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.
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 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
Owen’s face darkened, and I could see the conflict brewing in his chest, muttering. “Redhead…”It was like a boiling pot on the verge of overflowing.“Shut up, Theo,” he spat, his voice cracking with frustration. “You’re full of it. You think I’m going to let you anywhere near Abigail again? I’ll—”
TheoThe woods crackled around me as I sprinted through, paws slipping on mud and rotting leaves, the air thick with pine and damp earth. My legs burned, muscles aching, but I couldn’t slow down. Couldn’t afford to.I knew I was being hunted. Heard the howls—Alexander’s guard wolves, technically—clo
“Crap…” I muttered under my breath. “What a pain…”The situation had just gone from bad to worse.Mark didn’t look happy to be here. His eyes darted around, still wide with confusion, his lips parted slightly as though he was trying to piece together where exactly he had ended up. But it wasn’t just
TheoThe cell door creaked open, its rusty hinges groaning like the bones of an old man.My body screamed in protest as I pushed myself to my feet, every muscle aching, every bruise a reminder of the last few days. The cold air hit my face as the guards dragged me out, their laughter ringing in my e
The room went completely still. Mom’s voice barely heard as she whispered, “Abigail…”My heart stopped. My blood ran cold. I could feel my face going pale, my breath catching in my throat. He hadn’t just said that. He couldn’t have.I pushed back from the table, fury flooding my chest. “Yeah, I’ve b
AbigailDinner was a war zone of silence.The only sounds were the clinking of cutlery against plates, the occasional scrape of a chair being pushed back. And with every passing second, the tension in the room grew, like a pressure cooker about to blow its lid.Owen and I sat at opposite ends of the
He pick up a tea pot, examining it, completely unbothered. “I could give you everything back. Everything you lost. The status, the power, the wealth. I’m sure you miss it. I can offer you everything you lost. Status. Power. The world that should’ve been yours.”I straightened before letitng out a sc
SophiaIt was one of those night, the ones where everything felt like it was still. The cabin was quiet, save for the gentle crackling of the fire. I had a mug of tea in hand, the warmth seeping into my fingers as I stared out at the barren trees.My cheeks were still cool from my tears, but I had c
I didn’t even try to hide it. Why bother? He was by the pond, chopping wood like it was a hobby, not a chore. Sunlight danced on the water, turning everything a little less ugly—or maybe I was just getting used to it. The cabin. The earthy smell. The life I was forced to engage with.For a moment, I