Michell povI sat in my office, fingers tapping against the desk, my mind elsewhere. The house was quiet now, but I knew Amelia had just returned from school. The thought alone eased the tension in my shoulders, though I would never say it aloud. A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I said. The door cracked open, and Amelia peeked inside, her small hands gripping the frame. “Daddy?”My chest warmed at the sight of her. “Come here, sweetheart.”She grinned and hurried inside, her steps light as she approached my desk. I pulled her onto my lap, smoothing a stray curl from her face. “How was school?” I asked. “I got another A in math!” she beamed. “And we learned about planets today! Did you know Jupiter has 92 moons?”“Impressive,” I murmured, genuinely pleased. “You’re getting smarter every day.”She giggled, leaning her head against my chest. These were the moments I held onto—the ones where she still let me be her father, not just the man who ma
Audrey povThe sharp bang of something slamming against a hard surface made me jump.I froze, my hands gripping the edge of the book I had been flipping through absentmindedly. The sound had come from down the hall—Michell’s office.My heartbeat quickened.It wasn’t unusual for him to be harsh, cold, or demanding, but that… that had been different. It wasn’t controlled. It wasn’t calculated.It was anger.Real, unfiltered, dangerous anger.I hesitated before stepping toward the door. I had no business prying, but something in my gut told me this wasn’t about me.Or Amelia.Something else had set him off. Something bigger.Just then, Amelia appeared, looking as lost as me, “What is that sound?” she asked.I quickly put on a smile and took her little hand, “Nothing, probably from the television.”***My mind drifted to his warning.One strike down. Four left. I couldn’t afford another mistake. Mr Garcia had made that crystal clear, and the last thing I wanted was to give him a reas
Michell povI hadn’t meant to stop. I was heading to my study, mind occupied with the day’s mess, when I heard her voice—low, tense, and laced with something I couldn’t quite place. It made me pause. Not because I cared. But because it was… interesting. Ms. Taylor’s tone was different from the one she used with Amelia. Less steady. Strained. Her words weren’t clear, but the emotion was. Frustration. Maybe fear. And something else—something defensive. A lawsuit? I frowned. So she had secrets after all. I should’ve known. Women like her always did. I didn’t stay to hear more. I stepped away, moving down the hall with slow, deliberate steps. My mind turned over what I’d just heard, considering, analyzing—then stopping. Because it didn’t matter. Her personal life wasn’t my concern. She was here for Amelia. Nothing more. I had enough problems without adding hers to the list. Whatever mess she was caught up in, it wasn’t my business. And I intended to k
Michell povI sat behind my desk, my fingers steepled as I watched the time tick by. Harold was late. The man had nerve—posting that nonsense and thinking he could get away with it. The headline alone was irritating, but the video? That was calculated. Designed to drag my name through the mud along with Audrey’s. A mistake. One he was about to regret. So he was the ex husband. Little wonder their interaction that night.The door opened. My assistant stepped in, followed closely by Harold. He looked different than I remembered. His suit was expensive, but it didn’t fit right. Like he’d lost weight too fast, or he didn’t have the money to tailor it anymore. Good. I gestured to the chair in front of my desk. “Sit.” He hesitated. Swallowed. Then obeyed. I let the silence stretch. Let him feel it. Finally, I leaned forward, resting my arms on the desk. “You have twenty-four hours.” Harold shifted. “I—” “Not a word.” My voice was calm, but it shut him up instantly.
Audrey povI sat on the edge of my bed, gripping my phone so tightly my knuckles ached. The screen was still lit with the lawsuit notice, as if taunting me. Infidelity. The accusation burned, not because it was true, but because it came from the man I had given up everything for. Harold. The man I had fought my mother for, the man I had married against her wishes, the man she had disowned me over. And for what? For a marriage that had cost me my dignity? My peace? My entire life? I stared down at my leg, absently rubbing the scar along my ankle. A permanent reminder of that accident—that shattered the life I had built in one single moment. And Harold? He hadn’t been missing. He had been with her. Two years. I had taken care of his family for two years, believing he was in trouble, believing he needed me. All while he was gallivanting with his mistress. And now, after everything, he wanted to take even more from me?No. If Harold wanted a fight, he would get one. I p
Audrey povI barely slept, but when my alarm rang, I forced myself up. If there was ever a day I needed to be perfect, it was today. One more strike, and I was gone.I went over Amelia’s schedule again, making sure every detail was precise. Breakfast at 8:00 sharp, playtime from 8:30 to 9:00, reading at 9:15—not a single second off. Amelia sat at the table, happily swinging her legs as she munched on her toast. “Audrey, did you know some birds can talk?” I smiled. “I did. Parrots, right?” “Uh-huh! Daddy told me that some of them can even copy voices perfectly.” “That’s true.” I reached for her juice and refilled it. “Do you think Mr. Floppy would make a good talking bunny?” She giggled. “Nooo. Mr. Floppy only talks to me.” I laughed softly. Then footsteps approached. Mr Garcia.He stopped by the dining table, eyes immediately flicking to Amelia’s plate, then to me. “She’s still eating.” I frowned slightly. “She just has a few bites left.” “The schedule says breakfast
Michell povThe door clicked shut behind her. I didn’t look up. Didn’t acknowledge the way she hesitated for half a second before leaving. Good. That should’ve been the end of it. I returned my attention to the contract in front of me, scanning the figures and clauses with practiced precision. It was a multi-million-dollar deal, one that required every ounce of my focus. But for the first time in years, I found myself rereading the same paragraph. My mind was elsewhere. On her. On the way her voice trembled, not with fear, but with anger. On the way her hands clenched at her sides, like she was holding back more than just frustration. She had come expecting rejection. And yet, she had still asked. I exhaled sharply, setting the contract down. I shouldn’t care. Ms. Taylor Taylor’s life—her past—was not my concern. She was here to do one thing: take care of Amelia and follow my rules. That was the agreement. She has proof.That changed things. The scandal Har
Amelia povThe door clicked softly behind me, but my mind was already miles away, replaying Mr Garcia’s words over and over in my head.“You have to survive the week without getting another strike.”It was absurd. Impossible, even. How could he expect me to balance all the chaos surrounding Harold’s lawsuit, my own mounting stress, and Amelia’s care without slipping up? The demands he’d already placed on me felt like enough to break anyone, and now he was adding one more, as if I could simply wave a magic wand and make everything work.I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to slam something—anything—against the walls. I didn’t have time for this. I didn’t have the luxury of frustration.Still, his offer lingered, like a sickly-sweet promise that left a bitter aftertaste. He would help me with Harold, but only if I could somehow manage to stay perfect. No mistakes, no signs of weakness. Just… survive.I could feel his eyes on me again, the way he had looked at me when I finally agre
AUDREY POVI had tried everything—talking to Amelia, spending time with her, even getting her little things to show her I cared. But now... things were shifting in a way I couldn’t control. I could see it in the way she looked at me—cold, almost like she didn’t recognize me anymore. It was one of those mornings when I found myself on the edge, trying to get Amelia ready for her activities. She was no longer the giggling little girl I used to have by my side. No, now she had become distant, her eyes always searching for something more. And that something was Estelle. Always Estelle. “Amelia, come on. We need to get dressed for your piano class,” I said gently, trying to coax her into the routine, like I had done hundreds of times before. She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t want to go. You go alone, nanny.”My heart sank with the word, but I refused to let it show. I wanted to respond, to remind her that I wasn’t just a nanny, but I didn’t have the heart for it today
MICHELL POVI had been watching Estelle for days now, unable to shake the sense that something was off. I had always been good at reading people, at sensing when their words and actions didn’t match their intentions. And Estelle’s intentions? Well, they were clearer than ever. She wasn’t just back in our lives to ‘help’ Amelia. She was playing a dangerous game, one that involved more than just a niece and her aunt.I had to confront her. I couldn’t stand by any longer and watch her use her charm to manipulate Amelia, to play on her innocence. And, most importantly, I couldn’t ignore the growing discomfort in my chest—the way Estelle’s gaze lingered on me, as though she were waiting for something, some unspoken invitation.The memories of high school were still vivid in my mind, though I had buried them long ago. Estelle and I had once been close, closer than anyone realized. We had dated—before Emilio and Anna had even come into the picture. Before our paths had taken such twisted
AUDREY POVThe evening had been exactly what I needed—a breath, a moment to just exist, without the weight of everything pressing down on me. But it wasn’t just the dinner that had given me this sense of calm. It was Michell. The way he’d set everything up, so carefully, so intentionally.It was like he’d planned this night just for me—to remind me that I could still have these small moments of happiness, even when everything else felt like it was unraveling. I looked over at him, still sitting by the table, looking at me with those intense eyes of his. The kind that made it impossible to lie to him—or myself. “You’re quiet,” he said, his voice gentle, like he didn’t want to break the peace we’d built up tonight.“I was just thinking about how much I needed this,” I replied softly. I felt a bit silly saying it out loud, but it was true. Estelle’s return had hung like a dark cloud over everything, and as much as I tried to push it out of my mind, it was always there—lingering, just
MICHELL POVI found them in the garden.Amelia was sitting cross-legged on a blanket, holding a daisy crown that Estelle was helping her tie together.Her laughter rang like bells—unrestrained, bubbling up every few seconds. The kind of laugh I hadn’t heard from her since the last time she’d won something at school.But it wasn’t Audrey sitting beside her. It was Estelle.Wearing white. Always white. Like she was trying to brand herself as purity reincarnated.I stayed by the glass doors, watching.“You know,” Estelle was saying, her voice low and conspiratorial, “your mother used to wear crowns like this. She said they made her feel like a woodland queen.”“Really?” Amelia giggled. “Did she really call herself that?”Estelle laughed. “She had such an imagination. Just like you.”She reached out and tucked a loose curl behind Amelia’s ear. And the way she did it—it wasn’t just affection. It was possession. Like she wanted to rewrite her role in this child’s memory.I didn’t like it. I
AUDREY POVI knew he didn’t sleep.He hadn’t said a word about it, and hadn't needed to. But I’d felt it in the way his body remained taut beneath the sheets, in the way his hand never left mine even when I drifted off. His mind had been far away—haunted, as always.And now, morning sunlight flooded the estate like everything was fine.But it wasn’t.I could feel it in the strained silence between him and Estelle over breakfast.The sound of cutlery and Amelia’s cheerful humming filled the space, but Michell hadn’t looked up once. Not when Estelle complimented the decor, not when Amelia talked about the science project she was building with bottle caps and glow sticks.Estelle, on the other hand, looked like she belonged.Too much and too quickly.She was good at smiling. At tilting her head just enough to make it seem sincere. She wore guilt like it was a designer scarf—elegant, tasteful, a little too polished. But Amelia didn’t notice.“So your mom and I,” Estelle was saying gently
Michell povI heard a crash just as I stepped out of the home office.“Amelia…” I warned, already bracing myself.“She started it!” Amelia squealed, barefoot and giggling as she darted past me like a blur of sunshine and wild curls.“Traitor!” Audrey’s voice echoed a second later. She skidded into the hallway wearing one of my shirts—my shirt—and holding what looked suspiciously like a pair of water guns.I blinked.“Why are my cufflinks floating in a bowl of jelly?” I asked flatly, pointing toward the mess on the console table.Audrey froze. “That… may or may not be part of our science experiment-slash-war strategy.”I opened my mouth.“Don’t. Just don’t.” She held up a water gun like it was loaded with truth serum. “We’ll clean it. Pinky promise.”Amelia peeked out from behind the couch with a triumphant grin. “He looks mad.”“I’m not mad,” I muttered, dragging a hand down my face. “Just… confused. And slightly alarmed.”“You’re cute when you’re confused,” Audrey teased.Later in th
MICHELL POVThe towering glass walls of my father's penthouse gleamed under the late afternoon sun as I stepped in. The silence inside wasn’t unusual, but today it felt heavier. I found him standing by the massive window, a tumbler of untouched whiskey in his hand, his gaze distant—anchored somewhere between memory and regret.He turned as I approached. “You came.”“I did.” I tucked my hands into my pockets and nodded. “Thaylon’s staying.”His brow lifted, confusion flickering across his features. “What?”“I spoke with their head team. Explained the situation. Apologized for the mess. Reassured them we could still deliver—without Victor.”He blinked, processing. “They agreed to continue?”“They did.”He sat down slowly, almost stunned, the whiskey forgotten on the glass table. A moment passed, thick with the things we hadn’t said for years. Then he finally spoke, his voice quieter than I’d ever heard it.“I didn’t think you’d be able to pull it off. I—” He paused, swallowed. “I thoug
AUDREY POV.Two days had passed since Victor’s sentencing, and something in the house had shifted—like a storm had finally passed, and the sun had dared to peek through the curtains. The air no longer felt thick with secrets. The walls no longer echoed with tension. There was calm.Not the kind of explosive relief that made people cheer, but the quiet kind. The kind that came when hearts were tired but held a little hope again.Michell had barely spoken that morning at breakfast. He’d sat with Amelia, brushing a gentle hand over her head as she ate her cereal, her legs swinging beneath the chair, humming a tune under her breath.Then he’d looked at me with that quiet look of resolve.“Today,” he’d mouthed.I’d nodded. I’d known it was coming.After breakfast, he took the day off work—no calls, no interruptions. He spent the morning going through an old box I hadn’t seen before, buried deep in his closet. I’d watched from the hallway as he gently sifted through photographs, small tr
MICHELL POVHe was gone.And Emilio… Anna… they could finally rest.A strange stillness settled over me as I walked out of the courthouse. Not peace, exactly. But something like it.Ethan and Audrey were waiting just outside. He stood with a protective stance beside her, but I could see the lines of tension on his face, the way he kept glancing at me like he was checking I hadn't shattered under the weight of everything.Audrey... she was pale, her arms wrapped around herself as if the truth had chilled her to the bone. Her eyes searched mine, and for the first time in a long while, I let her see me—really see me.“I’m proud of you,” she said softly. Her voice was tentative, like she wasn’t sure if now was the time.But it was. It meant everything.I gave a short nod. “Thank you… both of you.”Ethan placed a firm hand on my shoulder and squeezed. No words were needed between us. He’d stood by me when no one else would. When even I wasn’t sure I’d make it out of this with my sanity int