LOGINEva's POV
For a moment, everything felt like it had been suspended in place, as though the room itself had paused to take in what had just happened. Lola’s hand was still mid-air, caught in a grip she clearly hadn’t expected, and the tension that had been building all evening shifted so suddenly that I almost didn’t process it right away.
Then I saw him.
And something in my chest loosened in a
Eva's POVFor a moment, everything felt like it had been suspended in place, as though the room itself had paused to take in what had just happened. Lola’s hand was still mid-air, caught in a grip she clearly hadn’t expected, and the tension that had been building all evening shifted so suddenly that I almost didn’t process it right away.Then I saw him.And something in my chest loosened in a way I hadn’t realized I needed.Relief came first, sharp and immediate, followed closely by something quieter, something warmer that I didn’t quite name but couldn’t ignore either. I hadn’t expected him to show up like this, not at that exact moment, not with that kind of presence, and yet there he was, standing between me and everything that had been closing in just seconds ago.I hadn’t been afraid. I knew that much. But
Ethan's POV I kept working and sorting out the company's files, I didn't realize time had flown so much. It wasn’t until I leaned back slightly, rolling the stiffness out of my shoulders, that I finally glanced at the time.9:07 PM.For a moment, I just stared at it, letting the number settle in my mind before the realization followed right behind it. I was late for the family dinner.A quiet exhale left me as I pushed back my chair, the faint scrape against the floor louder than it should have been in the empty office. I had planned this better, or at least I had thought I did, blocking out enough time to finish everything before heading over, making sure nothing urgent would pull me back.Clearly, that hadn’t gone as planned.I reached for my phone as I stood, already mentally adjusting what needed to be done next, when the screen lit up with a notification.It was a message from Stone Face.I paused for a fraction of a second before opening it, my gaze scanning the short line of t
Eva's POVFor a moment after Ezra’s words settled, I just looked at her, trying to decide whether I had heard her correctly or if I had misunderstood the tone behind it. There was something deliberate in the way she spoke, something layered beneath the calm surface, and it didn’t sit right with me.“What do you mean by that?” I asked, my voice steady but edged with quiet disbelief as I leaned forward just slightly, my attention fixed on her.Ezra didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her lips curved into a faint smile, one that didn’t carry warmth, only a kind of quiet satisfaction, like she had already achieved what she intended by saying it in the first place. Before she could respond, Anna cut in.“Oh, come on,” Anna began, her tone light but dismissive, as though she were brushing aside something insignificant. “Let’s n
Eva's POV The tension at the table hadn’t eased, not even slightly, and I could still feel the weight of their scrutiny pressing in from every side. I heard the sound of the door opening and turned to see that Lola was walking inside. She appeared at the doorway with the same sharp presence she had earlier, though this time there was no mask of composure, no attempt at control. Her gaze swept across the room quickly, dismissing everyone else in a second before it landed on me.And froze, more specifically on where I was sitting.Her expression changed instantly, the irritation rising so fast it barely gave her time to contain it. “What is she doing there?” she demanded, her voice cutting through the room as she stepped inside without waiting for acknowledgment. Every head turned toward her, though no one spoke immediately. Her eyes locked onto mine again, sharper now, incredulous.“Stand up,” she said, her tone direct and commanding, like she expected obedience without question.I d
Eva's POV“There you are,” she said as she lifted a hand slightly in invitation. “Come closer, child.”I didn’t hesitate. I closed the distance between us, aware of every pair of eyes tracking my movement, measuring, judging, questioning, but I didn’t let it slow me down. When I reached her, I leaned in gently and wrapped my arms around her in a brief, respectful hug. She returned it without pause, her hand coming up to rest lightly against my back, the gesture natural and unforced.“I’ve been waiting to meet you properly,” she murmured, just loud enough for me to hear.“So have I,” I replied quietly, pulling back.When I straightened, I caught the expression on her face again—pleased, genuinely so—and it struck me how different it was from the rest of the room.“Sit here,” she said, gesturing to the seat on her left.
Eva's POVThe silence that followed that single sentence—Ethan’s fiancée—didn’t break immediately. It stretched, thin and fragile, as if the entire room needed a moment to rearrange itself around what had just been said.I could feel it in the way their gazes lingered longer now, sharper, less curious and more deliberate, like they were trying to measure me against a standard I hadn’t been introduced to.Anna was the first to recover.“That’s… unexpected,” she said, though the word didn’t quite cover the expression on her face. Her brows were drawn together, her lips pressed slightly as she looked toward Ethan’s grandmother. “We’ve never heard anything about Ethan being engaged.”Her tone wasn’t outright accusatory, but it carried enough disbelief to make the question beneath it obvious.“You weren’t meant to,” Ethan’s grandmother replied calmly, folding her hands lightly on the table. “Which is exactly why we’re all here tonight.”Anna blinked once, clearly not satisfied with that an







