Vanessa POVThe front door clicked behind us, and a quiet settled in the mansion, despite the emotional outburst of the kids towards the news we told them at the outing,they seemed to have come to terms with the fact that things would be the way they were. Liam’s small hand slipped into mine as we stepped into the grand foyer, the scent of polished wood and fresh flowers greeting us like an old friend.“Edward!” Mandi’s voice echoed down the hallway, bright and familiar, as she ushered Gwen and James inside. They all looked exhausted but happy, cheeks flushed from the day’s adventure. The kids went further in, still chatting about the arcade games they’d conquered.Before I could respond, Edward appeared in the doorway between the foyer and living room, standing by a man I recognized immediately, Tobias. Edward’s elder brother. They both looked just as composed as always, though Tobias’s eyes carried a sharper edge.“Vanessa, Mandi,” Edward greeted warmly, a genuine smile lighting his
Vanessa POVA couple hours later, we were in the theater. me, Mandi, Gwen, James, and Liam. I let them pick the movie, something animated and chaotic with talking animals in space. I didn’t even care what it was. I just wanted this moment with my sister. I needed it.I glanced sideways at Mandi as we all laughed at something ridiculous on-screen. Her eyes sparkled with nostalgia.“I’ll miss this,” she whispered.“Me too.”As the movie played, I found myself thinking of everything, of how Liam clung to his astronaut buzz light year, of the haunting message I received at the zoo, of the strange box from Kaz. Was he watching? Was he waiting? The fear still lingered under my skin. But Edward’s security team was alert. And I had to believe I was safe. That Liam was safe.I scrolled through my phone quietly, going through the photos from yesterday. The zoo, the party, the amusement park. Everyone had been smiling, and yet beneath those smiles was tension. Edward glaring at Daniel, Daniel em
Edward POV 2 hours earlier,The low hum of the car was the only sound as I drove through Manhattan’s haze. The city hadn’t fully woken yet, just enough movement on the sidewalks to remind me the world never really slept. I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, eyes flicking up to the rearview mirror out of habit.Vanessa’s silhouette flashed in my memory. Her naked back tangled in our sheets, hair a red tangle on the pillow, skin still warm with the echoes of last night. I should’ve stayed longer. Traced every line of her with my lips. Memorized the way she curled into me after she slept, like she’d finally found home again.I missed her already.But Tobias was waiting. And I knew my brother well enough to know he wouldn’t have shown up unannounced unless it was something big. Something… ugly.“Don’t let it be them,” I muttered under my breath as I made a left toward my company building. “Not again.”My family’s talent for manipulation ran deep. Especially my mother’s. She ca
Vanessa’s POVMay 11thSun rays poured softly through the curtains, causing a golden shadow to reflect along the bedroom walls. I blinked slowly, limbs still tangled in warm sheets that smelled like Edward Silver, masculine, addicting. My body ached in the best way possible, a reminder of how fiercely he made love to me last night. The way he touched me, made me feel so good, like I was his, like he waited years to claim me again. And maybe he had. Maybe we both had. All those years of being apart, all the times we had constant ups and downs, everything was building up, and leading us to this moment.Right now, the light was too bright, too loud, and It was noon.I stretched beneath the sheets, rolling to my side where Edward should’ve been. The space was cold. He mentioned he was leaving to meet his older brother, Tobias. The thought made my stomach flutter, and it wasn’t in a good way. Why was Tobias suddenly in New York? And why now?I barely had time to gather that thought bef
Edward’s POV The morning light crept softly through the cracks in the blinds, brushing over the silhouette of her body. Vanessa lay tangled in the sheets, her bare back rising and falling with every slow breath. Her red hair was a wild, glorious mess against the pillow, strands curling across her shoulder like flames resting on her brown skin. I couldn’t stop staring.My arm was draped around her waist, fingertips grazing the curve of her hip, still warm from everything we’d shared last night. No performance, no power plays—just us. Raw, honest, messy, and impossibly good. I’d memorized the sound of her breath when she gasped against my mouth. The way her nails dug into my shoulders. How she whispered my name like it meant something again.God, I loved her.And not in the vague, poetic way I used to throw that word around before. This, what I felt for her now, was carved out of consequence. Regret. Longing. Years of watching her from the outside of a life I should have fought harder
Vanessa POVThe mansion buzzed with residual excitement from the kids as we stepped through the grand entrance. Liam clutched my hand, his other arm wrapped around his new plush dinosaur, a gift from one of his classmates. Gwen, James, Bella and her son Jacob, trailed behind, their laughter echoing through the marble-floored foyer.“I’ll race you to the living room!” Jacob shouted, already dashing ahead.“Not fair! You got a head start!” Gwen protested, chasing after him.I smiled lightly, watching them disappear around the corner. Bella rolled her eyes playfully, balancing a tray laden with leftover cupcakes and party favors.“Kids and their endless energy,” she remarked, following them.I guided Liam toward the living room, where the remnants of the party awaited. Balloons bobbed gently against the ceiling, and the scent of frosting lingered in the air. The staff had already arranged the snacks and treats on the coffee table, ready for round two of the celebration.Then Liam’s eyes