POV: HENRY“And what exactly do you think you can offer me in exchange for my daughter?” Ethan asked with disdain, leaning back indifferently as he brought the cigar back to his lips. “Do you really think I'm going to trade my own daughter like she's some kind of luxury item?”“Coming from you, that wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” I replied without hesitation, keeping my gaze fixed on him, sharp. “But we’re not talking about trades yet. I’m here to propose a deal.”The tension in the air thickened. I took a firm step forward, making sure to assert my presence. He didn’t intimidate me—not his posture, not the smoke he used as a distraction.“I’m willing to freeze the lawsuit against you and authorize partial release of your accounts, which were blocked after the corporate fraud report,” I spoke slowly, each word hitting i
POV: HENRYI slowly slid my hands into the pockets of my suit jacket. The movement was calculated and controlled. My fingers curled into fists inside, tightening with force, as if that subtle gesture was the only barrier between reason and violence. I could feel the heat of anger rising through my arms, my muscles tense, and cold sweat beginning to form at the base of my neck. The urge to lunge at him was nearly uncontrollable. But not now.I raised my gaze and looked at him with absolute coldness. My voice came out firm, commanding—the kind that silences an entire room the moment I walk in.“We’ll deal with this situation another time, Walker,” I said clearly, without raising my tone, but with the kind of rigidity that comes from someone used to giving orders and being obeyed. “As I said, we have matters to discuss.”“And you expect me to welcome you like this, without ev
POV: HENRYI was on my way to Ethan Walker’s mansion when the car came to a sudden stop in front of the main gate. My eyes were immediately drawn to one of the vehicles parked ahead. I recognized Kate’s car instantly. My jaw clenched tightly, the muscles in my neck tensed, and I felt my blood rush faster through my veins.I got out of the car and marched straight to the side of her vehicle. I knocked hard on the window, in no mood for politeness. The glass rolled down slowly, and there she was, with a baseball bat on the passenger seat and a clearly forced smile on her lips. Her eyes carried a trace of nervousness poorly hidden beneath a mask of false calm.“Henry? What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice slightly shaky, though she tried to sound casual.I raised an eyebrow slowly and stared at her without looking away. The weight of my presence was intentional. Cold. Commanding.
POV: LAURENI stepped back with difficulty, feeling my legs falter under the weight of what I had just done. My entire body trembled. The baby’s cry still echoed in my ears when, suddenly, the door was flung open violently. The wood slammed against the wall, and Ethan stormed in like a hurricane. His eyes were wide, bloodshot with rage, and his clenched fists made it clear that his fury was about to explode.“Have you completely lost your mind, Lauren?!” he shouted, his voice sharp, filled with hatred. The yell made the baby jolt in the nanny’s arms and cry even louder. Ethan whipped his head toward the sound and shot the nanny a look that sent chills down my spine. “Shut that child up! Her crying is driving me insane!”My chest tightened instantly. That hurt more than any physical blow. I stepped forward, placing my body between him and the nanny, my eyes locked onto his, burning with indignation.
POV: LAUREN“What?” she gasped, her eyes wide with shock at my reaction. The mask of superiority slipped for a moment, revealing pure astonishment. Before she could respond, the loud cry of a baby echoed through the house.My body jolted instantly. The uncontrollable crying filled the stairs and flooded the halls like an alarm, triggering every cell in my body. My eyes welled up with tears, and I let go of Violet’s wrist forcefully, shoving her back without hesitation. She stumbled two steps, but I didn’t look back.I ran up the stairs, heart pounding, hands shaking, completely ignoring Violet’s desperate screams echoing behind me:“Hey! You can’t go up there!” she shouted, breathless. “This isn’t your house anymore!”I didn’t care. I opened one door, then another, until I flung open the third. Inside the room, I found a y
POV: LAUREN“What are you doing in my house?!” Violet’s voice cut through the air like a blade—shrill and filled with fury. She stopped at the door and looked me up and down, her eyes locking onto the tear in my shirt that exposed part of my bra. “In my husband’s office, with that shameless face… Have you completely lost your mind, you wretched bitch?”Her gaze was dripping with contempt, her lips twisted in disgust, and I froze, my heart pounding so hard it made my chest ache. I tried to fix my shirt with trembling hands, but it was useless.She stepped forward, and before I could react, she grabbed my arm tightly. Her grip was brutal, her fingers digging into my flesh like she wanted to bruise every bone. A whimper escaped me as I felt her sharp nails tearing into my skin.“You came here to offer yourself to him, didn’t you?” Violet hissed, her f