POV: HENRY
I stood up from the chair slowly, grabbing my coat from the backrest and putting it on with calm precision. I met his gaze over the desk, direct and firm.
“If you love her, fight for her, Lucian,” I said, my voice low but leaving no room for doubt. “Use that sharp tongue of yours to win her over, not push her away. And take the advice you’re always throwing at me like you’re some expert in happy endings.”
He lifted his eyes, and for a moment, there was no sarcasm, no irony. Just silence. And truth.
“It’s different with Kate,” he murmured, shrugging as he lowered his head, his gaze fixed on some random spot on the floor. “Either way, it doesn’t matter anymore. She’s getting married soon.”
The resigned tone didn’t suit Lucian. This wasn’t sarcasm or theatrics. It was real discomfort, mixed with p
POV: HENRYI stood up from the chair slowly, grabbing my coat from the backrest and putting it on with calm precision. I met his gaze over the desk, direct and firm.“If you love her, fight for her, Lucian,” I said, my voice low but leaving no room for doubt. “Use that sharp tongue of yours to win her over, not push her away. And take the advice you’re always throwing at me like you’re some expert in happy endings.”He lifted his eyes, and for a moment, there was no sarcasm, no irony. Just silence. And truth.“It’s different with Kate,” he murmured, shrugging as he lowered his head, his gaze fixed on some random spot on the floor. “Either way, it doesn’t matter anymore. She’s getting married soon.”The resigned tone didn’t suit Lucian. This wasn’t sarcasm or theatrics. It was real discomfort, mixed with p
POV: HENRY“I know,” I said firmly, without hesitation. “But I have something they won’t refuse. A solid, straightforward, strategic proposal. A quiet trade: truth for stability. And above all… protection for Noah.”I pointed at the letter with my index finger, keeping my gaze locked on his.“They want peace? I’ll offer it. They want to preserve the family name? I’ll ensure it. But James…” I paused, feeling the anger simmer beneath my skin, controlled but present, “…won’t come near my son. That’s non-negotiable.”Lucian broke into a slow, wide grin, as if recognizing the weight of the move. He raised his eyebrows with a mischievous glint, leaning back in the armchair, clearly pleased with the direction of the conversation.I arched an eyebrow, furrowing my brow, without losing the firmness in my
POV: HENRYI slowly shifted my gaze from the desk and locked eyes with him. The smirk at the corner of my mouth didn’t fade. If anything, it grew wider.“I had a feeling he’d try to pull the same stunt I did with Ethan,” I murmured, clicking my tongue in disdain as my eyes drifted back to the monitors. “It’s classic James. He doesn’t know how to create anything original… so he steals. Ideas, actions, people. Everything he can’t have, he tries to take by force.”The monitor displayed the comforting image of the mansion’s living room. Lauren sat on the plush rug, smiling as she held Noah in her lap, his little legs kicking to the rhythm of Theodor’s excitement as he gestured animatedly, trying to explain a card game to his baby brother. The scene was absurdly simple, yet it stirred in me a mix of tenderness and rage. Tenderness from seeing them like that, at peace.
POV: HENRYI was in my office, high up in the company building, with the lights off and only the computer screen illuminating my face. The silence was thick. The mansion’s security cameras were open on every angle, and my eyes scrutinized every recorded second, searching for any flaw. Any movement. Any mistake that could have allowed that bastard to get in.James.The name alone was enough to make my jaw clench and my blood boil in my veins.I leaned forward, elbows resting on the glass desk, and played the video in slow motion. My breathing was steady and controlled, but every muscle in my body was on high alert. Sweat trickled down my back, even in the icy room.And then, there he was.“Son of a bitch…” I whispered through gritted teeth, my jaw tightening as I saw his image wearing a lowered cap and a thermal backpack on his shoulders. Pizza deli
POV: LAURENJames stopped laughing. His expression still carried a trace of scorn, but I saw his throat bob as he swallowed hard. For the first time, the idiot hesitated. His eyes locked on the barrel of the gun inches from his forehead, and the tension in the room became unbearable.“Henry…” I called out firmly, approaching cautiously, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. “He’s not worth it. This is what he wants. He wants to drag us down with him. Think of the boys.”Henry didn’t take his eyes off James. His finger rested steady near the trigger. He was trembling, not from fear, but from pent-up rage. He was at his breaking point, and I knew it would only take one more slip from James for this to turn into a tragedy.“Come on, James. Get up. Leave while you still can,” I added, glaring at him with disgust. “And pray this is the last time you dare cross th
POV: LAURENJames struggled to regain his balance, that cynical smile still plastered on his face, as if he were enjoying the thick tension in the air.“I already told you, Henry. I came to see my son,” he replied, his voice dripping with mockery, his gaze shifting directly to me over the shoulders of the man protecting me. “What’s wrong, Lauren? Surprised?”My stomach churned as he tilted his chin with that filthy, arrogant expression, his dark eyes glinting with malice and contempt.“Did you really think I didn’t know?” he continued. “That Violet’s baby was mine? That woman followed me for weeks, called me in the middle of the night, and humiliated herself for attention. That bitch practically begged me to sleep with her and then showed up pregnant.”“You’re truly a spineless piece of trash,” Henry snarled, h