LIV’S POVThey resumed arguing after Martha said something. It was like walking into a conversation that had started long before I even existed.I stood there, numb and uninvited, watching the chaos unfold around me. Everyone was talking at once. Aaron, the security team, and the woman I now knew as Martha Rhys. Their voices overlapped and were thick with accusation and pain. None of them noticed me. I might as well have been wallpaper."What the hell were you thinking, calling her?" Kaelon's voice was a low growl, dangerous and sharp.Aaron crossed his arms, unbothered. "Calling who?"Kaelon's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Don't play dumb with me, Aaron! How long have you been talking to her behind my back?" He asked through gritted teeth."Oh, for Christ's sake!" Martha suddenly snapped, stepping forward, her heels clicking sharply on the marble. "Stop scolding my son like he's some disobedient child!"Kaelon turned to her, his jaw tight and eyes blazing. He looked read
KAELON’S POVI stood in the silence of my study, every breath labored, as if air itself had turned against me. My hands were clenched at my sides, and the burn of suppressed rage simmered beneath my skin.Martha fucking Rhys. Her name echoed through my skull like a curse I couldn’t outrun. And Liv. Liv stood a few feet away, her eyes wide and searching, trying to find her footing in the mess I hadn't yet begun to unpack.I looked at her, those hazel eyes laced with concern, confusion, and something dangerously close to understanding."She left me," I started, voice low, hoarse. "Martha. Years ago. I was supposed to marry her. Everything was ready. My entire fucking life was lined up for that one moment, and she vanished just few moments after giving birth to Aaron. Just like that. No note. No phone call. Nothing."Liv's expression softened, and I hated how it made the lump in my throat swell."I didn’t hear from her until months later. My investigation led me to France. She had marri
LIV’S POVJust as I finished dressing up, Kaelon took a few steps towards me and cradled my face in his large, warm hands and kissed my forehead. There was something different in the way he looked at me then. It wasn’t lust. It wasn't a possession. It was something deeper, raw, intense, almost frightening in its honesty.I couldn’t say a word. My lips were swollen. My thoughts were jumbled. My legs barely held me up as he pulled me into his arms, whispering against my hair, "Come upstairs with me. Let me show you your room."His room.Our room?I followed him, barefoot and a little dizzy from what just happened. He opened the door to a guest room, but it looked like nothing like that. The pale ivory walls were soft and feminine, and the bed was large and inviting, with velvet throw pillows arranged like a royal display. Sunlight streamed in through sheer curtains. It smelled like lavender and Kaelon."You’ll stay here," he said, watching me for my reaction. "I want you here. With m
VIV’S POVThe curtains in my room barely let in the light these days, but I liked it that way. The dimness suited the dull ache that lived inside my chest. I lay curled up on the bed, my hand instinctively resting on my slightly rounded belly. It wasn’t too obvious yet, but it was undeniable now. The second trimester had crept up on me like a quiet storm. I couldn’t wear half of my old clothes anymore. My heels were beginning to pinch, and I had long since traded out my wine nights for long, empty hours of silence and sleep.The wine bottle on the nightstand still had some left in it, from weeks ago. I hadn’t touched it. Not since the doctor reminded me that alcohol was a no-go if I cared even a bit about the baby. I did. Despite everything, I did. Even if its father didn’t want me. Even if he now walked the earth with his heart given to someone else. I winced, my hand clutching my middle. The pain wasn’t physical. Not yet, anyway.Aaron.He was like a wound that wouldn’t close, f
VIV’S POVThe Blackwood Mansion has always been magnificent up close. It had the kind of beauty that slapped you in the face, then dared you to be worthy of it. But I knew better than to go close to it.Kaelon might think that I was here to steal and might use that against me. I sighed.I walked with Martha towards the sidewalk leading up to the main estate. It was as if she was treading with caution too. But the walk still felt longer than it should have, mostly because I was waddling like a penguin and trying to keep the tension in my chest from boiling over. Martha Rhys walked in front of me, measured and composed, the kind of woman who had probably learned to weaponize silence before she learned to speak.We didn’t talk until we entered the shaded terrace far away from any of the cameras that might be watching. Kaelon was smart, he will know about this meeting, but what he won’t know, is what it was about.The common idea would be that I want to tell her that I’m carrying Aaron’s
Aaron’s POVThe late afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows of my study, painting golden lines across the hardwood floor. I leaned back in my leather chair, a tumbler of bourbon in hand, not because I needed it, but because it added something familiar to the space. Ryan and Dante sat across from me, both perched on the edge of the couch like they were waiting for news I hadn’t yet dropped."You sure about this, man?" Ryan asked, fingers laced behind his head. "Moving out? This place is like a palace. You own it.""Yeah," Dante chimed in. "Why the hell would you want to leave this mansion and go to a condo?"I sipped slowly, eyes drifting to the quiet street below. "It’s not about the size or the damn view. It’s about peace. About space. About not constantly being haunted."Ryan snorted. "Haunted? Please don’t say you mean Liv."I didn’t answer immediately. The silence in the room thickened."Look," I finally said, setting my glass down. "Being here... it reminds m
Liv“Fuck! I'm cumming Aaron.." My steps slowed and I could hear my heartbeat ringing in my ears.Wasn't that Vivi’s voice?All I wanted to get from our suite was a breather from the fake smiles and loud music of the hall. I never expected to be greeted by such a heart wrenching sight. You might be wondering what the hell is going right? Well, it's supposed to be my fucking bachelorette party. As well as his bachelor party.We are SUPPOSED to be married by morning.Aaron had been adamant—we weren’t going to do separate parties like everyone else. He didn’t want a bachelor party without me.I also didn't want a bachelorette party where I would have to plaster on an unwilling smile, wave and say, “Thanks for coming," to strangers.So here we were, throwing a joint party, dancing among his friends and family, in the glamorous ballroom of his father’s hotel. I continued down towards the suite and stopped in front of the door. My heart raced as I got closer, and then I heard Vivi’s
KaelonThe moment her lips crashed into mine, I was stunned. I hadn’t seen it coming, not from her—the woman I had just found up on the rooftop, screaming her lungs out like her world had come crashing down. I stood there, frozen for a beat, feeling her hands grip my collar, pulling me closer. I could taste the alcohol on her lips, bitter and sharp, but beneath it... there was something else. I pulled away. “Whatever caused you to be like this is not worth it. After tonight, trust me you'll feel better." I wasn't going to have someone kill herself at my hotel and worse on my son's wedding day. She smiled, said nothing but leaned in again and continued assaulting my lips with the most stimulating kiss I have had in a long time.I knew I should push her away. Hell, I wanted to push her away, but something about the way she kissed me—the desperation, the raw emotion—tugged at something deep inside me. I hadn’t kissed anyone like this in years. Decades, even. It wasn’t just about lus
Aaron’s POVThe late afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows of my study, painting golden lines across the hardwood floor. I leaned back in my leather chair, a tumbler of bourbon in hand, not because I needed it, but because it added something familiar to the space. Ryan and Dante sat across from me, both perched on the edge of the couch like they were waiting for news I hadn’t yet dropped."You sure about this, man?" Ryan asked, fingers laced behind his head. "Moving out? This place is like a palace. You own it.""Yeah," Dante chimed in. "Why the hell would you want to leave this mansion and go to a condo?"I sipped slowly, eyes drifting to the quiet street below. "It’s not about the size or the damn view. It’s about peace. About space. About not constantly being haunted."Ryan snorted. "Haunted? Please don’t say you mean Liv."I didn’t answer immediately. The silence in the room thickened."Look," I finally said, setting my glass down. "Being here... it reminds m
VIV’S POVThe Blackwood Mansion has always been magnificent up close. It had the kind of beauty that slapped you in the face, then dared you to be worthy of it. But I knew better than to go close to it.Kaelon might think that I was here to steal and might use that against me. I sighed.I walked with Martha towards the sidewalk leading up to the main estate. It was as if she was treading with caution too. But the walk still felt longer than it should have, mostly because I was waddling like a penguin and trying to keep the tension in my chest from boiling over. Martha Rhys walked in front of me, measured and composed, the kind of woman who had probably learned to weaponize silence before she learned to speak.We didn’t talk until we entered the shaded terrace far away from any of the cameras that might be watching. Kaelon was smart, he will know about this meeting, but what he won’t know, is what it was about.The common idea would be that I want to tell her that I’m carrying Aaron’s
VIV’S POVThe curtains in my room barely let in the light these days, but I liked it that way. The dimness suited the dull ache that lived inside my chest. I lay curled up on the bed, my hand instinctively resting on my slightly rounded belly. It wasn’t too obvious yet, but it was undeniable now. The second trimester had crept up on me like a quiet storm. I couldn’t wear half of my old clothes anymore. My heels were beginning to pinch, and I had long since traded out my wine nights for long, empty hours of silence and sleep.The wine bottle on the nightstand still had some left in it, from weeks ago. I hadn’t touched it. Not since the doctor reminded me that alcohol was a no-go if I cared even a bit about the baby. I did. Despite everything, I did. Even if its father didn’t want me. Even if he now walked the earth with his heart given to someone else. I winced, my hand clutching my middle. The pain wasn’t physical. Not yet, anyway.Aaron.He was like a wound that wouldn’t close, f
LIV’S POVJust as I finished dressing up, Kaelon took a few steps towards me and cradled my face in his large, warm hands and kissed my forehead. There was something different in the way he looked at me then. It wasn’t lust. It wasn't a possession. It was something deeper, raw, intense, almost frightening in its honesty.I couldn’t say a word. My lips were swollen. My thoughts were jumbled. My legs barely held me up as he pulled me into his arms, whispering against my hair, "Come upstairs with me. Let me show you your room."His room.Our room?I followed him, barefoot and a little dizzy from what just happened. He opened the door to a guest room, but it looked like nothing like that. The pale ivory walls were soft and feminine, and the bed was large and inviting, with velvet throw pillows arranged like a royal display. Sunlight streamed in through sheer curtains. It smelled like lavender and Kaelon."You’ll stay here," he said, watching me for my reaction. "I want you here. With m
KAELON’S POVI stood in the silence of my study, every breath labored, as if air itself had turned against me. My hands were clenched at my sides, and the burn of suppressed rage simmered beneath my skin.Martha fucking Rhys. Her name echoed through my skull like a curse I couldn’t outrun. And Liv. Liv stood a few feet away, her eyes wide and searching, trying to find her footing in the mess I hadn't yet begun to unpack.I looked at her, those hazel eyes laced with concern, confusion, and something dangerously close to understanding."She left me," I started, voice low, hoarse. "Martha. Years ago. I was supposed to marry her. Everything was ready. My entire fucking life was lined up for that one moment, and she vanished just few moments after giving birth to Aaron. Just like that. No note. No phone call. Nothing."Liv's expression softened, and I hated how it made the lump in my throat swell."I didn’t hear from her until months later. My investigation led me to France. She had marri
LIV’S POVThey resumed arguing after Martha said something. It was like walking into a conversation that had started long before I even existed.I stood there, numb and uninvited, watching the chaos unfold around me. Everyone was talking at once. Aaron, the security team, and the woman I now knew as Martha Rhys. Their voices overlapped and were thick with accusation and pain. None of them noticed me. I might as well have been wallpaper."What the hell were you thinking, calling her?" Kaelon's voice was a low growl, dangerous and sharp.Aaron crossed his arms, unbothered. "Calling who?"Kaelon's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Don't play dumb with me, Aaron! How long have you been talking to her behind my back?" He asked through gritted teeth."Oh, for Christ's sake!" Martha suddenly snapped, stepping forward, her heels clicking sharply on the marble. "Stop scolding my son like he's some disobedient child!"Kaelon turned to her, his jaw tight and eyes blazing. He looked read
LIV’S POVI stood there, staring at Kaelon, waiting for him to say something or anything. His entire demeanor had changed in the blink of an eye. One minute, he was intense and possessive; the next, he was distant, cold, and distracted. It felt like someone had flipped a switch inside him.“I will be right back.” I said to him as I stood up to get freshened up in his private restroom.I returned after a while, brushing invisible wrinkles off my skirt.He was lost in his pc typing away. I felt the frustration rising in my chest. “Who the fuck was on the phone with you, Kaelon?”His eyes snapped to mine, unreadable as always, but now tinged with something I couldn't place. I rolled my eyes, not wanting to think about why he wanted to withhold whatever information it was from me. “Evelyn,” he said, as if that explained anything.I arched my brow. “And what did Evelyn say?”He looked away briefly, jaw tightening. Then he took a step forward, voice calm but urgent. “Go freshen up in the
Kaelon's POVThe antique clock on the wall ticked louder than usual, each second dragging its heels like it was in on some twisted joke. I sat behind my desk, elbows braced on the armrests of the leather chair, my fingers drumming a slow, erratic rhythm on the polished mahogany surface.She’d been up there too long.The room was quiet except for the occasional pop of the fire in the hearth and the whisper of the wind nudging the tall windows. My study—usually a place of control, of solitude—felt tight, suffocating. Like the walls had crept a few inches closer while I wasn’t looking.I clenched my jaw and stopped tapping for a beat. Then started again.What the hell could they still be talking about?My mind spun in restless circles. She said she needed to see Aaron alone. I agreed, albeit reluctantly. I trusted her—hell, I trusted her more than anyone at this point—but it didn’t mean the idea of her being alone in a room with him didn’t twist something uncomfortable in my chest.A
LIV’S POVThe sun filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm golden hue over the room and gently kissing my bare skin. I shifted slightly, stretching as my eyes blinked open, adjusting to the soft morning light. Kaelon's arms were wrapped around me like a cocoon, his solid body curled protectively behind mine. The heat he radiated felt like a second blanket, comforting and familiar. His scent—woodsy, masculine, and unmistakably his—lingered in the sheets, on the pillow, and in the air that filled my lungs.I felt his lips press tenderly against the back of my shoulder, a soft brush that sent a shiver through me."You awake?" he murmured, his voice still hoarse with sleep and intimacy.A smile tugged at my lips as I whispered, "Barely."Another kiss, this time just beneath my ear. "I like waking up with you," he murmured against my skin, his breath warm.I turned to face him, propping myself up on my elbow. His dark hair was tousled in every direction, his eyes still heavy