ログインCrandon's POVAfter the art event let out, I drove my newly formed little family home.Honestly, I was surprised neither my brother nor my sister showed up tonight.I knew my sister was dealing with a bunch of bullshit lately, and if I had to guess, she was probably out on a date with Maverick. At least that's what I hoped for.As for my brother?I had no clue.Maybe his fiancée had gone into labor. Maybe something came up. I didn't know.Still, I was shocked neither of them made it.As I pulled into my driveway, I took a moment to look around before getting out of the car.My Ring camera notifications hadn't gone off all evening, which immediately made me feel better.Everything seemed quiet.Safe.Once we got out, I unlocked the front door and ushered everyone inside.As soon as we were all in, I locked the door behind us and armed the security system.Turning toward everyone, I smiled."So, I hope you guys had a great time in Chicago."Diane nodded."We did.""What time is your fli
Crandon's POVAs we continued walking around the art exhibit, I found myself genuinely enjoying the evening. The event was beautiful, classy, and surprisingly lively.Not one, but two of Maya's employees had already come over to speak with Lorna because people were interested in her work. She looked absolutely thrilled. After Maya came back from the rear room with Shane, Lorna practically bounced over to talk to her again.Honestly, both Maya and Shane had been through enough drama for one night. The whole thing was ridiculous.Shane eventually broke away and wandered over toward Knox and Sienna. Sienna was still standing in front of that painting of the naked man with what she kept calling a micro-penis, laughing like it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.I didn't really get it.I could appreciate the artist's perspective, but Knox was trying his hardest to pull her away while she kept drawing more and more attention to the painting.The man's head wasn't even visible. It was ju
Maya's POV"Babe, this was a complete shitshow."I looked up at Shane, and he looked down at me before bursting out laughing.The sound was contagious.I started laughing too, and before either of us knew it, we were standing in the middle of this completely bougie art gallery event, wrapped up in each other's arms while laughing like idiots.Around us, people slowly started putting their phones away and returning to the actual exhibit.A few seconds later, my phone started going off.Ding.Ding.Ding.I pulled away from Shane and glanced down at the screen.And just like that, I shook my head.The devil might work hard, but internet sleuths worked a whole lot faster.Someone had already uploaded videos of Stanley, his wife, and the entire confrontation.The comments were pouring in.People were tagging news pages.Others were posting screenshots.The whole thing was spreading like wildfire.I wasn't the one who caused any of this.Stanley did that all by himself.If he ever tried to
Shane’s POV As I sit there and watch this fucking piece of shit walk in here and head straight toward my woman, I am floored.The audacity of this man to show up here after Maya specifically told him to leave her the fuck alone had my blood already boiling.As I start making my way over there, I hear someone clear their throat beside me.I look to my left and immediately frown.Of fucking course.Isla.I stare at her and say, “What in the fuck are you doing here?”She smiles like she’s proud of herself and says, “Well, I’m here to support my husband. He’s here at this art exhibited and I’m his wife. Plus, I was given a ticket.”I frown harder. “Who gave you a ticket? And once again, why are you here? Because we are literally in the middle of a divorce.”She starts cackling loudly. “When did we get divorced? When did I sign papers? I just got served.”I shake my head and say, “For the second time. This is the second time I had to serve you.”Her face twists up. “Well, obviously that’s
Keisha's POV“Okay, Kole, we are running freaking late. The art exhibit already started. The food might already be gone. Let’s roll.”Kole sighed as he came out of his grandmother’s living room.“Hey, I had to make sure my baby girl was good.”I rolled my eyes, even though I was still feeling slightly nauseous.But honestly?Today had been better.I had only thrown up once.So... progress.I’d even managed to eat lunch and keep it down. Granted, lunch was nothing but a grilled cheese sandwich, but still. A win was a win.And tonight?I actually felt pretty.Since I still wasn’t showing yet, I decided to wear a chic cream-colored pantsuit. The capri pants were pleated perfectly, and the short-sleeved jacket was double-breasted with artistic cutouts along the sleeves. Underneath, I wore a silky cream blouse that made the whole outfit look classy as hell.I looked over at Kole.Lord.This man cleaned up too damn well.He wore sleek navy dress pants with a light blue button-up shirt that
Maya's POV "Okay, girl, I need you to make sure all of the food is set up over there. I love how you did the lighting. These uplights look gorgeous." As I walked past my coordinator, who was putting the final touches on the decorations and directing where the food should go, I let out a satisfied sigh. My studio looked beautiful. Tempest's sister, Lorna, was supposed to stop by early. She had printed out a few photos of her artwork at Walgreens photo so I could look over them before everyone arrived. Hopefully she made it in time. I glanced at the clock. Two o'clock. The exhibit started at four. Thank God my daughter was staying with Grandma Mabel along with Sienna's kids and Keisha's daughter. It was probably going to be complete chaos over there, but Grandpa Thomas was there, and so was Sabrina, Kole and Knox's mom. Between all of them, the kids would be perfectly fine. At least that was one less thing for me to worry about. As Courtney continued overseeing the setup, I he
Isla’s POVBy the time I pull up to the school, my stomach is already tight.It’s not because of traffic. Or work. Or the kids.It’s the feeling.That low, nagging certainty sitting in my gut, whispering that Shane is not working late. Again.I sigh as I shift the van into park. I could follow him.
Shane’s POVBeep. Beep. Beep. Beep.My hand reaches for my phone on instinct, but I can’t move.There’s a soft, warm weight pressed against my chest.I crack one eye open and look down.Maya.Still sprawled on top of me, naked, peaceful, completely out of it. Soft snores slipping from her lips like
Isla’s POVI wake up after falling asleep on the couch and the first thing I do is reach for my phone.1:03 a.m.I stare at the screen longer than I needed to.My husband, Shane, has always been home by 12 o’clock am on a Saturday night for the last thirteen years. We’ve been together since I was s
Explicit Scenes AheadShane's povThe mattress dipped under my weight, and I looked up to find Maya smirking down at me. That look, bold, and unapologetic sent a jolt through me that had nothing to do with the bed beneath us."Take off that t-shirt," she commanded, her voice a low purr.I didn't







