FAZER LOGINLydia POVThe moment the question left Theo’s lips, I already began forming possible answers in my head.Not because I knew what he was about to ask.Because I was convinced it would be about work.Maybe he wanted to know if we could move into the next phase of rebuilding the company’s public image.Maybe he wanted my opinion on whether it was too soon to begin investor interviews again.Or perhaps, after everything he’d shared with me over the past week, he wanted another woman’s perspective on the custody battle with his ex-wife.Those were the kinds of conversations we usually had.Professional.Strategic.Safe.So when he hesitated for a fraction of a second, resting one hand against the back of the conference chair as though carefully choosing his next words, I kept waiting for something related to business.Instead—“How are your twins?”For a brief moment, my thoughts simply… stopped.It wasn’t the question I had expected.Not even close.Theo smiled at my obvious surprise befo
Lydia POVThe meeting had barely begun before the room slipped back into the familiar rhythm of corporate debate. The large digital screen displayed executives joining from different countries, each one greeting the room before diving straight into updates. Charts appeared on the screen one after another, displaying engagement statistics, media sentiment reports, investor confidence indexes, customer retention forecasts, and pages of analytics that would have overwhelmed anyone unfamiliar with crisis management.To me, it looked like another Monday.The head of Digital Strategy stood first, clicking through a presentation filled with graphs.“Our online sentiment has improved by twelve percent over the last five days. The apology video continues to perform well across every platform, particularly among women between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five. Engagement has remained consistently positive, and our response team has successfully replied to over ninety-six percent of direct
Lydia POVThe drive from the school to my office was thankfully uneventful, which was a luxury I had learned not to take for granted. traffic had a personality of its own, and today, for whatever reason, it had chosen kindness. My playlist hummed softly in the background while I mentally sorted through everything waiting for me. Theo’s company was still at the top of the list. We’d survived the first wave of public outrage, but surviving wasn’t the same thing as rebuilding. Rebuilding required consistency, patience, and a willingness to keep making the right decisions long after the applause faded. It was the part most companies underestimated.By the time I pulled into the underground parking lot of my office building, my work brain had completely taken over. The mother who had been laughing about maple syrup fifteen minutes ago quietly stepped aside, allowing the CEO to clock in.My assistant was already waiting outside my office with a tablet tucked under one arm and two takeaway c
Lydia POVI stayed in my room for another ten minutes after the call ended, and somehow, the conversation still revolved around outer space. Eli had somehow convinced himself that black holes were simply the universe’s version of giant vacuum cleaners, while Ava looked personally offended by that explanation. She launched into another passionate speech about gravity, spacetime, and event horizons, complete with exaggerated hand gestures that made her nearly knock over the glass of water on my bedside table. Eli listened with the expression of someone trying very hard to understand before confidently concluding, “So… it still eats things.” Ava buried her face in a pillow with the kind of dramatic sigh only a seven-year-old could manage, while I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Some nights, these two exhausted me beyond words. Other nights, I found myself silently wishing time would slow down because I already knew I would miss moments like this someday.Eventually, I ushered them towar
Dave POVBy the time the astronomy session finally came to an end, my eyes had begun protesting against yet another screen.The presenter thanked everyone for attending.Parents waved.Children flooded the chat with excited messages about stars, telescopes and planets.Then, one by one…The little squares began disappearing.Until only ours remained.Ava looked like someone had just been handed the greatest gift imaginable.“I don’t want it to end.”The astronomer laughed warmly.“Don’t worry. We’ll have another one next month.”“I’ll be there.”“I don’t doubt that.”The meeting finally disconnected.For a brief moment…It was just the four of us again.Me.Lydia.Ava.Eli.Ava immediately leaned closer to the screen.“Dad!”“Hm?”“What was your favorite part?”I smiled.“There were quite a few.”She looked delighted.“Tell me!”I leaned back in my chair.“Well… first…”“I loved the infrared images.”Her eyes widened instantly.“The colorful ones?”“Exactly.”“Most people look at spac
Dave POVThe rest of the afternoon disappeared beneath an avalanche of signatures, conference summaries, investor calls, and enough paperwork to make me question every life decision that had led me to becoming a CEO.By the time my final in-person meeting wrapped up, the clock on the wall read 5:38 p.m.Perfect.For once…I wasn’t late.As I stepped into the underground parking garage, my driver was already waiting beside the car.He hurried forward to open the rear door.“Good evening, sir.”“Evening.”I slid into the back seat, immediately setting my briefcase beside me.“Home?”He glanced at me through the rearview mirror.“Yes, sir?”I checked the time again.5:42.“…Actually, let’s head home, but don’t rush. I’ve got a video call in a few minutes.”“Of course.”The city slowly came alive around us as we pulled out of the parking structure.Office workers poured onto sidewalks in neatly pressed suits.Street vendors arranged evening snacks beneath glowing lanterns.Traffic thicken
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
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 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







