LOGINVICTORIAFour years laterThe air feels different today — softer, lighter, almost unreal.The sun pours gently over the gardens of Valemont estate, painting the marble white and the grass gold.Children run barefoot across the lawn, their laughter spilling through the breeze like music.I am standin
******************************************************************************************CHASEThe music floats across the beach, slow and warm, the kind that makes the night feel softer than it is.Fairy lights sway in the ocean breeze, and laughter ripples through the guests as I stand near the
VICTORIAThe sand is warm under my heels as we walk down the narrow path leading to the beach, the faint hum of waves mixing with distant laughter.My hand rests lightly on my belly, the other laced tightly with Chase’s because I still can’t believe this is real — that he’s this happy, that we are.
I pretend not to notice, but something cracks quietly inside me.On the jet, she wasn’t exaggerating about sleeping. The moment she sits down, she curls up, adjusts the blanket, and shuts her eyes without a word. I sit across from her and just… stare as the engines hum softly, clouds drift past the
CHASE“That’s it. Close that laptop; we’ll be late,” I say, standing from the couch at House of Valemont, telling her for the tenth time, pretending she didn’t hear me.Victoria doesn’t even flinch. Her eyes stay fixed on the screen, the faint light tracing her sharp cheekbones as she scrolls. “One
The entire ride to House of Valemont, I can’t calm down. I keep rehearsing my steps, my greetings, my smile. My mind runs wild with what-ifs—what if nothing’s the same, what if I walk in and everyone stares? What if I can’t do this? but I try to remain strong until we get there.Once we finally arr
By the time it’s over, the room is eating out of her hand. Executives, moguls, rivals—all charmed.“Damn,” I mutter, unable to believe it myself.A few days ago, she stunned the boardroom, and now this. Standing in front of the entire industry, she didn’t just hold her own—she commanded it.I’ve met
CHASEBy the time I step out of my room, jacket slung over my shoulder, I’m already rehearsing the evening in my head—what’s ahead, what risks I’m willing to take. But all of it empties the second I glance toward her door.It opens, and then she’s there.Victoria.For a moment, I forget how to move.
“Betrayal is messy. You can waste time crying over broken glass—or you can pour a new drink and carry on.”The room erupts, clapping, whistling, and even a few people standing, and the moderator grins, shaking his head. “That,” he says, “will be hard to beat.”I lean back, my hands clammy against th
VICTORIAI look at myself in the mirror, dressed in all black, and I can almost taste my freedom if everything goes as planned tonight.I adjust my hoodie one more time and head out to wait for Chase.I find him in the living room, leaning casually in a black leather jacket, black jeans, and boots.







