LOGINAiden's POVThere are certain moments in life when you realize you're in trouble.Not life-threatening trouble.Not the kind my parents used to deal with.Worse.Relationship trouble.And unfortunately, I realized it during a Tuesday lecture.I wasn't even paying attention.The professor was explaining something about urban development.Important stuff.Probably.But my phone buzzed once beneath the desk.Then again.And before I could stop myself, I looked.Emily: I think I failed my presentation.I immediately frowned.That didn't sound like Emily.Emily wasn't dramatic.Emily wasn't insecure.Emily usually walked into presentations looking like she was about to teach the professor.Which meant something had genuinely gone wrong.Without thinking, I typed back.You definitely didn't fail.Three dots appeared.Then disappeared.Then appeared again.You didn't even see it.Fair point.I stared at the screen.Then smiled.Exactly. And I still know you didn't fail.The reply took longer
Aiden's POVI knew something was wrong the second Zara called me at eight in the morning.Nobody should be that energetic before coffee.Nobody.Especially Zara."Aiden!"I pulled the phone away from my ear."What?""Get dressed."I frowned."I am dressed.""Properly dressed."That was suspicious."Why?""Because you're helping me.""Helping you do what?"There was a pause.A dangerous pause.Then:"A surprise."I immediately regretted answering.One hour later I was standing in downtown Manhattan carrying six boxes and questioning every life choice I'd ever made.Zara marched ahead like a general leading troops into battle."A little faster.""A little less."She ignored me.Typical.Five years hadn't changed her at all.Actually, that wasn't true.She was more successful now.More respected.More impossible.The Eleanor Grant Foundation had expanded into multiple cities, and somehow Zara had become one of the people running it.Which was terrifying.Because giving Zara authority fel
Aiden's POVIf there was one thing I'd learned growing up in the George-Dickson family, it was this:Never underestimate Alicia George.Most people saw my mother and thought she was elegant.Sophisticated.They were wrong.She was a professional investigator disguised as a businesswoman.And unfortunately for me...I knew exactly what she was capable of.Which was why the second I spotted her sitting across the street from the restaurant with Zara, I nearly drove my car into a traffic cone.Not literally.But it was close.Very close."Are you okay?"I looked away from the window.The girl sitting beside me raised an eyebrow.Emily Carter.Twenty-one.Architecture student.Smart enough to intimidate most professors.Pretty enough to make me forget entire conversations.And currently staring at me like I'd lost my mind."Yeah," I lied.Emily followed my gaze toward the café window.Then smiled."Oh."I immediately groaned."No.""Oh.""No."Her smile grew wider."Your mother is spying
Five Years LaterThe first call came at 10:17 a.m.The second came at 10:19.By the third call, Alicia knew something was wrong.Because the caller was Zara.And Zara never called three times in a row unless someone was bleeding, arrested, or setting something expensive on fire.Alicia answered immediately."What happened?""Don't panic."Alicia stood up instantly."What happened?""I said don't panic.""Zara."There was a pause.Then:"I think Aiden has a girlfriend."Silence.Alicia blinked.Once.Twice.Three times."...That's it?""THAT'S IT?"Alicia pulled the phone away from her ear."No.""No?""No, Zara. Nobody is dead.""Not physically."Alicia sighed.Five years had changed many things.Zara had not been one of them.At twenty-one, Aiden George was nothing like anyone expected.Tall.Dark-haired.Confident.Dangerously charming.Unfortunately, he knew it.Alex blamed Alicia.Alicia blamed Alex.Zara blamed genetics.Aiden blamed nobody because he enjoyed the benefits too muc
For the first time in years, Alicia stopped looking over her shoulder.Not completely.Old habits didn't disappear overnight.But she was trying.And that counted for something.The week after discovering Eleanor's letters passed quietly.The Harbor investigations continued somewhere far away.But none of it reached the estate anymore.For once, the storm was happening somewhere else.And Alicia intended to keep it that way.On Saturday morning, she found Aiden sitting cross-legged on the living room floor with Henry's photograph in his lap.The one with Eleanor.He was studying it with the seriousness only children could manage."What are you doing?" Alicia asked.Aiden looked up."Looking.""At what?""The way he's smiling."Alicia sat beside him."Who is smiling?""Great-Grandpa Henry."Aiden pointed at the photograph."He doesn't smile like that in the other pictures."Alicia froze slightly.Then looked down.And realized he was right.Every photograph she'd ever seen of Henry sho
The photograph refused to leave Alicia's mind.Three days had passed since the bank vault.Three days since she'd discovered Eleanor.And three days since she'd realized something that shouldn't have been possible.Nobody in the Dickson family had ever mentioned her.Not once.Not in family stories.Not in old records.Nothing.It was as if Eleanor had never existed.And that bothered Alicia more than she cared to admit."You're doing it again."Alex looked up from his laptop.Alicia blinked."Doing what?""Staring at that photograph."She glanced down.Sure enough, she was holding it again.Henry and Eleanor.Summer 1974.The photograph had started looking worn from how often she'd handled it.Aiden looked up from the floor."Is that the mystery lady?"Alicia smiled."The mystery lady?""That's what Zara calls her."Of course Zara did.Alex rubbed his forehead."I told Zara not to call her that.""And?""And she laughed at me.""Sounds right."That evening Alicia finally decided she'
“Stop saying that.”“No.”“Alex…”“I’m not gonna stop. You can leave. You can run back to Paris. You can keep Aiden from me. But I won’t give up.”“You can’t fix this.”“Watch me.”Keith came back. Looked between them. “We good here?”“Fine,” Alicia said. “I was just leaving.”“Good talk,” Keith sa
“No. Wait. I’m not… I’m not trying to fight.” He leaned forward. “I just want to meet him. Properly. Not in some parking lot or park. Just… meet my son.”“No.”“Why not?”“Because he’s five. He doesn’t need this drama.”“What drama? Me wanting to know him?”“You wanting to turn his whole life upsid
Week eight. Her father called.“I need to see you.”“I’m busy.”“It’s about the company. Your company.”That got her attention. “What about it?”“Not over the phone. Come to Texas.”“Dad…”“Next week. I mean it.”He hung up.Great. Just great.-----The flight to Texas was turbulent. Aiden threw up
“You can’t do that.”“Watch me.”“Alicia…”“I can leave this place and dissolve into the air. You won’t even know what continent I am. Try me.”She meant it. He could see it in her face.“What can I do?” His voice broke. “Just tell me. How do I fix this?”“You can’t.”“There has to be something.”“







