LOGINONE YEAR LATER — ZOEY’S 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. Bunny’s 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 Daddy’s room door was half-open. I peeked in and saw them cuddling like they always did in the mornings. Daddy’s arm was around Mommy, and Mommy’s 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, “Mommy?”Mommy lifted her head and smiled back. Daddy rubbed his eyes, still sleepy.“Good morning, baby,” Mommy said.“Come here, sweetheart,” 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.“Morning, beautiful,” he said, closing the laptop as I stretched and walked toward him. His smile deepened when I sat across from him.“Morning,” I replied, leaning forward to kiss him softly. “Coffee smells amazing.”“Only the best for my wife,” he said, teasing, but the tenderness in his tone made me smile. “And my little family.”I 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 hadn’t 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.“Liv…” he whispered, his voice low and trembling just slightly. “It’s over. It’s really over.”I 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 everything—the threats, the attacks, the fear—I finally felt a flicker of safety. Damon’s arms felt like home. They always had. And right now, I realized just how much I’d missed that feeling, that security, that unconditional love.“I can’t… I can’t believe it,” I murmured, my voice muffled against his shirt. “I 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 didn’t speak, but I could feel her fury radiating through the small space. She was usually controlled, calculating—but now… she was a storm waiting to explode.I ran my hands through my hair, pacing the small area as best I could. “I don’t understand,” I growled. “I had them. I had them both. I had Damon in my sights. Liv was cornered. Zoey was—” I stopped, swallowing hard, my chest tightening. “I was so close. And now…” My voice faltered, anger choked off by disbelief.Layla’s jaw tightened. “Now? Now they’re alive, and you’re 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 Marcus—the control, the terror, the sheer intensity of his presence—was 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.“Is… is it over?” I whispered, barely audible.Damon’s eyes didn’t leave mine. “I think… yes,” he said slowly, his voice rough. “They’ve got him. The police… he’s caught.”I let out a shaky breath, relief crashing over me in waves. I had thought we’d lost everything for a moment—the 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 control—or 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 couldn’t move. Not with me here. Not with Damon’s attention divided, not with Layla at the other side of the room distracted by shadows I had planted, precise and calculated.“Stay still,” I whispered, leaning close to her, letting my hands rest firmly on her waist. My lips brushed her temple. “Tonight… this is mine.”Her 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 precaution—it was all culminating here.Damon… predictable as ever, too focused on her,
Chapter 13OliviaMy mouth parted, unable to find words, pulse quickening for different reasons.I glanced sideways at the empty corridor, then back at her, mustering the most unbelievable look I could. "Is that what he told you? Damon? That we used to date?"She scoffed, "He doesn't need to. Even
Chapter 14The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. I honestly had no idea why Damon would say that since he definitely wasn't with me there. And for the life of me, I couldn't understand why I panicked the moment the words left his mouth.My eyes narrowed on his face. And from the amuse
Chapter 11OLIVIA;I felt numb as his words played and replayed in my head over and over again.But what I couldn't get my mind off of-- was that moment in the dress shop.He had the effrontery to ask if I was on the fucking pill. But I couldn't recall him asking that when he knocked me up. He does
Chapter 7The moment I shut the door, I sank down on the floor and felt everything inside me shake.My breaths came out in harsh pants, and a hand came up to my chest, feeling it rise and fall frantically.This wasn't happening, right? I wasn't about to be swept into this again, was I? I had walked







