Mag-log inThird Person POVRussell steps back, offended by the accusation. His eyes sweep over the crowd and the consensus is clear—they do suspect him.“Really?” Russell asks, holding out his arms. “You think I did it? You think I somehow magically made him have a heart attack to take over the company? Are you guys listening to yourselves?”Now that he voiced it out, it is kind of silly, Elena thinks to herself.It’s not like he was around when the whole thing happened. It’s just that Uncle Marcus is at the height of his emotions, which is causing him to act out like this.The logic is getting easier to absorb now, and Uncle Marcus sits back down, breathing hard. “If you didn’t want to be suspected, then maybe you shouldn’t fucking ask who’s going to take over the damn company.”“I’m just being practical over here,” Russell says. “We still don’t know if it’s going to be me or you or Elena.”“I already forfeited my position,” Uncle Marcus snaps at him. “Just… can’t you just be normal and stop f
Elena’s POVThe phone falls from my slackened grip, crashing right onto the floor. Everything feels like it’s in slow motion. The room spins, the jewels in front of me turning into a cluster of stars, making me sway in my spot.Tristan catches me before I can fall.“I need to get to him,” I just stammer. “I-I need to get to Grandpa….”“Then I’ll take you,” Tristan says without hesitation.Simone nods and takes the jewelry away. She reaches for the one around my neck and I unclasp it myself and hand it to her. I know I’m mishandling a gift like it’s nothing, but Tristan doesn’t even pay attention to it. His eyes are on me. His hand is on my back, consoling me, leading me to the door.“Find out what hospital they’re in,” Tristan orders James, who jumps into it immediately. “Hey, just breathe, okay? Don’t panic. Your uncle is on top of it. He has to be. Right?”I try to nod, but my entire body is shaking. I try to pick up the phone to call Uncle Marcus again and ask where they are, but t
Elena’s POVDenial hangs at my lips, ready to come out. But for some reason, I don’t have the conviction to let it out. I just stare at Tristan like a deer caught in the headlights. Like I had nothing to say. Like I had no guilt to hold.Tristan stares at the paper, his eyes raking through it. It’s just the signature page, but it’s loaded. It almost feels like our entire history is on there, under his scrutiny.“Tristan,” I start to say, even though I have no defense. “I-I can explain—”“Explain what?” He can’t even put the paper down. “You told me… you said you had something for work that you wanted me to sign. This was it, right? This was the thing that you wanted me to sign all along?”I don’t say anything. Because what else is there to say?“You said you can explain.” Tristan’s voice rises with emotion. “But now you’re not saying anything. Funny how that works, huh?”I can tell that he wants to get out of the car. Maybe just out of my space in general. But he stays there, staring
Elena’s POVThe school’s family day passes like wind. I barely even keep track of it. One moment, Tristan and I are coming back to see the kids and Alexander. Then the next, I’m at the sidelines watching them play more games.I cheer. I laugh. I smile.But my insides are empty.The only saving grace for the day is the happy faces of the children as we take them back to the car.“Will they have another family day next year?” Liam asks happily as he clings to my hand. “I want to go again!”“This one just ended and you want another one?” I ask, smiling as he nods eagerly. “Well, I think they do have another one, yes. We’re joining again. Until it becomes way too embarrassing for both of you to have us adults around.”“That will never happen,” Sophie pipes up, and all of us laugh.Even Tristan.Even Alexander.Guilt crawls all over me like insects. The papers are still in my bag and they feel all heavy as I get into the backseat, guiding Sophie inside while Alexander takes care of Liam, w
Third Person POV“Let go of me!” Mira screams, her voice raw as the cops drag her to the station. “Do you know who I am? Do you know what I can do?”The threats are now empty, and she knows that very well. Still, it doesn’t stop her from spouting them at the officers who push her against a seat and try to make her behave. She can still taste what it was like to have those threats actually mean something. For them to have some sort of weight.For them to be backed by one of the most powerful men in New York.She doesn’t have that now. She hasn’t had it for a while, she realizes just now as the officers lay out the paperwork in front of her.Did she ever even have it, Tristan’s protection?His respect to gain that protection in the first place?As a bitter taste in her mouth appears, she realizes that she probably never had it.“Ma’am we need to ID you,” the officer in front of her says. “Please cooperate.”She looks at the lady officer, stunned. “Cooperate with what? I did nothing wron
Elena’s POVSeeing Tristan with Liam was the kind of emotional lashing I didn’t know I could ever experience.Side by side, they look more alike than ever. The same smile, the same features… everything. It’s like my genes didn’t even stand a chance with him, even though they were dominant with Sophie.I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to be obvious, that Tristan shouldn’t ever know. I found myself cheering for them, my mind immediately wandering to the possibility of what life could’ve been like if Tristan just accepted my pregnancy from the beginning and ignored Mira.It would be like this. We would still be here, maybe. He will be joining the game too. Not as someone Sophie just invited, but someone who’s rightfully here.And when I saw him stand up for Liam….The deceptive signing document feels heavy in my bag all of a sudden.Alexander and Sophie finish the race as the champions. He carries her in his arms and spins her around, and she just looks so happy. Liam comes running out of
Elena’s POVThat night, I go home feeling… weirdly uplifted.I don’t know if it’s because I have a solution for the party and how to escape the scrutiny I know I will receive, or the fact that I agreed to a date with Alexander. All I know is that after this whole day—which is utter disaster in ever
Tristan’s POV“Who released this statement?” I roar, looking at the faces in front of me.I gathered all my staff to talk about the reports circulating. I just can’t believe that they would say something about the break-in without my permission. Something so big and damaging that it could destroy w
Elena’s POV“Alexander!”My scream echoes in my ringing ears. Time slows down, almost sputtering to a halt, and as I rush towards Alexander, it feels as though my limbs are traveling through amber. Slugging. Unable to reach him in time.Grace gasps. I know she didn’t mean to do it. She’s out for me
Tristan’s POVI came to Elena’s house fully prepared to confront her about what she did to our kids, about the two miscarriages she had that she felt the need not to tell me about. I’ve been angry and hurt and distraught. I was ready to fight. I didn’t care about her threat of being able to take me







