MasukAva POV I immediately shook my head. No. That wasn’t right. Mom wasn’t a thing. She couldn’t be stolen, and Dad wasn’t doing anything wrong by loving her. I knew that. I loved seeing them happy together, and I was happy that Mom was getting married. I really was. But sometimes, I missed having her all to myself. Before Dad came back, Mom and I had our little routines. I could walk into her room whenever I wanted and tell her about anything that happened at school. She would listen, ask questions, and sometimes make funny comments that made me laugh even when I was upset. Lately, there were so many things happening. The wedding, the planning, the phone calls with Aunt Anna. Mom always seemed to have something to do. And when I finally had something important to tell her, she was either busy or tired. I didn’t want to be selfish. I knew grown-ups had responsibilities. Still, I missed her. I sighed, pulled my physics textbook towards me, and decided to occupy myself until it
Ava’s POV The alarm went off at five in the morning, blaring like it had a personal problem with me. Mom set our alarms every day, but honestly, they hardly ever woke us up. Most mornings, Eli and I slept straight through them until Mom came to drag us out of bed. Today, however, I was already awake before she could come. Maybe it was because I’d been stressed lately. Urgh. I had so many things I wanted to tell Mom. But it was fine. I could tell her later. I dragged myself out of bed and headed towards the bathroom to wash my face. Just as I passed my little table, something caught my eye. A piece of paper. I stopped. What’s that? I approached it cautiously, narrowing my eyes at the handwriting. Is Eli ranking me again? Oh, absolutely not. That boy had a habit of making lists about everything and everyone. I still remembered the time he’d ranked the members of our family according to who was most likely to survive on a deserted island. Apparently, I was second because I kn
Lydia POVWhen I entered the children’s room, it was dark, as expected. The only light came from the faint glow of the night-light near their wardrobe.Both children appeared to be asleep.Well, one of them was probably asleep.That mischievous Eli had developed a habit of pretending to sleep whenever I came to check on them, only to wake up the moment I left. He thought I didn’t know. Unfortunately for him, we had CCTV cameras in the house, and I had eyes.I knew exactly what that boy got up to at night.Honestly, should I separate their rooms now? Perhaps it was time to have that conversation with them. They were growing up, after all, and at some point, they might want their own spaces.Still, it depended on them. I wasn’t going to make the decision without hearing what they thought.Anyway, back to Ava.I walked over to her bedside and sat down carefully, watching her sleeping face. Her breathing was slow and steady, and her blanket was tucked beneath her chin.“Ava,” I whispered.
Lydia Ava answered first. “I think it’s nice. I like that you’re not making it too big. I think it should feel like us, not like we’re trying to impress people.”I listened carefully.“And I like that there’ll be a garden,” she continued. “It feels more comfortable. People can sit together and talk. And I think the lights will look pretty in the evening.”“What about you, Eli?”“I still think dinosaurs would make it better.”I closed my eyes.“But,” he added quickly, “the garden is good too. And the cake must be big enough for everybody. Also, I think Dad should wear a nice suit.”Dave looked offended. “A nice suit?”“Yes. Not one of those boring ones.”“Boring ones?”“You know. The ones that make people look like they’re going to an office meeting.”I covered my mouth to hide my laughter.Dave looked at me. “Are you enjoying this?”“Very much.”“Excellent. I’ll remember that when your wedding dress looks like a bedsheet.”I gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”“Anything you want, milady,” h
Lydia “Hi, Mommy. When are you coming back?” Ava’s voice was quiet on the other end of the call. “When did you leave today, Mom? I came to your room earlier. I wanted to tell you something.” Guilt settled in my stomach. “I’m sorry, princess! You know Mommy is planning the wedding with Aunt Anna. Today, we went to check out venues and discuss the wedding theme. I’m so sorry, my babyyy. I promise I’ll be there when I get home. I’m on my way back now!” “Mom, I know, but—” I ended the call. Just like that. Another bad habit of mine. I was so quick to explain myself that I often forgot to listen to what the other person was actually trying to say. I scrunched my nose and stared at my phone. I would talk things out with her when I got home. Properly, this time. I booked a ride, and the driver arrived two minutes later. I settled into the back seat and watched the familiar streets pass by, already imagining Ava waiting for me at home. A few minutes later, I arrived. I opened the
LydiaShe glanced at the screen, and her expression changed.“Oh, no.”I looked up. “What happened?”“It’s work.” She answered the call, listened for a few seconds, and sat straighter. “Wait, what do you mean it hasn’t been resolved? Who’s handling it right now?”She listened again, her brow furrowing.“Okay. Don’t make any changes until I get there. Send me the latest figures and tell the team I’ll be back shortly.”She ended the call and let out a frustrated breath.“I’m sorry, babe. I have to go. Something’s come up at the office, and I need to sort it out.”I waved her off. “Go. It’s fine.”“Are you sure?”“Anna, please. I’m not going to fall apart because you have work to do.”She gave me a grateful smile, then reached for her bag.“I’ll call you later. And please don’t forget to rest when you get home. I’m serious about that.”“Yes, ma’am.”“I’m not joking, Lydia.”“I know. Go and save your empire.”She laughed, leaned over to hug me, and hurried away after settling the bill.I
Lydia I turned.He was standing a few feet away now, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.There was no softness in his face.Just cool detachment.The kind that made the evening breeze feel warmer by comparison.For the first time since he arrived, he looked directly at me and held the
Lydia POVAfter what seems like forever, a black Rolls-Royce pulled into the court compound, I had already imagined three different ways to murder my husband.Future husband.Potential husband.Missing husband.Whatever.At that point, I wasn’t being picky.The sleek black car glided through the ga
Lydia POVOh.That was… unfortunate.Because he was beautiful.In a sharp, expensive, dangerous kind of way.Dark suit.Sharper jaw.Dark eyes that looked almost black under certain lighting.Everything about him looked controlled.I clicked another picture.Still no smile.Another.Same expression
Lydia POV“You’re getting married to Dave Ashton tomorrow by eight a.m.”Those were the words that ended my life as I knew it.One sentence.One Tuesday evening.One announcement delivered with the same emotional weight my father would have used to ask someone to pass the salt.For a moment, I hone







