Haley’s POV:The morning felt heavy. I could sense it in the way Logan stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his crisp white shirt. His movements were steady, but his eyes told another story. They were shadowed with worry, carrying the weight of the day.Today was his mother’s surgery.I stood behind him quietly for a moment, watching his reflection. His broad shoulders, usually so confident, looked tense. I walked closer and slid my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek against his back.He stilled for a moment before his hand came over mine.“I want to be with you today,” I whispered, my voice muffled against his shirt. “I don’t want you to go through this alone.”He turned around, his hands coming up to hold my face gently. His thumb brushed over my cheek. “Haley… I know you do. But you have your event today. The book signing got pushed, remember?”&ldq
Haley’s POV:The first thing I felt was the dull ache in my body, as if I had been thrown into a storm and then left out in the cold. My head was heavy, my eyelids stubborn, but slowly I managed to open them. The blurry shapes around me sharpened into faces.Peter’s calm voice was the first thing I heard.“She’s waking up,” he said softly, his hand steady on my wrist as he checked my pulse.Then I felt it. A strong, trembling grip on my hand. I turned my head, and my heart clenched.Logan.His eyes were red, his jaw tense, as though he had been holding himself together by sheer will. When he saw me move, he bent closer, pressing my hand against his cheek. His voice came out hoarse, broken.“Don’t scare me like that, Haley…”I blinked, trying to smile even though my lips were dry. “I’m okay,” I whispered. My voice was weak, but I wanted to soothe him. “Really, I’m okay.”He shook his head, his fingers brushing my hair back from my forehead. “You don’t know how close I came to losing yo
Vivian’s POV:The warehouse was cold, its broken windows letting in thin streams of light that made everything look gray and lifeless. Dust hung in the air, and the sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere in the shadows.I stood in the middle of it all, staring down at her.Haley.The woman who had stolen everything that should have been mine.Her body lay slumped against the chair, her head tilted to one side, strands of her hair falling across her pale face. She looked so weak, so pathetic, as if she didn’t even belong in this world.A bitter laugh escaped me as I tightened my grip on the knife in my hand.“How dare you,” I whispered, my voice trembling not from fear, but from rage. I took a step closer, each sound of my heels echoing like a drumbeat in my ears. “How dare you have him? Logan is mine. He has always been mine.”I crouched down, forcing her chin upward with the sharp edge of the blade.“You don’t even know where you came from,” I hissed. “You’re an orphan. A nobo
Author’s POV:Logan could still hear the ringing of twisted metal in his head. His chest burned from the impact of the crash, but his only thought had been Haley. The car had flipped once, then landed on its side with a sickening jolt. For a few seconds there was only silence—broken glass glinting, the faint groan of steel settling.“Haley—” Logan coughed, tasting blood. He twisted in his seat, ignoring the pain. She was beside him, barely conscious, her face pale and streaked with blood from a cut near her hairline.“Stay with me,” he whispered hoarsely, trying to reach for her hand even as the seatbelt bit into his shoulder.From the backseat, he heard Lily’s terrified cries, Jordan’s panicked sobs.But before he could unbuckle himself, dark shapes appeared outside the broken windows. Men.The door was wrenched open, metal groaning. Logan tried to shield Haley with his body, but rough hands grabbed him.“Who are you?!” Logan barked, his voice raw with fury. “Touch her and you die!”
Haley's POV:The morning of the signing came with a strange quietness, as if the world itself was holding its breath just for me. The sunlight filtering through the curtains seemed softer than usual, almost hesitant. I held Lily’s hand tightly as we stepped outside, my palm slightly damp from nerves. She skipped a little beside me, her ponytail bouncing, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She looked more alive than I had ever seen her.Jordan trailed behind, clutching a notebook so close to his chest that it seemed like a shield. He had been determined to bring it, insisting that it was important, and he wasn’t the type of child one could easily argue with once he had decided.“Mom,” Lily said suddenly, her voice filled with certainty, “today you’ll meet so many readers. They’ll all love you!”Her confidence made my lips curve into a trembling smile despite the restless fluttering in my chest. “You think so?” I asked softly, searching her face for reassurance I shouldn’t need but des
Haley's POV:The night before the book signing, an unexpected calm settled over our home.I stood in the kitchen, the warm smell of garlic and onions filling the air as I stirred the pasta in the pan. Lily leaned against the doorway with an apron tied around her waist, though she hadn’t touched a single pot or pan.“Mom, I’m your assistant tonight,” she announced proudly, placing her hands on her hips.I laughed softly, glancing over my shoulder at her. “Assistant, huh? And what exactly will you be doing?”She tilted her head dramatically. “Supervising.”I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Supervising, is it? So you’re the boss now?”“Yes,” she said seriously. “You’re cooking, I’m supervising. That’s teamwork.”Her words made me smile wider than I intended. Lily’s presence always did that to me.At the dining table, Jordan was hunched over his notebook, his little hand gripping a pencil tightly as he drew with fierce concentration. His tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth, just like