ログインCiara's POV The house felt different after the funeral. I can't find the right words to describe it. It just felt... quieter? “Why did Mom had to leave us?” I muttered under my breath as I moved through the halls, careful not to make too much noise. Simon had been gone for three days and he hadn't seen it necessary to call or text his wife on his whereabouts. “I should just let him be. He may be grieving.” I muttered again. I just feel so alone. I haven't seen Cain since the funeral. it just felt like he packed his bag and disappeared. Or maybe, he doesn't have the audacity to see me, or the creativity to come up with a miserable explanation or a reason. So, Natalia was truly pregnant for him?! As I stepped into the living room, I saw a figure moving about. “Simon?”He turned. “Hi, babe.”Babe? I stepped closer. He didn't reek of whiskey smell and his eyes weren't bloodshot either. Wow, my mouth fell open in shock. I sniffed in the air. The only smell... scent I could perceive
Ciara's POV The hospital room smelled... bad. I cringed my nose to block the pungent smell of antiseptic and fading flowers. Monitors beeped in a steady rhythm while mother lay in the bed, smaller than I remembered, her skin pale against the white sheets. Tubes ran into her arms and her breathing came shallow. We all knew it wouldn’t stay that way. I sat on one side of the bed. Cain on the other. Simon stood by the window, arms crossed, staring out at the city lights. Aunt Linda lingered near the door with father, both of them silent.The rest of the family and friends came and went in shifts, but right now it was just us. The ones who mattered most, or were hurting the most. Mother’s hand found mine, her cold fingers wrapped around my own. Then she reached for Cain’s hand too. He let her take it without hesitation. “Love is messy,” she whispered. Her voice cracked. “But don’t let it destroy you like it destroyed me.” Her eyes moved between us. Simon’s jaw tightened when Cain’s
CAIN'S POV I had been able to use Natalia's influence to gain some grounds into the the board meeting. I didn't have to pretend to be some fucking influential anonymous donor. I came as Cain. Cain fucking Hale. A smile spread across my lips.Fuck, I know she may be using me too and we're both running out of time but I hope she gets there when I do.Twelve men and women sat around the long table in their tailored suits, pretending they weren’t watching every move between the three of us. Simon sat to my left, Gabriel on his other side scribbling notes. Natalia leaned back in her chair across from me, her legs crossed, and eyes sharp. Lawyers flanked on both sides, with papers spread out in the board room. Ciara sat between Simon and me exactly where she didn’t belong. Her dress was modest enough for the meeting, black and fitted, but I knew what was underneath. I always knew. My thigh pressed against hers under the table. She didn’t pull away. Her fingers tightened around the edg
Ciara's POV The dining room lights felt too bright. Every crystal on the chandelier caught the candle flames and threw them back at us like accusations. I sat there with my hands in my lap, trying to keep them still while the photos kept scrolling on Aunt Linda’s tablet in the center of the table. Blurry but clear enough. Cain and me at the gala. His hand on my waist. My face tilted toward his. The angle made it look intimate. Too intimate. No one said the word affair. They didn’t need to. Father’s fork hovered over his plate. He hadn’t taken a bite in five minutes. Aunt Linda kept tapping the screen, zooming in on another angle. Natalia leaned back in her chair, lips pressed together like she was trying not to smile. Jess stared at her wine glass like it owed her money. Simon sat beside me, one arm draped over the back of my chair, fingers occasionally brushing my shoulder. He hadn’t raised his voice once. That was what made it worse. “Interesting lighting,” Simon said calmly,
Ciara's POV The dining room smelled like roasted lamb and expensive wine, but all I could taste was ash. The long table stretched out under the chandelier, every seat filled with family and a few board members who pretended they belonged. Simon sat at the head tonight, playing the gracious host, his smile sharp enough to cut glass. I sat to his right, fingers wrapped so tight around my wine glass I thought it might snap. He had been too quiet all evening. Too attentive. The kind of calm that made my skin prickle. “More wine, darling?” he asked, already reaching for the bottle before I could answer. He poured it slow, eyes on me the whole time. When he set the bottle down, his hand lingered on my thigh under the table, squeezing once. Hard. A warning wrapped in affection. I smiled for the room. “Thank you.” Across from me, Cain watched. His jaw stayed tight. He hadn’t touched his food. Every time Simon’s hand moved on my leg, Cain’s fingers flexed around his fork like he wan
Ciara's POV When morning came, Aunt Linda stopped by the house to get more supplies for mom who was still at the hospital. She came just when the chef was serving us breakfast and with little pressure from Simon she stayed back for breakfast. She sat at the head, looking more tired than last week. She barely touched her food. She just watched me. I kept my gaze on my plate, pushing the salmon around with my fork. Simon sat beside me, his hand resting on my knee under the table. Across from us, Cain leaned back in his chair with an unlit cigar pinned between his fingers. Whenever I raised my eyes from my plate, Cain was already staring. He'd then glance away so quickly or shift his posture uncomfortably. I caught Linda's eyes darting among the three of us as she lifted her wine and took a slow sip. “Ciara,” she said suddenly. “You’ve been quiet lately. Everything alright with the family?” I forced a smile and looked up. “Just tired. The storm last night kept me up.” Simo
Ciara's POV Simon pulls me upstairs, his fingers tightening around my wrist like he already knew I’d done something unforgivable. I whimper, struggling to free myself, but he doesn't let go until we are finally in the room with the door shut. He gently places me on a stool and kneels before me.
Ciara's POV I shouldn’t have slept, not after what almost happened in that kitchen but I forced myself to sleep as soon as I made it back to bed without getting caught. And the next day,I woke up to an empty bed. Simon is already up. I sigh and rub my hands over my face. I hope he doesn't brin
CIARA'S POV I totally forget what I came here for. All I can see is a tattoo, sweaty abs and a V-shaped that was lost somewhere beneath his waistband— "My face is up here." He snaps his fingers. Oh! I lift my head to meet his face. "Can you turn down the noise? I need to get work done ups
Ciara's POV That touch meant nothing. So why do I still feel it? I rush out and lean against the wall in the hallway trying to steady my breathing. Cain’s follows me, striding forward and only stopping when he's very close to me. Standing in a tight hallway, we hold each other breath, neithe







