LOGINVICKY’S POV Alaric stepped out of the elevator with that composed stride of his, his eyes flickin’ between me and the HR woman. He looked every bit the executive in his suit, but I could see the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, like he was tryin’ not to smile at the chaos I’d already stirred up on my first day. The HR woman, whose badge read Vivian Vance, Director of Floor Operations, immediately straightened her jacket, plastering on a fake smile. “Mr. Verilli! Thank goodness you’re here. We have a security breach. This… woman claimed to be the new manager for your sister’s entire sector. She doesn’t have corporate credentials, and she’s been incredibly combative.” Alaric didn’t even look at Vivian. He walked straight past her, stopping right in front of me. The space between us felt loaded with the history of the last few months, but there was no malice in his eyes anymore. I crossed my arms tight over my chest and cocked my head at him. “Well, look who decided to s
VICKY’S POV It’s been three whole months since the whole disaster and things had finally slowed down. The family had officially accepted me as Leo’s woman. Damian and Cindy had just packed up and relocated back to London, considerin’ the baby was almost six months old now and pullin’ through her milestones like a champ. Damian’s whole business empire was based in the UK, but he’d stayed away all this time just so Cindy could have that close family moment before he takes her away permanently. I still remember the ache in my heart as I watched their private plane take off into the clouds. Now that Cindy is gone, what next? Originally, I wanted to move straight back to Texas to reopen Lily cafe and bookshop. It had been closed down for over a year now and considerin’ that’s the only thing I had goin’ on for me since I abandoned my entire life for my scammin’ ex-husband, Dave. I told Cindy about it before she left and she hugged me tight before layin’ out her final decree. “Vic,
VICKY’S POVThe driver drove me straight out to the penthouse, and the entire ride, my stomach was doin’ flips.When the car finally pulled up, I was completely thrown off by the vibe. It was an incredibly quiet place, totally surrounded by tons of beautiful, vibrant flowers. It definitely had the soft touch of a woman all over it.Leo told me this was the original house the Verilli family lived in before they moved to that massive mansion, and Rosie had loved this place more than anythin’ because of her flowers.She grew every single bloom out here herself, and after she passed, they buried her right in the middle of her favorite spot.I got down from the car and quietly went inside the house. The front door was unlocked, and the whole place was dead silent.No one was around.I started lookin’ around, and my eyes landed straight on a tall portrait of a gorgeous woman hangin’ on the wall. She looked so much like Cindy it was actually crazy.I paused, starin’ up at her, and the reali
LEO’S POVAlaric stared at me for one long, heartbreaking second, his eyes filled with a fresh wave of tears and bitter hatred. He didn’t say another word.He violently shoved his napkin onto the table, turned around, and angrily stormed out of the dining room, his heavy footsteps fading down the hallway until the front doors slammed shut.The room fell back into a dead, suffocating silence. I slowly looked down at Vicky, whose eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and fear. I reached down, my hand gripping her shoulder possessively, making sure she knew that no matter what storm was coming next, she would forever be mine.Later that night, the silence of the mansion seemed to concentrate entirely inside my bedroom. Vicky was there, lying in my bed, her back pressed against my chest while my arm wrapped around her waist.Now that the cards were on the table and the family knew the truth, there was no longer any need to sneak around.But she was oddly silent. Her body felt stiff, dev
LEO’S POV“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alaric repeated, and then the dam broke.He didn’t lunge at me. He didn’t throw a punch. Instead, tears of betrayal poured down his face.“How could you?” he choked out, his voice rising with a pain that rattled the quiet office.“You knew what my last breakup did to me, Dad! You watched me crawl out of that dark hole for months! You knew how much I wanted Vicky, and the whole time, you were behind my back, taking her for yourself?”“Alaric—”“No, shut up!” he screamed, his hands shaking violently as he stepped closer.“You shipped me back to D.C. You lied to my face, telling me it was for the business, just so you could have an empty house with her! You’re supposed to be my father. You’re supposed to protect me, not stab me in the back for some girl who was mine first! You’re a hypocrite. A selfish, pathetic excuse for a father.”The words tore through my pride, hitting the rawest part of my soul.I had no defense. I had nothing to save me.“I
LEO’S POVThe view from the top floor of the Verilli headquarters usually brought a sense of power, but this morning it felt like a wall holding back a storm.The doors of my office clicked open, and Damian stepped inside. He had a stack of regional distribution files tucked under his arm.Ever since Cindy had stepped back to focus on the baby, Damian had completely thrown himself into managing her share of the corporate assets, proving himself a capable son-in-law while she handled the early weeks of motherhood.“You called for me, Leo?” Damian asked, shutting the door behind him and walking over to my desk.“Yes,” I said, turning away from the window and resting my hands on the desk.“I need to talk to Alaric. And for the first time in my life, I have absolutely no idea where to start.”Damian set the files down, his expression shifting from corporate to deep concern.“The big conversation.”“The final one,” I sighed, running a hand over my jaw. The weight of it was settling heavily
DAMIAN’S POVShe flinched at my words, her body going rigid in my arms for a heartbeat before she softened again. I could feel her trying to hold herself together, fighting the tremble that ran through her.I pressed my face deeper into the curve of her neck, breathing her in like she was oxygen.
CINDY’S POV“Ms. Moore,” I said, my voice calm but carrying clearly across the table, “what exactly is the matter? And why do you object?”Evelyn straightened her shoulders, lifting her chin in that way she always did when she believed she still held the upper hand.“I object on the grounds of my f
CINDY’S POVThe moment I stepped through the threshold, the room seemed to hold its breath.After years of deliberately staying far away from the cutthroat world of boardrooms and power plays, I was back, walking straight into the fire.This time, though, I was ready to show everyone exactly what a
DAMIAN’S POVAs much as I tried to hold it together in that boardroom, the second the break was called and I stepped out, something inside me snapped.The corridor blurred around me as I walked faster, shoulders hunched and hands clenched into fists at my sides to stop them from shaking.I found th







