Mag-log inVienna’s POVI hadn’t even fully processed her name when she pushed past me."Lauren—" I started, but she was already striding into the house like she owned it, her heels clicking sharply against the floor."Warren!" she called out, her voice cutting through the calm of the villa.My stomach dropped.Warren appeared from the living room, his expression shifting from relaxed to alert the second he saw her."What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone low but controlled.Lauren didn’t answer right away. Instead, she pulled out her phone with a dramatic flick of her wrist and marched straight up to him."You need to see this," she said, shoving the screen toward him.Warren frowned slightly, taking the phone.His eyes scanned the image. I walked up to him, looking over his shoulder.And there it was. Me and Edward. The night he took me on a date to that starlit dome. That was ages ago."She’s cheating on you," Lauren said, her voice sharp, almost gleeful—but underneath it, something unh
Vienna’s POV"Peru?" I gasped, staring at the departure board as the word finally sank in.Warren smiled beside me, his arm wrapped securely around my waist—like it had been almost nonstop since the wedding. Like he needed the physical reassurance that this was all real."Yes," he said, a little sheepishly. "Peru."I turned to him fully. "You’re serious?""Very."My eyes widened. "Warren… that’s—" I laughed breathlessly. "That’s incredible."He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking just a little nervous under my reaction."I, uh… I contacted Raphael."I blinked. "You what?!"He lifted his hands slightly in surrender. "Hear me out.""Warren," I said, half-laughing, half-stunned. "You contacted Raphael?""Yes," he said, smiling now. "He’s a seasoned traveler. I needed recommendations."I stared at him."You… asked a man you can’t stand for advice on our honeymoon?""I asked someone who knows you," he corrected gently.That shut me up."He said Peru has the best cacao in the whol
Vienna’s POVEleanor didn’t speak right away.For a moment, she simply stood there, her hands loosely clasped in front of her, her posture as composed as ever—but there was something different in her eyes."I owe you an apology," she said finally.I blinked, caught off guard. "Eleanor—""No," she cut in gently, shaking her head. "Please. Let me finish."I fell quiet.She took a small breath."The last time we spoke…" she continued, her voice measured, "I overreacted. I allowed my emotions to take over, and I—" she hesitated, her lips pressing together briefly "—I spoke to you in a way that was neither fair nor appropriate."I studied her carefully."I thought about it afterward," she went on. "And I realized that you had just returned from Paris. You had your life, your responsibilities… your child."Her gaze softened slightly."You didn’t ignore me out of malice. You were simply… busy. Overwhelmed."A small, almost self-aware smile tugged at her lips. "I, on the other hand, chose to
Vienna’s POVEdward gave me a small, almost wistful smile."You look happy," he said.There was no accusation in his voice. No bitterness.I swallowed, my fingers tightening slightly around my glass."I am."He nodded slowly, like he had expected that answer. Like he needed to hear it."That’s all that matters," he said gently. "I’m really happy for you, Vienna."Something in my chest softened."Thank you," I said quietly.For a moment, we just stood there. A shared history hanging between us, no longer painful, but not entirely weightless either."You look…" I started, then hesitated."Like I’ve slept in the last month?" he offered with a faint smirk.I huffed a small laugh. "Kind of.""Good," he said lightly. "That’s exactly the look I was going for."Before I could respond—"Everything okay here?"Warren’s voice came from beside me.I turned, my heart giving a small, automatic flutter as I saw him. He looked relaxed on the surface, but I knew him well enough now to catch the subtle
Vienna’s POV"Warren," I began softly. "We all know our story hasn’t been easy."A few quiet laughs."That’s one way to put it," Ashley muttered somewhere behind me.I smiled faintly."But through everything," I continued, "through the pain, the loss, the mistakes… we found our way back to one another. And that’s because…"I met his eyes."You never gave up on me. So… I forgive you," I said gently. "Not because the past didn’t matter, but because I believe in who you are now."He nodded, a single tear spilling over now."And I promise," I added, my voice steady, "to never walk away again. To face everything together.""Together," he echoed softly."By the power vested in me," the officiant said with a warm smile, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."Oliver bounced slightly."Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"Laughter rippled through the crowd.Warren didn’t hesitate. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me—His lips met mine in a soft, deep, certain kiss.And in that moment—Everything felt righ
Vienna’s POVThe next month passed in a blur.A beautiful, chaotic, slightly overwhelming blur of fabric samples, flower arrangements, cake tastings, and late-night conversations that stretched into laughter and quiet reassurances.We didn’t want anything extravagant. No grand spectacle. No media. No pressure.Just… us."I don’t want to wait," Warren had said one evening, his hand wrapped gently around mine as we sat in the villa’s garden."Neither do I," I had admitted.So we didn’t.We kept it small. Intimate. Real.And somehow, that made it feel even bigger.The morning of the wedding came far too quickly.I stood in the bridal suite, staring at my reflection, my hands trembling slightly as I smoothed down the fabric of my dress for what felt like the hundredth time."You’re going to wrinkle it before you even walk down the aisle," Ashley said from behind me, her tone teasing but warm."I can’t help it," I muttered. "I’m nervous.""Good," Bella chimed in, adjusting one of the delic
Vienna’s POVCallahan leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to something intimate and venomous. "Tell me, Ms. McAllister… do you have panic attacks?"My chest tightened."Do loud noises set you off?""I— That’s not relevant—""Do you experience distorted thoughts? Hallucinations?""No!" I blurted,
Vienna’s POVWhen I took the stand, the room seemed to fall away into a thick, waiting silence. The judge stared. The jury leaned forward. Lawyers poised their pens. Even the audience seemed to be holding its breath.But I didn’t see any of them.My eyes locked on one person only.Desiree.She sat
Vienna’s POVThe moment we stepped out of the courthouse, the tension that had been coiled around my ribs for days finally loosened. Desiree Hale was gone—officially, permanently, irrevocably gone. Her shadow, however, still clung to all of us like a stain that would take time to wash away.But for
Vienna’s POVI gasped when the doors opened and a wheelchair rolled in, carrying my youngest half-brother.Jason.He looked… alive. Fragile and thin, yes. But his skin had color again, and there was a spark in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. When he spotted me, he gave a cheeky little wink as he was







