Olivia POV Sitting across from Emily, I think she has everything she’s ever needed; a man that loves her, a kid that simply adores her. This thing with Jacob will pass. It’s just another stumbling block in their relationship. Nobody said it would be easy. Just because she’s wearing his ring, doesn’t mean the hard work stops. Now it only begins—for both of them. Every day, they have to prove to each other that they are worthy of the other’s love. I can’t say the same for Mason and me. I would define our affair as something of a stalemate. After that night at the bar, I thought it better to let him cool off. It’s been a few weeks and I guess the cooling off period is done. But all this time on my own has given me a chance to think, an introspection of sorts. I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s better off without me. Mason and I are from two different worlds. He can’t see that now, but the contrasts will be as glaring as night and day when he introduces me to his friends, or even w

Emily POV “Look, there’s your little baby’s heartbeat. Would you like to hear it, Mom?” asks the obstetrician. She’s a friendly, little lady with graying hair and a massive smile on her face. Instantly after meeting her, I took a liking to Dr. Goodman. Maybe it’s the fact that she looks like she could be anyone’s grandma or that she reminds me of Dr. Ruth. Either way, we’re the perfect fit. She turns up the sound on the ultrasound machine and lets me listen to the heartbeat. “Doo-doo, doo-doo.” “You’ve got yourself a healthy little fighter there,” she says. “Looks like you’re two months along, but it’s still too early to tell the gender.” I can still hear the heartbeat like the melody to a song, bringing tears to my eyes. “And there’s nothing out of the ordinary?” I ask. “Nope, your baby is developing like it should. I reckon this pregnancy should be an easy one,” she smiles. “Any preference on what you want the gender to be?” I shake my head, “I really don’t want to know, as

Emily POV Early the next morning, there’s a knock on the door. I think it’s Thaddeus and shout from the room, “It’s open.” Looking like something the cat dragged in, Olivia lets herself in. “Helloooooo,” she hollers from the foyer, “Anyone home?” I’m surprised to see her considering she just got married the night before. “What are you doing here?” I ask her. “I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by,” she slurs her words. She smells like she just bathed in a vat of whiskey. “Are you still drunk?” I ask. “Maybe just a teeny tiny little,” she smirks. She’s alone. I wonder where Mason has wandered off to. “I thought you were supposed to be in the Bahamas by now?” I ask. “Nope, that’s only in a few days’ time,” she hiccups. “And where is your groom? Or have you already discarded him?” I joke. “He’s probably still fast asleep. I doubt he’ll be up before 2pm,” she laughs. “By the way, what happened to you last night? I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.” After m

Emily POV If life is a series of coincidences, how do I explain meeting Jacob or having Liam back in my life? I’ve come to the conclusion that there are no coincidences, just events that help steer us on our journey to self-discovery. I wouldn’t consider myself someone who believes in the metaphysical side of things, but when Ophelia walked into the room, I felt that it was fate that brought me here to Mellon Estate. It was like looking into a mirror, and I know that she felt it too. If I were to describe it, it felt like I was dangling like a puppet on a string, my thoughts and actions being controlled by some unknown force. Somehow, the universe conspired to bring us together, but that part of the puzzle still hasn’t fit into place. There are so many moving parts that I’m struggling to get a foot in. My thoughts are all over the place. There’s a war going on in my head, and I’m trying hard to keep my internal struggle from spilling over into the real world. Ophelia returns wit

Thaddeus POV Like a moth to a flame, Emily is intrigued by our family history. But I can’t be certain if it’s curiosity spurring her inquisitiveness. She seems cautious, almost nervous about needling us with more questions. I can see that Ophelia has picked up on it too, but I first need to make certain we’re on the same page. While Emily has gone to the powder room, we work on our strategy. “What do you think?” I ask her. “I think that if we tell her a little at a time, it won’t be an overload of information. I’m scared that if we move too fast, our plan could backfire,” she says. “So, proceed with caution?” I suggest. “Exactly. Also, I’m sensing that she’s really keen to find out about our family, so hit her with that first. Ease her into it slowly and read her body language. If at any time she looks uncomfortable or overwhelmed, pull back,” she adds. “We’ve come this far, I don’t want to do anything that could jeopardize our efforts.” In the past, we’ve never shared much abo