เข้าสู่ระบบ~ ALLISON ~Silence stretched between us, thick and suffused with a dangerous tension.The sheer, staggering audacity of his question left me momentarily speechless. The nerve of this man—marching onto my property after so many years of absence, dragging up every buried ghost of my past, and then having the gall to demand an account of my personal life!A dark, hot wave of fury surged through my veins, incinerating the last remnants of my sorrow."That," I bit out, my voice dripping with cold venom, "is none of your damn business."Antonio didn't retreat from my retort. Instead, he slowly straightened his posture, his dark eyes fixed on mine as he reached down with maddening composure to adjust the lapels of his tailored suit jacket."Since Richard was kind enough to invite me for breakfast," he said in a tone that was shockingly smooth, almost offhand, "I believe I'll accept. I haven't eaten a proper meal since yesterday."Before I could even process the absurdity of his words, he to
~ ALLISON ~The moment his arms wrapped around my waist, my breath caught like a block of lead in my chest.His body pressed against mine, broad and burning with a familiar warmth I had spent long years trying to forget. The faint, subtle scent of his cologne flooded my senses, violently dragging me back to a life I thought I had successfully buried."I'm sorry," he uttered once more against the crook of my neck, his voice breaking in a way I had never heard in all the years I knew him. "I'm so sorry, Allison... I'm so sorry."A bitter, agonizing ache bloomed behind my ribs. Sorry. A single word to cover twenty-six years of chaos, silence, and betrayal.Our relationship back then had been a hurricane. It was toxic, tangled, and endlessly complicated by his entanglement with Harriet. Harriet had been my best friend, yet I found myself trapped in a web of slander, framed for crimes I never committed—including the vile accusation that I was the one who poisoned her. I had no solid eviden
~ ANTONIO ~The small woven basket in Alice's hands slipped from her fingers. It hit the wooden floorboards with a soft thud, sending dried lavender and chamomile scattering across her doorway.She didn't look down. Her eyes locked onto mine, and in an instant, I watched her initial shock warp into absolute rage.Underneath that blazing anger, though, I didn't miss the faint, tiny tremor in her fingers or the sudden, shallow hitch in her chest. She was panicking internally. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable—the kind only a man who had memorized every inch of her twenty-six years ago would ever recognize. She was trying to bury it under a wall of fire, hoping I would see only her rage and back down.I swallowed past the lump in my throat and stepped up onto the porch steps. My chest felt agonizingly tight. For decades, I had viewed her through the bitter lens of a man who believed he had been abandoned, left alone with the ashes of a destroyed life. I used to tell myself she was a gho
~ ISLA ~ I woke up to a heavy weight draped over my waist. For a second, my mind was groggy, floating in that strange, hazy space between sleep and reality. I blinked slowly against the soft lighting of the hospital room before shifting my gaze toward the bedside clock. The digital numbers glowed faintly: 10:14 PM. I turned my head and realized Alistair was lying right beside me on the narrow bed. He was stretched out on his side, one of his long legs hooked over mine while his heavy arm wrapped protectively around my waist. He looked exhausted, judging by the way his brows were creased even in his sleep. I shifted slightly, trying to turn without disturbing him, but the faint movement was enough for his eyes to snap open. "Did I wake you?" His voice came out low and raspy, thick with fatigue. Before I could answer, his hand slid up my waist to cup my hip, and with effortless care, he pulled me closer until I was facing him directly on the mattress. "No," I whispered, shaking my
~ ALISTAIR ~My mother's expression didn't shift the moment I dropped those words. She kept her composure intact, looking at me with the same confused expression she always used when she wanted to play innocent. But I didn't miss the small flicker in her eyes—a split-second twitch of her pupils before she hid it.That tiny reaction was all the answer I needed."What does that girl's death have to do with me?" she asked, her tone laced with a sharp, defensive edge. "Why are you bringing up a dead woman in my bedroom?""I just thought you'd care," I replied, keeping my voice completely level. "Considering the two of you were close enough to do business together in Biogen."Her jaw tightened for a fraction of a second, but she didn't admit a thing. She didn't act surprised, and she certainly didn't express an ounce of pity for Lindsay."I don't know what foolish rumors you're listening to, but I have no interest in that girl or her company," she snapped, waving her hand dismissively.She
~ ALISTAIR ~It wasn't Rebecca who ruined the family you were supposed to have. It was your mother's selfishness.Vitale's words kept repeating in my head, just like a dull, persistent ache that wouldn't go away.I stared at the amber liquid left in my glass, feeling a grim realization sink in. My whole life, I had blamed Rebecca for tearing my family apart, hating her for making me an illegitimate Montgomery. But to hear that it was my own mother who had orchestrated the entire fallout out of pure, obsessive spite... it made my blood run cold.I didn't stay in the lounge any longer. I stood up, left a stack of bills on the table, and walked out into the cool night air. Per my instructions, my driver had my car idling by the curb. I climbed into the front seat, taking the wheel myself, and pulled out into the Manhattan traffic, heading straight back to the hospital where Isla was resting. My mind was already exhausted, but before I could even make it a few blocks, my phone connected t







