Mag-log inCallum's POV:I should have thought Isla was delusional.Time travel violated every law of physics and logic I'd ever learned. People didn't die and come back to the past. They didn't get second chances to change their futures. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real.Yet I found myself believing her anyway.Not because the story made sense but because everything else finally did.Her impossible knowledge about my company. The specific details about Gerald Hutchins' plans down to exact dates and transaction codes. The way she sometimes looked at me with recognition that went deeper than our brief acquaintance. The haunted expression she got when she watched Rosie play, like she was seeing something precious she'd once lost.All of it clicked into place if I accepted what she was telling me."The pregnancy," I said quietly. "Tell me about that."Isla's face crumbled. Fresh tears spilled over and she wrapped her arms around herself like she was trying to hold something together that was fal
Callum's POV:I stared at Isla in complete shock.Her voice was real.It was soft and melodic despite the slight hoarseness from years of keeping it hidden. She'd been able to speak this entire time and never said a single word to me.Questions flooded my mind. Why had she hidden it?What else had she been keeping secret? But I forced myself to stay quiet and just listen because clearly she had more to say.Isla took a breath and continued, her voice gaining strength as she spoke.“The voice returned the day I woke up in the hospital after the fall,” she said. “The same day everything changed. I kept it secret because silence gave me advantages. People underestimate you when you can't speak. They say things around you they wouldn't say otherwise. They treat you like you're less capable than you are.”She paused, her hands twisting together nervously.“But that's not the full truth,” she continued. “And I need to tell you everything because you deserve to know who I really am and why I
Isla's POV:Arthur's arrest made headlines Sunday morning.I woke up to notifications flooding my phone.News articles about attempted destruction of evidence.Violation of the restraining order. Breaking and entering. The legal walls were closing in on him faster than anyone had expected.His lawyer had already released a statement. I read it while sitting in bed, my stomach twisting with each word.Arthur Brennan was being persecuted by his ungrateful daughter and her powerful fiancé. He was a loving father concerned about his child's wellbeing, now being punished for that concern. The charges were politically motivated attacks designed to silence a businessman who'd built his company through hard work and integrity.The narrative bothered me more than it should have. I knew it was a lie. I knew the evidence against him was overwhelming.But some media outlets were running with his version anyway, questioning whether my abuse claims were exaggerated, whether Arthur was the real vic
Isla's POV:Saturday passed in careful distance.Both of us seemed to be avoiding the conversation from last night, the questions we'd asked but not answered.We maintained polite interaction around Rosie, playing games and making lunch together, but the awareness crackled between us constantly.Every time Callum's hand brushed mine passing something across the table. Every time our eyes met and held for a second too long. Every time he stood close enough that I could feel the warmth of him.That evening, Rosie had a sleepover at her friend Emma's house. She'd been excited about it all week, packing her overnight bag with elaborate care and making Maria promise to pick her up at exactly the right time.Maria dropped her off at six, leaving Callum and me alone in the penthouse for the first time since that late-night kitchen conversation where I'd cried and he'd wiped my tears with such gentleness it had almost broken me.The emptiness felt louder than usual. No Rosie chattering about
Callum's POV:I knew I'd overreacted to Thomas Whitmore.The man had been friendly, networking, possibly genuinely interested in Isla's involvement with his charity foundation. Nothing inappropriate. Nothing that actually warranted my sharp intervention or the way I'd basically shut down every attempt he made to talk to her.Yet watching Thomas smile at Isla across that dinner table, seeing her respond with polite interest, had triggered something primal in my chest.The same jealousy I'd felt watching Duane Ashford at the charity luncheon but stronger this time. More undeniable.I'd spent the rest of dinner with my hand on her thigh like some territorial asshole marking his claim.In the car on the way home, Isla pulled out her phone and typed a message, turning the screen toward me.Are you upset about something?“No,” I said automatically. “Just tired from the week.”She didn't look convinced. She typed again.Did I do something wrong at dinner?The genuine concern in the question
Isla's POV:The investor dinner was smaller than I'd expected.Only twelve people in a private dining room at a restaurant so exclusive it didn't even have a sign outside.These were Callum's most important business partners, the people who'd helped fund Thorne Industries when it was just starting and still maintained significant stakes in the company.I sat beside Callum at the long table, nervous despite our practice session yesterday. His hand rested casually on my knee beneath the tablecloth where no one could see.The touch was warm and grounding, his thumb occasionally stroking small circles that sent warmth spreading through my entire body.The investors were curious about me but respectful in how they asked questions.They wanted to know about my background, my interests, how Callum and I had met. I responded through my phone's text-to-speech function and they listened attentively without making me feel rushed or awkward.Several of the older investors mentioned knowing my mo
Isla's POV:The video went live at seven o'clock on Sunday evening.I sat on my bed with my laptop open, watching the view counter climb with a speed that made my head spin. Sarah had posted it to Callum's verified social media accounts first, then pushed it out to news outlets and entertainment si
Isla's POV:I retreated to my room after the business discussion feeling like I couldn't quite catch my breath.The door clicked shut behind me and I leaned against it, pressing my palms flat against the smooth wood while my heart raced with panic.The reality of my situation was sinking in properl
Isla's POV:The black SUV arrived exactly at midnight.I watched from my window as it pulled up to the curb without headlights, dark and sleek and somehow managing to look both expensive and anonymous at the same time.Two security personnel exited, both wearing dark suits and moving with precision
Isla's POV:I opened my laptop while Rosie was napping and my entire body went cold at what I found.My family had launched an attack – one designed to destroy me publicly while pretending to save me.Arthur had released a statement to the press that morning. I found it quoted in at least a dozen n







