LIV'S POV I sat at my desk, fingers frozen on the keyboard, the blinking cursor taunting me with its rhythmic flashes. The blank screen stared back like it knew I was a fraud. The designs that usually poured out of me effortlessly now refused to come. My head was cluttered. Not with deadlines or aesthetics, but with one name and it was Viv.Where the fuck was she?Even though a part of me wanted to scream that she deserved it, the bigger part I tried to ignore, was worried. She was close to her due date, and I couldn't shake the image of her alone and possibly in pain. It haunted me.I sighed, running my fingers through my hair and leaning back into the leather of my chair. Maybe a coffee break would help. Or a walk.Just as I was about to rise, the door creaked open."Miss Bennett?" a voice drawled.I blinked, confused. The receptionist hadn't buzzed. No one announced a visitor. But there she was. Martha, Aaron's mother. Standing in my office like she owned the place.I rose slo
AARON'S POV I had been sitting there for what felt like an hour, though the clock told me it had barely been fifteen minutes. My legs were crossed, hands clasped together on my lap, as I stared at the bland, overly polished table in the small, private conference room inside Preston Group. A stainless steel pitcher of untouched water sat at the center, flanked by two empty glasses. I had poured nothing. I wasn’t here to be comfortable. I was here for answers.Then the door creaked open. My gaze snapped up.Mr. Preston stepped in first, suit as crisp as always, though the lines around his mouth looked deeper today, more worn. Right behind him was Clara Preston, Liv’s biological mother. Her face was pale, her hands wrung together as she gave me a strained smile."Aaron," Mr. Preston said, nodding politely."Good morning," Clara added, though her voice trembled slightly.I stood, just out of habit, and returned the greeting with a curt nod. "Mr. Preston. Mrs. Preston. Please sit."The
AARON'S POV Fuck! I didn’t expect to see her standing there. The soft creak of the wooden floor under my shoes had echoed across the silent room, and there was my mother, Martha Rhys. Still as a statue, her perfectly manicured fingers brushed gently against the corner of the picture frame sitting on my nightstand. It was the one photo I hadn’t managed to take down. Liv and I, smiling, happy, locked in a moment that now felt like a goddamn lie. “What are you doing in my room?” I asked, my voice dry and brittle like I’d been chewing on sand. She turned slowly, guilt sitting heavily in her eyes. It wasn’t the look of a mother who stumbled into her son’s space by mistake. No. She had come here with purpose. And I wasn’t in the mood. “Aaron,” she said softly, folding her arms. “I came to apologize.” I scoffed, stepping further in and tossing my keys onto the dresser. “Apologize? For what? The years of silence? For showing up at my door only when it’s convenient for you
LIV'S POV I held Kaelon's arm tighter the moment Louisa said those words. The Prestons? Here? At Kaelon's office? The nerve. The utter audacity. I glanced up at Kaelon, searching for his expression. His jaw had gone tight, eyes stormy and unreadable. But he didn’t say anything immediately. Instead, I pressed my palm firmer into his sleeve, letting him know he wasn’t alone in this. He looked down at me and for a fleeting second, something tender softened his features. He tugged me closer to him, his hand finding mine in a swift but quiet gesture. That was all I needed. Reassurance. And just like that, I squared my shoulders. I walked beside him as we stepped into his office. My heart pounded like a damn drumline, but I kept my expression composed. The room smelled faintly of lavender and polished wood. The large glass windows flooded it with light, casting long shadows over the sleek furniture. Kaelon’s office was every inch a CEO’s intimidating, cold, precise.
KAELON'S POV I had not rested after leaving Viv in Evelyn’s care. The sky outside was already painted in soft, silvery blues, hinting at the fast-approaching dawn when I arrived at the mansion. My eyes burned from the lack of sleep, but I didn’t care. Instead of heading straight to bed, I opted for a hot shower. I let the water cascade over my skin, washing away the tension that had embedded itself into my shoulders. After drying off, I dressed in one of my charcoal suits and rolled up the sleeves slightly. Something about the morning air called for simplicity. No tie, just an open collar and the intention to impress no one but her. Liv. I walked into the kitchen, and for once, didn’t summon any of the staff. They deserved their rest. I wanted this moment to be mine. I made her breakfast, scrambled eggs with caramelized onions, crispy turkey bacon, pancakes, and a fruit parfait I layered with a clumsy but determined hand. The smell filled the kitchen, coffee an
LIV'S POVThe first thing I noticed was the cold.It wasn’t a bitter kind of cold, not the type that chilled your bones, but the absence of warmth, his warmth. My hand stretched across the sheets automatically, eyes still closed, expecting to brush against the firm heat of Kaelon’s chest or tangle my fingers in his hair. But the space beside me was empty, deserted. The linen was cold as ice. My eyes fluttered open slowly, squinting against the soft gray light that filtered in from the high windows.My smile faltered.He hadn’t slept beside me all night.I sat up in bed, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the slight dip his body had left in the mattress. Only, there was none. He hadn’t even come to bed. I could feel the irritation bubble in my chest, creeping up slowly, threatening to spoil the serene memory of last night. The way he had held me, touched me, looked at me as though I were the only person who mattered.God, I was so naive.Throwing off the blanket, I swung my legs over