Sophia’s POVI couldn’t help but gasp. The sound seemed to echo in my head, louder than it really was. Morgana’s eyes locked onto mine. Her initial surprise mirrored my own, but before either of us could react, the man spoke.“Darling, I think we can order something like this for our daughter’s 19th birthday. She’ll love this. Or we can have the party in this restaurant. What do you think?”The words made my heart thump harder and faster. Elijah’s stepmother is having an affair, and she has a daughter with this man!I saw Morgana’s eyes narrow, her expression shifting rapidly from shock to guilt, then to something more sinister. Anger flickered across her face, a menacing glint in her eyes. I felt rooted to the spot, unable to move or speak.Morgana stood up slowly, her movements deliberate, and faced me. The room seemed to close in around us, the chatter of other diners fading into a distant hum. I could feel my pulse quicken, my mind racing to process what I had just witnessed.“Sop
Sophia’s POVI sat at my desk, the blueprints of the latest project spread out before me. The lines and measurements blurred together, refusing to form a coherent design in my mind. I sighed, tapping my pen against the paper in frustration. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't focus. My thoughts kept drifting back to Elijah and Julia's upcoming wedding. The news had been a punch to the gut, and I couldn't shake the image of them together. Does it mean that Elijah had changed his mind? Perhaps because Julia has been staying at his house, he has developed real romantic feelings for her already“Focus, Sophia,” I muttered to myself, but it was no use.I glanced at the sketches for Daniel's project. Daniel was a good friend, and his enthusiasm for the project had been contagious. I wanted to do my best for him, but my mind was elsewhere. And then there was Henry, Julia's brother, who had also insisted that I be the head designer for his project. Working for Henry felt like a cruel tw
Sophia’s POVThe article was full of pictures of Adrian and Kayla together at various events, looking every bit the glamorous couple. They were both smiling, radiating happiness.It seemed they were officially in a relationship, and the news had taken the media by storm.I stared at the screen, a mix of emotions churning inside me. Kayla had always been there for me, a constant support through all the ups and downs.Seeing her with Adrian, who’d recently been pestering me to start a relationship with him and even to marry him, felt strange. Is this even real? I thought, knowing very well that celebrity news was usually exaggerated. Kayla hadn’t even mentioned anything to me. Or maybe she’s hesitant to share about it because Adrian had recently declared his love for me publicly? Well, she knows for certain that he’s just a friend to me. There was also a video interview embedded in the article. I hesitated for a moment before pressing play.The screen showed Adrian, looking dapper in
Sophia’s POVI nearly screamed into the phone, “You didn’t tell me about Connor, and I find out from the internet?! What kind of best friend are you?!”Kayla's laughter rang out on the other end. “Sorry, sorry!” she said between giggles. “I’m coming over. We have a lot to talk about.”“I’ll hold you to that,” I replied, a wide grin spreading across my face. I was eager to see her. She sounded happy, so I was happy for her and excited to hear the story of how it happened between her and Connor. Not long after, Kayla arrived, joining us for dinner. Reese, our nanny, and I were already at the table when she walked in, her usual energetic self lighting up the room.“Where’s Connor?” I asked, my grin widening.Kayla chuckled as she took a seat and helped herself to some salad. “He’s home. We were together earlier because he was helping me shop for some stuff for my office.”I raised an eyebrow and gave her a teasing look. “Sounds serious.”We both laughed, and even Reese joined in, her ey
Elijah’s POVTwo weeks had passed since I’d last seen Reese. I’d taken her to the park, but Sophia had not wanted to join us. And when I went to pick up Reese and drop her off at the apartment, Sophia had also not been there. It was only Reese’s nanny. Sophia is clearly avoiding me, I thought with worry and sadness. Even when I tried dropping by the Urban Next office, Trevis informed me that Sophia was doing mostly fieldwork now, something she had insisted on.At present, I stood in the spacious living room of our home as the couturier measured and adjusted the suit that would supposedly mark the happiest day of my life. So why do I feel so gloomy?My stepmother and Julia’s mom flitted around like excited hummingbirds, their chatter a fusion of wedding plans and exclamations over every minute detail. They were in their element, fussing over the wedding gown, debating lace patterns and veil lengths with great enthusiasm. “Make sure the lace detail is just perfect,” Julia said, her
Serena’s POVThe hospital corridor stretched into shadowed uncertainty as I hurried past closed doors and muted lights. It was late, well past visiting hours, but urgency propelled me forward.Julia Stanford. The name echoed in my mind, wrapped in layers of resentment and anger and even fear. I approached the nurse's station, my heart pounding against the facade of calm I tried to maintain.“Excuse me,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. The nurse behind the counter looked up, fatigue etched into her features.“Yes, how can I help you?” Her tone was polite but tinged with weariness.“I'm looking for Julia Stanford,” I began, my pulse quickening. “I'm her sister, and I just arrived from abroad. I tried reaching her but couldn't get through. I heard there was an accident like two months ago maybe…”The nurse consulted her computer screen, fingers tapping softly on the keyboard. “Julia Stanford... Yes, she was discharged a few weeks ago. But she recently came in for a c
Sophia’s POVThe lobby of Raven Media buzzed with energy as I stepped through the glass doors. I took a deep breath, savoring the sense of purpose and excitement that filled the air.Today was a welcome change of scenery, a chance to immerse myself in something different than my usual routine. I was here to help Kayla with a magazine shoot design for Adrian's new album, and I couldn't wait to dive in.Though I had done this for a time here, it felt like so long ago. And besides, we’re doing a different concept this time so I was very excited. “Sophia!” Kayla's voice rang out as she rushed over to greet me, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Even though she was the creative department director and Adrian's manager, she was still as hands-on as ever. Her parents owned Raven Media, but she had earned her place here through sheer talent and hard work.“Kayla, it's so good to see you again!” I hugged her tightly, feeling a surge of joy even though it’s only been a few days since she’d co
Julia’s POVAs I flexed my fingers, I marveled at the subtle yet distinct improvement in their movement. The tendons stretched and contracted smoothly, a testament to my dedication to physical therapy and, more importantly, to the meticulous execution of my plan. I couldn't help but smile, a wide, self-satisfied grin spreading across my face. Everything was falling into place perfectly.I sat in the living room, sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. This house, this life, it’s everything I had ever wanted. And now, with Elijah agreeing to marry me, it was all within my grasp. I picked up the stress ball beside me, squeezing it firmly and then releasing. Each successful repetition was a victory, a reminder of how far I'd come.“Almost there,” I whispered to myself, my voice filled with a mixture of determination and elation. “Just a little more and everything will be perfect.”Henry had played his part brilliantly, altering my test results to show brain trauma. It was the fi