LOGINLydia povI glanced between them.Then smiled.“Actually, that’s what I came to talk about.”Both children immediately became attentive.Even Ava.I leaned back against the headboard.“So, you both know it’s been a two days now.”They nodded.“And we talked about figuring out a virtual schedule with your dad.”Another nod.“This is basically going to be similar to what you used to do before.”Eli tilted his head.“Except virtual?”“Exactly.”He seemed satisfied by that answer.“That’s not bad.”I noticed Ava giving a small side-eye from the corner of my vision.Immediately I pointed at her.“What was that look?”Her eyes widened.“What look?”“The look you just gave.”Ava sighed.“It wasn’t a look.”“It was definitely a look.”She hesitated.Then shrugged.“I don’t know.”I studied her carefully.She looked away.“I’m just in my feelings, I guess.”The honesty surprised me.I reached over and squeezed her hand.“Whatever feelings you’re having, you can talk to me.”Her expression soft
Lydia POVI slipped into my car and closed the door behind me.Honestly, I’d already overheard more than I should have.The last thing I wanted was to stand around eavesdropping on a private conversation. Whatever was happening between Theo, his lawyer, his ex, or the courts was his business, not mine.So I pushed the thought aside.At least I tried to.As the car pulled out of the parking lot, one of Drake’s newer songs started playing through the speakers. Normally, music helped clear my head after a long workday.Today, though, my mind kept drifting back to the parking lot.Theo had a child.That alone wasn’t surprising.Plenty of people had children.What surprised me was the custody battle.For some reason, he didn’t fit the image I had unconsciously built of him.He always seemed so composed.So confident.So annoyingly smooth.The type of man who walked into a room already knowing exactly how things would go.Yet the man I’d overheard sounded worried.Scared, even.And that did
Lydia POVBy the time I got back to the office, the excitement from the proposal had mostly died down.Mostly.A few balloons were still floating around various corners of the office, and every now and then I would catch employees whispering excitedly before bursting into laughter.The atmosphere felt lighter than usual.Warmer.I had barely settled into my chair when there was a knock on my office door.My assistant peeked inside.The moment our eyes met, she practically beamed.“Lydia, thank you so much for today. It means a lot. Thank youuu.”I looked up from my laptop.She placed a hand dramatically over her chest.“I wish I could hug you right now.”I slowly raised an eyebrow and gave her one of my deadliest stares.The one that had reduced grown men to nervous stuttering during negotiations.“Don’t overstep now.”For a second, she froze.Then I smiled.Immediately, she laughed.“There she is.”She pointed at me.“I knew there was a heart somewhere inside all that intimidation.”
Lydia POVThe next morning started with a strong cup of ginger and chamomile tea.I stood by the kitchen island, one hand wrapped around the warm mug while the early morning sunlight filtered through the windows. The house was still relatively quiet, and for a few precious minutes, nobody needed anything from me.No emails.No meetings.No children debating whether dinosaurs would make good race-car drivers.Just me and my tea.I took another sip and mentally reviewed my schedule for the day.It was packed.Ironically, the thing I was looking forward to most wasn’t a business meeting.It was my assistant’s proposal.The thought immediately brought a smile to my face.Her boyfriend was persistent. I’d give him that.The previous weekend, he’d somehow managed to corner me in a grocery store while I was trying to buy vegetables.I had been comparing two brands of pasta sauce when a nervous-looking man appeared beside my shopping cart.“Ms. Lydia?”I remembered turning to look at him.“Ye
Lydia POVI settled into the armchair opposite Anna and Theo and crossed one leg over the other.The living room felt strangely quiet after everything that had happened with Dave.One minute I was slapping the father of my children for attempting to kiss me out of nowhere.The next minute I was apparently having a business meeting.Life was weird.I picked up my glass of water and looked between the siblings.“Okay,” I said. “What’s happening? What happened, and why exactly do you need my help?”The moment the question left my mouth, something interesting happened.The charming smile disappeared.The playful energy vanished.Even the slight flirtatiousness Theo had been carrying around like a designer jacket seemed to fall away.For the first time since meeting him, he looked completely serious.Business serious.He leaned forward slightly and clasped his hands together.“So this is what happened.”I nodded for him to continue.“My company is based in Country Z. We focus on Gen Z fash
Dave POV“Dave, I’m not stopping you from leaving,” Lydia said.Her voice was calm.Too calm.For some reason, I had expected anger. Maybe disappointment. Maybe one of those sharp remarks she occasionally delivered with terrifying precision.Instead, she sounded composed.I found myself staring at her for a second longer than necessary.Then again, unpredictability was part of what made Lydia Lydia. She never reacted the way people expected her to.She folded her arms loosely across her chest.“What I’m saying is that I want you to know that you can let me know if you aren’t coming back.”The hallway suddenly felt smaller.Quieter.I looked at her but didn’t say anything.She continued.“Also, don’t lie to my kids and give them those gibberish gifts only to end up breaking their hearts.”Her gaze hardened.“Let me tell you something.”A pause.“I’ll ruin you.”There wasn’t a hint of exaggeration in her voice.No drama.No theatrics.Just a simple statement of fact.Then, as though she
Dave POVThat was it. That was where the conversation had been heading all along. Not the breach. Not the clients. Me. The meeting dragged on after that, but not in a productive way. It circled, repeated, escalated, and eventually ended without resolution, just tension stretched thinner a
Dave POVA charity gala, hosted by one of the biggest socialites in the country, the kind of event that people pretend is about impact but everyone in the room knows it is really about positioning. Optics. Power. Who is seen, who is aligned, who is still relevant. I had been to enough of these to u
Lydia POVI didn’t even let it settle.“Are you stalking me now?” I asked, my tone flat.He started explaining, something about business, about collaboration with the host, and I barely listened.“Nice to see you,” I said quickly. “Please excuse me.”And I walked away.I wasn’t ready for him. Not t
Lydia POVCarefully, I adjusted them, one after the other, easing them into bed without waking them. I pulled the covers over them, brushed their hair back gently, and just stood there for a second looking at them, the way mothers do when they don’t want to admit how much of their strength comes fr







