LOGINPick up… pick up…” I muttered under my breath, pacing the length of the living room so many times I was sure I had worn a path into the marble floor.Clara’s line wasn’t going through.Not reachable.Not available.Not existing.My hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped the phone. The silence in the house felt wrong—too loud, too heavy. Police officers moved around, murmuring into radios. At the far corner, Nic stood with the detectives, speaking in a low, controlled voice like this was just another business crisis he could negotiate his way out of.This wasn’t business.This was my son.“Mum… where is Chris?”Ava’s tiny voice pierced through the noise.I froze.She stood near the staircase, clutching her stuffed rabbit, her wide eyes scanning the room. She was trying to be brave, but I could see the fear swimming in them.I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a smile that felt like it cracked my face in half.“Baby, can you give Mum some time?” I said softly, patting her
SIENNA’S POVI walked out of the room where Nic had been sitting, feeling his gaze on me the entire time. I didn’t want to meet his eyes—didn’t want him to see the knot of panic twisting in my stomach. I had to handle this myself.I pulled out my phone, fingers trembling as I dialed Clara’s number. It rang once, twice… then connected.“Hey, bitch,” she sneered, her voice dripping with venom.“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.“A lot,” she hissed. “And I’m sure you’re very much aware now. I’m taking back everything you stole from me.”“I never took anything from you,” I snapped, heat rising in my chest. “Stay the hell away from my family. I’m warning you, Clara!”She was about to speak again, probably to threaten me further, but I slammed the call button, cutting her off.I sank back into the chair, heart hammering, chest tight.“Clara… still threatening?”The voice startled me. Nova, leaning against the doorframe, her eyebrows raised in concern.“N… Ni
“Sienna, I want you to meet someone…” Nic says as he steps onto the balcony where I’m seated.The late afternoon sun spills across the marble floor, warm against my bare feet. I turn slowly, expecting one of his guards, maybe a business associate. But the moment my eyes land on the man standing behind him, my breath leaves my lungs.“Dad…” I whisper, the word breaking in my throat.I don’t remember standing. I only know I’m suddenly running—heart pounding, vision blurred—until I crash into his chest. His arms wrap around me tightly, desperately, like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he loosens his grip.“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” he keeps murmuring against my hair. Over and over. Like a prayer. Like a punishment.Tears stream down my cheeks as I pull back slightly to look at him. I cup his face in my trembling hands, studying him carefully. He looks… healthy. Stronger. The hollowness that used to shadow his eyes is gone.Nic took care of him.“It’s not your fault,” I whisper, even though I
Hi my loves,I owe you all an apology. I know I’ve been gone for a while, and I haven’t updated the book like I promised. Life got overwhelming, and I needed time to sort things out.But please know this story was never abandoned in my heart.I’m ready to begin writing again. Thank you for your patience, your messages, and for still caring about these characters even when I was silent.
The next evening, the house smelled of baked cookies and fresh flowers. Ava had insisted on helping me decorate, scattering petals on the dining table while Chris kept running to the window to check if “Aunt Ann’s car” was there yet.When the doorbell finally rang, the kids bolted before I could stop them.“Ann!” Ava squealed, flinging herself into her aunt’s arms the moment the door opened.Tara—Ann to everyone but me—laughed as she bent down to scoop her up. “Oh, my favorite girl! You’ve grown so much. What are they feeding you, sunshine?”Chris hugged her next, grinning wide. “Mom said you were coming, but I thought you’d miss the plane like last time.”“Not this time, kiddo,” she said, ruffling his hair. “I made sure of it.”I stood in the doorway, smiling before she even looked up. And when she did, her eyes softened in that way that always made me feel like home wasn’t a place—it was her.“Sienna,” she said quietly.I didn’t realize how much I needed her until I was in her arms.
Seinna povThe flight home felt quieter than the one that brought us there. The kids had fallen asleep halfway through, curled up under thin blankets, their faces peaceful against the hum of the engines. I watched them for a long while, brushing a strand of hair from Ava’s forehead, pretending not to notice the weight of Nic’s silence beside me.He hadn’t said much since the park. He’d disappeared for nearly an hour that evening before we left, returning only after sunset, jaw tight and eyes unreadable. When I asked where he went, he simply said, “Handled it,” and that was the end of it.Now, as the jet sliced through the night sky, he sat across from me, scrolling through his phone with a stillness that made the air between us feel heavy.“Everything okay?” I asked softly.His eyes lifted to mine for a moment before he nodded once. “Yeah. We’re fine.”But the edge in his voice told a different story.When we landed, dawn had already begun to creep across the horizon, painting the cit
Sienna’s POVThe days passed quickly as I stayed in the hospital, clinging to the hope that my mother would call—but she never did. According to Kate, I should give her time to come around. After all, she’d been lied to, manipulated, and kidnapped.When I told Kate that Janet was my mother, she had
Chapter 22: Secrets UnravelHe seemed weary, as if life itself had already drained all meaning from him. He stared at me with a mixture of pain, sadness, and disappointment, as though I was never meant to be here, as if everything that had happened was his fault.“Dad?” I called out in shock.He wa
Nic’s POVThe morning sun spilled through the curtains, landing across her face. She looked peaceful—too peaceful for someone who stormed in last night demanding I let her go.I chuckled at the memory. Let her go? Never. She may never be my wife, never have a “future” with me in the way she dreams,
I stared at the door Janet had just walked out of. She looked confused, the only words I caught were, “Do you know me? I’m… sorry.”My dad stood frozen, as if the world had flipped upside down. Kate gently held my hands and lifted Ryan, taking him out for some candy, giving me the privacy to speak







