AUSTIN’S POV I wasn’t sure I heard her right at first. “Let’s get married.”Her voice wasn’t shaky. It wasn’t unsure. It wasn’t swept up in passion either. It was calm—too calm. Like someone deciding it was time to move on due to circumstances.I paused, processing the words as Jamie rushed by laughing like nothing was wrong. Zoe just stood there with her arms folded loosely. She looked straight at me, tired but focused.“…Do what?” I asked not because I didn’t know but because I had to be certain. I wanted her to say it again.She didn’t blink. “Let’s get married.”My heart pounded. This was what I had wanted, wasn’t it? What I had envisioned when I watched her tuck Jamie into bed in my house, when she made toast in the kitchen barefoot, humming quietly while the sun came up. This was the family I had imagined building. Not broken pieces stitched together in chaos—but this. This still moment.So why did it suddenly feel like the ground beneath me wasn’t steady?I forced myself to t
ZOE’S POV The apartment was quiet except for the sound of cartoons playing on the TV. “When is daddy coming?” Jamie asked with his eyes still glued to the screen, totally into the animation. “He should be here soon, honey.” I replied. I curled up on the couch holding a cup of tea I had almost forgotten. I was in my own world.I took my phone, scroll through contacts. I wanted to dial Owen's number. But then I stopped and tossed the phone on the couch.‘He probably won't pick up.’It had been over a week since Alexis disappeared—slipped away like a ghost from the courtroom steps—and ever since, Owen had been pulling further and further away.I tried to convince myself it was temporary. That he just needed time. That maybe he was busy, or maybe something was going on behind the scenes with the case. But deep down, I knew better.Owen was avoiding me.He still came to the office occasionally, but only for what was absolutely necessary. Meetings. Reports. The kind of things that didn
OWEN'S POVI sat in the parking lot thinking about Zoe's words: “You've been going there everyday lately, Is something wrong?”She looked me straight in the eye with her soothing voice but I could tell she was curious maybe even suspicious. But I didn’t tell her the whole truth. Not even half of it.She looked at me intensely after I said it. She didn’t press further. She just nodded and said okay. I know she didn’t completely believe me. I wouldn’t have either.Honestly I've been keeping my distance. I don't want to but I have to. I'm too ashamed to be around her. I promised her Alexis would get punished for what she did. I told her I’d protect her. That she could trust me. But I failed… and now I’m not sure if I deserve another chance to try again.We haven’t really talked since the day of the trial that never happened. Since Alexis vanished like smoke, leaving only fear in her place. I see the pain in Zoe's eyes. The exhaustion. The dread. The distance.Which is why I have been g
ZOE'S POV My legs felt weak as I walked inside my apartment. The room felt heavy even with the windows open. It didn’t matter. Nothing felt real anymore. Austin was silent behind me. I sat down feeling worn out.He offered me something to drink. I wasn't even sure what. Water, maybe. I nodded and accepted it without a word. I just gazed at the glass. I didn’t drink it. I couldn’t. My mind was reeling, spinning between Alexis vanishing, the stunned look on Owen’s face in that courtroom, and the way I peeled his hands off me like they no longer belonged.“They should’ve seen this coming,” Austin said eventually, his voice breaking the silence like a crack in glass. “Owen... he was just being confident for nothing. He knew what Alexis was capable of. She’s escaped justice before. If he really wanted to protect you, he should’ve taken precautions.”I didn’t respond. Not immediately. What was there to say? Austin wasn’t wrong, and that made it hurt even more. Owen had assured me. He made
AUSTIN’S POV I got the call just before dawn.“It’s done.”Two simple words. Clean. Reassuring.“She’s out. Safely,” the voice added, flat, almost bored. But to me, it was a triumph. It meant Alexis Calder was no longer Owen’s burden to carry… or Zoe’s shadow to fear.I put my phone in my pocket, released a sigh and stood firm. I should have felt guilty for what I did. But I didn’t. This wasn’t about revenge. It was about restoration.Zoe belonged by my side. And Jamie deserved a peaceful, perfect family. Not a life caught in the middle of courtroom drama, security guards, and obsessive exes.This wasn’t cruelty. It was a reset.I left my office shortly after. I wanted to be at the courtroom—not for the outcome. I already knew what that would be. But for the look on Owen’s face when he realized he’d lost. That kind of moment... you don’t miss.When I arrived, I noticed the shift immediately.People were standing. Whispers rippled like a tide. The air was electric with uncertainty.No
AUSTIN’S POV “You really still believe you can beat her? Get Alexis locked up?”I looked Owen dead in the eye letting the silence stretch after my question.He took his time responding. But I saw doubt in his eyes and the way his jaw clenched and relaxed as if he was searching for the right words. But he was struggling with more than just my question. He was also struggling with himself. Because my words weren’t just about Alexis or the case. They were a mirror.A mirror that asked: Do you really think you’re strong enough? Smart enough? Deserving enough to protect Zoe?Finally he said “We have enough to send her to jail.”He spoke with that fake calm people use when they are trying to convince themselves as much as the person they are talking to. I almost laughed. Not because it was funny—but because it was so easy. The seed of doubt was already in him. I just had to water it.I smiled at him but it didn't reach my eyes. “Then you better give it your all, Owen. Make sure your lawyer