Mia's POVMy phone buzzed again with another message from the unknown number, making me sigh as I opened it."You like to shuttle between different men, sister," Taylor's text read, dripping with familiar venom.My gaze lingered on the attached photo showing Nate and me at the dog park, heads close together in what looked like an intimate conversation. So that's why Kyle called that day. Taylor must have sent him the same photo.I stared at the image, studying the careful angle that made a simple conversation look like something more. Classic Taylor, always manipulating perceptions."Don't you ever get tired of playing this game?" I typed back, surprising myself with how steady my fingers felt. "Stop bothering to follow me, or I will sue you for stalking."The response was immediate: "Is that a threat, dear sister? 😘""No, it's a promise." More messages flooded in:"You think you're so special now?""Just because Kyle's been playing nice?""We both know you'll always be second best.
**Mia's POV**The email from Nate's office arrived just as I was reviewing the construction timeline. My fingers trembled slightly as I opened the payment notification - the second installment for the children's center design was more than I'd expected."Mrs. Branson?" Sarah appeared in my office doorway. "The construction team is ready for the final site review.""Coming." I gathered my tablet, still processing the number in my account. Part of me wanted to refuse it - it seemed too generous. But I knew my designs were good. For once, I wasn't going to downplay my worth.The autumn air was crisp as we walked the site. Yellow safety tape marked where my vision would soon become reality. My phone buzzed with Scarlett's distinctive tone - the special ringtone she'd programmed herself months ago."Please tell me you're not bailing on my birthday!" she said before I could even say hello."Would I do that to you?" I smiled, watching the construction team mark foundation points."You would
**Mia's POV**The bass throbbed through my bones as I threw back another shot of tequila. The salt lingered on my tongue, mixing with the lime's tartness in a way that made my head spin pleasantly. Paradise's blue lights painted everything in dreamy shades, making the whole scene feel surreal."Another round?" Daniel grinned, already signaling the waitress. His dancer outfit glittered under the strobing lights, though he'd put on a mesh shirt after his performance. Up close, his warm brown eyes held an intelligence that seemed at odds with the setting."Why not?" I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in months. "It's Scarlett's birthday after all." I gestured vaguely toward where my friend was thoroughly enjoying herself with one of the other dancers."Speaking of Scarlett..." Daniel's eyes twinkled as he poured fresh shots. "She seems to be having an excellent time with Jake."I turned to see Scarlett locked in what could only be described as an enthusiastic kiss with her dancer. "Oh
**Kyle's POV**"Sir, Mrs. Branson was seen at the park again this morning." James shifted uncomfortably in front of my desk. "With Dr. Pierce."My fingers tightened on the pen I was holding. "I thought I made it clear that Mrs. Branson's movements were no longer to be reported.""Yes, sir, but—""Then why are you here?"James cleared his throat. "Given the circumstances, I thought you should know that Mrs. Branson appears to be spending considerable time with—""That will be all." The pen snapped in my grip, ink staining my fingers. Perfect. Just perfect.After he left, I stared at the dark stain spreading across the reports I'd been reviewing. Mia's signature was still visible at the bottom - neat, precise strokes that somehow looked different now. When had that changed?My phone felt heavy in my hand as I pulled up her number. Three rings before she answered."What?" Her voice was cool, distant. "The dog park?" The words came out sharper than intended. "Really, Mia?""Are you havin
**Kyle's POV**Her hands in my hair felt like coming home. Mia had never been this bold before - always hesitant, always waiting for my lead. But now her mouth moved against mine, nibbling playfully, teasing, coaxing me into responding the way she wants."Mia," I managed between kisses. "You're drunk."Her cheeks flush, a pretty pink that spreads down her neck, but there's a gleam in her eyes that makes my chest tighten. She laughed against my lips. "Maybe. Does it matter?"It should. God knows it should. But when she pressed closer, all rational thought fled. This kiss was different - desperate, hungry, stripped of pretense. I could taste tequila on her tongue, mixed with something uniquely her."We shouldn't," I said, even as my hands settled on her waist, pulling her closer."Since when do you hesitate?" Her voice held a challenge that sparked something primal in my chest. The sarcasm in her tone made me growl. Before I could stop myself, I had her pressed against the wall, my bod
**Mia's POV**Gasoline's claws scraped against wood, the desperate scratching piercing through my hangover-clouded consciousness. My head throbbed as awareness crept in - silk sheets that weren't mine, a familiar cologne lingering in the air. Kyle's room. Kyle's bed. Gas whined, his nails clicking more insistently against the door. The sound made my temples pulse. I heard the soft creak of the door opening. Gas bounded in immediately, his paws thundering across the hardwood before he launched himself onto the bed. "Gas, careful!" I managed, but he was already plastering my face with enthusiastic kisses, his tail thumping against the mattress. His familiar weight and warmth grounded me. Oh god, what had I done? Flashes of last night played like a scandalous movie in my head: throwing back tequila shots with Connor and Daniel, their muscled bodies moving to the music, then Kyle appearing like an avenging angel in Paradise. After that... the memories turned hot and wild. My hands
**Mia's POV**"What do you mean you're getting married?" I nearly choked on my smoothie, staring at Scarlett across our usual corner table at The Morning Bean. When I told Scarlett that I needed to meet with her, she soon came.The morning sunlight streaming through the window caught her fiery hair, making it look like actual flames. "Since when do you believe in marriage?"Scarlett stirred her latte with practiced nonchalance, but I caught the slight tension in her shoulders. "Since my family offered me ten million dollars to say 'I do' to the heir of Morton Industries."I set my glass down carefully, studying my best friend's face. "Morton Industries? The luxury brand?""The very same." She took a delicate sip of her coffee. "Apparently, they need our distribution networks in Asia, and we need their European market presence. A marriage is the simplest way to seal the deal.""But you haven't even met him!" The words burst out before I could stop them."Details." She waved her hand di
**Mia's POV**I couldn't tear my eyes away from the photo on Scarlett's phone. There they were - Kyle and Taylor, captured in perfect high-society harmony at some charity event I hadn't even known about. His hand rested on her lower back with casual intimacy, while she smiled up at him with that practiced adoration I used to believe was real.The same Kyle who, just yesterday, had the audacity to accuse me of inappropriate behavior with other men. The same Kyle who'd made me feel guilty for simply talking to male friends. My fingers clenched around my coffee cup, the ceramic hot against my skin. My coffee turned bitter on my tongue. Just yesterday, he'd been in my bed, accusing me of inappropriate behavior with other men. The hypocrisy made my stomach turn."Ah, Last Thursday, I remember." Scarlett peered at the date stamp. "Yeah, the Children's Cancer Foundation gala. Why?"Last Thursday. While I was reviewing construction plans for the children's center, he was parading around with
Mia's POVI was finally strong enough to be wheeled to the NICU. The actual sight of my sons—not through a screen—overwhelmed me completely. They were impossibly small. Baby A seemed more active, his little fists waving. Baby B was quieter, more still."Can I touch them?" I asked the nurse."Yes, through the ports. But hygiene is crucial."I reached through the isolette opening for Baby A. His skin was warm, softer than anything I'd ever felt. When I touched his palm, his fingers curled around mine."Hi, baby," I whispered. "I'm your mama."The tears came then, pouring out."Careful," the nurse reminded gently. "We can't let any fluids inside the isolette. Premature babies have extremely compromised immune systems."I nodded, wiping my face with my other hand before reaching for Baby B. He was equally tiny, equally perfect."Have you thought about names?" the nurse asked."Not
Mia's POV"Mia?" The voice was far away. Familiar but distorted.I tried to respond, but my throat was sandpaper. Where was I? What happened?"Mia, sweetie. Can you hear me?" Closer now. Mom's voice. But different. Strained.Slowly, I forced my eyes open. The fluorescent lights above were too bright. I blinked rapidly, tears forming as my vision adjusted."Oh, thank God." That was Scarlett. "She's awake."The room came into focus gradually. Hospital room. Machines everywhere. Tubes running from my arms. A catheter. The smell of antiseptic was overwhelming."What..." My voice came out as a rasp. "What happened?""Shhh." Mom's cool hand on my forehead. "Don't try to talk yet.""Kyle," I managed to croak. "Where's Kyle?"Mom and Scarlett exchanged a glance."Mia, honey, you need to stay calm," Mom said."My babies." Panic rose in my chest. "The twins. Where are they?""They're fine," Scarlett said quickly. "Both of them. Healthy and perfect.""How long have I been...""Three days," Mom s
Kyle's POVPain. My eyelids felt like lead weights, but I forced them open anyway.Hospital room. Stark white. The antiseptic smell burned my nostrils. A heart monitor beeped steadily beside my bed, its rhythm matching the throbbing in my chest. I tried to move, but tubes and wires restrained me. My throat was sandpaper dry when I swallowed."Mr. Branson?" A voice. Female. Sharp. "Sir, can you hear me?""Mia," I croaked. God, my voice sounded like gravel. "Where is she? Is she—""Please don't try to sit up, sir." The nurse—young, efficient-looking—pressed her hand gently on my shoulder. "You've had major surgery.""Answer me.""I'll get the doctor immediately."A doctor bustled in. Older man, silver at his temples. Professional mask in place. "Mr. Branson, I'm Dr. Harrison. You've been through extensive surgery. The bullet—""I don't care about the bullet. I want to know what happen to my wife"Dr. Harrison exchanged a look with the nurses. My stomach dropped. No."Your wife..." He pa
Mia's POVPain unlike anything I'd ever known tore through my body, a white-hot blade slicing from my spine to my abdomen. The contractions were relentless now, coming one after another without respite, each one stronger than the last. I could feel myself slipping, the edges of my consciousness growing dim."Her blood pressure is dropping again—80/40," a nurse called out, her voice tight with tension. "Heart rate 135.""She's hemorrhaging," Dr. Levine's voice cut through the haze. "Looks like a partial placental abruption. We need to get these babies out now."A mask was placed over my face, the rush of oxygen cool against my skin. The room swam before my eyes, faces blurring into indistinct shapes as blood loss pulled me closer to unconsciousness."Type and cross for four units of packed cells, two units of fresh frozen plasma, and one unit of platelets," Dr. Levine ordered. "And get me an OR. We're doing an emergency C-section."My body felt foreign to me now—heavy and light simulta
Kyle's POVPain. Unimaginable pain.My consciousness came in waves, each one bringing a fresh torrent of agony. The bullet had torn through me like fire, leaving devastation in its wake. I could hear voices around me, urgent and clinical, but they seemed to be coming from underwater, distorted and distant."BP dropping again!""More blood, now!""We're losing him!"I felt myself slipping. The pain began to recede, replaced by a strange weightlessness that should have alarmed me but instead felt oddly peaceful. Was this what dying felt like?The operating room faded around me. The harsh lights, the metallic clink of instruments, the desperate commands of the surgical team. All of it dissolved into a soft darkness.And then, unexpectedly, light.I was small again. Six years old, terrified, huddled in the corner of a damp warehouse. The ropes had cut into my wrists, leaving them raw and bleeding. I could still feel the ache of hunger, the desperate thirst that had made my tongue stick to
Mia's POV"KYLE!" My scream echoed through the hospital corridor as they wheeled him away, his blood leaving a horrifying trail on the white floor. The medical team moved with terrifying urgency, their faces grim."BP critical at 70/30!" "He's tachycardic, pulse 140!" "Blood loss approximately two liters!" "Move, people! We're losing him!"I lunged forward, desperate to reach him, my hands outstretched toward his motionless form. His face had turned an ashen gray, lips tinged blue, eyelids still. So still. Not like Kyle at all."Ma'am, STOP!" A nurse blocked my path as they rushed Kyle through swinging doors marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. "You can't go in there.""He's dying!" I sobbed, my voice breaking. "He took that bullet for me!""If you want him to live, you need to let the surgical team work," she said firmly, gripping my shoulders. "And you—" her eyes dropped to my blood-spattered belly, "—need immedia
Kyle's POVMia.She was alive.The maintenance door opened into a utility closet adjacent to the main room. Through a narrow ventilation grille, I could see part of the penthouse interior—plush furnishings, expensive artwork. A man's voice continued speaking, the tone cultured and cold."...the Branson bloodline ends today."I'd heard enough.The door burst open under my shoulder, splinters flying as the reinforced wood gave way. The scene unfolded before me with crystal clarity—Mia, bound and terrified. Charles Porter, gun raised. Nate Pierce, lunging forward too late.My first shot took Porter in the shoulder, spinning him away from Mia. The second caught him in the upper chest, not immediately fatal but debilitating.Our eyes locked across the room—his filled with shock and hatred, mine with the cold certainty of a man protecting what was his."Kyle," Mia gasped, her voice breaking through the ringing in my ears.Porter recovered with surprising speed, raising his weapon toward me
Kyle's POVTime became a physical entity, something I could feel slipping through my fingers as I raced across the Atlantic. Seven hours had never felt so eternal.As soon as the plane touched down in New York, I was already on my phone. "Status update," I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries."No response from Ms. Williams," Matthew replied, his usual professional detachment wavering slightly. "Her phone appears to be turned off. We've checked her apartment—she's not there. Her mother hasn't seen her since this morning.""And Nate Pierce?""Still tracking. His digital footprint is... unusual. Almost professionally scrubbed.""What about the surveillance feeds? I know you have access."Matthew hesitated. "We've been searching traffic cameras near her building, sir. Nothing conclusive yet.""Keep looking," I said, already striding toward the waiting car. "And tell the security team at her apartment to stay alert. I want to know the instant she returns."But she hadn't returned. Fo
Mia's POVThrough my tears, I recognized the man—it was Nate.I hadn't seen him in so long, and he seemed different from the Nate I remembered. Seemed thiner, taller. His usually compassionate features were hardened.My heart surged with relief and confusion. Had he come to save me?"Uncle Charles, don't kill her," Nate said, his voice steady but urgent.Uncle Charles? I blinked in confusion, my mind struggling to process this new information as it tried to fit the pieces together.The man named Charles turned to face me, sizing me up through the rim of his glass. "Wasn't that your decision? You lost Carol, and now you want Alexander Branson and Kyle Branson to lose their wives too. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."My head was about to explode. The fragments suddenly aligned, and I finally understood the truth.Diana's daughter was Carol.Carol was Nate's wife.Nate's expression was filled with sorrow. He looked at me, then back at Charles, his posture tense with indecision.C