Mag-log inNyx's PovI went to my room not long after Gabe left.He had taken a few things and walked out with his men like nothing had happened. I felt a small wave of relief wash over me. Whatever dark plans he had cooked in his mind were cut short—but I still wondered what could have scared him enough to leave so suddenly.I brushed the thought away.My day was already heavy. Gabe didn’t deserve more space in my head. Whatever problem he had run into, he would deal with it himself. Men like him never knew peace anyway.I stepped into my room and decided I needed a hot bath. My body ached, my mind even worse.In the bathroom, I paused in front of the mirror. My eyes looked tired. Older. I glanced down at my belly—rounder now, unmistakable. My hand moved there on instinct.“Daddy’s gone,” I whispered softly. “And I miss him so much.”My chest tightened, but I forced a small smile for the baby.And the thought of my little girl?Leaving her again had torn something open inside me. Walking back i
Mason's PovWe’d been parked in that damn car all day.Me and the boys… playing games on our phones, talking nonsense, wasting time, waiting for Nyx.And now the sun was dying behind the buildings.Night coming fast.Miles still left to drive.And Nyx was nowhere in sight.Most people would call me stupid for letting her go alone.But no.They don't know her like I do.Nyx isn’t the type to run.She hates Gabriel too much for that.She’ll stay close just long enough to destroy him properly… that was the kind of woman she was.I leaned back, smiling to myself.How much did I know her?Maybe more than I should.Since the day I came to this city to work under Gabe, I noticed her.Watched her quietly.Studied her.Nyx was beautiful without trying—raw, sharp, stubborn, glowing even when she was angry.Maybe I liked her more than I should.Hell… she was exactly my type.Gabe never deserved her.He let greed and jealousy swallow him whole.Now he thinks he owns her?Idiot.I didn’t know whe
I didn’t go straight home.I asked the taxi to circle town first. Left. Right. Long turns. Dead streets. Busy ones. I needed to be sure Mason and his men hadn’t decided to grow curious. By the time the car finally stopped in front of the house, my chest was already tight.I stared at the gate.For a second, I almost told the driver to take me somewhere else.What was the point of walking in if I’d be leaving again?I breathed out slowly, fixed my face, and stepped down.The door was open.And there—right in front of me—was the life I’d been running from.Dad sat by the window, chessboard laid out between his knees and Rynna’s tiny hands. My little girl was serious, brows furrowed, holding a piece like it might explode if she touched it wrong.I let out a shaky laugh before I could stop myself.Of course Dad would be teaching her chess.Tears burned my eyes.Why was he so determined to turn her into a miniature version of himself?“Nyx?”My mother’s voice broke through the room.Everyo
Nyx's PovI found Gabe in the sitting room, scrolling through his phone like he had nothing to worry about.I stood there, holding my calm like it was glued on my face.“I’ll be going to town today,” I said. “I have some school paperwork to sort out.”He didn’t look up at first. Then he did—slow, studying me like I was lying by simply breathing.“Fine,” he said. “As long as you go with your company.”I forced a small smile. “I actually want to go alone. I’ll be back before evening.”He laughed. A quiet, sharp laugh that hit my nerves.“Nyx… you look different these days. Calm.”His eyes narrowed. “But I still don’t trust a single word you say. And I know you’ll jump at any chance to ruin me.”I said nothing. Just stared.Pretended peace.Pretended softness.Pretended I wasn’t seconds away from cracking.Holding this fake kindness was starting to drain the life out of me.The truth?I didn’t have any school work.Ever since I saw Renz in my dreams, I hadn’t been the same.I woke up res
Renz's PovPain dragged me back to life.My eyes opened slowly, the ceiling above me cracked and yellow… nothing familiar. My body felt wrong, heavy, stitched together in places I didn’t remember. But I breathed in—slow, deep—and a small smile pulled at my lips.“I’m alive,” I whispered.Tubes were stuck into my arms, wires all over my chest. Machines beeped beside me like they were mocking death for failing again.I pushed myself up with a grunt.And there he was—Marco.My brother. My right hand. My real blood.He stood stiff beside the bed, eyes shiny, face pale like he hadn’t slept in days. Poor kid. He must’ve been scared out of his mind. Probably thinking I’d never wake up.I gave him a small nod.He held my gaze… and a tear dropped. The idiot actually cried.“Damn,” I rasped, my voice hollow and cracked. “How long was I out?”Marco didn’t answer.He walked forward and hugged me so tight my ribs almost cried too.“Forty days… forty nights,” he whispered into my shoulder.I chuckl
I walked into the kitchen quietly, the way I always did these days.Elena was at the stove, her back to me. I’d memorized her routine by now. When she cooked. How she chopped. How she hummed under her breath when she thought no one was listening.So today… I wanted to cook for myself.But the moment she saw me, she froze like I’d walked in with a gun.Her eyes widened.“Nyx? What are you doing here? You should have called me. I would have come.”I breathed in through my nose, slow, steady.Why did everyone act like I might break at any second?“I want to cook,” I said with a small smile—not warm, just polite.Elena blinked at me like she didn’t believe what she heard.“Cook? No, you shouldn’t be in the kitchen. You’re pregnant. You should be resting.”“I’ve rested enough,” I said simply. “I want to make my own food.”Elena’s mouth tightened."I doubt Gabe would approve that."A small, cold laugh left me.“I don’t care what Gabe approves.”I met her eyes.“From today… I’m cooking my ow







