LOGINLena's POV Morning came slowly, the rain from the night before replaced by soft sunlight pushing through the curtains. I woke up to the quiet sound of birds outside the window and the faint smell of coffee drifting through the house. For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting the calm morning trick me into believing life was simple again. Then everything came rushing back. Lucian. Xander. The baby. The lies. The running away. I sighed and sat up carefully, remembering the bandage wrapped around my foot. Harry had done a neat job. The pain was dull now, just a faint reminder of last night. Harry. The thought made me glance toward the door. The house was quiet. Too quiet. He must have left already. For some reason, I felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment. I pushed the thought aside and stood up, carefully testing my foot before walking toward the bathroom. By the time I came downstairs, Jane was already sitting at the kitchen table, eating
Lena's POV The night was heavy with rain, each drop tapping insistently against the roof, a rhythmic reminder of the storm outside. The kind of rain that made the world feel smaller, more intimate, and somehow heavier with secrets. I had been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind a tangled mess of thoughts. Everything—the past weeks, Lucian, the baby, the distance from Xander, Jane’s healing, my own fears—was swirling in a storm of its own, almost louder than the rain outside. Mom had gone to the door earlier, her voice calm but firm, and let someone in. I hadn’t seen him enter, hadn’t even heard his footsteps at first, only the faint sound of dripping water and the rustle of his coat as he shook off the rain. Mom had offered him the spare room. A stranger. The thought made my stomach twist, but it was Mom. She never made rash decisions, and she’d clearly sized him up before letting him stay. It was late when I finally got up. The house was quiet, everyone asleep, and I wa
Lena's POV The beach was quiet that morning. Florida mornings always had a soft calm to them, like the world was still waking up slowly. The sky was painted in pale shades of pink and orange, and the ocean stretched endlessly in front of us, waves rolling in with a gentle rhythm. Jane walked beside me barefoot, her sandals dangling from her fingers. Neither of us spoke at first. The sand was cool under our feet, and the air smelled like salt and sunlight. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she wore one of my oversized sweaters. The wind tugged lightly at it, making it flutter around her legs. She still looked tired. Not the kind of tired sleep fixes. The kind heartbreak leaves behind. “Do you remember,” she said suddenly, kicking a small shell along the sand, “when we we
Xander's POV The hospital hallway smelled faintly of antiseptic and coffee. I leaned against the wall outside the consultation room, arms folded, watching the nurses move back and forth with quiet efficiency. The place was calm, almost peaceful, but my mind was anything but. Laney sat a few seats away from me, scrolling through her phone like she didn’t have a care in the world. She looked calm. Too calm. Which only made everything feel more complicated. The doctor had just finished explaining the prenatal checkup schedule and nutritional requirements. Standard things. Vitamins, monitoring, regular visits. I had already arranged for the best care possible. Private appointments, a personal physician, anything she needed. Not because I trusted the situation. But because if that child turned out to be mine, I wouldn’t allow negligence to
Lucian's POV The office felt unusually quiet that afternoon. Not the peaceful kind of quiet. The heavy kind. The kind that made you aware of every little sound. The ticking of the clock. The distant hum of printers. The faint clicking of keyboards outside my glass walls. Kristen was somewhere in the outer office finishing paperwork. I could hear the occasional shuffle of files and the soft ring of the office phone. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts drifted where they had been drifting all morning. Lena. She was probably at home right now. I pictured her sitting on the couch, one hand resting on her stomach, her brows slightly furrowed the way they always were when she worried. She was probably wondering why I hadn’t called. Why the headlines suddenly said I had a new girlfriend. Petra. I sighed and rubbed my face slowly. Once everything calms down, I’ll tell her. That was the plan. Once the scandal cooled off, once the media lost intere
Lena's POV I slouched into the airport chair, my bag at my feet and a quiet hum of announcements echoing around me. Jane was beside me, tapping her fingers on her knee, staring at the floor with that same haunted look she’d been wearing since the Marcus mess.“You okay?” I asked softly.She didn’t look up at first, but then her eyes met mine, glossy and tired. “I’ll be fine,” she whispered. “Just… tired. Tired of everything.”I nodded, understanding all too well. I had my own storm brewing inside, but I couldn’t burden her with it. Not now. Not while we were supposed to be escaping all the chaos for a little while.“So… Florida,” I said, trying to bring some light into the silence. “Home, finally.”Jane’s lips quirked into the smallest smile. “Yeah. Mom’s gonna freak seeing me leave like this. But I need it.”I shifted in my seat, tugging my jacket closer around me. “Me too. I just… need a break from everything. From the company, from the headlines… from Lucian…” My chest tightened a
Lena's POV The moment we arrived at the beach house, the salty breeze welcomed us like a warm embrace. The place was beautiful, even more breathtaking than I remembered. The house stood proudly facing the ocean, its wide glass windows reflecting the golden sunlight dancing on the waves. The sound
Lena's POV When I finally reached Groovy Lit, my steps slowed without my permission.The place hadn’t changed much. Same glass windows, same soft jazz playing in the background, same warm smell of coffee and baked pastries that always made the place feel calm even when your heart wasn’t. I spotted
Lena's POV When I got home, the silence greeted me first.It felt heavier than usual, like the walls themselves were watching me pack my life into a suitcase without asking questions. I moved slowly, folding clothes, arranging shoes, slipping toiletries into a small pouch. My mind was everywhere a
Lena's POV Xander finally woke up, stretching lazily like someone who had slept far too comfortably. I turned my face away quickly, pretending to be very interested in the curtains, even though my heart was already awake before the rest of me.We took turns showering, carefully avoiding awkwardnes







