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
“I don’t know if I’m happy he’s alive,” she says softly, her voice barely there. “And that makes me feel… anxious.”I turn to her, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “He won’t get near you again,” I promise. “Once he’s out of the hospital, he’s going straight to prison. He won’t even breathe
VICTORIAI couldn’t sleep either. Every time I closed my eyes, Chase’s voice found its way through the noise. How he looked at me earlier in his office — quiet, steady, like he saw straight through the storm inside me — keeps looping in my head.I toss again, the sheets cold against my skin, the cei
When we finish eating, she leans back, her arms crossed. “So… are we just not going to talk about Harry?”“Not tonight,” I say, shaking my head with a smile. “Tonight, we talk about us. I want to know you. Really know you.”She arches a brow, unimpressed. “You already know me, Chase. You’ve literall
Her certainty hits me harder than any declaration could and I reach for her arm, my thumb brushing over her skin. “In that case, I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for putting that behind us.”She exhales, some invisible weight leaving her chest.“And as for me and you…” I lean forward, capturing her







