LOGINYvonne,By the time we arrived home, Dante was already there, sitting alone in the private area. The lights were dimmed, shadows clinging to the corners of the room. Aurora, who was holding my finger, suddenly let go and ran toward him.“Papa… we are home!” she announced proudly, her tiny voice echoing as she jumped straight into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.Dante barely looked up at first. There was a pause, just a fraction of a second, before his lips curved into a restrained smile. He hugged her tightly, one hand resting protectively on her back. “Welcome back,” he said, his voice low but warm.Aurora giggled and buried her face into his chest. “Papa smells like outside,” she mumbled, then laughed again as if it were the funniest thing in the world.I placed my purse on the couch and walked closer. The glass wall revealed the glittering night view of the city, lights stretching endlessly, making everything feel strangely nostalgic and dreamy.“Had a bad day?” I ask
Yvonne,“Veronica, come to my room now!”Taylor’s voice sliced through the low hum of the office. I lifted my head from the computer just as he knocked once on the glass wall, already turning away before I could respond.My eyes narrowed as I scanned the office. Conversations dipped. Chairs shifted. People avoided my gaze instinctively, maintaining a careful distance. The fact that I hadn’t caused trouble lately seemed to make them less wary, and that, at least, helped me stay focused. Or steady. I wasn’t sure which.I stood and walked toward his room, fully aware of the way eyes followed me. Their judgment pressed against my back, heavy and insistent, like unseen hands. I straightened my spine and kept my pace even, refusing to let my shoulders tense.The moment I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, my attention shifted.To the couch.Mrs Blackwell was sitting there.She sat perfectly upright, legs crossed neatly, hands folded in her lap. Her face revealed nothing. No irrit
Dante,I stood in the office room, watching the world move on without caring about anyone else. Although I had prioritized my daughter over the last few days, my heart still ached every time the thought crossed my mind that I might have to give up loving Pearl because of her behavior. The idea terrified me. It hurt more than I was willing to admit, wondering how I could live the rest of my life without her.Even the thought of never falling in love again, of living solely for my daughter and quietly carrying the memories of the relationship I had shared with Pearl for the last decade, felt like a slow suffocation. I had thought that far ahead, knowing I could never knowingly endanger my daughter’s upbringing.However, my mother’s words shattered the fragile strength I had used to hold onto that resolve. To love her. To see a future with her. To understand how to build a life with her while still protecting my daughter.“Boss.”Zayn, my assistant, walked in holding a stack of files. I
Yvonne,Aurora stopped playing with her toys, the faint clatter of plastic against the floor dying down, and my hands paused mid-air while serving breakfast when Dante opened the door for the person who had just rung the bell.I was sure it would be Pearl, since she was too unhinged to let him go that easily. However, my eyebrows knitted together and my fingers tightened slightly around the plate when I saw her instead. Mrs. Blackwell followed Dante inside, her posture straight and rigid, a serious expression set firmly on her face.“Please sit down,” Dante said.Mrs. Blackwell scanned him first, her eyes lingering briefly, noting that he wore nothing on top except sweatpants. Her expression did not change, only a slight tightening around her lips as she observed him. Then her gaze shifted to Aurora, sharp and assessing before softening just a fraction.“Aurora!” she said, smiling tightly, her restraint obvious.Aurora, however, did not respond. Instead, she dropped the toy from her h
Dante,It felt like a smooth invasion of my life, something that slipped in quietly without warning. Although I couldn’t fully wrap my thoughts around Veronica’s changes, I couldn’t hold that much grudge against her anymore. The irritation that should have been there dulled, settling somewhere deep in my chest, heavy but quiet.Lying on the bed, watching her hold Aurora as if her entire world revolved around her, my gaze lingered longer than I expected. My jaw loosened slightly, and my breathing slowed. She didn’t feel like the old Veronica I knew. There was a softness in the way her fingers curved around Aurora’s small frame, a careful patience that made my chest tighten for reasons I couldn’t name.However, I was happy at this point. Life had always thrown curveballs in my way whenever I reached for what I wanted. From the beginning of my life, everything I achieved came in exchange for something equally valuable. I had learned to accept that balance, even when it hurt.Right now, m
Yvonne,I sat there, across from him. He kept slowly swaying the glass of champagne, the liquid catching the dim light, while his gaze never left my face. Those eyes felt like X-rays, scanning me, stripping layers off as if he needed to know everything about me without asking a single question.I rubbed my forehead, my fingers pressing harder than necessary, trying not to look at him directly. My temples throbbed faintly. Ever since the conversation with Veronica, I felt like Dante had been pulled into a mess he didn’t deserve, a mess that kept tightening around my chest.“Why did you lie?” he asked directly, his voice dripping with a dangerous coldness. The words landed heavily. A sharp shiver ran down my spine, and my shoulders stiffened before I could stop myself.“About what?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound composed.“That you didn’t get kidnapped. Was it someone you know?”I rubbed my wrist again, the skin still itching, my thumb circling the same spot un







