Alex’s POVThe alarm blared into my ear, ripping me out of what could only be described as one of the sweetest dreams I’ve had in months. I groaned, fumbling for the phone to shut it off before it woke anyone else.Glancing to my side, I froze.Annalyn shifted slightly, her arm draped protectively over Nolan, both of them cuddled into each other like they were born that way. My chest tightened, a strange warmth spreading through me. She loved that boy as though he were her own, no blood ties, no conditions… just pure affection. God… how did I get this lucky?I eased out of bed quietly, not wanting to wake them, my feet barely making a sound on the polished floor.One quick look at my schedule on the phone: the board meeting was the only major activity. Perfect. That gave me enough room to pull off what I had in mind today.In the shower, the warm water rolled over me, but my mind was elsewhere… or on someone… on Annalyn. On that kiss. My lips curled into a grin at the memory of her ki
Annalyn’s POVI stirred awake to warmth at my stomach, a hand draped protectively over me. The touch was firm yet gentle, and my insides tingled with recognition. I knew those hands. I had felt them before… It was most definitely Alex’s hands.A small smile crept across my lips before I even opened my eyes. Maybe last night hadn’t been a dream after all… Maybe, for once, I wasn’t going to wake up to an empty bed alone. Maybe I finally mean something to him. I mean he has his hands around me.I opened my eyes slowly, my chest light with hope, only for it to sink like a rock in water.It wasn’t Alex.It was Nolan, curled against me, one small arm flung across my waist. His tiny lips were parted in sleep, his hair ruffled from tossing in the night.For a moment, I just stared at him, heart clenching at how peaceful he looked, yet… disappointment washed over me. That warmth, that security I had felt? It wasn’t from Alex—it was from Nolan.I glanced to the other side of the bed. Empty.My
Annalyn’s POVAs soon as I turned his lips were on mine before I could even breathe.For a heartbeat, I froze… not because I didn’t want it because I couldn’t believe that Fucking Alexander Quinn was kissing me.. Yes, we’d shared a kiss a few times but on all occasions it had either been out of intoxication or frustration..But this time it felt… relieving… needed… his tongue roamed through my mouth demanding, hungry and unapologetic. Yet, God help me… this was what I fucking wanted. Every damn sleepless night, every unspoken ache I buried deep inside me, all of it crashed in that one kiss.So, I kissed him back… no hesitation, no thinking, just pure instinct. My fingers moved on their own, tangling into his hair, pulling him closer as if I could fuse him into me, while his hands mapped my body like he’d been starving for this.“Uhhmmm!” I moaned against his mouth…Somehow, my feet moved, taking three stumbling steps back until my spine hit the wall. The thud barely registered befor
Alex’s POVAnnalyn rushed past me before I could respond to her request, I caught sight of her eyes red and distant, like I was invisible.I froze mid-step, watching her disappear down the staircase without even a flicker of smile.“I thought we were okay now?” The thought stung deeper than I cared to admit. Something was wrong… very wrong.My jaw tightened as I turned and looked up the way she had come from… my room. A dark, gnawing suspicion twisted inside me.I took the stairs two at a time, pushing open the door with the full intent to find whatever had put that look on her face.And then I stopped cold Im my tracks.Marlene lay sprawled across my bed like she owned it, wrapped only in one of my towels. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, water still dripping onto my sheets. She crossed one leg over the other, slow and deliberate, her fingers tracing a seductive line up her thigh as she smirked.“Finally,” she purred, “I thought you’d never come back up here.”The sight of her l
Annalyn’s POVI woke up lighter than air, filled with that restless, happy anticipation that had clung to me since yesterday’s breakfast with Alex. It was barely six in the morning, but I was already in the kitchen, hair tied up, sleeves rolled back, humming quietly as I stirred the pot of soup on the stove.The aroma was perfect. Warm. Comforting. Something Nolan would love, and… Alex.“Good morning,” I said when I heard footsteps behind me.No response.I turned, smiling faintly, only for the smile to die. Marlene.She didn’t even look at me, her heels clicking sharply across the kitchen tiles like she owned the place. My fingers tightened around the ladle as she came straight to the stove.“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice careful but polite.She didn’t answer. Instead, she gripped the handle of the pot I’d been carefully tending all morning and, before I could react, lifted it from the flame and dumped the entire contents into the sink.I froze.For a second, all I could do
Alex’s POVI woke up smiling… actually smiling.It’s been over a year now since I last woke up in a good mood.Dreams like that didn’t just happen to me. My life once filled with nightmares now blooming with Love dreams.Dreams filled with soft hands, warm lips, and Annalyn laughing like she belonged in my arms… yeah, that was new. And boy was I loving it.My phone rang as soon as I sat up.. I picked it up and it was the doctor “Hello” i said casually“Hello Mr. Quinn, I have good news.. the Vitals sent in by the nurse yesterday shows that you’re fully healed and can now full return to work anytime you wish”“Really?” He asked“Yes, the stitch wound had healed but you cannot lift heavy items for now. Asides that you’re medically certified to leave the house as much as you like.” He finalised “Thank you doctor!”Finally.. I was going to start small today, Theres a board meeting happening today I’d pay them a quick surprise visit to the office just to stretch my legs back into routine