractured ReunionI lunge from the hospital bed, ripping away IVs and sensors. The monitors scream in protest as Jacob grabs my arms."Sophie! What are you doing?" His face contorts with panic. "You need to rest!""Let me go!" I twist away, my unfamiliar body weaker than I expect. My leg
Chapter 55: Echoes of ExistenceI wake up.My consciousness returns like scattered puzzle pieces slowly assembling themselves. First sensation—soft sheets beneath my fingertips. Then sound—a rhythmic beeping nearby. Finally sight, as my eyelids flutter open to blinding fluorescent light.Hospital ro