Candice’s POVWhen I got home with my luggage, I could already hear the faint sounds of laughter coming from inside the house. I set the luggage down by the door and called out in a playful, high-pitched voice, “Mommy is back? Where are my little minions.”My two babies came rushing out of the living room, squealing with joy. I knelt down to their level opening my arms to receive their hug. “Mommy!” they shouted together, throwing themselves into my arms.They hugged me so tightly that I almost lost balance. “Mommy, we missed you so much!” My Son Said. “I thought you were going to leave us with Daddy Jace and never come back…”Then he pulled back slightly, looked at me with those big, serious eyes of his, and asked,“Mommy… did Daddy Jace want to buy us?”I burst out laughing. Trust him to ask something so strange and funny. “No, silly,” I said, ruffling his hair. “Of course not! Nobody is buying you. And you don’t ever have to be scared about me leaving, because I’m back now.
Candice’s POVI was on my way from my old house back to the office, just to grab my luggage that I’d left there earlier when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was my boss. Her voice on the line sounded a bit shaky. “Candice, can you come to my office as soon as you get here? It’s important.”“Sure, ma’am,” I replied, trying to keep my tone light. “But are you okay? You sound a little off, like something’s bothering you.”She paused for a second before answering. “Yes, I’m fine. Just… come see me when you arrive.”Her answer didn’t convince me. If anything, it only made me more suspicious.“I would be with you in a jiffy,” I said to her over the phone before hanging up. When I got there, I headed straight to her door and knocked gently. “Come in,” she called out. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. She looked up from her desk with a forced smile plastered on her face. This wasn’t my boss’s normal smile. The smile doesn’t even look genuine. She seemed very uncomfortable.“
Dorian’s POVWhen Candice’s boss heard my question, there was a hint of tension in her eyes, but she quickly covered it up and smiled politely. “Mr. Dorian… I don’t know where Candice is. She’s on vacation, and as her boss, it isn’t my place to pry into her personal life.”I crossed my arms and looked her straight in the eye. “Fine, but let me make this clear. I’ll only work on this project with Candice. If anyone else is assigned to it, I’ll cancel it. I don’t care how much money is on the line.”She blinked, her polite smile faltering just a bit. “Mr. Dorian, that’s… quite a specific request. Are you sure? We have other talented team members who could—”“No,” I interrupted, shaking my head. “It’s Candice or nothing. And just so you know, I’ve only set aside three days here. After that, I’m gone, and so is the deal.”She nodded slowly, trying to regain her composure. “I understand. We’ll… we’ll see what we can do.”I didn’t bother responding to that. I knew she wouldn’t give up on t
Candice’s POVI stood up from the chair I’d been sitting on and started walking around the dusty room, and I traced my fingers over the old wooden table where I’d eaten so many lonely meals. As I wandered, my gaze fell on the corner of the room, to the low cabinet by the bed. Something I had hidden away for years. I knelt down in front of it and pulled open the door. A puff of dust welcomed me, swirling up into my face, and I coughed a little bit, covering my mouth with my sleeve. “God,” I muttered under my breath, still coughing, “I didn’t expect it to be this dusty.”My fingers trembled as I reached inside and took out the box that I had sealed for a long time. Inside was a diary. The one I’d poured my soul into during those dark early days. My only purpose for coming this time was for this diary to go through it again. I needed to face it head-on, to remind myself why I couldn’t let Dorian back in. I had thought I had forgotten Dorian long ago. Thought the pain had faded int
Candice's POVAfter leaving the company, I didn't take a taxi home. Instead, I left my luggage at the company and went to a place alone. “I’ll get it later,” I whispered to myself, my voice shaky.Right now, I just wanted to walk. Maybe the slow steps would clear my head. Maybe the air would help me breathe.I was so tired and drained. Everything had flipped upside down in less than twenty-four hours. My life felt like it was collapsing piece by piece.I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice the car coming until it screeched loudly.A black car swerved just inches from me, the horn blaring loudly. My heart leaped into my throat; for a split second, I froze, imagining the worst The driver rolled down his window, his face red with anger. "Hey, lady! Watch where you’re going!”"Are you blind? Look around before you step out!""I’m so sorry! I wasn’t thinking, my fault entirely," I stammered, my voice shaking as I backed away onto the sidewalk. He muttered something under h
Dorian’s POVOn the way to Candice’s company, I couldn’t stop thinking about that call. the man’s warm tone asking when she was coming back, and the kids giggling in the background, calling her “Mommy.” It all felt so realAt first, I told myself it had to be fake. Maybe Candice planned it. Maybe she paid some random man and two kids to act like they were her family, just to drive me awayIt seemed like the perfect way to shut me out for good was to make me believe she’d built this whole new life without me. But then I started picking it apart, and it didn’t hold up. Candice had no idea I was the one coming to discuss the project. The whole thing was arranged through my secretary and her boss. She didn’t even know about the project until last minute. There was no way she had time to stage such a thing. And she looked genuinely shocked when I walked into that meeting room back home. Her eyes went wide, and she froze. If she’d planned some fake family call, she would’ve needed tim