LOGINREVAI awoke to the gentle clink of porcelain and the faint scent of something warm and fragrant wafting through the room. I remained motionless for a moment, wrapped in the comfort of the unfamiliar sheets, before opening my eyes.A breakfast tray had been neatly placed across my lap, filled with a spread straight out of a magazine, and my favorite, my fiancé, lay beside me, watching me with that smile that made my heart skip a beat.“Good morning," he said, and I replied, leaning in for a kiss on the lips before pushing myself up, still half asleep but smiling as I took it all in. He asked how I slept, and I told him it was the best I'd had in a long time. He agreed.My bladder was full, and I needed to use the bathroom, so I put the tray down while I got up and went there, where I relieved myself and cleaned up before returning to bed.Levi told me our plans for the day: we were going to the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. He also presented me with a second option, but I chose the first
HUNTERThe doctor's voice was pleading as he advised me to stay in the hospital for another day. He explained that the impact on my ribs had caused additional damage and that pushing myself now could aggravate the situation, and I heard everything he said, but it didn't matter.I couldn't spend another second in the room without losing my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Alan's cold, disgusted voice telling me exactly what I meant to him.At first, as I lay there, doctors rushing around me, I had tried to justify what had happened as his wife monitoring him. But if that had been the case, he should have contacted me and explained.Furthermore, treating me the way he did to please his wife, whom he was supposed to leave, would have meant something else altogether.The truth was clear, and I had to accept it no matter how it stabbed at my heart each time—he used me. I pushed myself up despite my body's protests, and sharp pain spread through my ribs, causing me to pause despi
REVAWe touched down after sixteen hours, which I had to admit I had not felt, and the air felt different before the doors even opened. It was warmer, which was a welcome change from where we came from. Levi had said he was taking me somewhere warm, but he hadn't specified where, and my heart started racing. When he suggested we go away for the weekend, I didn't think we had the time with our hectic schedules, but he insisted, pointing out that we always have busy schedules and that we'd never live if we didn't. I was glad he insisted, because I was ready for this weekend away. I hadn't traveled much in my life. We had to make a refueling stop due to the flight's length, and I initially thought it would be a quick technical stop without us even stepping out. But I had been wrong. We didn't just land on a remote runway. It was another city, and a car awaited us as soon as we descended. We were driven away from the airport in minutes, and I remember looking at Levi, slightly conf
HUNTERI stood in front of Alan's office building, my heart racing as I forced myself through the revolving doors. I should not have had to come to him like this. But I had no choice after a month of no communication from him.The first two weeks following the attack had been a blur of pain, medication, and forced silence. I couldn't move without feeling it run through my body, with every bruise and strained muscle serving as a reminder of that night. When I finally got out of bed, I was still not myself. I walked with a slight limp, my strength not fully restored, and my body slower to respond than it once was.But I couldn't stay in bed any longer.Construction was supposed to begin next week, according to the timeline Alan had given me before everything fell apart, and then he vanished. We were supposed to have finalized the contract already. But I'd heard nothing from him. Not even to check on me after his brute of a wife nearly killed me. I tried calling him even at night becau
THIRD-PARTY POVDanielle stood motionless for a moment after the door closed, her hand still resting on the handle, watching Levi walk away before something inside her snapped.She stumbled back into the apartment, her rage erupting. A scream erupted from her throat as she hurled one of the lit candles against the wall. Wax splattered, the flame extinguished on impact, but she did not stop. She grabbed another and threw it, followed by another, her movements frantic and uncoordinated as her vision blurred.His words echoed in her head over and over, emphasizing that their relationship would be all about the baby. He wanted a DNA test.The humiliation burned through her, and she let out another scream as she swiped at the table, crashing the plates to the tiled floor. Her veins felt like they were on fire as she clutched the edge of the table, her body shaking.She screamed until her voice broke, her strength ran out, and she collapsed to the floor. For a moment, there was only the sou
ONE MONTH LATER DANIELLEI let out a sharp scream as I threw the pot lid aside, the steam catching my fingers before I could get away in time.“Damn it!"I dashed to the sink and submerged my hand in cold running water, hissing as the sting subsided into a dull throb. I should've just ordered lunch. I knew that. But, no, I had to try to make something myself because I wanted it to be special and remind him.I stood there for a moment, breathing through the discomfort before turning, only to collide with my mug. Coffee spilled across the counter and onto my tablet.My heart dropped, and I grabbed a towel, wiping frantically, lifting and turning it, hoping the liquid hadn't seeped inside. The tablet had been propped up with the Honey-Crispy Salmon Bowl recipe I had been following.“Your dad's favorite lunch, or what used to be his favorite lunch," I told my baby, brushing my stomach after carefully setting the tablet aside once I was sure it was still functional.It had been a month si
NIKOLAIThe music cut out. “Security department, this is Mark speaking," a guy's voice came through from the other side of the line, and I straightened instinctively. “My name is Hunter Starling. I was transferred from reception to discuss security footage from Christmas Eve."“Yes, Mr. Starling,"
THIRD-PARTY VIEWPOINTNikolai stumbled out of the penthouse and froze, realizing his car was not in the driveway. Only Hunter's car was present, so he rushed back inside, tearing through the place until he grabbed Hunter's keys from the counter. He didn't slow down and drove away in Hunter's car li
NIKOLAIHunter’s fingers laced with mine as we walked into the law offices. It was still holiday season, and everyone was basking in the magic it brought, except my fiancé and me. While everyone was sipping hot cocoa in pajamas on their balconies, we were hard at work to ensure that the coming sea
REVAMy stomach had already twisted into knots by the time my mother and I drove into the underground parking garage. I thought signing the divorce papers was the hardest part. But it appears to be only the beginning.“Are you alright?" Mom asked, turning off the engine and looking at me with that







