71: Go inside

ADRIAN The drive back home was tense. Alex must have noticed my mood because he kept to himself. I replayed the whole of today’s encounter in my head, and my heart skipped when I remembered Dahlia. She’d been frowning when she dropped the lunch box on my table. I didn’t care what my assistant thought about me as long as she was competent, but my mind strayed. Was Sophia back at home? With a slight shake of my head, I reclined against the chair and tried to nap before we reached home. But no sooner had I closed my eyes that the car rolled to a stop.“We’re here, sir,” Alex called, dragging me back to reality.My eyes fluttered open, and I looke

Last Updated : 2026-02-27

72: Three days

SOPHIA It had been three days since the fight with Adrian. Three days since Adrian and I stood in the same room. Three days since the argument that hadn’t ended in more silence.Ollie had resumed at his new school. With the money Glamour galore paid me, I decided to take back control of one aspect of my life. Marc wouldn’t be able to get Ollie into his new school. The only thing left was getting a place for Ollie and me. The registration cost more than I expected. Marc had always handled the fees, so I didn’t realize it could be that high for a kid of Ollie’s age. I would have gone back to Floral because her house was always open to me, but I was tired of relying on others. Once I left here, it was straight to my own apartment. I stood in front of the

Last Updated : 2026-03-01

73: Absolutely nothing

ADRIAN The loophole didn’t exist. No matter how hard I looked or how many pages I flipped through, I couldn't find what I was searching for. I'd been at it for hours, days even, but no matter what, the answer was the same. I was losing it. I stared at the papers spread across my desk, as if they might rearrange themselves into something tangible, or the proper clause would reveal itself, but nothing happened. I had cross-referenced agreements, traced signatures, and dissected language until the words blurred into one long nonsense. Yet I was left with nothing. Absolutely nothing. Every path circled back to the same dead end, and every technicality I thought I’d found collapsed under scrutiny. Christopher’s takeover wa

Last Updated : 2026-03-01

74: Christopher’s invitation

SOPHIA I’d lost interest in working, but I forced myself to keep going. My pencil moved over the sketchbook, a new design forming on the page. A groan shot out of my lips when the pencil diverted to the left, ruining the design. I yanked the page off the book, bunched it, and tossed it to the floor, where a small pile had already formed. I could take a break, but working was the only way to keep myself from overthinking everything. Adrian and I still hadn’t spoken. But I did whatever was needed to keep me out of his way. And so far, he’d stayed away. A small sigh slid past my lips. I pushed those thoughts aside and tried to focus on the sketchbook, but my mind drifted to something else. Christopher's invitation.

Last Updated : 2026-03-02

75: What is it?

SOPHIA The shift was subtle at first, but I would be lying if I said I didn't notice it. And each time, butterflies swarmed my belly.Adrian didn’t announce it. He didn’t explain himself, he just… softened. He smiled more, genuine smiles, the kind that reached his eyes instead of stopping short like they used to. I was still sleeping in Ollie’s room, but he was always up at the same time I did. He couldn’t cook, but he assisted in the kitchen. And when we were done with breakfast, he would drop Ollie off at his school first before we left for work.His affections didn’t stop at home. He brought me coffee without me asking, serving it the way I liked it. On some days, he lingered by my desk under the excuse of work.