LOGINKira's POV"I need a favor." Kira ducked into the hospital's small courtyard, phone pressed to her ear, finally out of earshot of the waiting room."Anything," Alyssa said. "What's up?""Someone tipped off the press yesterday. They knew the exact hospital, the exact entrance. I want to know who.""You think it was staff here?""Maybe or maybe not. I just need eyes on it, and I can't exactly go digging myself right now.""Say no more. I've got a friend who used to work at entertainment desk at one of the tabloids before she quit. She still talks to people over there. Give me a few hours.""Thank you, Alyssa. I mean it.""Go be with your kid. I'll call you the second I have something."Kira hung up and pressed her back against the cool brick wall, closing her eyes for a moment, letting herself breathe before heading back inside.The hours dragged, longer than she expected, filled with quiet stretches beside Lily's bed, a brief visit from the doctor confirming her vitals had stabilized a
Kira's POV"Pick up, pick up, pick up." Kira paced the length of the hospital corridor, phone pressed to her ear, Adrian leaning against the wall watching her.It rang twice more before the line finally clicked open."Kira?" Marcus's voice came through groggy, confused. "It's early, is something wrong? Is it Lily?""She's stable. She's going to be okay." Kira stopped pacing, gripping the phone tighter. "Marcus, I need to ask you something, and I need you to just answer honestly.""Okay. You're scaring me a little.""Have you spoken to Lily recently? Seen her at all in the last week or two?"A pause. "Not since the birthday dinner. Why?""She said your name. While she was drifting in and out, she kept saying uncle Marcus, over and over, like she was afraid."Silence stretched on the other end of the line, long enough that Kira glanced at the screen to check the call hadn't dropped."Marcus?""I'm here." His voice had changed, tightened. "Kira, are you asking me if I did something to he
Kira's POV"No. No, I don't want to go." Lily's head turned weakly against the pillow, her voice thin and frightened."Lily?" Kira leaned closer, her hand tightening around her daughter's. "Baby, I'm here. Mummy's here.""Mummy, what's wrong? Is she okay?" Ethan had gone rigid beside the bed, his eyes wide with fear, still holding tight to Lily's other hand."She's dreaming, sweetheart. It's okay." Kira didn't fully believe her own words, but she kept her voice steady for his sake."Should we call the nurse?" Ethan asked, already looking toward the door."Not yet, baby. Let's see if she settles."Adrian pushed off the wall, moving closer, his eyes fixed on Lily's face with an intensity that hadn't been there a moment ago."No, no." Lily's brow furrowed deeper, her fingers twitching against the sheets. "Unc... uncle...""Uncle who, baby?" Kira's heart climbed into her throat. "Who are you talking about?""Uncle Marcus." The words came out slurred, half formed. "Uncle Marcus."Kira froz
Kira's POV "Ethan." Kira crossed the corridor in a few quick strides, kneeling in front of him. "Baby, what are you doing here? I told Alyssa to make sure you stay at home." "I wanted to see her." His voice wobbled as his chin trembled despite how hard he was clearly trying to hold himself together. "Nobody would tell me anything, mummy. Is she okay? Is Lily okay?" "I'm sorry, Kira." Alyssa hovered a step behind him, phone still clutched in one hand. "He wouldn't stop asking, even when I went to pick up your clothes that you asked me to get for you, he kept saying he wanted to come and your parent said I should take him.” “I’ve tried calling you to ask first but your number wasn’t connecting, really sorry I just thought it might be worse to keep him in the dark." "Ohh, it’s fine." Kira cupped Ethan's face in both hands, forcing her own voice to stay steady. "She's going to be okay. I promise you, baby." Ethan's arms wrapped around her neck before she'd finished the sentence, hold
Kira's POV "Are you Lily's mother?" The woman shifted her weight, fingers twisting the strap of her bag. "Yes." Kira stood, crossing to the doorway. "I'm Kira. This is Adrian, Lily's father." "I'm Ms. Patterson. I'm her group guide at the academy." She glanced between them, her composure faltering, eyes darting toward the closed door behind Kira as if she could sense whose room it was. "I'm so sorry about what happened to her. I should have known sooner that she wasn't on the bus." "How does a school lose track of a student for that long?" Kira's voice came out sharper than she intended, exhaustion bleeding through every word. "I know it sounds unforgivable. The bus manifest gets checked at departure, but with forty students and three chaperones, if someone tells a friend they're staying behind, it doesn't always get flagged in time." "What do you know?" Adrian's voice cut through gently but firmly, no patience left for pleasantries. "Her roommate came to me this morning. She sa
Kira's POV"Ma'am, can you confirm you and Mr. Westbrook are back together?" A microphone shot very close towards her face in a split second."Is it true your daughter's accident is connected to your divorce?" Another voice, another camera shoving in from the opposite side.Kira froze, blinking against the flashbulbs still going off in rapid bursts, her mind still tangled around the words the doctor had just used, gap, memory, time and patience, and now this, cameras and questions crowding in like her daughter's condition was entertainment."Please." Her voice came out strained. "Please, our family needs space, can you give us that?""Just one comment, Ms. Ashford, is it true—""Are you and Mr. Westbrook back together, is that why—""I said please." She stepped back, colliding with Adrian's chest, and his arm came around her immediately, pulling her into him, angling his own body between her and the nearest camera."Back up," Adrian said, low and hard. "All of you. Now."They didn't b
KIRA POV“You look exhausted.”Kira looked up from her laptop. Marcus stood in the doorway of her office at the estate, holding two cups of coffee.“I’m fine.”“You’ve been saying that for three days straight.” He walked in and set one cup on her desk. “Wh
ADRIAN POVAdrian was still standing.He hadn’t moved since Kira walked in. His lips were parted slightly. Like he’d forgotten how to close his mouth.She was beautiful.Wait. Her thighs? When did Kira thighs get thick like that? Smooth. The dress barely covered them.And her chest. Her boobs looke
VANESSA POV Vanessa sat on her bed, phone pressed to her ear, laughing. “I’m telling you, Jenna, it was insane. He’s huge. Like, I wasn’t ready for that.” Jenna screamed on the other end. “Stop! I need details. How many rounds?” “Just on
ADRIAN POV“Where is she?”The man behind the desk looked up. Mid-forties. Balding. Nervous eyes.“I’m sorry, sir. Who are you looking for?”“Kira. Where is she?”The man’s expression changed. He kind of recognized Adrian, but still wanted to ask just to be sure. “And you are?”“I’m her husband.”“







