LOGINClover’s POVWe are getting to know each other as we graze the charcuterie board.Okay, really, I’m grazing the charcuterie board.At this point, I’ve made at least three trips, and nobody’s judging me, so I’m gonna keep going.I pop another piece of fruit into my mouth, leaning slightly against the table as I take everything in.My sisters-in-law.Because that’s what they are now.And they are… gorgeous.Like, genuinely beautiful women.I glance over at Chloé, then Kylie, watching the way they move, the way they smile, the way their husbands look at them…Then my eyes drift to Janine.Now that makes sense.I nod to myself slowly.Yeah… I can see it.I can see why their father wanted her. She was a beautiful girl.Still is a beautiful woman.And her daughters? Just as pretty.Their kids?Adorable.I rest my hand on my belly, rubbing absentmindedly.I hope our baby looks like them.I glance over at Zade, and he’s beaming.Like… full-on glowing.And I smile to myself because, yeah… he d
Janine’s POVFriday MorningMy eyes snap open before the sun even fully rises.My heart is already racing.Today.I slowly sit up in bed and take a deep breath, pressing my hand to my chest like I can physically calm it down.Beside me, Tarek shifts and groans softly before rolling over.“Hon…” his voice is thick with sleep. “You okay?”“I’m fine,” I whisper, even though I’m clearly not.He squints at the clock.“…It’s five in the morning.”“I know,” I say quickly, already swinging my legs off the bed. “I just, there’s things I need to do. I have to prepare...”His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me right back down against him.“Janine,” he murmurs against my shoulder, “lay down.”“They’ll be here soon...”“They won’t,” he cuts in gently. “Flight lands at eight. The cars will pick them up. They’ll be here around nine, maybe nine-thirty.”I hesitate.He rubs my arm slowly. “You have time.”I let out a shaky breath… and finally relax into him.His warmth. His steadiness.God… this m
Janine’s POVOne Week LaterI swear I have walked this house a hundred times already.Back and forth. Room to room. Straightening things that are already straight. Fixing pillows that don’t need fixing. Checking doors that have been closed perfectly fine for the last hour.Tomorrow… my girls will be here.My girls.I still can’t even say it without my chest tightening.Kylie. Chloé.With their husbands, and their children.My grandchildren.I press my hand to my chest and take a slow breath, trying to calm the storm building inside me.“Breathe, Janine,” I mutter to myself as I walk into the living room for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. “Everything is fine. Everything is good.”But it’s not just excitement.It’s nerves.It’s guilt.It’s hope.And then there’s Dustin.I glance toward the hallway just as my husband walks in, already dressed, already composed, because of course he is.“Still pacing?” he asks, amused.I shoot him a look. “Of course I’m pacing. My daughters are c
Lucas’s POV 15 Minutes before the court hearings “Alright,” I say, turning to face everyone gathered around me. “When we go in there, we stay together. We will be a united front. No drama, no reactions, just observe. Got it?”There are nods all around, but I can already tell… that’s easier said than done.My mom looks at me, brows slightly furrowed. “Are we waiting on someone else?”“Yeah,” I say. “Chris.”Clover’s eyes light up a little, a small smile forming. “You actually got him to come?”I shrug. “Didn’t have to do much convincing. He said he wanted to see his mother… and his sister.”Zade lets out a low whistle. “Oh shit… so it’s really about to go down?”I chuckle, shaking my head. “Not like you think. This is just an arraignment. Nobody’s getting sentenced today. It’s just pleas, court dates and that’s pretty much it. This is not TV court.”He nods slowly. “Still… feels like something.”“Yeah,” I mutter. “It is.”Right on cue, a car pulls up.Chris steps out.Tall, composed,
Daisy’s POV I’ve been locked up since Thursday.Let me say that again, yes sinceThursday.Same room. Same walls. Same isolated bullshit.And yeah, my so called attorney slash public defender finally came to see me… and had the nerve to tell me to take a plea deal.A plea deal for what? I didn’t do shit.No one has offered me anything. No one has even discussed terms. So what the hell is he talking about?He looks like he just graduated middle school. I swear to God. Supposedly he’s pushing thirty, but I don’t believe it. His suit? Straight off the rack and it's cheap, stiff, probably from some discount store. He doesn’t look like he knows what he’s doing, and that makes me nervous as hell.I’m not getting railroaded because of hus fucking incompetence.I refuse to. I have money stashed away, I just thought that the Blackwoods would hire me one, but I guess not.I tried calling the Blackwoods. Over and over again.Lauren finally answered me on Saturday.She cried.Said she loved me
Zade’s POV As we sit here, continuing to eat, a sense of relief settles over me.Relief that Daisy’s baby is okay.Relief that my wife, yeah, my wife, is giving me another chance.And for the first time in a long time, I feel… content.Sitting around family like this?Yeah… this is everything.I reach over, pulling Clover’s hand to my lips, pressing a soft kiss against it. She glances at me, a smirk playing on her lips.“What’s going on with you?” she asks.I just shake my head. “Nothing. I’m just… happy to be with you.”She laughs lightly, and that sound alone does something to my chest.Then I hear someone clear their throat.I look up snd it's Mr. Blackwood.“Yes, sir?”He leans back slightly, studying us. “I see you and my daughter have reached some sort of understanding. So, what are we doing about living arrangements? The house will be ready in a couple of weeks. We’re starting on the baby’s room next week.”I nod slowly. “I’d love to live with Clover… but I think it’s too soon
Clover’s POV As I sat there, watching Grandma Lola and Janine stare at each other, I knew, without a doubt....There was something they weren’t telling us.Something deeper.Something buried.Zade had already mentioned that his mom had started opening up about her past… about this woman, Brittany,
Zade’s POV By the time I sat back at my desk, my head was spinning.What the hell was going on?I leaned back in my chair, dragging a hand down my face as I stared at the ceiling.It was already pushing three o’clock.Half the day was gone—wasted between the ultrasound and dealing with whoever the
Lucas' POVBy the time I made it to the office that morning, the building was already buzzing with activity.But my mind was somewhere else entirely.Emily hadn’t stayed with me last night.And for some reason, the house had felt unusually quiet because of it.I leaned back in my chair and sighed a
Daisy's POVBy Friday evening, the chaos of the day had settled for everyone else.People returned to their homes, their routines, their families.But Daisy was anything but calm.Inside her apartment-like suite in the Blackwood estate, she paced the floor restlessly, one hand pressed against the s







