LOGINTristan’s POVAbuela was right. Natasha had no idea why I was upset. I heard her crying last night—the muffled sound coming through the walls while I stood on the balcony. I had every intention of going to her then, but I stayed outside until the crying stopped. I had planned to finally talk to her over breakfast. Instead, she was the one avoiding me. She left the house without saying where she was heading. If I had to guess, she went to Ananya's. Now the house was quiet again, and I was still carrying the weight of what I’d overheard at the gala.It was already getting late, and she still hadn’t come home. I glanced at the time on my phone. It was past seven p.m. She should have been back by now. I dialed her number. It rang repeatedly, but she didn’t answer. I tried a second time. Same result. Then I sent her a text. Where are you, Natasha?I sent another immediately. Just come home, please?I waited for just half a minute, then sent one more. Should I file a missing person
Natasha’s POVAnanya’s question hung in the air between us. I frowned. “What does me throwing up have to do with my period?”“I don’t know, Tasha,” she said. “You’ve been throwing up for quite a while. You look pale. The last time we met, you just snapped out of nowhere and got super emotional.”“And? It still doesn’t answer my question.”“You haven’t even answered my question.” She pushed away from the sink, her arms still crossed. “That’s the only way I can answer you.”I thought about it and realized I hadn’t even been paying attention at all. “I… can’t remember.”Ananya stared at me for a moment longer than necessary. “Okay,” she said, reaching for the door. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”I watched as she walked out of the restroom, leaving me alone to my thoughts. If I hadn’t seen my period…there was only one possibility I didn’t want to think about.Ananya returned a few minutes later with a small box in her hand. She closed the door behind her and handed it to me. “Here.
Natasha’s POVI cried myself to sleep last night. Not just because of the awkwardness with Tristan. It was the weight of everything I’d been holding in. I thought I’d gotten over the fact that my sister had been sleeping with my ex-boyfriend behind my back. But it dawned on me that she’d known he was alive this whole time. Then Lucas came back just when things between Tristan and me were finally starting to get better. The space beside me was empty. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. My head felt heavy. I dragged myself out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, hoping the warm water would wash away my problems all at once. I had just stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping the towel around my body, when I opened the bathroom door. Tristan was stepping in from the balcony at the exact moment. We both froze.He was in sweatpants and nothing else, looking like he hadn’t slept much. I thought he had already left for work early. Our gazes met. His expression was unreadable. The air be
Tristan’s POVWork had been a perfect distraction. I buried myself in meetings with Marcus and the new investors for his company. I even forced myself to stay through irrelevant conversations, nodding my head like I gave a damn, all just to push last night’s events to the back of my mind. Then there was Abuela. By the time the meetings ended, I still wasn’t ready to go home. Daniel had noticed. Somehow, we ended up at a bar tonight. I hadn't stepped foot in one since I got married to Natasha. We sat in the VIP section. Eric had somehow managed to join us. I didn’t ask how, but I could use the familiar faces right now. I pulled out a cigarette and lighter out of habit, flicking it on. The flame danced briefly in front of me, but I turned it off immediately. I slipped them back into my pocket. I waved at the waitress instead. The waitress approached the section with a smile. “What would you like tonight, Mr. Castillo?”“Honestly?” I said, scratching my forehead. “I don’t know. Surpr
Natasha’s POVI woke up slowly, the morning light filtering through the curtains. My hand reached across the bed, searching for the familiar warmth of Tristan’s body. The space was empty. It was still early. He must have gone to check on Adelina and Patricia. He’d probably be back any minute, slipping under the covers to pull me close like he always did. I stretched and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The events of last night still lingered in my mind—Victoria’s confession. It suddenly made sense how Lucas seemed to know far more than he should have. Then there was the awful kiss I never wanted. I pushed the memories down and swung my legs off the bed. For some strange reason, all I could think about was Tristan. I couldn’t explain it. My body felt restless in a way it hadn’t in weeks. We hadn’t been intimate since Lucas came back. Maybe it was remnants of sleep, or the confusing ache of wanting to be touched by the man who actually belonged to me. Tristan stepped out of
Tristan’s POVAfter I’d met with the investors, I shook their hands and removed the tie around my neck completely. I stared at it longer than necessary. A faint smile crept onto my face. Natasha insisted I wore it. I did. Despite never wearing one before… I did anyway. I slipped it into my pocket. I excused myself to go to the rooftop and told Daniel to drive Natasha home whenever she was ready to leave. He had noticed the shift in my expression, but didn’t ask questions. Several minutes passed as I watched Daniel lead Natasha into his car from the rooftop. She had never mentioned who Lucas was. And maybe it didn’t matter. But I’d just heard her tell him she loved him. My hands tightened around the railing until my knuckles turned white.Come to think of it, I didn’t think I had any right to be mad. She had told me she wanted out the moment her father’s company was safe. Still… I didn’t expect it to be soon. But we had been in a good place these past few weeks… what changed?I exh
Tristan’s POV I stared at my phone before dialing the number. It rang repeatedly, then straight to voicemail. I dialed again. It rang once. Twice. “Hello?” Her voice came through, sleepy. A faint smile touched my lips. “Natasha.” “Who is—“ There was a pause on the other end.
Natasha’s POV I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, exhaling slowly. My gaze drifted across the room. It should be comforting, but it only reminded me of how little control I actually had over my life. Marriage. To Tristan. A man I barely know. The word still didn’t sit right.
Tristan’s POV By the time I stepped into the house, the urgency from the call had already faded. My sister, Patricia, was waiting at the foyer. “She’s been asking for you,” she said. “Her blood pressure spiked earlier, and we tried to calm her down, but she just wouldn’t budge.” I didn’t resp
Natasha’s POV I glared at him. If looks could kill, this man would have been dead by now. “I don’t recall giving you permission to call me that.”His smile didn’t fade. If anything, it deepened, like he was enjoying every second of my irritation. “I don’t remember asking for permission, cariño.”







