LOGINPIPER’S POVThe first thing I felt when I opened my eyes that morning was nausea. My stomach turned so sharply that I had to sit up quickly and press a hand over my mouth. I thought maybe it was something I ate last night, but as I stood and tried to move toward the bathroom, the feeling got worse.After a few minutes, I managed to rinse my mouth and make myself a cup of hot coffee. But the moment I brought it close, the smell made me feel sick again. I pushed it away with a groan and leaned against the counter.What’s wrong with me? I thought, frowning.I decided to go downstairs to clear my head. Rowan was already at the dining table, dressed neatly for work, sipping his coffee and scrolling through his phone. He looked up when he saw me.“Morning,” he said simply.“Morning,” I replied softly, trying to smile.He studied me for a moment. “You look pale. You okay?”“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said quickly. “Just a little tired.”He raised a brow. “Guess you’re not going to work today?”I sho
LUCIA’S POVThe hospital was crowded that morning. Mothers holding babies, nurses moving from one room to another, and the soft cries of newborns filled the air. I had come for my baby’s postnatal checkup. Everything had been going fine since the birth, and I was just thankful for peace after everything that had happened in the family.After the nurse finished checking my baby’s temperature, I stepped out into the hallway to wait for the doctor to sign the report. I was about to sit down when I caught sight of someone familiar at the far end of the corridor.It was Lia.She was dressed in dark glasses and a scarf as if trying to hide her face. At first, I thought maybe she was sick, but then I noticed she wasn’t heading toward any doctor’s office. She was walking quickly toward the hospital’s back gate.That’s strange, I thought.Curiosity got the better of me. I picked up my baby, secured her gently in her stroller, and slowly followed Lia from a distance. The hospital’s back area wa
ROWAN’S POVThe sound of pans clanging in the restaurant kitchen filled the air. I was trying to distract myself with work, chopping vegetables, stirring sauces, checking orders…but my mind was far from calm. After what had happened with my father, I’d been restless all day. Cooking was the only thing keeping me from exploding.My phone started buzzing on the counter. I wiped my hands on a towel and checked the caller ID. It was Lia.I frowned. What does she want now?For a moment, I thought about ignoring it, but something inside me said to pick up. Maybe it was pity, or maybe just curiosity. I pressed the green button and brought the phone to my ear.“Hello, Lia,” I said quietly.Her voice came through weak and trembling. “Rowan… I—I’m sorry to disturb you. I know you probably don’t want to hear from me after everything.”I sighed softly, leaning against the counter. “What’s going on, Lia? You don’t sound fine.”She gave a small shaky laugh that turned into a cough. “I’m… not fine,
LIA’S POVThe money problems never left me. They sat in the corner of the small living room like a hungry animal, always moving, always ready to bite. Bills kept arriving. Steve’s voice was sharper every day. The house smelled the same …frying oil, old soap ..but nothing in it felt safe anymore.I told myself I would not be obvious. Piper’s marriage was supposed to change things for me. I had helped where I could...smiled at the right times, laughed when she laughed, been the perfect friend. I thought that would get me something back. But life didn’t hand out favors like that. Smiles didn’t pay rent.So I went out to buy groceries. It was an excuse, really. Walking around the market made my head clear just enough to think. I moved down the aisles picking the cheapest things. Rice, tomatoes, a small chicken. My fingers kept counting on their own. Five thousand. Five thousand kept repeating like a broken clock.“Maybe Piper will help,” I thought. “Maybe she will see I didn’t get anythin
ROWAN’S POVThe drive home was silent. The kind of silence that eats at your thoughts and makes every breath heavy. Piper sat beside me, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, her eyes staring blankly out the window. I could tell she was shaken by what happened at the hotel but I was worse.Every time I thought about it, my jaw tightened.How could he say something like that?How could he look at Piper that way?When we pulled up to the house, she got out quietly. No words. No glances. Just… silence. She walked straight inside, up the stairs, and disappeared into our room.I stood by the car for a while, staring at the dark sky. My chest felt tight. I needed air. I needed to get away before I said something I’d regret.So I walked.The night air was cold, but it did little to cool the anger burning inside me. I shoved my hands in my pockets, my thoughts a mess. Every memory of Ruben..his smirk, his controlling tone, his arrogance flashed through my mind.My father had crossed a line t
PIPER’S POVThe room felt like a storm had just passed through it. Glass from the shattered table crunched beneath Rowan’s shoes as he stood between me and Ruben. My heart was still pounding in my chest, the air thick with fear and disbelief.Ruben slowly got up from the floor, blood trickling from the side of his lip. His eyes darted from me to Rowan, wild and filled with rage.“So you set me up!!!” he shouted, his voice trembling with both fury and humiliation.I froze, shaking my head. “No, I didn’t…”“Don’t lie to me, Piper!” he barked, taking a step forward. “You brought him here! You made me look like a fool!”I swallowed hard, my voice barely steady. “Ruben, you brought this on yourself. You shouldn’t have…”“Enough!” Rowan’s voice cut through the air like thunder. “You don’t get to speak to her like that.”Ruben turned his gaze to his son, his face twisted with anger. “You have no idea what’s going on here, Rowan. You think you understand everything, but you don’t.”Rowan’s to







