LOGINMARY'S POV: My face went hot, a bright red blush spreading fast across my cheeks. I instantly let go of his jacket as if the fabric had burned my skin, my hand snapping right back down to my side. I could feel the hot blood rushing straight to my face, and I felt the sudden awkward tension fill up the tiny space between us. My heart was pounding hard against my ribs, my breathing coming out in short, shallow puffs. Marl stood there watching my nervous, frantic movements, slowly raising one dark eyebrow. There was zero judgment sitting in his dark eyes, and not a single trace of mockery on his face. He just watched me quietly, a subtle hint of amusement playing around the corners of his mouth. I felt deeply relieved that he did not burst out laughing at my awkward reaction or act offended by my touch. He could have easily cracked a mean joke at my expense, or he could have teased me to make me feel even more uncomfortable. But he did not do any of those things. He simply stood th
MARY'S POV:He had not lost his life on the street just because he chose to stand up and help me. The people who cared about me were not going to suffer permanent, tragic damage this time because of my mess...All the frantic strength that had been keeping my body upright for the past three hours vanished in a single instant.My legs went completely weak, my knees buckling beneath my weight like wet paper. The long hallway tilted sideways, the ceiling lights spinning in wild circles above my head. I was falling fast, my exhausted body completely giving out as the heavy strain of the entire night finally caught up with me all at once. I could feel the cold room air rushing past my cheeks, and I could see the hard floor coming up fast to hit me.Marl moved instantly, reaching out his long arms to catch me before I hit the ground.His strong arms wrapped firmly around my upper body, pulling my chest tight against his jacket. I felt the deep warmth of his body through his clothes, an
MARY'S POV:The bright fluorescent light strips running along the hospital ceiling hummed loudly overhead, throwing a harsh, sickly pale glow across the clean floor tiles. I sat still on the hard plastic waiting chair, my cold fingers laced tightly together in my lap, while my eyes stayed glued to the heavy double doors of the trauma unit. The long minutes stretched into unbearable hours, each single tick of the clock feeling twice as long as the last one, every second heavy with the suffocating weight of waiting for news.The plastic chair felt freezing cold beneath my body, hard and uncomfortable against the back of my legs. The entire hallway smelled strongly of harsh chemical cleaner, rubbing alcohol, and cold panic, that exact same sterile smell that seemed to cling to every single hospital building I had ever stepped foot inside. From behind the thick glass doors, I could hear the faint, echoing sounds of the emergency room, the rapid beeping of heart monitors, the muffled mur
ALISTAIR'S POV:Was not Marl supposed to be my loyal friend? Was he not just a small-time local lawyer who had only gotten rich and successful because I handed him big corporate cases? The guy who loved throwing massive drinking parties and spent all his free time flattering rich women? I had practically built his career for him. I had handed him endless financial opportunities. I had trusted him with my deep secrets.And now he was holding me up in the air by my shirt like I was a piece of garbage.Marl swung his arm and threw me down onto the driveway.A sharp, awful pain shot straight through my entire body, making it feel like every single bone in my spine had just broken into pieces. My back hit the hard gravel driveway with a loud thud, the sharp little stones digging right through my thin shirt and deep into my skin. All the air was instantly forced out of my chest, and I lay there flat on my back, gasping wildly for breath, completely unable to move my arms or legs. The da
ALISTAIR'S POV:"If you do not want to get run over right now, get the hell out of my way!" she screamed out the window, her voice sounding sharp, wild, and desperate.She would never actually step on the gas and hit me, I thought to myself with absolute confidence. She would never dare do something so terrible to me. She loved me far too much. She had always loved me with her whole heart. No matter what kind of stupid arguments we had gotten into tonight, and no matter how angry she felt in this moment, she was never going to bring herself to hurt me.Yet Mary did not pause for a single fraction of a second.The massive vehicle surged straight forward at full speed, heading right for my chest.The blinding white headlights burned into my eyes. The large engine roared loudly. The heavy rubber tires squealed violently against the gravel stones. I could clearly see her pale face sitting behind the windshield glass, her jaw set tight with absolute determination as her hands gripped
ALISTAIR'S POV:The cold night air hit my face instantly, sharp and freezing. The long driveway was brightly lit by the glaring headlights of both damaged cars. I could clearly see the twisted side panel of the other vehicle, the crushed doors, and hundreds of tiny glass pieces scattered across the gray stones like glitter.And then my eyes landed right on the man lying on the ground.He was sitting crumpled up on the cold stones, his body completely still, with a thick pool of dark red blood slowly spreading out from under his dark hair. His face looked ghostly white, his eyes were tightly shut, and his chest was barely moving up and down. He was wearing a dark, expensive suit, the sort of tailored clothing that clearly showed he was some kind of wealthy professional.I pulled my eyebrows together, narrowing my dark eyes. Who on earth was this guy? What was he doing sneaking around my private house in the middle of the night?And then I heard a familiar voice screaming through t
ELIJAH'S POV:He looked at me for a long moment with those serious eyes that were so much like Hannah's. Then he nodded slowly.I pulled him into a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. "I'm going to bring your mom home. I promise you.""You better," he whispered against my chest.Within minute
HANNAH’S POV: Thankfully. the traffic was merciful that evening. I arrived at Elijah’s office building earlier than expected, the sky painted in soft hues of gold as the sun began to set. I pulled into the parking lot, stepping out with excitement already fluttering in my chest. My phone rang ins
HANNAH'S POV:I sat with that."The name Mirada," Maya said carefully, "is in four languages on the trending lists right now and it's not the brand or the collection but the name itself. Mirada.”The name itself.I pressed the paper a little tighter in my hand."She is everywhere," I said quietly.
HANNAH'S POV: Elijah found me in the greenroom about twenty minutes after the show ended. He came through the door and looked at me across the room and there was a proud look on his face. "The twins?" I said into his shoulder. "With my parents. Safe and asleep and apparently Amelia had been tell







