Mag-log inONE YEAR LATER â ZOEYâS POVI liked mornings in our home. They smelled like pancakes and sunshine. Mommy always said the sun hit our windows in a special way, but I thought it was because the sun liked us.Maybe the sun knew we were happy now.I woke up in my big girl bed, hugging Mr. Bunny. Daddy bought him for me when I had a bad dream last month, and he said Mr. Bunnyâs job was to chase monsters away. I believed him. Daddy never lied.I climbed out of bed and padded down the hallway on my tippy toes. Mommy and Daddyâs room door was half-open. I peeked in and saw them cuddling like they always did in the mornings. Daddyâs arm was around Mommy, and Mommyâs head was on his chest. They looked so warm and soft, like a picture from the storybooks Mommy read to me.I smiled and whispered, âMommy?âMommy lifted her head and smiled back. Daddy rubbed his eyes, still sleepy.âGood morning, baby,â Mommy said.âCome here, sweetheart,â Daddy added, opening his arm.I climbed into their bed, and
Olivia's pov;It had been months since the chaos that had almost torn our lives apart. Marcus and Layla were behind bars, finally dealt with by the law, and I could hardly believe the freedom we now had. New York had become more than a temporary refuge; it was home. Safe. Full of life. Full of possibility.I woke up one Saturday morning to the smell of coffee drifting from the kitchen. Damon was already awake, sitting at the small breakfast table, eyes focused on his laptop, but glancing up at me every so often with that soft, warm look that always made my heart skip.âMorning, beautiful,â he said, closing the laptop as I stretched and walked toward him. His smile deepened when I sat across from him.âMorning,â I replied, leaning forward to kiss him softly. âCoffee smells amazing.ââOnly the best for my wife,â he said, teasing, but the tenderness in his tone made me smile. âAnd my little family.âI glanced toward the living room, where Zoey was already playing with her toys on the sof
Olivia's pov;The moment Marcus and Layla were finally taken away, I felt a weight lift off my chest that I hadnât even realized was there. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the couch, gasping. My hands were shaking, and my heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest. Damon was instantly at my side, his strong arms wrapping around me, holding me like he could absorb all the fear and tension that had built inside me.âLivâŠâ he whispered, his voice low and trembling just slightly. âItâs over. Itâs really over.âI pressed my face against his chest, taking in the steady beat of his heart. I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him. After everythingâthe threats, the attacks, the fearâI finally felt a flicker of safety. Damonâs arms felt like home. They always had. And right now, I realized just how much Iâd missed that feeling, that security, that unconditional love.âI canât⊠I canât believe it,â I murmured, my voice muffled against his shirt. âI was so scared⊠Damon⊠for
MARCUS;I sat in the dark cell, the cold metal biting into my skin through my clothes. The damp smell of the room filled my lungs, but I hardly noticed. All I could feel was the rage burning inside me, twisting my stomach into knots. How had it happened? How had I been so stupid? I had planned everything. Every detail. Every step. And yet⊠here I was, trapped, humiliated, powerless.Layla stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her eyes blazing. She didnât speak, but I could feel her fury radiating through the small space. She was usually controlled, calculatingâbut now⊠she was a storm waiting to explode.I ran my hands through my hair, pacing the small area as best I could. âI donât understand,â I growled. âI had them. I had them both. I had Damon in my sights. Liv was cornered. Zoey wasââ I stopped, swallowing hard, my chest tightening. âI was so close. And nowâŠâ My voice faltered, anger choked off by disbelief.Laylaâs jaw tightened. âNow? Now theyâre alive, and youâre locked up like
Olivia's pov;The rain had finally slowed, but the house still smelled of wet wood. My chest was tight, my heart still pounding from what had just happened. The memory of Marcusâthe control, the terror, the sheer intensity of his presenceâwas still fresh in my mind. I shivered despite the warmth of the room.Damon was beside me, his hand tight around mine. I could feel his tension, the lingering adrenaline coursing through him. His face was pale, his jaw tight. He was still processing it too. Neither of us spoke immediately, just sat in the dim light of the living room, letting the quiet settle between us.âIs⊠is it over?â I whispered, barely audible.Damonâs eyes didnât leave mine. âI think⊠yes,â he said slowly, his voice rough. âTheyâve got him. The police⊠heâs caught.âI let out a shaky breath, relief crashing over me in waves. I had thought weâd lost everything for a momentâthe house, Zoey, Damon himself. That fear had clawed at my chest, sharp and unrelenting. Just thinking ab
MARCUS The storm had not let up. Rain pounded against the windows, lightning slicing the darkness in jagged, violent flashes. Thunder rumbled low, shaking the floorboards. Perfect. It added drama to the moment. I was in controlâor at least, I thought I was.Liv was there, pinned against the counter, her eyes wide, her body trembling. Every instinct in her screamed to fight, to run, to scream. But she couldnât move. Not with me here. Not with Damonâs attention divided, not with Layla at the other side of the room distracted by shadows I had planted, precise and calculated.âStay still,â I whispered, leaning close to her, letting my hands rest firmly on her waist. My lips brushed her temple. âTonight⊠this is mine.âHer pulse raced beneath my fingertips. Fear. Panic. Anticipation. She shivered, and I could smell it, taste it almost. Everything I had planned, every detail I had worked through, every precautionâit was all culminating here.Damon⊠predictable as ever, too focused on her,







