MasukDana POV: Dana Needs To Get Lawyer"It sounded odd that he'd say that," Jack says, his voice breaking the silence. "I didn't ask him what it meant. But looking at your face right now, it looks like you know exactly what he was talking about."My mind flashes violently back to that devastating night I left the penthouse, the night Alex forced me to sign those divorce papers in Kelly Stanton's office. I swallow a hard ball in my throat, the phantom taste of bile rising up as I remember how hot and painful the air felt, the suffocating shock of realizing our contract marriage had officially come to an end.I let out a shaky sigh. Jack steps closer to me, and up close, I can see the raw, crimson rimming of his eyes. It looks like he has finally had a desperate cry of his own while I was upstairs."Do you want to sit down?" he asks softly.I simply nod, my legs feeling like water as I sink onto the sofa."I'll get you some water," Jack says, turning toward the kitchen.A tight, bittersweet
Dana POV: Like Mother, Like Daughter "Mom, you can talk to me," I say when it looks like my mother is about to shut down her opinion. "Tell me what you're thinking."Mom doesn't look at me, her eyes fixed on the distant skyline. "We already talked, Dana.""And you still prefer Charles, don't you?" I press.Mom finally turns her head, her gaze piercing. She says, "Prefer? It’s not about what I prefer, Dana. It’s about what makes sense. What on earth are you doing?""Mom, I'm carrying his child," I say, my hand instinctively dropping to my stomach. "I can't just carelessly push him away.""He pushed you away," she counters instantly, her voice sharpening. "He divorced you."I take a deep breath. "Well, Mom . . . that's actually something I've been hiding from you."My mother gapes at me, her eyes turning instantly wary, her posture stiffening. "You should tell your mother whatever it is you're hiding. It’s confession week in this house, Dana. Go on."I swallow, looking down at my hand
Dana POV: Mom Talks To Jack About Lori"You sound completely dismal," I say, the silence between us, becoming uncomfortable. "Who exactly is this guy?"Alex shifts his weight, his fingers tapping a tense, rapid rhythm on the table. He says, "Apparently, he is the man I absolutely must see in the next three hours, or I'll have to face some very severe consequences. But don't worry about that right now. I do have a question, Dana.""Shoot."He looks directly into my eyes. "Is it true what Stanton told me? That you love me?"I feel a sudden, intense wave of heat rush up my face. I did not expect that one. And why on earth would he ask me something so deeply personal in such a blunt, forward manner? It feels entirely ungentlemanly, like a trap. I let out a sharp sigh, snapping my head away to look out the restaurant window."What does it even matter, Alex? Honestly," I mutter. "Besides, we shouldn't even be having this kind of discussion seeing as you have Jodie in your life. And she is
Dana POV: Not Out Of The Woods YetI am standing in the sun-drenched lobby of the restaurant, nervously shifting my weight from one foot to the other as my eyes sweep the room for Alex.Even now, a part of me can barely comprehend the reality of the situation. I am meeting Alex for lunch. If someone had told me a month ago that we would be sitting down over a meal together, I would have laughed. What were the odds in a million years?The glass entrance doors swing open, and my breath stops. Alex walks in. He looks magnificent, wearing a blue leather jacket paired with dark denim and rugged leather boots. He has that familiar, slightly bowed stance that gives his stride such an effortlessly attractive silhouette.The moment our eyes meet, a brilliant smile breaks out on his face. He approaches quickly but hesitates a foot away, both of us suddenly frozen in that awkward, post-divorce limbo, not knowing whether to reach for a kiss, a warm hug, or a formal handshake. Taking the initiati
Dana POV: Her Mother Is Something ElseThe early morning sun cuts through the New York mist, casting long, pale shadows across the driveway. Outside, a taxi is already idling by the curb, its exhaust pluming into the cool air. Charles and Derek are standing by the open passenger door, their bags already thrown into the trunk.Derek looks back at me, his coat collar turned up against the morning chill. "Are you coming yet, Dana?" he asks. I shake my head, rubbing my bare arms. "There's stuff I need to sort out here first."Charles gives me a strange, intense stare. His eyes search mine for a long, quiet second. Before I can look away, he steps forward, kisses my cheek lightly, and joins Derek outside. They get into the back of the cab, the doors slam shut with a thud, and pull away."Alex is coming, isn't he?"I turn around. Jack is leaning against the door, a knowing, relaxed look on his face."Yes," I admit.He smiles. "I suspected as much. Me? Looks like I'm stuck here with Cindy
Dana POV: To Listen To Her Heart Or Her Mother?It is nine o'clock in the evening. I am alone, the dark room illuminated only by the harsh, white glare of my laptop screen. My eyes are burning, fixed on an email I received just ten minutes ago from a law firm in California called King and Fisher Chambers.My hands are numb as I read the text for the fourth time. I’ve been sued.The formal legal jargon lays it out in cold, clinical terms: defamation by association and intentional infliction of emotional distress against one Jodie McGuire. The email alleges that I have systematically stalked Alex, orchestrated a public campaign of harassment using my brothers to heckle him, and caused Jodie severe psychological trauma.Downstairs, the muffled murmur of my brothers' voices filters up through the walls, punctuated by an occasional cheer or groan. It’s league night, and they’re all crowded around the TV watching baseball. Charles is down there with them, too. After our drive back from the
Alex POV: The Interview With Wuckert There is nothing striking about the Dutch Crescent address. It looks too small and ordinary. A narrow brick facade squeezed between a law office and a dry cleaner, the sign reading “Crescent Media Solutions – Cable Television Distribution” in plain block letter
Dana POVI pay the taxi driver and step out onto Dutch Crescent. I look around at the old structures that make up West End and shake my head. Why would dad's friends have their office here?The sign on the sidewalk reads “Crescent Media Solutions – Cable Television Distribution,” a name I’ve never
Dana POV: One Company To Birth Them AllDad’s old office will never cease to make me feel watched. I'm at the window, staring at the city skyline, trying to process the phone call that just ended. But I look back at the high backed chair and imagine my old man sitting there, looking at me. My pho
Dana POV: She's Going To Sell The Company I recover from the shock fast and push the urge to make trouble with Stuart Hapscomb aside. If he's trying to test me, he can keep trying. It won't work. I say, “I’ll think about it.”I grab my bag from the sofa near the wall, sling it over my shoulder,







