Mag-log inChapter TwentyPriscilla’s POVThe Grand Ballroom at the Seattle Emerald Tower was alive with conversation, laughter, and the occasional clink of champagne glasses.I stood near the stage in an emerald silk gown, it was the same dress I'd worn to the convention, though the diamond earrings Darius gave me last year made it feel a little more special. Tonight, I was being recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year in the wellness industry. It was a moment I had worked years for…five years of long days, sleepless nights, setbacks, and determination finally leading to this stage.“You look incredible,” Darius whispered, with his hand resting lightly on my lower back as we posed for photos. He wore a tailored navy suit that made him look every bit the supportive husband we were pretending to be. The twins were safe at home with our trusted nanny, but the weight of Creighton’s latest messages still pressed on my chest.I forced a radiant smile for the cameras. “Thank you. Just stay close tonigh
Chapter NineteenChloe’s POVThe penthouse felt unusually cold that evening, despite the heating quietly running in the background. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows with a glass of champagne in my hand, absentmindedly swirling it as I watched the lights of Chicago spread across the skyline. Creighton was supposed to have been back days ago. Instead, every call I made went straight to voicemail, and the few texts he sent were short and distant, it was always the same excuse about being tied up with business in Seattle.Seattle.I tapped my long, perfectly manicured nails against the marble counter. That city meant only one thing, it was her. Priscilla. The mousy little placeholder he had married out of obligation. The one who was supposed to stay gone.I opened the private investigator’s latest report on my laptop. Photos loaded one by one. I saw Creighton standing outside a modern house with flowers. Creighton at a soccer field with two children. Creighton staring at Priscilla
Chapter EighteenCreighton’s POVThe restraining order arrived by courier the next morning, it was cold, legal, and signed with Priscilla’s new name. Marlow and not Cross.I read it twice in the penthouse suite, with the paper crisp under my fingers. No contact within 500 feet of the residence, school, or workplace. No direct or indirect communication with the minor children. My jaw tightened. She was serious. But so was I.Five years of emptiness didn’t end because of a piece of paper.I spent the afternoon making calls. Not to lawyers yet, but to the best toy store in Seattle. By late afternoon, the trunk of my rented SUV was loaded with carefully chosen gifts, it was a high-end remote-controlled sports car for Logan, a professional-grade children’s camera for Lily, she had been playing with a toy one at the hotel, premium soccer gear, and a few imported video games. It was nothing flashy enough to seem like bribery. It was just… things a father should give his children.The park n
Chapter SeventeenPriscilla’s POVMy phone screen glowed in the dim light of my home office, with the unread message weighing on my mind the moment I saw it.How long do you plan to keep my children from their father, Priscilla?The words blurred as panic surged through me, cold and suffocating. My fingers tightened around my phone until my knuckles ached. This was exactly what I had feared since the moment Creighton called my name at the convention. The careful walls I had built for five years were cracking, and he was hammering at every weak point with ruthless persistence.Our children. He knew. Or at least he suspected strongly enough to say it out loud.I barely had time to steady my breathing before the front door opened. The sound of small sneakers and happy chatter filled the house. Logan and Lily were back from school, their backpacks thumping to the floor as they called out for me.“Mommy!”I rushed into the foyer, dropping to my knees and pulling them both into my arms. I h
Chapter SixteenCreighton’s POVNothing was working.The flowers, the jazz records, the late-night texts I couldn’t stop myself from sending…Priscilla had shut down every single attempt. She was no longer the quiet, accommodating woman I had married. She was a fortress, and every brick had my name on it. The realization stung more with each passing day, but it didn’t stop me. If anything, it fueled the fire. I had spent five years haunted by her disappearance. Now that I had found her, I refused to let her slip away again.This morning, I drove to the private academy’s soccer field on the edge of the neighborhood. I had memorized their routine after days of careful observation. Usually Darius was here running drills with the twins, but today the field was quieter. Logan and Lily were kicking a ball between themselves, laughing as they tried to mimic moves they had clearly learned from someone else.My chest tightened at the sight of them. The boy had my exact black eyes and the same
Chapter FifteenPriscilla’s POVAs I walked through the glass doors of Pree's Organic Skincare headquarters, the familiar hum of conversations, ringing phones, and clicking keyboards welcomed me back.Five years ago, this had been a tiny rented lab space. Now it was mine….built from sheer determination and late-night formulas.I smoothed down my emerald silk blouse and stepped into the elevator, already mentally preparing for the day. My phone buzzed with a quick text from Darius. Kids dropped off at school. Call if you need anything. I smiled faintly. His support was the anchor that kept me steady.“Good morning, Ms. Marlow,” my PA, Elena, greeted me the moment I reached my corner office. She was efficient as always, tablet in hand, her heels clicking against the polished floors. “You have a packed schedule today. Marketing strategy meeting at nine, supplier calls at ten-thirty, and the R&D team wants thirty minutes to present the new jojoba serum prototypes. Then lunch with the pot
CHAPTER SEVENCreighton's POV.There has never been a time in my life where I wished my eyes were playing tricks on me, more than right now.The more I stared at the scene before me, the more it felt like my world had been missing these two strange kids.The boy and girl were sitting on the couch i
CHAPTER SIXPriscilla's POV.Five years ago, I was a weak, broken woman who'd just been dumped by the man she loved the most.I'd thought that was the end of life for me, even though I had two growing children inside of me.Now?I was a happy single mother, with two beautiful twins and the CEO of P
CHAPTER SIXPriscilla's POV.Five years ago, I was a weak, broken woman who'd just been dumped by the man she loved the most.I'd thought that was the end of life for me, even though I had two growing children inside of me.Now?I was a happy single mother, with two beautiful twins and the CEO of P
Chapter FivePriscilla’s POVI had booked the flight using my mother’s maiden name, trying to leave every single trace of Priscilla Cross behind in Chicago.I only had two small suitcases with me, filled with just the bare essentials and a heart that felt completely shattered into tiny pieces.Duri







