FAZER LOGINLydia POV“I’ve been waiting!”I walked over, smiling despite myself.“I heard.”I sat beside her and brushed a loose curl away from her forehead.“So…”I lowered my voice dramatically.“…what happened?”She looked around as though checking whether someone might overhear.Then leaned closer.“Mom…”“Yes?”“A girl talked to me today.”I blinked.“…Okay?”“Not just talked.”She shook her head vigorously.“She came all the way to my desk.”“Oh?”“And then…”She paused for dramatic effect.“…she said I was cool.”I stared at her.She stared back.That…That was the emergency?She nodded enthusiastically.“She said she liked how I answered questions in class.”I couldn’t help smiling.“That’s wonderful, sweetheart.”“I know!”“And then she asked if we could sit together during lunch tomorrow.”My smile grew softer.“That’s really sweet.”“And…”Ava’s voice became quieter.“…she asked if we could be friends.”For a moment I simply looked at her.There was something so incredibly pure about
Lydia POVA tiny crease formed between my brows.Theo noticed immediately.“Everything alright?”“I’m not sure.”I excused myself politely before answering.“Hi, Grace.”“Good evening.”Her voice sounded calm.Immediately, my shoulders relaxed.“Is everything okay?”“Everything is perfectly fine.”“Then why are you calling?”“It’s Ava.”My heart skipped anyway.“What happened?”“Nothing bad.”“Is she hurt?”“No.”“Is Eli alright?”“He’s perfectly fine.”I frowned.“Then?”Grace laughed softly.“She insists she has to see you tonight.”“See me?”“Yes.”“I asked whether she could just tell me what it was.”“And?”“She said no.”“She said, ‘I have to tell Mommy myself.’”I pinched the bridge of my nose.Typical.Completely typical.If Ava insisted on seeing me…Then whatever it was had become monumental in her little world.“I’ll be home soon.”“Alright, ma.”The call ended.I returned to the table.Theo looked at me expectantly.“Everything okay?”“Yes.”I smiled apologetically.“My dau
Lydia POVThe waiter returned carrying our main course with the sort of precision that only existed in restaurants where a single dinner probably cost more than an average person’s monthly salary.A perfectly seared filet mignon rested on my plate beside creamy truffle mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrots glazed with honey, grilled asparagus, and a glossy red wine reduction artfully painted across the porcelain. It looked less like dinner and more like something that belonged in an art gallery.I looked from the plate to Theo before raising an amused eyebrow.“So…”I picked up my fork.“Mr. Theodore.”He looked up from unfolding his napkin.“Yes?”I tilted my head.“Did you invite me here because you genuinely wanted to celebrate, or am I about to receive a PowerPoint presentation disguised as dinner?”A slow laugh escaped him.“I don’t carry PowerPoint presentations to restaurants.”“Good.”I cut into my steak.“Because if you did, I’d have left already.”“I’ll keep that in mind.”“
Lydia’s POVI rolled my eyes, gathering the reports into neat piles.“Cancel my seven-thirty virtual movie night with Anna.”Her smile immediately disappeared.“Oh…”“You’ve just volunteered me for war.”I looked up.“What?”“You think Anna is going to accept that calmly?”“I’ll explain.”“She worships movie nights.”“I know.”“She literally creates themed snack menus.”“I know.”“Last month she mailed you popcorn seasoning because she said your collection was ‘embarrassingly basic.’”“I know.”She shook her head dramatically.“I wish you luck.”I laughed despite myself.“She’ll survive.”“Will you?”“I’ll survive too.”My assistant picked up her phone.“I’ll notify her before she starts buying snacks.”“Thank you.”“And…”She looked back at me with a mischievous smile.“I’m not taking responsibility if she declares emotional warfare.”I laughed.“I’ll take full responsibility.”“Excellent.”“Because she’ll definitely blame somebody.”By six o’clock, I was finally home.The house felt
Lydia’s POVTwo weeks later,Now…Everything was quiet.Not the kind of quiet that came from people giving up.The satisfying kind.The kind earned after weeks of relentless work.The kind that reminded me exactly why I loved what I did.My office overlooked nearly half the city, the floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the room with the pale morning sunlight that reflected off neighboring skyscrapers. The projector hummed softly against one wall while dozens of charts stretched across the screen—stock performances, engagement reports, public sentiment analyses, quarterly forecasts, and media perception indexes.This…This was my version of watching a blockbuster movie.People assumed public relations ended once the headlines changed.It didn’t.That was where the real work began.A reputation wasn’t rebuilt the day the crisis disappeared.It was rebuilt every day after that.I sat comfortably at the head of the conference table with a notebook open in front of me, absentmindedly twirlin
Theo’s POVHalf the restaurant probably knew my name now. I walked over, shaking my head. “You know,” I said as I pulled out my chair, “most people simply wave.” “That’s boring.” “You’ve been here long?” She glanced at the empty basket of tortilla chips on the table. “…Maybe.” “Anna.” “They brought complimentary chips.” “And?” “I got hungry.” I looked toward the waiter. “Did she already order?” Anna answered before he could. “I ordered appetizers.” “You said we were having dinner.” “We are.” “I also ordered dinner.” “…Anna.” “And maybe dessert.” I stared at her. She smiled sweetly. “What?” I laughed under my breath. “I forgot how exhausting you are.” “You say exhausting.” She reached across the table dramatically. “I say delightful.” The waiter returned carrying sizzling fajitas, grilled vegetables, warm tortillas, fresh guacamole, roasted corn, and a platter of steak sliced perfectly over peppers and onions. I looked from the
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
Bernard stepped in, hands clasped neatly in front of him.“I apologize for disturbing you, ma’am. I came by earlier, but there was no response.”I rubbed my eyes. “I was asleep.”“Yes, ma’am.”He said it so respectfully that I almost felt bad for sounding irritated.Almost.“Would you like dinner?”
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







