ISLA POVI couldn’t sleep.Not a wink. Not even a second.Nathan’s eyes when he saw her… the way he held her… like nothing else in the world mattered. Like she was someone he had waited years to see. And maybe he had. I don’t know her full story, but I saw the tears. I saw how time stopped for him.And just like that, I felt like I didn’t belong.Judith was making tea in the kitchen when I finally came out of my room, barefoot and lost in thought. The clock on the wall read 2:08 a.m., and the night was silent except for the soft hum of the fridge.“You’re awake,” she said, handing me a mug like she’d been expecting me all along.I nodded and sat down at the counter.She watched me for a moment. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”I didn’t need to ask who. “It’s not jealousy,” I said slowly. “At least, I don’t think it is. I just… didn’t see it coming.”Judith stirred her tea and leaned against the counter. “That woman. She looked like someone from a movie. That military posture,
NATHAN'S POVThe sun had barely risen when I stepped into the quiet of my restaurant. The scent of freshly brewed coffee drifted through the air, mingling with warm pastries and faint spices still lingering from last night. My world was peaceful now, or so I thought.I hadn't expected to hear from Sienna again. Not after five long years of silence. Not after I’d buried the pain and tried to move on. But here she was—back in New York and suddenly everywhere in my thoughts.We agreed to meet at my house this time. I needed something quieter than the restaurant. A space that wasn’t filled with noise or Isla’s lingering perfume. I had cleaned the place twice, though it didn’t need it. My nerves were all over the place.She arrived wearing her old green jacket—the one she always wore when we went hiking years ago. Her hair was shorter now, but her smile... that hadn’t changed.“Hi,” she said.“Hey.”We sat on the couch. The silence hung heavy, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just... full of m
NATHAN'S POV Sienna and I had been spending a lot of time together lately, more than I expected when she first walked into my restaurant after five years of silence. It was as though time had folded in on itself, bringing us back to those days when we were inseparable. But it wasn’t the same. Something had shifted in both of us. We laughed a lot. About the old days. The way I used to try and impress her with overcooked pasta and how she pretended it was the best thing she’d ever eaten. She reminded me of the time I attempted to surprise her with breakfast in bed, only to spill orange juice all over her military documents. I hadn’t heard her laugh like that since she got back, and it made something in my chest loosen. One evening, after closing the restaurant, we sat on the back patio sharing a late dinner. "Have you found a place yet?" I asked casually, sipping my wine. She hesitated before answering. "No. I’m still looking. Been staying at a hotel for now. The place I liked fell
NATHAN'S POVAfter my long and heartfelt conversation with Sienna, I realized something. Life was unpredictable, and sometimes we needed to take bold steps to go after what we truly wanted. That night, while lying awake and staring at my ceiling, all I could think about was Isla. Her laugh, the way she looked at me with both curiosity and warmth, and the way she made everything around me feel lighter. I had made up my mind.The next day, after making sure everything was in order at the restaurant, I pulled out my phone and called her. It was early afternoon, the sun pouring in through the windows of my office."Hello?" Isla answered, her voice soft and familiar."Hey, I have a surprise for you," I said with a smile.There was a pause, followed by her excited voice, "Really? A surprise? This sounds interesting. Does this mean you've finally decided what you actually want?"I could almost hear her smiling through the phone."I've always been clear about what I want," I said, my voice a
NATHAN'S POVAfter I complimented Isla’s dress and told her how beautiful she looked, her smile lit up like the night sky. I offered her my arm, and she gently held onto it as we headed to the car. I walked to the passenger side, opened the door like a gentleman, and she stepped in with a playful smile.“Thank you, sir,” she teased.“Only the best treatment for the prettiest girl in the city,” I replied, grinning as I closed the door behind her and moved to the driver’s seat.It wasn’t a long drive, but I took my time. I wanted the night to go slow, to take it all in—her presence, her smile, and the chance to show her how I truly felt. I had been planning this night for days. I’d checked everything twice, from the wine list to the table view. I wanted it to be perfect, something she would remember.When we got to the restaurant, it was glowing with soft golden lights. Everything looked perfect from the outside. I parked the car and quickly walked around to open Isla’s door again. She
ISLA’S POVNathan and I were already seated at the restaurant. The food had just arrived, and we had started eating. I couldn’t help but smile at how peaceful and natural it felt. We talked about our favorite meals, and Nathan kept making me laugh with silly food jokes. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed this – laughing freely, feeling seen, and just… happy.Nathan looked up at me with a boyish grin. “This is nice, right?”I nodded, my heart fluttering a little. “Yeah. It is.”We continued eating, sharing bites from each other’s plates and laughing over how I liked my pasta creamier while he preferred his spicy. We had barely made it halfway through our meal when something shifted.A voice. A familiar one.My fork paused mid-air.I knew that voice.“Isla?”I turned my head slowly, my stomach tightening as my eyes met his. Victor.He stood just a few steps away from our table, dressed in a crisp dark suit, looking just as surprised as I was.“Victor?” I said, stunned. “Wow… it’s been
ISLA'S POV I should’ve known the calm wouldn’t last long. Something about the way Nathan held my hand as we walked out of the restaurant made my heart race, but that peace was fleeting. The night had gone perfectly—until now.It just a night, and I hadn’t stopped smiling since that dinner. Nathan had kissed me gently after driving me home, and it wasn’t just a kiss—it was a promise. But promises have a way of being tested.I had no idea that stepping into Nathan's apartment would shake me up the way it did. After the incredible dinner we shared last night, I had a strange urge to surprise him—just a casual drop-in to bring him break fast, maybe a slice of my favorite pie from that little corner bakery I knew he liked too. Something light. Something romantic. I guess I just wanted to see his smile again.Not in that awkward “Hi, I’m meeting you for the first time” kind of way. No. We had met before.She was the woman Nathan hugged warmly. I’d known there was a history between them. Na
ISLA’S POVThe memory of seeing Sienna in Nathan’s apartment still burned at the edges of my thoughts. I wasn’t angry—at least, not in the way I had expected. But I was confused. It felt like pieces of a puzzle I didn’t know I was solving were being scattered again. Nathan had explained it all: she needed help, it was temporary, she was moving out soon. But that didn’t make it easier. Knowing Sienna had been in his space, the same space I’d come to feel safe in, twisted something in my chest.Still, I pushed through my day at the office, handling back-to-back meetings and trying to focus on my work. Judith must have sensed something off because she nudged my arm during a break and whispered, “You sure you’re okay? You’re staring at your coffee like it said something offensive.”I laughed softly. “I’m fine. Just tired.”“You sure it’s not ‘Nathan’s-ex-roommate-is-hot-and-still-kinda-there’ tired?” Judith grinned, clearly trying to lift my mood.I gave her a look. “Not funny.”“Okay, ok
VICTOR'S POVI leaned back in the chair, staring out the window as the city stretched endlessly before me. My mind was cluttered, not with the chaos of the world outside but with thoughts of Sienna. The woman who had unexpectedly come into my life and made me see things from a perspective I never thought possible. She was beautiful, strong, and confident, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for her presence. But lately, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unease—a feeling that things were shifting, and I needed to make sure we were both on the same page.Our relationship had been growing steadily, and we’d reached a point where we were living together. It felt like the natural next step for us. But as much as I loved her, there was something about the future that I hadn’t yet confronted. I had spent so much time building my career in the fashion industry, creating a name for myself, and handling the endless demands of clients, but I was starting to see that I couldn’t do it
NATHAN'S POVThe morning light broke through the glass windows of my restaurant, casting long shadows across the polished floors. The atmosphere was different now—calmer, more refined. I couldn’t help but stare at the space with a sense of pride. This was it—the culmination of everything I’d worked for, everything I’d fought to rebuild after the fire that nearly destroyed me. The grand opening had been a success beyond my expectations, and the momentum was building.New customers were coming in, the buzz around the restaurant was palpable, and I had a growing list of people eager to invest in the business. It was a far cry from the old days, when I could barely keep the place running. Now, I had international clients showing interest, and local influencers were raving about the food. It was almost surreal. If you had told me a year ago that I’d be in this position, I wouldn’t have believed it. But here I was, standing at the helm of a thriving restaurant, ready to take it to the next
NATHAN'S POVThere are few moments in life when everything feels exactly right—when every ounce of pain, sweat, and late nights comes together into something that makes you believe in yourself all over again. That was what my grand opening felt like.My new restaurant wasn’t just bigger. It wasn’t just more luxurious. It was me, reborn.The space gleamed with copper accents, ambient lights, and marble counters that caught the reflection of every glass raised in celebration. The open kitchen concept allowed guests to watch us in action, the aroma of seared herbs, sizzling garlic, and glazed duck drifting across the room. There were private dining rooms now, soundproofed for VIP guests, with curated wine lists and personal chefs. We even had a rooftop lounge with a skyline view that made you forget you were still in the city.I had poured my heart into every detail—from the hand-carved wooden sign that bore my name to the recipe cards we handed out like pieces of art. I hired a stronger
ISLA'S POVI had always known Lucas wouldn't go down without a fight. But I never expected him to fight this dirty. Every morning I walked into the office now, I braced myself for the newest headline, whisper, or suspicious glance. My name had been dragged through boardroom gossip, backchannel emails, and anonymous memos. All fingers pointed at one person: Lucas.Ever since I helped Nathan, Lucas had made it his mission to tear me down. He couldn’t touch me directly—at least not in a way that would be obvious—but his games were relentless. Strategic leaks to the media. Internal rumors that I forged financial reports. Claims that I was emotionally compromised and prioritizing personal relationships over the company’s future. It was all carefully designed to paint me as a liability.But I wasn’t about to back down.At work, I held my head high, keeping my focus razor-sharp. If Lucas wanted a war, he’d get one. Only, I wouldn’t fight him the way he expected. He’d try to rattle me, make m
NATHAN'S POV hadn’t planned on stopping by Isla’s apartment, but after another late night of overseeing the renovation of my new restaurant, something in me craved the familiarity of her presence. It had been a long few months since the fire. A long few months since everything blew up—literally and emotionally.She opened the door with a blanket over her shoulders, her eyes slightly puffy, like she hadn’t been sleeping well either. We didn’t say much at first. Sometimes silence was our safe space.The new restaurant was finally coming together.I stood in the middle of the main floor, tools still scattered, the scent of fresh paint still clinging to the air. It wasn't just a rebuild. This was something better—a new version of everything I wanted to be. A statement. A fresh start.But even as I stood there, admiring the polished countertops and the ambient lighting we tested last night, my mind wandered.Victor.Sienna.I didn’t hate him. I couldn’t. Victor was a good man, even if his
SIENNA'S POVI don’t know when exactly it happened—when Victor stopped being just the man Isla used to love and started becoming the man I couldn't stop thinking about.Maybe it was in the little moments—like our late-night phone calls, or how he’d drive across town just to bring me food when I had a long day. Maybe it was in the way he looked at me, as though I was the only thing in his world that made sense. Love didn’t hit me like a train. It came slowly, gently, until suddenly I couldn’t imagine my life without Victor in it.I still remember the way he asked me to move in with him. We were sitting on his couch, legs tangled together under a throw blanket, watching an old rom-com. I had just made a snarky comment about how unrealistic the couple in the movie was, when he turned to me, his voice calm but deliberate."What if we tried it?"I looked at him, confused. "Tried what?""Living together. You and me."My heart skipped a beat.He smiled when he saw the look on my face. "I kn
SIENNA'S POVWhen Nathan told me about the fire in his restaurant, my heart dropped. The words came out casually—like it was just another rough day—but I could feel the weight behind them. I stared at him, waiting for him to say it was a joke or maybe an exaggeration. He didn’t.“Wait—what?” I asked, almost breathless. “Your restaurant… it burned down?”He gave me a quiet nod, eyes slightly distant, as if replaying the moment in his head. “Last night. Caught me off guard.”I stood frozen in his living room, my fingers tightening around the edge of my phone. “Oh my God, Nathan. Are you okay?”“I’m fine. Just… pissed.” He rubbed his hand through his hair. “Everything was gone. Tables. Kitchen. Décor. Even the cash register melted.”I moved to sit beside him on the couch. “Do you know what caused it?”Nathan’s jaw clenched. “I’m sure it was Lucas.”The name sent a wave of anger through meeven though I don't even know who he hisNathan then told me how he had been making him and Isla liv
SIENNA’S POVI’ve always liked having things figured out. Plans. Boundaries. No room for surprises.But lately, Victor has been nothing but a surprise.He asked me out yesterday.And the strange part? I wasn’t shocked.Not because I saw it coming, but because deep down—if I’m being completely honest with myself—I’d been waiting for it. Hoping for it, maybe. Even if I didn’t want to admit it.There’s been this… spark between us. A silent pull. We dance around it every time we talk. We laugh too much, our conversations last too long, and we look at each other just a second too slowly.There were never any secret feelings. No big, buried truth. Just a growing, electric sort of chemistry I kept ignoring.Until I couldn’t.Until he asked me out.And I should’ve told him before he did. I should’ve said, Hey, this thing between us? It’s not just you. I feel it too.But I didn’t.And now he’s launched the idea of us, and I’m floating somewhere between giddy and terrified.Because I like him.
VICTOR’S POVThere were exactly three things I was good at: solving problems, handling pressure, and pretending like I wasn’t slowly falling for Sienna Collins.The last one? Not going so well lately.She had this habit of showing up in my head at random times—during meetings, workouts, even while I brushed my teeth. I’d hear something funny and instantly think, Sienna would laugh at this, or smell something that reminded me of the cinnamon scent she always carried, like she rolled in fresh bakery air every morning.It was annoying.And addictive.We hadn’t called it anything—whatever this was between us. We hadn’t kissed. We hadn’t confessed anything. But the tension? It was there. Palpable. Thick enough to stir with a spoon.So I did the only reasonable thing a grown man with mildly obsessive thoughts could do.I planned a date.A real one. With no interruptions, Just her. And me.And possibly a small romantic ambush.---I picked the spot carefully. A rooftop garden restaurant in