LOGINMARCUS I was pacing the hallway outside the ICU when Catherine Sterling found me. "This is your fault." I turned to face her. She looked older than I'd ever seen her. Tired. Terrified. Furious. "Mrs. Sterling..." "Don't. Don't try to explain or apologize or whatever you're planning to do. My son is in a coma because of you. Because you told him about the pregnancy. Because you couldn't keep your mouth shut." She was right. She was absolutely right. "I didn't mean to tell him. It slipped out. We were talking and I said something about Eve being careful while traveling and he just—he figured it out. I tried to stop him from leaving, tried to get him to calm down, but he wouldn't listen. He just grabbed his keys and ran." "And you let him go. You let him get in a car when he was clearly not in any state to drive." "I tried to stop him..." "You didn't try hard enough." Her voice broke. "My son might die, Marcus. He might never wake up. And if he does wake up, they're saying the
I ignored the buzz of my phone the second it lit up...news alerts about the accident, texts from numbers I didn’t recognize, probably reporters who’d dug up my info somehow. I swiped them all away and opened my chat with Lara Jean instead. Me: Is it true the divorce decree doesn’t go into effect for 30 days? Her reply popped up almost instantly. Lara Jean: Yes. Standard waiting period in NY. Why? What’s wrong? Me: Damon was in a car accident. He’s in surgery. Am I still legally his wife? Lara Jean: Yes. Until the 30 days are up, you’re still married in the eyes of the law. You’re his next of kin. Is he okay? Me: I don’t know. I’m going to the hospital now. Lara Jean: Call me if you need anything. Anything at all.I watched JFK shrink in the rear window, watched my escape route disappear, watched London turn into something that might never happen now. I tried not to think about what I was doing. Tried not to question whether this was right. Tried not to wonder if I was making th
EVEFriday morning arrived too quickly. I woke up at five AM in my empty apartment, the early flight to London looming. Two suitcases packed. A one-way ticket in my email. Everything ready.Everything final.I got dressed carefully...loose black travel pants with an elastic waist, a long flowing tunic that skimmed over the bump, a cardigan to layer over everything. The pregnancy was obvious if you knew what to look for. But to strangers, I’d just look like someone who’d gained a little weight. Someone tired from early-morning travel. Nothing suspicious.I checked the apartment one last time. Empty rooms that used to hold furniture. Bare walls that used to have photos. Kitchen cabinets stripped of everything except dust. This place had been my refuge after Damon kicked me out of the penthouse. The place where I’d cried myself to sleep. Where I’d planned my escape.And now I was leaving it behind like everything else.Jessica had offered to drive me to the airport, but I’d said no. Good
EVE'S POV I turned my phone back on Tuesday evening. Seventeen missed calls. Twelve from Marcus. Three from unknown numbers that were probably Damon. Two from Jessica. And one from a number I didn't recognize with a New York area code. I deleted the voicemails without listening. Blocked the unknown numbers. And sent Jessica a text. Me: I'm fine. Phone was off. Still leaving Thursday day. Her response came immediately. Jessica: He's desperate. He wants to talk to you. Me: I don't care what he wants. Jessica: I know. Just letting you know he's not giving up. Me: He doesn't have a choice. I'm leaving in two days and he doesn't know where I'm going. Jessica: Marcus might figure it out. Me: Then don't tell Marcus anything. Please. Jessica: I won't. But Eve, are you sure about this? About leaving without at least hearing what he has to say? Me: I'm sure. I don't need to hear his apologies. I don't need to know how sorry he is. It doesn't change anything. Jessica: Okay.
"What?" "I said get out. Both of you. Get out of my life. I don't want your advice anymore. I don't want your opinions. I don't want anything to do with you." "Damon, you're being dramatic..." "I'm being honest. You helped destroy my marriage and you're standing here acting like it was for the best. Like Eve leaving is just some natural consequence instead of the direct result of your manipulation and my stupidity. So I'm done. I'm done listening to you, done taking your advice, done letting you have any say in my life." Richard's voice was steel. "You're upset. When you've calmed down, you'll realize you're overreacting." "I'm not overreacting. I'm finally seeing clearly. You've been controlling my life for years. Telling me what to do, who to marry, how to run my business. And I let you because it was easier than fighting. But I'm done. Starting now." "Damon..." "I mean it. Don't call me. Don't come to my apartment. Don't contact me at work. We're done." I walked out of the
DAMON I went straight to my parents' house after Eve refused to see me.I didn't even call ahead or think about what I was going to say. I just drove to their Upper East Side townhouse with my hands shaking on the steering wheel and rage building in my chest. My mother answered the door looking surprised. "Damon? What are you doing here? I thought you had meetings today..." "Where's Dad?" "In his study. What's wrong? You look terrible." I pushed past her into the house, walked straight to my father's study and threw the door open. Richard looked up from his desk, annoyed at the interruption. "Damon. I'm on a call..." "Hang up." "Excuse me?" "I said hang up the phone. We need to talk....Now." Something in my voice made him actually do it, he ended the call and set his phone down carefully. "What's going on?" My mother appeared in the doorway behind me. "Damon, what happened?" I turned to look at both of them. These people who'd raised me. Who'd guided me, who'd pushed m
I woke up to Damon watching me."Happy birthday," he said softly. Right, today I turned twenty-five. I'd forgotten somehow, lost track of days in the mess our life had become."Thanks," I said."I have something planned for tonight, dinner at eight. Just us.""Where?""Here, I
Day three of living with Sophia and I was already considering murder.She'd been perfect, of course. Sweet and apologetic and staying mostly in her wing like she'd promised.Which made it worse somehow, because I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.It dropped on Wednesday morning.I came into t
The day Sophia moved in, I woke up with a knot in my stomach that wouldn't go away.Damon was already awake, staring at the ceiling."You don't have to be here when she arrives," he said quietly. "You could go to work, come back later...""No, this is my home. I'm not hiding.""I didn't mean...""I
She could... she could stay just until the test happens and we know for sure. That way she has support but we're not...it wouldn't be..." He trailed off but the damage was done. "You want her to move in," I said, my voice hollow. "Just temporarily, just until..."







