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
I hold her gaze, jaw flexing. “What are you doing in New York?” i deflect. The defiance drains from her face, just a little, and she glances between us, then sighs.“Elena had a photoshoot here. I thought I’d tag along.” She folds her arms again, eyes darting between me and Victoria. “I thought it
His words came out confidently, followed by his hand sliding over mine, fingers curling in a brief, grounding squeeze. That almost makes me believe we can do this.I press my lips together, let the heat in my veins turn steady. “Alright then. We bluff. We make him sweat.”Chase’s mouth quirks — a ha
I look at Victoria, whose face is now pale, like she’s reliving that night, but she doesn’t contradict me. Thank God. She’s rolling with the lie, even though I can feel her anxiety radiating across the room.Kathryn’s eyes dart between us, then she sinks onto the couch, stunned. “So all this time…
CHASEThe hours blur together, smoke curling from the fireplace though the match hasn’t been struck.Victoria paces barefoot across the rug, her hair tied messily, still in her bra and under wear, my head pounding from running through the same cycle of ideas—again and again.Every scenario we have c







