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
Lydia POVI knew Dave was the one I had seen on the CCTV.When he walked into the house and greeted me, I simply told him the kids were upstairs before turning my attention back to the news playing on the television.At least, that was what it looked like.The truth was that I wasn’t paying attenti
Dave povMy heart nearly broke.My babies have been through it.“I don’t want you to handle any truth,” I said. “I want you to know that I’ll be back. I’ll keep in touch regardless.”Then, acting almost entirely on impulse, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small piece of jewelry.It had pi
Dave povThat caught me off guard.Ava didn’t usually give me that sort of attitude.This was getting really weird.“Yeah, I came for another reason,” I said. “But don’t you guys enjoy my company for this extra day?”“Hmm.”That was all she said before returning to her tablet.Okay.Definitely weir
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







