Valerie:The room was quiet, the kind of stillness that felt suffocating rather than peace. This was something that I would have normally admired. I would have normally loved my piece, but right now I just found myself feeling like I was completely alone, feeling like I was in complete conflict.Adr
“No,” I said, shaking my head as anger bubbled to the surface. “Adrian belongs with me. I’ve been the one raising him, protecting him. Caspian hasn’t been there. He doesn’t get to make these decisions now!”“And neither do you,” Elias said sharply, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve had your time, Valerie.
Caspian:I barely made it to my office before I heard the door slam open behind me. I figured that leaving the hotel for the day would be the best option. I figured that heading to the office to finish the work that I needed to take care of was going to be a little better for me.However, it seemed
“Best for him?” she spat, eyes flashing. “You don’t even know him, Caspian! He’s not just some heir to your throne, he’s a child! My child! And now, thanks to you, I have no say in my own son’s future! As for being the rogue. Who should I blame for that? Myself, the loyal wife or the woman that you
Valerie:I stepped into the hotel lobby, my breath still slightly uneven from my escape, but my expression? Calm. Collected. Controlled.I knew that I could have left and I knew that I could have taken my son away. However, I also knew this if I chose to play this game then I could just end up endan
Caspian:The tension in the air thickened the moment Eva walked into the hotel lounge.I did not expect her to be coming here, nor did I expect the fact that she would be willing to leave the house to come to the hotel, especially since she knew that I did not want her to be here.Her heels clicked
And Eva froze.For a moment, even though I was taken by surprise by the fact that Eva of all people chose to stay quiet. I would have expected her to snap for y'all, however, it was as if Valerie's dominance was one that she could not overpower.Valerie’s voice was calm, controlled, but there was a
Eva:The moment we left the hotel, I barely managed to hold my composure. My fingers clenched into fists as I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my jaw tight with irritation. Caspian had dismissed me. Dismissed me like I was nothing more than an annoyance in his way, all because of her.And if I was
Eva:“You’ve lost control,” I snapped, pacing the edge of the study, my heels echoing with every angry step. “You said you had everything in place. You said everything would go as planned. And yet here we are, Valerie’s alive, Caspian is stronger than ever, and now Adrian sees him as a father.”Giov
Valerie:The kitchen was filled with the soft clinking of cutlery and the warm scent of cinnamon and honey. I moved slowly, careful not to burn the toast, careful not to look too long at Caspian as he stood by the counter watching me, arms folded across his chest like he was still processing everyth
Caspian:The scent of lavender and warm vanilla filled the villa, her scent, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, it wasn’t just lingering in my memory. It was alive. It was here. She was here. She was by my side and rather than this villa feeling like a place that I was living in, i
Valerie:The sunlight slipped past the sheer curtains, golden and gentle, warming my cheek before I even opened my eyes. I felt the weight of the sheets tangled around my legs, the delicious soreness in my limbs, and the steady warmth radiating from the body beside mine.Caspian.I didn’t need to lo
The kiss deepened. Her mouth parted, and I took it, claiming her like I’d never stopped wanting to. My hand slipped into her hair, and she moaned against me, arching into my touch.“Valerie…” I breathed, my lips brushing hers.Her eyes met mine, dark with heat. “Don’t ask.”I hesitated.“Are you sur
Caspian:The living room was quiet except for Adrian’s excited voice as he recounted a story about something he had seen near the garden, something about a glowing butterfly, and how he thought it might be magical.How much I wanted to explain to him that he was the one who was magical, that the but
Valerie:I told myself I wouldn’t break.I told myself I’d hold it together, for Adrian, for the pack, for everyone who still believed in me.I told myself that I needed to stand strong, that I should not afford allowing myself to fall.But it was getting harder.With each passing moment, I found it
Caspian:I didn’t know what hurt more.Watching the way Valerie walked out of my office without a word, or knowing that I was the one who let it get that far. That I had allowed her to stand in that room and be blindsided by the truth I already knew.Hey, truth that I knew that she did not want to a
“No,” Caspian said, calm but firm. “Ryan came to us. We called him in when we realized your brother had dismissed him along with the rest of your father’s men. The ones who were loyal. The ones who could have stopped this. The ones that could have told you the truth behind everything that was going