Caroline’s Point of View
The morning sun casts a soft glow across the house as I grab my bag and step into the hallway, ready for work. My phone buzzes in my hand, a gentle reminder from my calendar about the meetings I have scheduled for the day. I’m preoccupied, mentally running through my tasks, when a voice stops me in my tracks.
“Knoxx, are you ready?” Dolly’s voice echoes from the living room.
I pause, my brow furrowing. What is she up to now?
I step toward the room, and there she is, sitting on the couch with an air of practiced innocence. Her hand rests lightly on her baby bump as she looks up at Knoxx, who’s standing a few feet away.
“Take me to my pregnancy check-up today,” she says sweetly, tilting her head as if she’s just made the most reasonable request in the world.
Knoxx’s expression tightens slightly, but he nods. “Alright. Let me get my keys.”
My
Penelope’s Point of ViewI always knew there was something about Lorenzo.It wasn’t obvious. He never flaunted it. Never wore arrogance like cologne or tried to dominate a room. But it was there—in the way he stood still when others fidgeted. The way he never raised his voice, only his gaze. The way people paused when he walked past. Like something in him carried weight that couldn’t be seen but could absolutely be felt.And now I know why.It’s late when I come over.Bryan fell asleep at my place after movie night, and Lorenzo texted me to bring him home. When I arrive, the front door is unlocked—something he never does—but I don’t think much of it. I walk in carrying Bryan, his little arms draped around my shoulders, his breath warm against my neck.The house is quiet.Too quiet.&n
Caroline's Point of ViewTime isn’t moving. It’s dragging. Bleeding. Folding in on itself.Every tick of the clock feels like it’s cutting into my chest, a dull knife twisting deeper the longer we wait. I pace the length of the Hill mansion's study, my nails digging crescent moons into my palms. Adrian stands by the window, silent. Brooding. Calculating.Knoxx is crouched over his laptop, eyes unmoving, his fingers flying over the keys. His jaw is locked, the vein in his neck pulsing with restrained fury. I don’t think he’s blinked in the last ten minutes.I keep watching him.Because if I stop, my mind will go somewhere dark. Somewhere I can’t afford right now.Then his voice slices through the suffocating silence.“Got it.”I rush over to him, breath catching in my thr
Knoxx’s Point of ViewThe mansion is full of noise—guards barking orders, security footage playing on loop, staff whispering in corners—but all I hear is the silence on the other end of my phone.That silence that came after Dolly hung up.That silence that shattered Caroline.It’s been hours since Liam disappeared.The power’s back on, but the air still feels suffocating. Thick with panic and something worse—dread. Like the walls of this place know something we don’t. Like the house is holding its breath along with the rest of us.Caroline hasn’t slept. She hasn’t eaten. She just keeps pacing the living room, her arms crossed tightly, her hair pulled up in a messy knot she probably doesn’t remember tying. Her eyes are rimmed red, but dry now. She’s past the tears. She’s in the stage wher
Knoxx’s Point of ViewI don’t remember parking the car.I don’t remember if I even turned off the engine.All I know is that my chest is about to split open as I sprint up the front steps of the Hill mansion. The guards try to say something—I don’t hear them. My heart is pounding in my ears, louder than their words, louder than anything else.Then I see her.Caroline.She’s crumpled on the stairs, clutching something in her hands, her entire body shaking with sobs so violent it makes me want to fall apart. Her hair is a mess, her shoulders jerking, and her face—God, her face looks like someone reached in and ripped something out of her soul.“Caroline!” I call out.Her head lifts slightly.And the moment her eyes meet mine, she runs.&nb
Caroline's Point of ViewI fold Liam’s tiny jacket and place it on the bottom shelf of the built-in wardrobe. It still smells like strawberries and grass. There’s a faint ketchup stain on the cuff I missed in the wash, but it makes me smile, even now. The Hill mansion may be enormous, cold in places, full of old wood and heavier silences—but this room is starting to feel like ours. Little by little. Drawer by drawer.“Ma’am, please,” one of the maids says gently from the doorway, wringing her hands as she glances at the pile of suitcases beside me. “We’ll take care of that. You really don’t have to trouble yourself.”I glance back at her and chuckle softly. “It’s fine, really. I need the movement. It’s practically exercise.” I shoot her a reassuring smile, wiping the light sheen of sweat from my brow. “If I stay still too long, I start overthinking again.”She opens her mouth, maybe to argue, but I cut her off with a playful, “How about turning on the TV instead? I need background noi
Caroline’s Point of ViewWhen the door opens, I nearly drop the pen in my hand.It’s ridiculous—I knew he was coming. I was the one who approved the meeting. I was the one who told Mira to send the invite. I’ve had days to prepare, hours to rehearse what I would say, and still… when Knoxx Wayne steps into my office, I feel my breath snag in my throat like I’ve been caught doing something I shouldn’t.He stands in the doorway for a second, just looking. His eyes sweep across the room—not frantic, but searching. Like he’s expecting someone else to be here. Or maybe like he’s hoping this moment will feel different than it does.His gaze lands on me, and it lingers.Not in a flirtatious way. Not the way it used to, back when things were simple and dangerous and too full of heat. This is different. Quiet. Careful. Like he&rs