Dominic's POVThe skyline was black against the city's golden haze, interrupted by glass and concrete. My office was gloomy, the sole illumination coming from the windows that went from floor to ceiling. My hands rested at the small of my back, jaw set, eyes fixed on the glittering view below as Lester's voice echoed down the phone."Paperwork is tight," replied Lester, calm and assured. "Good thing is she signed willingly, no pressure, no coercion. That visitation statement reads neutral, but it leaves the door wide open."I turned and walked slowly. "And the suit?""Already rolling. The court summons will reach her in an hour. Your PR people have the press release draft. It paints you as a concerned father making a peaceful attempt to be reunited with his daughter. No shots fired, only redemption."I nodded to myself, a smile creasing the corner of my mouth. "Perfect."Lester grinned. "She probably fulfilled, she doesn't know what's coming.""She thinks it's over," I said, pouring
Serena's PovThe door closed quietly behind me, the sound muffled by heavy carpet and heavier tension. I didn't look back. I didn't need to. I already knew what was on Dominic's face, a combination of pride and delusion. He thought he'd won. That today was the start of some grand redemption tale where he was the misunderstood hero.My heels clicked methodically down the corridor from the conference room. Outside was bitter and fhe obnoxious sun cast beams across the glassy complex like it was warming him. The moron who just signed his own hangman's noose.I shoved my sunglasses back into place, cuddling my bag against the other. I could still sense the soft pressure of the pen on my fingers. Still see ink bleeding onto the page. Still hear Lester's voice, heavy with pride, hiding behind desperation.He always thinks he's the smartest man in the room until the consequences show up wearing my lipstick.I had warned him before, but not so subtly. But Dominic did not listen. Not where it
Dominic's PovClosing the door behind me, I walked to the chair directly opposite Liana. Lester was also sitting directly oposite her lawyer. The conference room felt tighter now, as though the walls had contracted an inch when Liana arrived. Her back was straight, eyes not blazing with fury or warmth. Not inviting, not provocative. Just flat out neutral. In a way it showed strength.I leaned forward slightly, hands together in my lap, and said the words I had rehearsed. "Liana, thank you for coming. I know this isn't easy."She nodded once. "It’s not. But I’m here. So let’s get to it."Lester, ever active and coordinated slid a folder across the table. "We appreciate your willingness to have this discussion off the record. As I said to your lawyer, our goal is peace. For your daughter and for everyone involved. But first I will like to know why you came with a different lawyer."“He's busy and your meeting came impromptu so his assistant came with me, but it's not an issue. I'm the o
Dominic's Pov "Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked, my hands tapping rhythmically against the dark oak conference table. The room was filled with the scent of fresh coffee, high-end leather, and cold calculation of risk.My lawyer, Lester Vallin, a gray and white haired man with a gravelly voice and the audacity of an armed gun pushed a lock of grayish brown hair behind his ear and hunched forward. His tone was flat, confident. "Absolutely. You're not asking for full custody. You're offering a compromise. That makes you reasonable to her and to the court. It gives you access and it gives her peace, no drama."I tightened my jaw, nodded. He was a senior associate so I believed him. Compromise was not something that happened in my universe of business, but this was not takeovers and mergers. This was Liana. And Cam. My child. My heart ached even as I tried to frame the word."And you think she will just let things go away?" I asked. "You think you can tell her to stand down an
Liana's POV"Mum," I said, the second Cam had taken off again in the direction of her chair across the counter, leaving behind a path of sticky fingerprints and innocence in her wake, I was actually surprised she didn't say anything. My voice was strained, too sharp around the edges, and I didn't like how defensive I already was. "About this morning…”She didn't bat an eye. She flipped the last pancake onto a plate like a woman who'd spent her life flipping more than breakfast… dialogues, expectations, situations. "Yes?" she said offhandedly, but the glint in her eye told me that she knew exactly what I was going to say."It wasn't what it looked like," I rushed to explain. "Dominic only spent the night because I… I wasn't in a good place last night. And I didn't want to be alone. It wasn't serious. I promise."She finally turned to face me, wiping her hands on the apron she somehow had on in spite of being in recovery. Her eyes, calm and clear, searched mine. “Liana,” she said simply
Dominic's PovWarmth. That was the first thing I felt when I opened my eyes to the soft gray light filtering through window blinds.Someone was holding me. Arms that were not mine wrapped around my waist. A heavy pressure pressed down on me, unyielding but not binding. And the scent, lavender and rose wrapped up in something warm and human was somehow comforting. It lingered on the cotton of the shirt and became part of the air as if it belonged there.This was far from the woody scent of my usual mornings, with their clean sheets and intentional loneliness, this… this was different.I blinked away the haze of sleep, my body trailing my mind. The bed was softer here, occupied, with the sort of soft dip that told me of late-night reading, midnight snacks, and a thousand other little indulgences. None of them, however, were mine.Why was the bed so this? Why was I in this bed? How am I not alone? Suddenly, the memory came rushing in.Last night, Liana? She had asked me to stay back.He