LOGINOlivia’s POV
Gosh, I’m so fucked.
I’m pregnant, but for whom?
Could it be my one night stand or my traitorous cheat of a boyfriend?
Nothing was certain about that, but I had to do something… but what?
“You have to contact Kane.”
Sally suggested, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I stared at her in disbelief, cheeks painted with tears.
The look on my face said it all.
“I mean, you have to let him know you’re pregnant for him.” She said.
“What? And then what?”
She wiped my cheeks, cleaning the tears on my face. “Look, whatever happened, you need to let him know about the pregnancy.”
I laughed within myself. What if he wasn’t the father? I mean I had a one night stand a week after I was with him.
What were the odds?
Sally turns my head toward her, eyes locked on one another.
“Trust me. No matter what, you have to go tell him.”
I sighed, contemplating on what choice to make.
“You have to.” She whispered to me.
Sally made it seem so easy. It wasn’t, but she was right.
I beamed her a faint smile.
“Alright. I’ll go see Kane.”
She pulled me into a tight hug. “No matter what, you’ve got me okay?”
I nod.
**
Since the whole incident, I’d refuse to pick Kane’s calls or see him. Even tho he had tried seeing me on several occasions.
But today I decided to finally pay him a visit. All thanks to sally.
I walked past a truck that was parked outside, with workers busy loading and unloading stuff.
Stanley met me at the door. His eyes lit up as he saw me, and just like that it fell.
“Miss Olivia, its good to see you.”
“Thank you Stanley. Is Kane home?”
He hesitates. “Yes. Master kane is inside.”
I moved past him and stepped into the Salander manor.
To my surprise, I saw my vile betrayal of a former best friend, Cynthia, sitted with a cup of tea in her hands.
She welcomed me with a smug grin on her face, her eyes burning with joy.
Without hesitation, I turned and moved to leave.
“Please don’t.” Kane said, exiting his seat as he saw me.
Kane closes the distance between us, stretching his hand towards me. I waved my hand in protest, signaling for him not to touch me.
His face falls. “Glad to see you.” He says, voice low and uneven.
From the look of things, he was both happy and sad to see me.
Did I come at the wrong time?
Cynthia made a faint sound, forcing me to glare at her direction.
“What’s she doing here?”
“Oli, I can…” he says before Cynthia interrupts him.
“Who you calling she? I have a name, you do well to remember that.” She shouted as she walked up to us, her arms crossed.
“You have the nerve!” I pointed my fingers at her, anger rising over me.
Cynthia laughs.
There was no atom of regret or sympathy from her.
I stared at her in disbelief.
“Why the hell are you looking at me like that?” She asked, her lips curled in a twist.
Kane intervenes, standing between the both of us. “Cynthia that’s enough.”
“No, it’s not. I want to hear what Olivia has to say.”
“You whore.” The words came out of my mouth like water falling down a hill.
“Whore? Is that what you think of me?” She laughs. “That’s rich of you.”
“Yes that’s who you are!”
“Why? Cause I fucked Kane? Is that it?”
Her words stung deep, I lunged at her.
Kane holds me at bay. “Stop it, Oli.”
Cynthia backs away, holding her tummy carefully. She leans back on a chair, smiling as she cradled her belly.
My eyes stood wide at the sudden realization.
Surely, she couldn’t be. There was no way she could be.
As if reading the thoughts in my mind, Cynthia laughs.
“Yes, sweet Oli.” A mischievous smile on her lips. “It’s exactly as you think. I am pregnant, and it’s for Kane here.”
I felt a cold chill run through me. I wished the ground could open up and swallow me.
“What?”
“Olivia. I’m sorry, I can explain.” Kane gestures for me to calm down.
Cynthia sighed like she’d rip his head off.
“What are you sorry for? You sorry about your baby?”
“Whore!”
Cynthia snaps. “Who you calling whore?”
She moved forward, standing right behind Kane.
“You’re calling me a whore? You think we don’t know about your little night affair?”
I froze. And before I knew it, my hand moved to strike her.
Kane stops me mid-air. “Don’t. Please calm down.”
I didn’t even know when my hand moved.
“Settle down.” He said to her before turning to me. “Oli, I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks now. And you’ve been avoiding me.”
“What does she mean by night affair?” I asked, trying to clear the suspicion.
I wasn’t here for this, the reason I came here was simple. Let him know about the pregnancy. And now I’ve found out my best friend’s pregnant for my boyfriend.
Cynthia rushed forward to speak before he could utter a word.
“We know you went somewhere with a man. And I’m sure you slept with him.”
Her words struck me cold. I wanted to storm at her. But my body wouldn’t move or react.
Cynthia was right.
“That’s enough Cynthia! That’s not important now, it isn’t.” He says to her and then turns to face me again. “You didn’t even wait for me to explain that day.” Kane said in a low tone.
Anger swelled inside me.
“Explain? Explain what!”
How dare they stand here and judge me after what they did?
I laughed. Still brimming with anger.
“You cheated on me!” I screamed at Kane. “And you..” I said to Cynthia. “I thought you were my friend, but you’re just a fucking whore.”
Quickly before Kane could say anything or even try to calm me down, I stormed away.
I was just at the door when I bumped into one of the workers holding a carton box.
The worker lost his grip on it and It’s contents came crashing to the floor as I nearly lost my footing. Lucky for me, Stanley caught me.
When I gained my feet, a familiar object caught my eyes. I’d remember it anywhere.
I saw the mask from my night at the masked bar. It was thesame mask the stranger wore.
The black mask with the tiny red rose etched into it.
Quickly I moved over and picked it up. My fingers hovered over it.
I look up.
“Who’s mask is this?”
The worker stutters. “I’m….sorry ma’am. That’s the boss’s.” He said as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.
Kane and Cynthia were right behind me, outside.
My boyfriend moved over to me.
“Are you okay?” He asked, getting a loud sigh from Cynthia.
“Is this yours?” I showed him the mask.
“Oh, no. That’s my dad’s. He used it a few weeks ago. What’s the matter?”
I froze. Realization taking over.
But the ache in my chest finally feels a little lighter.
My one night stand…. I knew who he was now.
Virgil's POVI woke to the sound of rain against a windshield and the slow, steady rhythm of breathing beside me.For a moment, I didn't know where I was. My body was warm, cocooned in a soft blanket that smelled faintly of something clean and familiar. The seat beneath me was comfortable, reclined just enough to ease the tension in my back.Then I heard it. The quiet exhalation. The soft rustle of fabric.I turned my head.Danny was asleep in the driver's seat, his head tilted back against the headrest, his face relaxed in a way I hadn't seen in years. His lips were parted slightly, his lashes dark against his cheeks. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the streetlights painted soft shadows across his features.I looked at him for a long moment. Longer than I should have. So long that I felt pathetic to my very core.Then I looked out the window.I recognized the street. The building. We were in my driveway. He'd driven me home and then... stayed. How long? I glanced at the dashboa
Virgil's POVThe coffee shop was nearly empty.Rain streaked down the windows in uneven rivulets, distorting the streetlights outside into blurred halos of orange and gold.I sat in the corner booth, my third cup of coffee growing cold in front of me, my fingers drumming an uneven rhythm against the scratched wooden table.I'd texted Danny forty-seven minutes ago."I need to talk to you. Not about the case."The words had felt like a confession even before I'd sent them. I'd stared at the screen for a full three minutes, thumb hovering over the send button, my chest tight with something I refused to name. Then I'd pressed it anyway, dropped my phone on the table, and spent the next ten minutes convincing myself I hadn't just made a terrible... terrible mistake.The bell above the door chimed.I looked up.Danny stood in the entrance, rain darkening the shoulders of his leather jacket, his hair plastered to his forehead in wet strands. He scanned the room once, twice, and then his eyes
Lucious's POVThe fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor buzzed overhead, a constant, maddening hum that seemed to drill into my skull. I'd spent too many hours in this place lately. Too many sleepless nights staring at white ceilings and sterile walls. I'd thought I was done with hospitals. I'd thought the nightmare was over.But here I was again.The door to the room was half open, and through the gap, I could see him. Kane. Lying motionless on the bed, his face pale against the white pillowcase, his chest rising and falling in a slow, rhythmic pattern that was almost too quiet. Almost too peaceful.I stood in the doorway, unable to move. My feet felt like they were bolted to the floor, my hands frozen at my sides. I'd been running on adrenaline for hours, ever since Virgil had confirmed it.Kane had been found.Kane has been found unconscious.Those words had hit me like a freight train. I'd driven through three red lights to get here, my hands shaking on the steering wheel, m
OLIVIA'S POVThe tea was cold, but I didn't notice until Lucious reached across the table and gently pushed the cup toward me."Olivia. You've been staring at that for ten minutes."I blinked, forcing myself back to the present. The kitchen was warm, filled with the soft glow of morning light. Lucious sat across from me, his face pale with exhaustion, his eyes rimmed with shadows."Sorry," I said, wrapping my hands around the cup anyway. The ceramic was cool against my skin. "I was just thinking.""About?"I looked at him. The strain in his shoulders. The way his hand trembled slightly when he reached for his coffee. The fear he tried so hard to hide behind a mask of confidence."About Julian," I said. "About everything."Lucious was quiet for a moment. Then he reached across the table and took my hand, his fingers cold against mine."I know you're scared. I'm scared too. But we're going to get through this. All of us."I wanted to believe him. I really did. But there was something in
VIRGIL'S POVThe hotel lobby was too bright.I stood by the entrance, my hands shoved into my pockets, my eyes scanning the room for any sign of Danny. The marble floors gleamed under the chandeliers, and the air smelled like expensive perfume and stale coffee.I hated hotels. I hated meetings in hotels. They always felt like some kind of negotiation. A transaction disguised as a conversation. And worst of all, right now, there was something strangely intimate about meeting here.But Danny had insisted. And I needed answers.I checked my watch for the third time. Ten minutes past ten. He was late. An exasperated sigh slipped past my lips.Of course he was late.He'd always been like that. It was one of the things that had driven me insane about him. That and his cocky smile. And the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room. And the way he—"Virgil."I turned. Danny was standing ten feet away, watching me with that same half smile in my head barely seconds ago. And th
KANE’S POV“You won’t,” he said again, like repeating it made it truer.I stared at the folder in his shaking hand, refusing to take it. “You almost died three days ago. Because of me. And your first move out of a coma is a business proposition.”“My first move,” he said, “is survival. Yours should be too, if you have any sense left in that head of hers put ideas into.”“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t talk about her like you weren’t the one who put her there in the first place.”Something flickered across his face — not quite guilt, I didn’t think him capable of that anymore, but something adjacent to it. Recognition, maybe. “You think I don’t know what I did to your mother. To you. I’ve had a long time lying in beds like this one to think about exactly what I did.”“And?”“And it doesn’t change what happens next.” He pushed the folder closer, insistent. “Cynthia isn’t finished. A woman like that doesn’t run because she’s afraid, Kane. She runs because she’s regrouping. Right now, tonight, sh







