LOGINNATHANIELThe sunroom door slides shut behind her, the sound soft, almost weightless, and yet it carries, settling somewhere deep in my chest.I stand there, staring at the empty doorway, hoping she might walk back in and explain herself, but I know better. She isn’t coming back.A slow, frustrated breath escapes me, and I drag a hand through my hair, gripping at the strands as my jaw tightens.Why did I do that? The question presses in immediately, sharp and unwelcome. Why did I have to pick a fight with her?My gaze lingers on the door for a second longer before I force myself to look away, my thoughts dragging me back to the moment she walked in.I could have sworn my heart stopped.Grace hadn’t mentioned anything about asking for her help, and judging by the way Betty froze when she saw me, she hadn’t known either.We both froze, caught in the same moment of realization, neither of us had prepared for.It was the first time seeing her after I learnt the truth, and I wasn’t sure ho
BETTYGrace comes back moments later, breathless and triumphant, clutching a brown paper bag that looks far too heavy for her small hands.Sand spills slightly at the edges as she drags it across the floor, leaving a faint trail behind her.“I got it!” she announces proudly, dropping it beside the table.I glance up briefly, forcing a small nod before returning my attention to the table, keeping my movements contained.Grace’s voice fills the room again, light and animated.“Dad, for my birthday this year, I want a big party. Like a really big one. I want to invite all my friends from school.”There is a quiet pause, but I already know what his answer will be before he says it.“You can have whatever you want.”My fingers tighten slightly around the small glass bottle in my hand as I pretend to check if it is clean enough, even though I have already done that twice.“Can I have ponies too?” she asks, her tone turning hopeful, “Like real ones that my friends and I can ride?”He laughs.
BETTYAs I walk toward the main house, each step feels heavier than it should, like the ground itself is resisting me, or maybe it is the other way around.My nails dig into my palms as I keep my gaze fixed ahead, refusing to let it wander or for a memory to sneak in before I even cross the threshold.Grace needs help with her science project. A volcano. And she said it had to be done in the main house because everything we needed was already there.I tried to convince her to do it at the guest house, and that I would buy everything she needed, but she bluntly refused. So I had no choice but to give in.While I am here, I’ve thought about bringing up the conversation about the shares, but the idea settles uneasily in my chest, equal parts terrifying and tempting.I draw in a slow breath as I reach for the door, but before my fingers even touch it, the door swings open, and Anders appears composed as always, like he has been expecting me down to the exact second.“Hello there, Anders,”
NATHANIELI spend almost the entire day in a boardroom, surrounded by men who speak in numbers and expectations, each carrying weight that stretches far beyond these walls.Acquisitions are debated, projections challenged, and the upcoming real estate project is pulled apart piece by piece until there is nothing left to question.By the time we get to the final vote, I have already said everything that needs to be said. William Cavendish is no longer a possibility, but a decision.One by one, the board members raise their hands, and just like that, he becomes an investor.I lean back slightly in my chair, my expression neutral, but my mind already moving ahead, calculating what this is going to cost me. Because he will.I step out of the room, the weight of the day settling into my shoulders, and stop briefly by my secretary’s desk, my tone clipped and efficient.“Forward anything that needs my attention to my email. I’ll go through it later tonight.”She nods quickly, already typing,
NATHANIELI am in Harriette’s garden with the tablet balanced on my thigh, the glow from the screen cutting through the quiet like it has something to prove.The sun is sinking slowly behind the hedges, dragging the last of the daylight with it, but the garden remains lit in that deliberate, curated way Harriette prefers, casting long shadows across the roses.It is quiet. Too quiet.But I prefer it this way, because the study has started to feel suffocating, the walls closing in every time I sit in that chair and remember everything that is currently unraveling in my life.Out here, at least, there is space, and my thoughts feel contained, even if only barely.There is a bottle of whiskey on the table beside me, already opened, and used more than it should be, with a glass poured, waiting.I reach for it, take a measured sip, and let the burn settle in my chest before I bring my attention back to the screen.I zoom in again, and the footage sharpens just enough to tease clarity, but
BETTYMrs. Marshall exhales softly, relief washing over her features as she reaches for my hand, her fingers wrapping around mine in a firm, grateful squeeze.Validation. She got what she needed.“I suppose you will be the one hosting the monthly tea parties now,” the same woman continues, her tone lighter now, almost amused as she gestures upward. “I mean… look at that chandelier.”Her hand lifts slightly, pointing toward the fixture above the dining table, the crystals catching the light in soft, calculated reflections.“And this table… these chairs…”“Oh, do settle down,” another woman interjects with a quiet chuckle. “We all have eyes. We can see.”A ripple of soft laughter follows, and just like that, the tension in the room shifts.They then move naturally, like a single unit, and turn toward the bedrooms as their voices lower to quiet murmurs, their heels clicking softly against the floor as they disappear down the hallway.I stay where I am, my fingers tightening slightly agai
NATHANIELIt’s finally time to close the Virnkirk deal, a moment that should feel clean and decisive, but for reasons no one has bothered to explain properly, they want Rhys present.The request irritates me more than it should because I don’t need his theatrics or his unpredictable presence muddyin
BETTYAfter a full day of dust, drills, and paint samples, I still feel like the construction site clings to my skin.My fingers smell faintly of fresh cement and marker ink, and my back aches from leaning over blueprints all day.I should have gone home to shower, but Lucy can be very persuasive.S
BETTYI’ve been avoiding Rhys since the day he found me at the cemetery.The way his arms wrapped around me, and how I clung to him longer than I should have, hasn’t left my mind since.He didn’t pull away. He didn’t say a word. He just let me stay there, quietly breaking against him, and it didn’t
NATHANIELI walk down the hallway from Grace’s room, the low lights casting long shadows against the walls, and reach for the glass of whiskey I abandoned earlier on the console table.The liquid burns slightly as I take a slow sip, the warmth settling in my chest but doing nothing to ease the ache







