LOGIN[The Third Move]Paola’s POV~~~“I never thought someone else could corner us faster than Gabriel ever could.”The first words I mutter to myself are when the office door clicks open behind us.I glance at Gabriel. His jaw is tight. His hand brushes against mine—almost unconsciously—but it’s enough to anchor me for a moment.We freeze.Because the figure stepping into the lobby isn’t part of any routine board check or assistant shuffle.It’s her.Catherine Alcantara—the niece I never liked and wh
[The Move They Didn’t Warn Us About]Paola’s POV“They’ve been waiting for us to make a mistake—and I almost did.”The words hit me before my coffee even cools.I sit at my temporary apartment table, staring at my laptop, fingers hovering over the keyboard like I’m about to commit a crime.An email popped in last night, no sender name, no signature—just a PDF attachment.The headline alone made my chest constrict: Confidential: Alcantara Trust Clause Execution Plan.I didn’t open it immediately. I paced the room instead, feeling
[The Edge of Everything]Paola’s POV“He doesn’t know how close I’ve been to leaving—and maybe that’s exactly why I stayed.”The thought hits me the moment I wake up.I lie still, staring at the ceiling of my temporary apartment.No one else here.No calls.No footsteps echoing through the hall.Just silence.And that silence—heavy, tangible—feels different than before.It’s not comforting.
[The Things I Didn’t Want to Remember]Paola’s POV“If my past is where he thinks I’ll break… then he doesn’t understand why I survived it.”The message stays in my head long after the screen goes dark.Check your past before you protect your future.It’s not just a threat.Its direction.And I hate that it works.Because now I’m thinking about things I buried on purpose.Not forgotten.Just… controlled.
[The Cost of Being Unafraid]Paola’s POV“The moment I stopped being afraid of losing him… I started becoming dangerous.”It doesn’t feel like freedom.It feels like clarity.The kind that strips everything down until there’s nothing left to hide behind.No excuses.No emotional safety nets.No illusions about what love is supposed to protect.I’m standing in front of the mirror when the thought settles fully.Not dramatic.
[The Version of Me He Created]Paola’s POV“I used to think control was his weapon. I didn’t realize he was teaching me how to use it.”The realization doesn’t feel like victory.It feels like something sharper.Something quieter.Because the more I understand what Gabriel did—what Adrian is doing—what this entire situation has turned into—The more I see it clearly.I didn’t just survive it.
[Temporary Restraining Order]Paola’s POVThe courthouse smells like paper and disinfectant.Cold. Neutral. Unemotion
[You Were Already Leaving Me]Gabriel’s POVThe house has never sounded this loud.Not because of noise.
[The Night We Stopped Pretending]Paola’s POVThe nursery smells like fresh paint and lavender.I chose lavender because it calms infants. And because it used to calm me.Gabriel is standing by the doorway, watching me fold impossibly small onesies with hands that haven’t shaken once tonight.But
[When Control Slips](Gabriel – First Person POV)I found out at 10:37 a.m.Not from Paola.







