Mag-log inVienna’s POVMy heart cracked clean open.Warren softened instantly, crouching down to Oliver’s level. "Hey, hey… buddy," he said gently. "It’s okay. Your mommy just needs a little space, alright?"Oliver shook his head fiercely. "No she doesn’t! Mommy wants you here too! Right, mommy?"Both of them looked at me.I froze."I—I…" I stammered, completely caught off guard.Oliver took a step closer. "We’re family, mommy."His words hit me straight in the chest."I love it when daddy is here with us," he continued, his voice smaller now, more vulnerable. "It feels… nice."Warren glanced up at me, his expression careful, cautious—like he didn’t want to overstep."I don’t want to make things harder for your mom," he said softly to Oliver. "She’s been through a lot lately.""But I’ve been through stuff too!" Oliver insisted, his little hands balling into fists. "My daddy was gone for a long time. And now he’s back. Why can’t he stay?"Silence fell. Because… how do you argue with that?I swa
Vienna’s POVLuna padded softly into the living room, her nails clicking lightly against the floor. For a moment, neither of us noticed her—we were too wrapped up in the heavy silence that had settled between us.Then she let out a small, pleading whine.I looked down just as she placed her fluffy head gently on Edward’s lap, her dark eyes gazing up at him with unmistakable affection.Edward let out a quiet breath, his hand automatically coming down to stroke her fur."Hey, girl," he murmured. "You always know when something’s off, don’t you?"Luna’s tail wagged faintly, as if in response.My chest tightened painfully.God… Luna. This house. The life we had started building here.All of it—every piece—had Edward’s fingerprints on it. The surprises. The laughter. The safety I had thought I’d found.My throat closed up as I watched him with her.I gave him a tearful smile, my voice trembling. "You’ve been so good to me, Edward… to us. I don’t want this to end."His hand stilled for just
Vienna’s POVMy fingers trembled as I typed the message."Glad you’re alive. You can come over anytime."Three little dots appeared almost instantly, then disappeared again. Then appeared again.Relief washed over me. Edward was there. Somewhere out there. Alive. Safe.I locked my phone and looked up to find Warren watching me carefully from across the room, his expression quiet but perceptive."That was him?" he asked gently.I nodded. "Yeah. He… wants to come over. To explain."Warren held my gaze for a moment, then gave a small, understanding nod. "Do you want me to take Oliver out for a bit?"My heart squeezed at the kindness in his voice. No jealousy. No pressure. Just… support."I think that might be good," I admitted softly.Just then, Oliver came barreling into the room, clutching one of Luna’s toys."Mommy! Look, Luna thinks this is her baby!" he giggled, holding up the slobbery plush.I forced a smile, brushing his hair back. "That’s very sweet, honey."He looked between War
Vienna’s POVAs I looked into Warren’s eyes, something shifted inside me. There was no urgency in his gaze, no pressure, no demand. Just… presence. Warmth. Understanding.And love. Real love. The kind that didn’t try to prove itself. The kind that simply… was.My heart skipped, then thudded hard against my ribs.For a split second, it felt like no time had passed at all. Like we were back in those early days—before everything got complicated, before pain and pride and fear built walls between us.Somewhere deep down, I felt it again.The love I had buried so carefully. The one I had convinced myself I had outgrown, outlived, moved on from.But it hadn’t disappeared. It had just… waited.I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. This was dangerous. Because feeling it meant everything could unravel again.Warren took a small step closer, his voice soft. "You okay?"I nodded quickly, even though I wasn’t. "Yeah. Just… tired."His eyes searched mine like he didn’t quite believe me—but he di
Vienna’s POVThe day Oliver was finally discharged from the hospital should have felt like pure relief.And in many ways, it did.But as I packed up his little bag—his stuffed dinosaur tucked under my arm, discharge papers clutched in my hand—I couldn’t ignore the quiet shift that had taken place over the past few days.Because when we stepped out of those hospital doors…It wasn’t Edward who stood beside me.It was Warren."Careful, champ," Warren said gently as he lifted Oliver into his arms. "No jumping around just yet, okay? Doctor’s orders."Oliver giggled, wrapping his arms around Warren’s neck."I’m not jumping," he said, immediately bouncing a little.Warren chuckled. "That looked like jumping.""It was tiny jumping," Oliver argued.I smiled faintly, watching them. "Let’s just get you home," I said."Already on it," Warren replied, shifting Oliver more securely against him.He didn’t even ask. He just… took charge. Naturally. Easily.Like it had always been that way.The drive
Vienna’s POVWhen I stepped back into the room, the doctor’s warning was still ringing in my ears. It felt like each word had carved itself into my chest.The door clicked softly behind me. Warren and Edward looked up at the exact same moment."What did he say?" both of them asked in unison.I blinked, looking between the father of my child and the man I had just begun falling for. The dark-haired, handsome CEO. The honey-blonde secret agent.I let out a small, strained breath."Nothing… alarming," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "They’re running some tests. Just to be safe."Warren’s eyes narrowed slightly. "And?" he pressed.Edward watched me quietly.I hesitated. Then I forced a small shrug."He just… mentioned that Oliver needs stability. That kids pick up on tension."A heavy silence fell. Warren and Edward exchanged a glance.Not friendly. Not hostile either. Just… loaded."Fair enough," Warren said after a moment, his voice neutral.Edward nodded slowly. "He’s not wrong."
Warren’s POV"Nothing," Vienna said quickly—too quickly. But I’d caught the look in her eyes just moments ago, right as I shut the trunk. There was heat in it—undeniable—and it twisted something deep in my chest. Pride, excitement, a flicker of hope. Maybe me fixing that tire had done more than ge
Vienna’s POVAfter tightening the final lug nut with a satisfying click, Warren rose to his feet in one fluid motion. “There,” he said, brushing his palms off on his jeans with an air of finality. He gave the newly secured tire a sharp kick with the heel of his boot, testing its hold. The car barel
Vienna’s POVSlowly—reluctantly—Warren reached down and placed a hand on Desiree’s shoulder. "Desiree…" His voice was rough, restrained. "You can’t keep hiding behind panic attacks and tears every time things catch up with you.""I’m not faking this—" she wheezed, her breath shallow and rapid. "I f
Vienna’s POVThe woman struggled hard, yanking against Warren’s grip like a furious cat caught by the scruff."Let go of me, you bastard!" she shrieked, twisting her arm. "This woman assaulted me! Did you all see that? That was assault!"I stood firm, chin lifted as she pointed a trembling finger at







