MasukVICTORIAFour 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
CHASEThe bourbon burns just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to stop the irritation starting to bubble up in my chest.I check my watch for the fifth time. Six thirty. It’s half an hour past when we were supposed to leave.“What the hell is she doing in there?” I swirl the amber liquid i
IVYThe bathroom is too quiet. The air feels heavy, scented faintly with lavender and something sterile, like the aftermath of a storm.I’m perched on the edge of the bathtub, legs crossed, robe loosely tied around me, my fingers tightened on the newspaper in my lap. I’ve been staring at the same pa
“Chase Sterling?” I hiss his name like it’s a slur. “What are you doing here?”He grins. That maddening, self-satisfied, I-own-the-world-and-everything-in-it grin as he casually stands and takes a step toward me.“Don’t come any closer!” I bark, grabbing the only weapon I can find—a pen from the bed
Chase holds me through all of it. No mocking. No arrogance. Just quiet strength. I didn’t expect this from him, and maybe that’s why it breaks me even more, because I could have never imagined myself finding comfort in this man.When the tears finally stop, I push him away weakly, and he lets me go







