•ROWAN•The engagement party was more like an eye-opener for me that my relationship with my sister Raya had taken a turn for the worst after what happened three years ago.She had begun to trust me less and talk to me less. The thoughts swarmed my mind the minute I was alone in my office, and the only thing that kept me company in my quiet space was the ticking of the clock on my table.My fingers thrummed on my desk as I turned on my swivel chair, thinking about Raya. It had not been long since she had begun working in the office fully as a director.A part of me felt like she only took the job because her fiancé's bar was close to the company, and Amy had become successful in just a short time as her bar had become the talk of the town.But what irked me was that, between the solid months that Raya had been working here, not once had I ever seen her come into my office on her own accord. It made me pause and think deeply, as I was getting this sort of treatment from my baby sister.

Pissed was an understatement for how Rowan was feeling; he was seething with rage and felt betrayed by his sister. All this time, he didn't even know what to feel right now; it was still a shock and like a daydream that he had met Emma.It still didn't feel real. Rowan had sat outside the café for a straight hour, hoping that Emma would at least show her face to him once more. She didn't. He could only hold on to the promise as he slid into his car and rode home. And that gave him time to think about how he got her address.His sister Raya knew where she was all along and played it off, making it seem like he was the bad guy and the biggest jerk in the world. He was furious at what he had found out.He raced through the vast city of LA. It wasn't as crazy and noisy as New York City life, and for a moment, he was thankful for the less busy streets as he raced home. Rowan slammed his car door hard. He felt confused and overwhelmed by all the sudden emotions he was feeling. He arrived at

ROWAN..Tick tock.The sound of the grandfather clock grew louder with each second. It felt like an itch in my brain as it ticked loudly.I was surrounded by our branch managers from the Los Angeles branch. Since Emma wanted to meet up after a few days, I kept myself busy, immersed myself back into my work, found and solved problems quickly, and went to all the meetings I had set up, all just to get her out of my head.Fuck.And now, as my fingers tapped against the glass table in the conference room of the Los Angeles branch, I couldn’t wait for it to be over.It was already Tuesday, and I couldn’t help my eyes moving to my watch once in a while to check. My fingers tapped on the table as I got impatient with one of the interns’ incessant speech and repeated the same things I had gotten reports on.“Stop,” I called to the intern, who looked like she was about to pee herself. I couldn’t blame her; I wanted an impromptu meeting with no early announcement. I stood up, and the directors

A few days had passed since Rowan spoke with his sister about Emma; he had apologized many times on the phone afterward because he hated fighting with Raya and always ended up giving in to his little sister.Now that she was getting married, they might not have completely forgiven him yet, but it was a start, and he knew they were still on good terms when he saw his invitation and airplane tickets for his trip to the Bahamas for Raya’s wedding.He knew that even though his sister Raya had a soft shell and heart, her fiancé Amy was clearly the opposite, especially since her best friend was Emma, who despised him and would rather pull her hair than be left in the same room with him.While she had never said that out loud, Rowan could read it clearly in her gaze and the way she behaved around him. He tried not to let it get to him and hoped that through this wedding, he might have a better relationship with her.He never once hated the idea of Ray being with Amy; love was love, and in a

Emma wakes up in the morning, feeling a sense of warmth and joy as she notices her baby peacefully sleeping beside her. A smile naturally spreads across her face, and she takes a moment to appreciate the precious sight before her.She marvels at the innocence and beauty of her child, feeling a deep sense of love and connection. Emma's heart fills with gratitude for this special bond and the blessing of having her baby in her life. She gently leans over and plants a tender kiss on her baby's forehead, cherishing the serene and peaceful moment they share together.Emma stands up from her bed and makes her way to the deck, where she is met with a stunning view of the sunrise. The sky is painted in shades of pink, orange, and yellow, and the sun's rays are just starting to peek over the horizon. Emma feels mesmerized by the beauty before her, and she takes a moment to savor the tranquility of the morning.However, Emma's thoughts are soon interrupted by a memory from the day before. She r