Mag-log inWarren’s POV"Oh, sure," Lauren said lightly, as if I had just asked her the time instead of questioning something as serious as a pregnancy.She reached into her designer purse and pulled out a folded document."Here you go." She handed it to me with a small, almost smug smile.I took it, my fingers brushing against the smooth paper. My eyes scanned the contents quickly.A hospital letterhead. A stamp. Medical jargon."Confirmation of pregnancy."My grip tightened slightly. On the surface, it looked legitimate.I looked up at her. "You came prepared."Her smile widened just a fraction. "Of course I did. I knew you wouldn’t believe me."I exhaled slowly, folding the paper again."No," I said calmly. "I don’t."Her expression faltered. "What?""I said, I don’t believe this."Her eyes flashed. "It’s right there in your hand, Warren."I placed the document on my desk."I don’t care what’s on paper," I said, my voice firm. "I want to hear it from a doctor. One I trust."Her composure crac
Warren’s POVI took another bite of the croissant. Despite the knot in my stomach, the buttery pastry practically melted in my mouth. Vienna had always been an incredible baker, but this… this was on another level.I shook my head in quiet appreciation. "Damn," I muttered to myself. "That’s good."For a moment, sitting there in the warm, cheerful little bakery corner, things felt almost normal. Then suddenly—"Daddy!" The tiny voice rang across the room.I blinked and turned around. "Olli!" I said in surprise. "You’re here!"Oliver came sprinting toward me like an excited puppy, his little sneakers squeaking against the floor. Before I could even stand up properly, he launched himself into my arms."Whoa!" I laughed, catching him. "Careful there, buddy!"He wrapped his arms tightly around my neck. "I missed you!"My chest tightened warmly. "I missed you too, champ."I pulled back slightly to look at him. "When did you get here?""This morning!" he said proudly. "Mommy picked me up fr
Warren’s POVAs Vienna turned around to face me, my heart sank. Her face was streaked with tears. Her eyes—usually so bright and lively—looked hollow, like she hadn’t slept in days.My chest tightened painfully."V…" I said softly, taking a step closer. "Are you okay?"Her reaction was instant. She swiped quickly at her cheeks and forced her posture straight, like someone trying to snap a mask back into place."Warren, hi," she said, her voice a little too bright. "What are you doing here?"She had completely dodged the question.I frowned slightly. "Well," I said slowly, "I realized I hadn’t actually seen the renovations I funded here in person." I gestured around the orphanage."Thought today would be a good day to stop by. See how everything turned out. And… check out your bakery."I studied her carefully. "But… if this is a bad time…"She shook her head quickly. "No. No, it’s fine," she said.The words came out too fast, too rehearsed. She was clearly lying.She turned toward the
Vienna’s POVI didn’t get a minute of sleep that night.Every time I closed my eyes, my mind replayed the same scene over and over again: the passports in my hands, Edward standing in the doorway, his quiet voice telling me he worked for the CIA.By three in the morning I gave up even pretending to sleep.I sat on the edge of the bed staring at the window, wrapped in a blanket, watching the dark sky slowly lighten."Of course," I muttered to myself. "Of course this would happen to me."I seemed to be destined for the most chaotic, impossible relationships imaginable.First Warren and all the history between us. The heartbreak, the intensity, the endless emotional rollercoaster.And now Edward.When I thought I had finally found a stable man—someone calm, mature, dependable—he turned out to be a damn CIA agent.I pressed my palms against my eyes as tears slipped through my fingers."What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered.Should I end things with Edward? Even just the thought hurt
Vienna’s POVEdward grimaced slightly. "We don’t actually use that word," he said carefully."Of course you don’t," I muttered under my breath.I rubbed my temples, trying to steady the spinning in my head. My entire reality had just been flipped upside down and he was correcting my vocabulary."Okay. Okay," I said slowly.I lifted a finger and pointed toward the staircase. "So the gun?" I asked."Standard issue," he replied calmly."The fake passports?""Operational identities.""And the mysterious disappearances?" I pressed."Assignments.""Assignments? What kind of assignments?" I asked, my heart sinking."I’m sorry, Vienna. I really can’t tell you that."Silence settled between us. The kind that buzzed with too many thoughts and too many questions.I leaned back against the couch slowly, staring at him as if seeing him for the first time."Edward…" I whispered."Yes?" he asked gently."I swear to God…"His eyebrow lifted slightly."If this is some kind of elaborate prank—""It isn
Vienna’s POV"I—I—" I stuttered.The man standing in my bedroom doorway—the same man who kissed me goodnight and made pancakes with Oliver on Saturdays—suddenly felt like a complete stranger.Three passports. Three different names. A gun.My stomach twisted. Had I been completely blind? Had my mind filled in the blanks because he looked so much like Daniel—his twin brother, the first love I had once mourned?Fear crept up my spine like ice water.But fear was weakness. And weakness was dangerous if the man standing in front of me wasn’t who he claimed to be.So I straightened my shoulders and forced my voice to steady."Who the hell are you, Edward?" I demanded.I picked up one of the passports."Or should I say Sebastian? Or Jack? Or—""Vienna," he interrupted quietly. "I can explain."His voice softened slightly, like he was trying to calm a frightened animal.It only made me angrier."Please do so quickly," I snapped. "Because every second brings me closer to throwing you the hell
Vienna’s POVI stayed focused on piping the glossy glaze over the éclairs, not even lifting my head. My voice was calm, measured."Baking’s a craft," I said lightly. "In the end, it’s the customer’s reactions that matter more than any diploma on a wall."Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the sub
Vienna’s POVAfter the broadcast wrapped, I made my way back to the dressing room. My hands still trembled slightly from the rush of it all—live television had a way of electrifying every cell in my body.God, that was a close call with the cream. I still didn’t understand how the piping bag had bur
Vienna’s POVWarren’s hand shot out instinctively, pressing gently but firmly against my waist in a protective gesture. "What the hell—?" he muttered under his breath, eyes locked on the stranger in the foyer.Desiree spun around the second she heard our footsteps. Her face, usually composed and el
Vienna’s POVWarren’s jaw locked as he stepped back, his voice sharpening with a defensive edge. “Oh, come on. You’re not doing this out of pure concern—you’re scared this’ll blow back on your job at Taste Royalty, aren’t you?”I stared at him, stunned. “Excuse me?” My voice rose, sharp and cutting.







