MasukSienna’s POV I move through the office baby shower slowly, stopping here and there to greet people, accept their hugs, and smile through congratulations. Kira keeps mentioning that she’s probably going to head out soon, take the babies home before they get overtired.They’re still asleep.I glance over at Knox, then at his dad and Granddad standing nearby, all three of them hovering protectively over the twins like a silent security detail.“Knox,” I say, slipping up beside him, “can you, your dad, and Granddad watch the babies for a minute? I just need to talk to Kira. They’re asleep, so it should be fine unless people start crowding them.”He smiles immediately. “Sure. I love those little babies.”He leans down and kisses me, lingering.“Well, stop talking about the little boy,” I say under my breath.He grins. “I’m just messing around. I know he’s a handsome guy.”I shake my head, smiling despite myself. “Okay. I’ll be back.”I find Kira near the dessert table, already halfway int
Sienna POVTwo days later. A whole two days later.I thought this whole situation would’ve taken a real toll on me, the idea that I could’ve somehow been the cause of someone else's death. At first, it tried to. It hovered. It lingered. It attempted to crawl into my mind and settle there.But the truth is, for some reason… I didn’t feel bad.And that’s a fucked-up thing to admit.After Knox went to speak with his grandmother and grandfather, because they wouldn’t say a damn thing over the phone and when he came back and told me not to worry about it. That it was literally an accident. That nobody expected things to go the way they did.According to him, one of his grandmother’s old friends, an old colleague from the private investigator unit had offered to handle it. Not kill anyone. Just scare Derrick and his family. He’d dug up evidence that was missing. The real evidence. The kind that magically “disappears” in high-end cases. An old police contact, someone known for things conv
Knox’s POV I threw myself into work, but my mind was nowhere near it.No matter how busy I stayed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming. Something bad. That sick pressure sat in my chest all morning. Granddad kept telling me to stop worrying, that everything was handled, but worrying about Sienna wasn’t something I knew how to shut off.Especially not with that fucking pervert walking free.Universal Airlines had exploded overnight. We were pulling in extra teams, expanding into more cities, meetings stacked on meetings. I buried myself in it, fingers moving fast across the keyboard, trying to outrun my thoughts.Then my phone buzzed.Granddad:Done. And you’re welcome.I frowned down at the screen.Done… and you’re welcome?I typed back quickly.What are you talking about, Granddad?A few seconds later, all I got back was a smiley face.I stared at the phone, confused, then shook it off and went back to work.That’s when my office door slammed open, then automatica
Sienna’s POVMonday morning. Just a few days before Derrick’s release from jail.I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing and everything all at once, wondering how much more we were supposed to endure in this lifetime. Alex said Derrick would be on electronic monitoring for the next year, but that didn’t calm me. I knew people who could disable those ankle monitors in a heartbeat and never get caught. And Derrick… he was slick. A slippery, perverted bastard who always found a way to slide out of his bad choices and consequences.I sighed again, long and tired.The morning alarm went off, slicing through the quiet.Knox’s hand slid across my lower back as I reached over and stopped the alarm.“How long have you been up, love?” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.“A while,” I whispered. “Hell, I don’t even know anymore.”He shifted behind me, pulling me back down. “Baby, lay down with me. You’re thinking too hard. And I’m worried about you and the baby.”I let him pull me again
Knox’s POV As I look at my brother who is angry beyond belief, pacing like he’s ready to flip the whole damn house over and I sigh.“Bro,” I say quietly, “let’s go talk.”“Talk about what?” he snaps.Before I respond, my dad steps in. “Come on, son. Let’s just go talk.”Martin gestures toward the hallway. “Use the room on the first floor, the one in the back.”We head there, and the moment we walk inside, I can’t help but scoff. It looks like a second baby room with a crib, soft lighting, toys tucked neatly into little baskets.“If it was up to my sister,” I mutter, “she’d have two rooms for each baby.”Dad shakes his head, but it’s true. Kira’s ridiculous like that. With five bedrooms upstairs, one nursery down here, girl’s building a baby kingdom I guarantee in at least two more rooms.We all take a seat, and I look at Kole.“Alright,” I say. “Explain everything.”Kole throws his hands up. “Man, I just got a message saying I’m a father. She wants me to come see the baby, and she’s
Sienna’s POVAt least they’re not calling the baby ugly outright. You never do that. Babies change every other day. One morning they look like a potato, the next morning they look like a tiny angel. So I just sigh and say, “He’ll be fine, he’s okay, and he’s a good, fine baby.”Grandma Mabel nods. “That he is. He is a fine baby. But look at this little cutie.”She lifts the baby girl slightly. “You wanna hold her?”“No, let her sleep. I’ll hold her later.”Kira comes out right then with her son latched on her boob and a receiving blanket draped over both of them.“Hey, girl, I didn’t even know you were here.”“Yes, Kira, mama,” I say, laughing. “You’re working it.”“Shit,” she groans, dropping down into the rocking chair, “I ain’t working nothing but these breasts. I’m just a human feeding machine.”I laugh. “Well, look at me. I don’t have too much longer to go. I’ll be in the same damn boat.”As she’s rocking, Knox’s mom walks out of the kitchen with Kole and Keisha behind her.“Oh!
Friday Morning Third Person POV The conference room was already alive with quiet energy. Interns Trevor and Susan bustled around the space, connecting cords, setting up the projector, and organizing folders at each seat. They worked quickly under the watchful eyes of their mentors, Trevor, tryin
Sienna’s POVAs we walked into the excess room where lunch had been set up, I spotted Knox deep in conversation with Silas near the far wall. Something about his posture relaxed but purposefully pulled my attention. I walked over with my boxed Panera lunch in hand.“Good job, boss,” I said, flashi
Third-Person POV “Well,” Carmen started, shifting in her seat and glancing between Kira and Sienna, “I guess it all began… how can I say this…”She exhaled dramatically, then gave them a sly look. “I’ll be 22 next month, by the way. I'm just saying. So y’all remember. Especially you, Cousin Kira.
Crandon’s POVAs the day winds down, I’m feeling good, real good. Confident. Like the kind of confidence that sits in your chest and says, “Yeah, you did that.”It’s 4:45, when I glance at the clock. I close down my computer, pack up my bag, and neatly tuck away all the paperwork for Universal Airl







