KIAN'S POV I hovered over Mr. Alcante, my hand pressed against his shoulder, feeling the faint tremor of his body as he struggled to stay conscious. His breathing was shallow, rattling, and every second that ticked by gnawed at my composure. “Mr. Alcante, can you hear me?” I said, voice low but urgent. His eyelids fluttered open. Bloodshot eyes met mine, and for a brief moment, they sharpened recognition, pain, and a kind of stubborn defiance all rolled into one. “Thought... you weren't... coming back,” he rasped out, his voice no more than a breath. “I got your medicine,” I said quickly, holding up the brown paper bag like it was proof that everything would be fine. He chuckled briefly, before he tried to sit up. “Don’t move,” I ordered, pressing him gently back to the floor. “I’m calling an ambulance.” “No!” His hand shot up, grabbing my wrist with surprising strength. His skin was dry and thin, the bones underneath sharp as stone. “No hospital... not yet.” I stared
LENA'S POVI found him slumped on a cracked hospital bench, his jacket bundled under his head, the exhaustion carved deep into the lines of his face. Kian slept like someone who hadn’t rested in weeks, his body still, his mouth slightly parted as he breathed shallowly.My chest tightened.I stood there for a long moment, the breakfast bag in my hands crinkling softly, forgotten. Watching him.Last night I had seen his truck speeding through the city. At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, a mirage created by missing him too much. But the way he drove, fast and desperate, had torn something primal inside me. Without thinking, I followed.I trailed him across intersections, side streets, down to the waterfront, heart pounding the whole time. I saw him pull into the hospital.And then I drove back home half out of fear, half because I didn't want to smother him.I cooked. I packed his favorite breakfast, the one he used to steal bites from when he thought I wasn't looking.
KIAN'S POVThe moment the nurse waved me into the room, I didn’t hesitate.I pushed through the door with a force that startled even myself.There he was.Mr. Alcante, alive, breathing, propped up in bed with more monitors around him than I could count. He looked pale. Smaller somehow. But when his eyes met mine, that old stubborn glint was still there, and it knocked the breath clean from my lungs.I crossed the room in three steps."You stubborn bastard," I muttered, half laughing, half choking on something thicker than air as I grabbed the side rail of his bed. "You scared the living hell out of me."He grinned, a lazy, exhausted grin. "Takes more than bad plumbing to send me packing, kid."I sat down hard in the chair beside him, my hands braced on my knees. It was overwhelming relief, anger, fear all twisting together in a storm inside my chest."You had me thinking." I started, then stopped because my voice betrayed me. It cracked in the middle, made raw by the pounding inside m
KIAN'S POV The ride from the hospital should’ve been quiet, maybe even heavy with the aftermath of everything that had happened. But inside the old truck, something else unfolded—something warmer, something like peace dressed in laughter. Lena sat beside me, seatbelt hugging her in a way I found myself glancing at too often. Her perfume filled the cabin, subtle and familiar. She tilted her head, sunlight catching her features just right. In the back seat, Mr. Alcante leaned against the window, propped up with pillows we’d hastily packed. He looked tired, but his eyes were still mischievous. “You hit another pothole like that,” he grunted after a particularly rough bump, “and I swear, I’ll fake another heart attack just to avoid this ride again.” I chuckled. “You could’ve taken the ambulance back.” “Yeah, and miss this comedy show? No chance.” Lena grinned, brushing a loose curl from her cheek. “You sure this truck is legal? I’ve seen antique furniture with better shock absorber
KIAN'S POV Her breath hovered inches from mine, the warmth of it grazing my lips, but neither of us moved. Not forward. Not away. We were suspended in that delicate space between longing and restraint, the hum of the truck’s engine whispering beneath the tension. Then, as if summoned by the universe just to mock me, my phone buzzed violently in my pocket. Lena blinked, then laughed softly, a breathy sound that stung with its suddenness. I muttered a curse under my breath and pulled away, glancing at the screen. DANNY (NEIGHBOR) I answered with a sigh. “Give me one sec.” Turning slightly away from Lena, I pressed the phone to my ear. “Yo, Kian,” Danny’s voice crackled through. “Just got the figures from the beach committee. You still good for that loan you promised? The event’s getting bigger than we thought.” I stiffened. “Yeah, it’s fine. Consider it covered.” “Cool. Just wanted to make sure before I finalize everything tomorrow.” “I’ll confirm later. Gotta run.” I hu
The day had barely begun when Kian stepped into the building, his steps as measured and focused as they’d always been, yet something felt different. The receptionists at the front desk, who usually offered polite nods or quiet greetings, now seemed unnervingly enthusiastic."Good morning, Mr. Kiander," one of them said with a smile far too bright for the early hour. Her eyes sparkled with something beyond courtesy—awe, perhaps, or curiosity. Kian paused, lips slightly parted, wondering if he had heard wrong.Kiander?The name rang strangely in his ears, like a whisper from a dream he couldn’t quite remember. He managed a small nod and kept walking, brushing the confusion aside. Maybe she had simply misread something on the employee board.But as he moved deeper into the heart of Whitmore Enterprises, the pattern repeated."Good day, Mr. Kiander.""Sir, do you need assistance with your schedule today?""We weren't informed that Mr. Kiander would be visiting this floor today."The whisp
Back in the office, Kian slouched into the guest chair in Lena’s room. The air was thick with numbers, paperwork, and the scent of her perfume that always lingered like a calm he hadn’t earned.She looked up from her tablet. “You look like someone kicked your sandwich across the cafeteria.”“Close,” he muttered.She raised a brow. “Want to talk about it, or should I break into a spontaneous musical number to cheer you up?”That made him laugh, a low sound he didn’t expect.“You sing?” he asked.She shrugged. “Terribly. But I dance pretty well. Especially in heels. You should see my two-step spin.”He shook his head, grinning now despite the weight on his shoulders.“Come on,” she said, setting the tablet aside. “We’re going to play a game.”“A game?”“Yeah. Something harmless. Two truths and a lie. Come on, Kiander.”He winced. “Still not used to hearing that.”She smiled gently. “Then maybe it’s time to start.”***********KIAN'S POV Lena leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, a sl
LENA'S POV It was early afternoon when we arrived at the Hudsonville Corporate Summit, a towering structure of steel and prestige that buzzed with the scent of ambition and perfume. The glass doors glimmered beneath a grand archway etched with gold leaf, welcoming CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business royalty from every corner of the state. I adjusted the cuff of my blazer and glanced at Kian beside me. He looked stunning. Controlled. A little too controlled, if I were honest. That rigid jawline, the unreadable calm across his face—it was all a mask he wore too well. I’d seen him like this before. Not just recently. Years ago. And the murmurs confirmed I wasn’t the only one who noticed. “Wait… is that…?” “Kiander Davenport? But he’s—” “No, it’s just someone who looks like him. Can’t be.” “They say he vanished. Never found a body, though.” My hand instinctively reached for Kian’s wrist, my fingers closing around his skin. He flinched slightly at the contact, then relaxed. “They’r
KIAN'S POV The air was thick with the scent of salt and worn wood. Dusk had wrapped the coastline in a shade of burnt gold, the last fingers of sunlight trailing across the edge of the porch. Mr. Alcante sat where he always did around this hour—a chair that looked like it had been built before I was born, his back hunched slightly, a half-carved piece of driftwood in his hand. I stood in the doorway, watching him. For weeks, maybe months now, questions had twisted inside me like old ropes, frayed and knotted. But tonight, they felt like they might finally come undone. "Can I sit?" I asked. He didn’t look up, just nodded toward the empty chair beside him. I crossed the wooden floor slowly, the boards creaking beneath my steps. When I sat, I could feel the silence between us pressing in. It wasn’t uncomfortable—it was just heavy. "Where did you find me, Mr. Alcante?" He paused, the small knife in his hand freezing mid-whittle. "You know where," he said without looking at me. "I
LENA'S POVThe tension in my chest didn’t fade after Kian walked off with Tara for their little discussion. If anything, it deepened, settling in the pit of my stomach like a stone I couldn’t digest. I returned to my office and dropped into my chair, mentally composing a hundred different messages I wouldn’t send.Then, without knocking, Clara entered.She was carrying two coffees and wearing that amused expression that said she was about to ruin me with honesty and caffeine."I saw your face from the elevators," she said, placing one of the cups in front of me and sliding into the chair across the desk. "Something’s up. And if I had to guess, it’s tall, charming, and temporarily memory-wiped."I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Tara.""The one with the kid and the silky voice?""That’s her."Clara took a slow sip. "What did she do?""Nothing technically," I muttered. "Kian bumped into her last week. Helped her son cross the road. Today, she’s talking about real estate partnerships and wa
LENA'S POVIt had only been a week since Kian and I defined our relationship again, but the truth was, the ghosts of his past were still trailing us. I couldn’t shake the feeling that if we didn’t start pulling some of those pieces back together, we’d never feel solid.So I did what any self-respecting, curious woman would do.I brought in Clara.Clara had always had a talent for sniffing out truth, and she’d known Kian back then—before everything fell apart. If anyone could draw something out of him, intentionally or not, it would be her.The bar was dim but elegant, lit by rows of pendant lights and the flicker of tea candles in glass jars. Clara sat in the back corner booth like a queen surveying her domain, her eyes instantly narrowing on Kian the second we entered.We slid into the booth, Clara opposite Kian. She didn’t speak for the first ten seconds, just studied him."You look the same," she said finally. "Except... softer. Less guarded."Kian gave a slow nod, the corners of h
LENA'S POVThe weekend air was warm and sweet, touched with the scent of blooming grass and the distant murmur of bees. The clearing we picked for our picnic was wrapped in soft sunlight, the kind of light that made everything feel a little less heavy. Kian and I had barely been official for a week, but there was something about being with him today that made the world feel whole.We set up the blanket beneath an oak tree that leaned ever so slightly, like it was bending to listen. The basket between us was filled with lemonade, strawberries, a couple of sandwiches we haphazardly threw together that morning, and a container of fresh mango slices Kian insisted on adding, claiming, "They taste like joy."He stretched beside me on the blanket, one hand propping his head up, the other absentmindedly toying with the edge of my dress. His fingers moved like he was trying to remember something tactile, something he couldn’t quite name."You’ve been awfully quiet," I said, brushing a strand o
LENA'S POVThe water was still, glass-like, except for the gentle ripple trailing behind my fingers.I leaned back, submerged to my shoulders in the heated pool, the pale moonlight splintering on the surface. Smoke curled lazily from the cigarette between my fingers, mixing with the rising steam in ghostly patterns.It was quiet here.No meetings. No calls. No sharp voices disguised as guidance. Just silence… and truth.And it hurt.My robe was discarded somewhere on the stone ledge. The cigarette pack lay open beside a half-full glass of scotch. I hadn’t planned to come out here tonight. I hadn’t planned to think. But some truths don’t wait for permission.They claw their way up through the fog, demanding to be heard.I closed my eyes and let myself sink a little deeper, the warm water hugging my collarbones. My other hand, free of the cigarette, drifted in slow arcs beneath the surface—aimless, like me.The truth wouldn’t stop whispering.They were working together.Grandfather and
LENA’S POVIt was nearly midnight when my phone rang.I stared at the screen, the contact glowing like a pulse in the dark: Grandfather.My chest tightened. He rarely called—messages, yes; a carefully chosen word dropped through Harlin now and then, definitely. But not a call. Not this late. And not directly.I picked it up on the fourth ring.“Lena.”His voice hadn’t aged a day. Still sharp, low, authoritative. A voice that could cut marble if it wanted to.“Grandfather,” I said, trying to mask the hesitation in my tone. “It’s late.”“I didn’t call to chat about the weather.”Of course not.My hand tightened around the phone. I was already walking toward the windows of my office, the city glittering below in sterile silence. I had stayed late tonight, clearing reports and re-reading old data. But the moment I heard his voice, every spreadsheet and deal felt miles away.“There’s been a noise in the wind,” he continued, slowly. “About a man. A ghost. They’re saying Kiander is alive.”I
KIAN’S POV“Where did you find me, Mr. Alcante?”My voice hung in the air, sharp and unwavering.He stood by the window now, his back to me. The moonlight fell across his frame, catching the silver in his hair. For a man who always spoke in steady tones and gave answers like puzzle pieces, he suddenly looked… uncertain.I took a step forward.“You heard me,” I said, softer this time. “No riddles. No delays. Just the truth.”He didn’t move.Instead, he said, “In time, Kian. You’ll remember. That’s how the mind works. It doesn’t take orders—it reveals things when it’s ready.”“That’s not an answer,” I snapped. “You’re not even trying to lie. You’re just hiding it.”Still, he didn’t turn.The room was dim and quiet, except for the faint ticking of the old brass clock on the wall. My breath had calmed, but my heart hadn't. The dream still pulsed behind my eyes—Lena’s face, her father’s gaze, the feeling of falling. The cold that didn’t belong to sleep, but to something real. Something bu
KIAN'S POV It started with light.Warm and golden, spilling through the trees like honey. I was standing on soft earth, surrounded by whispering leaves. Birds chirped somewhere above, their songs woven into the breeze. It felt familiar, like a place I should’ve known.Then I saw them—Lena and a man.Her father.I knew him before he even turned around. Not from memory—no, my mind still wore its cracks like broken glass—but from the way her shoulders eased when he spoke, the way his hand brushed hers in reassurance. The same shade of fire danced in their eyes, and the bond between them hummed in the air like a current. Father and daughter.She smiled at him. Not the crooked smirk she gave me when she was teasing. No—this one was soft. Grateful. It made my chest ache.I wanted to reach them. Say her name. Ask the questions that clung to the edge of my mind like ivy on stone. But when I moved, my feet stayed rooted. I tried again—nothing.They hadn’t noticed me. The wind picked up, scatt
KIAN'S POV The late afternoon sun was warm, bathing the street in amber. I’d just left the barbershop, my head lighter, my face cleaner, and my thoughts still echoing Mr. Alcante’s teasing from last night about Lena. It didn’t help that I caught myself grinning like a fool whenever she popped into my mind.I walked down the street, enjoying the hum of life around me, when I saw a little boy hesitating by the edge of the curb. Traffic wasn’t heavy, but enough to worry someone his size."Hey, little man," I called gently. He looked up. Brown curls, oversized jacket, and the kind of wide eyes that held no guile. I knelt a little. "You trying to cross?"He nodded slowly.I extended a hand, helped him cross when the path cleared, and dug into my jacket pocket. By some miracle, I found a wrapped piece of candy—probably something Lena stuffed in there on one of our working lunches."Here you go," I said, handing it to him with a smile. "Sweet for the brave."He beamed, muttered a shy thanks