Lauren wasn’t here.I swept the room again, my senses on high alert, the scent I’d been chasing still faintly in the air. It was hers—unmistakably Lauren’s—but it was fading. She’d been here, and she was gone.I strode toward the table, my gaze narrowing. “Where’s the woman who called me?” I demande
Lauren's POVThe world seemed to tilt slightly on its axis when Daphne rushed toward me, her face pale and her voice trembling with urgency.“Hey, girl! Something’s wrong!” she said, clutching my arm. “I just took Abigail out of the bathroom, and I saw Alexander coming into the mall with a group of
I felt the familiar weight settle on my chest, heavier now that the words had been spoken aloud. I nodded stiffly, my throat too tight to speak.Daphne’s face contorted like she’d bitten into a lemon—equal parts disbelief and pity.“Wait, you’re telling me you’re taking care of his kid? For this cas
Lauren's POVThe office was suffocating, the air thick with unspoken words and tension I couldn’t bring myself to confront. I wanted to leave, to vanish from the shadow of his penetrating gaze, but time had other plans. The director excused himself without a second thought, leaving me alone with Ale
How…dare he.I yanked myself away, my palm connecting with his cheek in a slap that echoed in the silence. His head snapped to the side, his breathing ragged, but the look in his eyes was anything but defeated.“Don’t you ever—” My voice shook, my chest heaving with the effort to steady myself. “Don
Abigail's POVMommy wasn’t smiling. That’s how I knew something was wrong. Mommy always smiled, even when she was tired or when I accidentally spilled juice on her papers. But today, her lips were all flat, and her eyes looked sad, like when I broke my favorite doll and she couldn’t fix it.I sat on
Owen blinked at me, his brow furrowing. “Huh?”“I hate your parents,” I added, just to make sure he knew. “My mommy says your daddy is a bad man, so I hate you too!”For a second, he didn’t say anything. I thought maybe he was mad or scared. Then he looked at me with big, dark eyes like a rabbit and
Lauren's POV The airport was a whirlwind of movement, families reuniting, announcements echoing through the halls, and Abigail’s laughter cutting through the noise like a warm breeze. As soon as Liam stepped through the arrival gate, her tiny frame shot forward, a bundle of excitement and curls.
“Enough,” my voice hardened, slapping the papers onto his desk to his brooding smirk. “What exactly do you want from me?” I demanded, planting my hands to his massive desk. He leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. The sharp line of his jaw clenched slightly, and for a brief moment,
Lauren's POV I didn’t want to hear another word from him. Not from Alexander. Not now. His voice, his lies—everything about him suffocated me. Without thinking, I shoved past him, my heart pounding like a trapped bird. The past had already taken too much from me, and I wasn’t about to let him dr
Before I could react, I was yanked forward, my back slamming into the cold wall. Panic surged as a hand clamped over my mouth, and I froze, unable to move. His presence was suffocating—his grip like steel, trapping me in place. "You’re planning to marry Liam?" His voice sliced through the tension—
Lauren's POV The room seemed to freeze, the weight of his words hanging in the air. Alexander’s jaw tightened, his gaze dropping to where Liam’s hand rested on my hip. What? Fiancée? The word echoed in my mind as I stared back at Liam. My gaze flicked to Sophia, whose smile seemed to stretch w
The soft strains of a live orchestra mingled with the hum of voices and the clink of champagne glasses. Servers in crisp black-and-white uniforms moved through the crowd, their trays gleaming with liquid jewels. It was all… excessive. I couldn’t help but feel how excessive this was, even for Alexa
Lauren's POV The airport was a whirlwind of movement, families reuniting, announcements echoing through the halls, and Abigail’s laughter cutting through the noise like a warm breeze. As soon as Liam stepped through the arrival gate, her tiny frame shot forward, a bundle of excitement and curls.
Owen blinked at me, his brow furrowing. “Huh?”“I hate your parents,” I added, just to make sure he knew. “My mommy says your daddy is a bad man, so I hate you too!”For a second, he didn’t say anything. I thought maybe he was mad or scared. Then he looked at me with big, dark eyes like a rabbit and
Abigail's POVMommy wasn’t smiling. That’s how I knew something was wrong. Mommy always smiled, even when she was tired or when I accidentally spilled juice on her papers. But today, her lips were all flat, and her eyes looked sad, like when I broke my favorite doll and she couldn’t fix it.I sat on
How…dare he.I yanked myself away, my palm connecting with his cheek in a slap that echoed in the silence. His head snapped to the side, his breathing ragged, but the look in his eyes was anything but defeated.“Don’t you ever—” My voice shook, my chest heaving with the effort to steady myself. “Don