Haley's POV:I stared at her across the room, feeling the old bitterness swirl in my chest. But I didn’t come here to argue. I wasn’t here to win or accuse or break anything that hadn’t already been broken a long time ago.Slowly, I lifted my wrist and held it out toward her.She frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”I pointed to the thin bracelet wrapped around my skin. The one I’d had since childhood. The one I used to believe was just a gift—until recently.“This bracelet,” I said, voice shaking. “It doesn’t belong to you. It doesn’t match anything in this house. There’s no story behind it. Every time I asked, you brushed it off. Why?”Her eyes darkened.“Where am I really from?” I asked.She froze. For one second, it felt like the air between us stopped moving. I waited. My heart beat loudly in my ears.She didn&r
Haley’s POV:I winced a little as I walked down the hallway. My thighs ached, my hips felt tender, and every step reminded me of last night. I’d expected Logan to be gentle. Careful. Maybe even hesitant.But I’d been wrong.No man admits defeat when it comes to sex.Especially not Logan.I didn’t regret it, not even for a second. I could still feel the weight of his body on mine, the way he looked at me like I was something sacred. Like he wanted to ruin me and worship me at the same time. My face flushed at the memory, and I smiled softly to myself, lost in the haze of our passion.Then I felt it—his hand on my shoulder.“Seems like I gave a memorable performance last night,” Logan said smoothly, leaning close to whisper in my ear.I turned quickly, eyes wide. “Logan!”But it was too late.“Memorable performance?” Lily’s voice rang out behind
Logan’s POV:It had been a long time since I’d had sex. Real sex, not the kind you have just to forget a bad day or to silence your thoughts. I’d spent more nights than I could count in the city, wrapped in silk sheets with nameless women who offered their bodies like currency. I let them. I took what they gave. But when morning came, I left. Always. I never remembered their names or faces. They weren’t people to me. They were release. Nothing more.But last night…Last night wasn’t like that.Haley wasn’t like that.When I saw the challenge in her eyes—raw, burning, stubborn—I knew I’d never forget the way she looked at me right before I kissed her. I could still feel her breath hitching as I pressed her against the sheets, her legs tightening around me, her fingers digging into my back like she was holding onto something she didn’t want to lose. She was fire and softness, pride and vulnerability.And when her mouth enveloped me—I swear I lost every thought except her.It was the be
Logan’s eyes lit up as he rushed over, pinning me against the kitchen island.I cried out in surprise and pain, the hard marble edge pressing into my back.“Haley, wait—” he said, confusion flashing across his face.But before he could finish, I grabbed him and kissed him fiercely. My lips found his with a hunger I didn’t know I had, desperate and wild. His hand slipped into my hair, his other arm pulling me tightly to his chest. His lips were warm, his breath uneven. I could feel his heartbeat against mine—fast, chaotic, matching the storm inside me.“Logan…” I whispered as we pulled apart. “I need you.”His voice was low and strained. “I need you too.”Everything in my world felt like it was spinning. My mind was a whirlwind from all the changes. Everything I believed, everything I knew—my past, my identity—all shifting like sand under my feet. But in the middle of that storm, there was Logan. Solid. Present. Real.I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. I didn’t know what the trut
Logan finally returned late that evening. The door opened slowly, and I looked up from the couch where I’d been sitting for hours, staring at nothing. He stepped in, his shoulders heavy, eyes tired. The moment he saw me, his face fell.“I’m sorry…” he said.My heart stopped. “Why?” I asked quickly, standing up.He didn’t speak right away. He looked like he was choosing his words carefully. His lips parted, then closed again. Finally, he walked toward me and sat down.“You deserve to know the truth,” he said softly.I stared at him, waiting, feeling a storm rising in my chest.He took a deep breath. “My father told me something tonight. He didn’t want to say it at first, but after what happened today… he had no choice.”My heart pounded in my chest. “What is it?”Logan looked at me. His eyes were filled with a mixture of shock, sadness, and something I couldn’t place.“He said… you look exactly like someone he used to love. His former fiancée.”I blinked. “His what?”"Josephine," Logan
Everyone froze. The room was cold with silence, like time itself had stopped. Logan stood in front of me, unmoving, his breath shallow and tight with rage.He didn’t blink. He didn’t speak.Just held his ground. For me.“Stay behind me,” he ordered, not even glancing back.I obeyed without a word.Across from us, his father’s eyes were locked on me. Not with anger—worse. He looked like he had seen a ghost.“What’s your full name?” he asked, voice low and heavy.I hesitated, but I had nothing to hide. “Haley Reed.”He shook his head slowly, as if trying to make sense of something that didn’t. “Your mother’s full name,” he demanded.That question again.The mayor’s wife had asked me the same thing days ago, with the same pale face and tight lips.“Clarissa White,” I said, confused.His father stumbled back one step, like my words physically hit him.“No…” he whispered, pressing a hand to his forehead. “No, this… this can’t be.”“What’s going on?” Logan growled. “What does this have to d