Gabriel’s POVThe moment the papers were signed, everything changed. My inheritance was officially mine. I was now the president of my own branch of Maison Vivre. It should have been a moment of pure triumph. A moment of fulfillment.But strangely, it didn’t feel like I thought it would.Yes, I had finally earned my title. My name was printed in gold on the letterhead. My seat at the table was no longer questioned. And yet, as I stood there with the signed documents in hand, I already found myself thinking about what would come next.Of course, the name Maison Vivre would have to go. That name still felt tied to Eunice, to everything that wasn’t mine. I didn’t have the new name ready yet, but in my mind, I was already processing possibilities. Something bold. Something sharp. Something that would stand separate from the past.The branch I had inherited wasn’t located in Green City. It was based in another country entirely—Eerie Lake.A country I had never visited. In fact, I had never
Eunice’s POVThe dream happened the night after the burial, and even now, in the light of morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It clung to me like a shadow.Why did Tyler call me a murderer in my sleep?Was I truly a murderer? Had I killed him in some way, even if I never held a gun or a knife? The thought circled in my head like a vulture. It refused to leave.Still, life waited for no one.I was already completely dressed up by my makeup artists. Today was a brand new day. Many insisted I should rest, that I deserved more time to grieve. They said my companies were in capable hands, that I should take a break and breathe. But I wasn’t ready for rest. Not yet.Why?Because Gabriel was still on my back. He believed, deeply and stubbornly, that I had tried to cheat him. And with this heavy accusation hanging over us, I knew I needed to take immediate action.This brother who had suddenly appeared, this man who thought I had tried to rob him of what was rightfully his—we were sup
Adrian’s POVThe instant I laid my eyes on the photograph, I recognized her. It was Josie Morgan. Not just any Josie Morgan—the Josie Morgan. There was no mistaking it. Her features were distinct, unforgettable. They somewhat looked alike too, especially if you looked at her from a particular angle.And with that, the pieces fell into place. I believed him. From that point on, I knew whatever was going on between her and Eunice had to be family related. Nothing else made sense.It was not our place to interfere. If it had been something criminal, we would have called the cops and had him arrested right there on the spot. But this was delicate, personal. So we stepped back.I turned slowly to my bodyguard and nodded at him. That simple gesture said everything I needed to say.Without a word, he understood. He stepped back, giving the man a little space, his expression unreadable but alert.“You may leave,” I said quietly, but with firmness.The man hesitated. His eyes searched our face
Gabriel’s POVHe walked me away from the cathedral without saying a word. I didn't know who he was, but something about his presence made it impossible for me to resist. His grip on my arm wasn’t rough, but it was commanding. Like he knew exactly where he was going, and that I had no business arguing otherwise.Not far from the cathedral was a warehouse. Abandoned, dusty, and hauntingly quiet. The kind of place people passed by without noticing. It looked like no one had been there in ages. We got to the metal door, and surprisingly, it opened with just a simple turn of the handle. The iron creaked loudly as it swung open, revealing the emptiness inside.I couldn’t understand how the owner of the warehouse had left it unlocked all this time. The place should’ve been chained and padlocked. But somehow, this man knew the door would open. It felt almost planned—like he had researched the space, like he had been here before. Like I was walking into something I didn’t understand.If it wer
Adrian’s POVI stepped down in Green City after a long flight all the way from Portugal. The city air smelled new but familiar—like a place where something significant was about to happen. As much as I envisioned that my company could successfully partner with Maison Vivre, my vision for Eunice’s heart was much bigger than the vision for my company.Yet, I wouldn’t let one overshadow the other. A wise man knew how to keep both hands open—business in one, love in the other—without dropping either.That’s how you recognized a man who was truly worth everything he had, right? Business remained business, and the matters of the heart remained deeply personal. You couldn't mix the two if you truly respected both.I had already arranged for a smooth arrival. Some of my team—whose job it was to handle logistics—had prepared a befitting car for me ahead of time. Thank God for the advent of the internet. With it, distance was no barrier. Anything you needed could be done, no matter where in the
Eunice POV“Eunice Morgan set to bury her ex-husband, Tyler Cooper by herself. — Department of Public Health and Burial Services.”My eyes opened widely as I read this headline boldly written on the veryGistupdate blog, one of the most popular gossip blogs in Green City. My breath caught in my throat.It was then I realized that the Department of Public Health and Burial Services must have published the news of my request for burial approval on their official website. That was the only way this blog could have gotten access to such private information. They had simply republished it without context, without empathy.I felt my fingers go numb. There had been absolutely no need to share this kind of sensitive update with the public. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply, trying to find calm where there was none.Everything that came after Tyler’s suicide felt like waves crashing over me—one after the other. And now, what I thought was the right thing to do was being turned into a headline