LOGIN[Carter’s pov]The moment I stormed into my father’s study, I knew I’d crossed a line.But I didn’t care.He didn’t even look surprised to see me.That irritated me more.He simply lifted his gaze from the papers in front of him. Then he leaned back in his leather chair and sighed. Just irritation like I was a mildly inconvenient interruption to his evening.“Carter.” His voice was smooth, measured and deadly calm. “You cannot simply barge into my study and speak to me in that tone.”I strode toward the desk, every muscle rigid. “You knew.”His brows lifted faintly. “Lower your voice.”The sheer audacity of it nearly made me laugh. “No.” Something dark flickered in his expression. He rose slowly from his chair, straightening to his full height.His hands rested lightly against the edge of the desk. “And what exactly gives you the right to storm in here making demands?” His lip curled. “You own nothing.” The words landed like a slap. For a split second, silence swallowed the room. The
[Carter’s pov]The moment I stepped out of the bedroom, I forced myself to breathe. Because if I didn’t, I was going to lose control.And right now, losing control was the one thing I couldn’t afford.The hallway outside my room was unnaturally quiet. The kind of silence that always settled over the Velcro mansion after a storm had passed but before the real damage had been assessed.Behind me, Olivia was safe. Mallory was with her. That thought was the only thing keeping my rage contained.I tightened my grip around my phone as I walked toward the staircase, already scrolling to Homer’s number.I needed him here.I needed him to examine Olivia, reassure me that she and the baby were alright. Maybe if I was being brutally honest, give me one rational reason not to march straight back to Camilla’s room and tear apart every lie she’d ever fed me.I had just ended the call when a voice stopped me cold.“Carter.”My spine stiffened instantly. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it w
[Olivia’s pov]“I’m fine.” It was probably the fifth time I had said it in less than two minutes. Before Carter went out of the room. I had to practically force him out.And judging by the expression on Carter’s face, he believed me less with every repetition. “Olivia, you know me.”The way he said my name low, clipped, threaded with frustration, made it clear he was reaching the end of his patience.I sighed and looked up at him from the sofa. “I mean it,” I insisted. “Camilla didn’t touch me.”He was already shaking his head before I had even finished. “That isn’t the point.”“Then what is?”“The point,” he said, crouching in front of me again, “is that you’re pregnant, you’ve just been threatened, and she nearly shoved you.”His jaw tightened visibly. “And until a doctor tells me everything is fine, I’m not taking chances.”The intensity in his voice stole any immediate argument from my lips. It wasn’t anger, It wasn’t control either. It was fear. The kind that made his hands tense
[Olivia’s pov]The sharp echo of Camilla’s heels lingered long after she stormed out of the room.Even after the door slammed behind her with enough force to make the walls tremble, I remained frozen where I stood.My pulse was still racing.My chest was rising and falling too fast.The threat she had thrown over her shoulder before leaving replayed in my head like an ugly refrain.You’ll pay for this humiliation, Olivia.The venom in her voice had been unmistakable. And yet…what stayed with me more than her threat was what had happened just before it.But Carter?The way he had stepped in front of me. The way his body had instinctively shielded mine. The way his voice had hardened when he warned her to stay away from me.For so long, there had always been hesitation where Camilla was concerned.A line he refused to cross.A softness born out of obligation, guilt, and years of believing Candice tied them together.But today?That hesitation had vanished.And standing there, watching h
[Carter’s pov]The moment I saw Camilla raise her hand, something inside me snapped. There was no thought. No pause. Just instinct.One second she was lunging toward Olivia, fury twisting her face into something sharp and ugly. Next, I was already moving.My hand shot out and caught her wrist midair with enough force to stop her completely.Her skin was cold.Tense.But mine was worse.Because rage unlike anything I had ever known surged through me so violently that for a second, I could barely hear anything over the rush of blood pounding in my ears.“How dare you?” The words came out low. Deadly.Camilla’s eyes widened as she looked up at me. “Carter—” I didn’t let her finish. I shoved her backward. Not hard enough to hurt her.But hard enough to force distance between us.Enough distance to make damn sure she couldn’t get anywhere near Olivia. Because that was all I could think about now.Olivia. My wife.Pregnant.Carrying our child.The thought struck through me again with sudden
[Olivia’s pov]For the first time since I had walked into that room, I saw it clearly. Not perfect, not complete but enough for Carter to stand on his own feet again.He nodded slowly after I spoke, like each word had settled somewhere deep inside him, reshaping something that had been fractured moments ago.“Yeah,” he said quietly. “You’re right.” His voice wasn’t as unsteady anymore. Still heavy. Still burdened.But steadier.He looked at me then, really looked at me and something softer replaced the storm in his eyes. “Thank you, Olivia.” he added.Simple.But it carried weight.I gave him a small smile. “You don’t have to thank me.”“I do,” he said, his tone firmer now. “You didn’t have to stand here and help me sort through this. I know I have cleared things up but somewhere deep down I still feel guilty about all of it.”I held his gaze.“I wasn’t going to leave you alone in it, Carter. Especially when I came to know about the truth.”Something flickered across his expression, s
[Carte Velcro]The party dissolved into silence long after the last guest left. One by one, the lights dimmed, the laughter faded, and the house returned to its hollow grandeur. The friend who had invited Camilla dropped her home, and I stayed back—for my mother. Father was out of town, and Olivia
[Olivia Jude Velcro]“You have to come with me tonight, Olivia. Please.”The word ‘please’ tasted foreign on my tongue, but I meant it. I needed her there with me as my wife. Where she had always belonged. Somewhere deep inside, a foolish hope flickered that if I could just get her to stay beside m
[Olivia’s pov]The room felt like it had stopped breathing.Just like I did silently.Camilla stood in front of me, the wine bottle raised in her hand. I glanced at her once again, pleading with my eyes that she stops. Meanwhile, Camilla had made it clear with her threat that she held so many grud
[Carter’s pov]Then there was silence. I could not speak anything. My mind struggled to catch up.“That’s not—” I shook my head instinctively. “That doesn’t make sense. How could Candice even do something so gruesome like this?” I denied. Not that I was worried that perhaps Olivia was lying to m







