LOGINVienna’s POVThe next morning, over breakfast, I gently nudged Oliver. "Hey," I said casually, "can I ask you something?"He looked up with his wide blue eyes. "Yeah?"I hesitated for half a second, then smiled. "How would you feel if we… maybe… started looking for our own home?"His spoon froze mid-air. "Our own home?" His face lit up instantly. "Like… with my own playroom? And a backyard? And maybe a dog, and a cat, and bunnies?"I laughed. "Yes, exactly like that. Though I don’t know about all those animals."He gasped dramatically. "Mom! Are we really gonna move?""Well," I chuckled, "we’re going to look. And if we find something that feels right, then yes. A special place, just for you and me."He jumped off his chair, doing a little spin around the kitchen. "YES! I want a blue room! No—wait—a green one! And I want a tree outside with a swing and—and—"His excited rambling was cut off by the sound of footsteps. Harold and Celeste appeared in the doorway, blinking sleepily."What’s
Vienna’s POVMy stomach dropped so fast I actually gripped the edge of the table. "Witness?" I echoed, my voice thin. "I… I don’t know if that’s a good idea.""Miss McAllister," the woman said with a clipped, practiced tone, "without your testimony we only have circumstantial evidence of her crimes. It might not be enough to lock her away."My breath stuttered. "B–but she already had a sentence. She was out on probation. She—""Yes," the woman cut in, "and so, if you choose to provide your testimony, she will likely receive a lifelong sentence. If you don’t… well… things might get ugly. She’s hired one of the best defense attorneys in the country."Of course she did. Of course. Shit.My fingers trembled around the phone. "I… Will I have to see her?""She will be present in the courtroom, yes."A cold shiver climbed up my spine. "I… I don’t know if I’m strong enough for that, ma’am," I whispered. "I’m having PTSD symptoms and—""Good."I froze. "Good?" I repeated, hardly believing this
Vienna’s POVEleanor turned to face me fully, and I tried not to let the shock show too visibly on my face. She looked… hollow. Pale. Her cheekbones stood out sharply, as if grief itself had carved at her. Deep lines framed her mouth and eyes—lines that hadn’t been there in Paris.When her eyes finally settled on mine, they narrowed with slow, deliberate disdain."Well, well," she said, her voice cutting like glass. "Look what the cat dragged in."I swallowed hard. My first instinct was to step back. My second was to throw my arms around her and blurt out how sorry I was. Instead, my feet rooted to the floor."Eleanor…" My voice came out small, shaky. "I—I’m really sorry for how I just… disappeared. I—life has been really busy and—""Busy?" she interrupted with a sharp, humorless laugh. "That’s your excuse?""I know it’s not fair," I tried again, "but—"She pushed herself up from the chair beside Jason’s bed, rising to her full—still intimidating—height. "I thought I meant something
Vienna’s POVBefore I knew it, days blurred into weeks. My life slowly rearranged itself around something that resembled normalcy again. I still checked in at the hospital, but less often. And every day, without fail, I went to the orphanage.And so did Edward.At first it felt coincidental, but after a while I couldn’t ignore it anymore. He was always there—organizing supplies, reading to the little ones, fixing broken toys with a seriousness that would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so endearing. But after a while, I started noticing something else. Something odd.More than once, I’d catch him stepping outside. Lowering his voice, phone pressed tight to his ear. Long calls. Mysterious calls.One afternoon, as I folded a pile of donated clothes, he slipped out again. Through the open window, I heard him say, "No—keep me updated. Every hour." His tone was clipped, authoritative. Nothing like the gentle voice he used with me or the kids.When he came back in, I raised a brow. "You know,
Vienna’s POVI sank into the cushions, my heart still racing but less violently now. Edward crouched in front of me, lifting one of my hands gently from my face and placing it on my chest."Feel your heartbeat?" he asked softly.I nodded numbly."Match your breathing to my hand." He placed his other hand lightly on my ribcage, warm and steady. "In…" He inhaled softly. "And out."I followed him, shaky at first, then steadier. The room stopped spinning as violently.His calm was contagious.I blinked at him through blurry eyes. "How… how are you so good at this?"He gave me a tiny smile. "Army training. And… a lot of therapy."A drunk laugh-snort escaped me, and he seemed relieved by it.Slowly, the panic settled into something softer, something almost warm. I hadn’t expected to feel so safe here, with him… but I did. Too safe, maybe. Which was dangerous in its own way.After a few more breaths, he rose and helped me to my feet. "You should drink some water."I let him lead me to the kit
Vienna’s POVBella’s hand flew to her mouth. Zoey froze with a fry halfway to her lips.I looked into the eyes of the woman who had once felt like my enemy. All that messy history between us… Yet here she was now. One of my closest friends. My future sister-in-law. And most importantly… someone I trusted.A slow warmth spread through my chest as I watched her waiting, breath held, hope trembling in her eyes.A smile tugged at my lips, soft at first, then growing. "Of course, Ashley," I said finally, letting the words land with full sincerity.For a heartbeat, she just stared at me, eyes widening, disbelief melting into pure joy. Then she let out a tiny squeak and threw her hands over her mouth."You… you mean it?" she whispered, voice quivering.I nodded, my smile widening. "Of course I mean it."Ashley stared at me for a full three seconds, mouth open, her makeup glittering under the bar’s neon lights. "Wait—wait—say that again," she said, swaying a little but very much alert.I la







