(Lila)I drifted in and out of consciousness, aware of being carried upstairs but unable to protest. Ethan’s arms were too familiar, too comfortable. I could feel his heart beating right there against my ear just like it used to during our lazy Sunday mornings.“I’ve got her,” Ethan said.“Like hell you do.” Nick snapped me back to reality. “Give her to me.”“She needs to lie down.”“Then I’ll take her to lie down.” Nick’s footsteps followed us up the grand staircase. “She’s my fiancée!”Ethan’s arms tightened. “And she just fainted in my hallway.”“Your hallway?” Nick laughed harshly. “Last I checked, this was Father’s house.”My stomach lurched again as we reached the landing. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was too bright.“The blue room’s closest,” Ethan said, and he changed his direction.“I know where the damn blue room is.” Nick’s voice got closer. “I grew up here too, remember?”They led me into what looked like a bedroom. Ethan laid me on something soft—a bed, probabl
(Lila)Nick had barely driven us off the Baldwin estate when my phone started ringing. Grace’s name flashed on the screen.“Don’t answer it,” Nick said with his eyes fixed on the road.“She’ll just keep calling.”“Let her. After what she pulled back there—”“I have to know what she wants.” I hit accept before he could stop me. “Hello?”“Meet me at Le Café Rouge in thirty minutes,” Grace said without preamble. “Come alone.”“Or what?”“Or I start making calls to every gossip columnist in the city. I’m sure they’d love to hear about the Montgomery heiress’s…complicated relationship with both Baldwin men.”My hand instinctively went to my stomach. “Fine. Thirty minutes.”“Lila,” Nick protested as I hung up. “You can’t seriously be considering—”“Take me to Le Café Rouge.”“No way in hell am I leaving you alone with her.”“Nick.” I touched his arm. “Please. I need to handle this.”He cursed under his breath but made the turn toward the café. “I’ll wait in the car.”“She’ll see you.”“Good
(Lila)I was still shaking when Nick’s car pulled up to the café. He took one look at my face and was out of the driver’s seat in seconds.“What happened?” He cupped my face in his hands, thumbs brushing my cheeks. “Did she hurt you?”“Not physically.” I leaned into his touch without meaning to. “Can we go home?”His hands stilled. “Your home or mine?”“Yours.” I couldn’t face the Montgomery mansion right now. “Please.”The drive was quiet, but Nick’s hand found mine across the console. He didn’t let go until we reached his penthouse.“Want to talk about it?” he asked as we rode the elevator up.“She knows. About the baby.”The elevator dinged. Nick pulled me into his arms as soon as the doors closed behind us.“I’ll handle it,” he said into my hair.“You can’t.” I pushed away enough to look at him. “She’s threatening to expose everything—the pregnancy, my relationship with Ethan, this engagement…”“Let her. We’ll survive the scandal.”“It’s not just about the scandal.” I broke away,
(Lila)The ballroom of Montgomery mansion looked amazing for the engagement party. My red dress—another one my mother insisted on—made me feel like a warning sign among all the pastels and neutrals.“You look beautiful,” Nick whispered in my ear as we greeted another group of well-wishers. His hand never left the small of my back.“You don’t look so bad yourself.”I smoothed his black tie, letting my fingers rest there. We’d been careful since that kiss, not wanting to risk getting close lest things got out of hand again.“Ms. Montgomery. A word?”Ethan stood behind us, looking dashing in his bespoke suit. The same one he’d worn the first night we met—I wondered if that was intentional.“Actually—” Nick started, but I squeezed his arm.“It’s okay.” I forced myself to smile. “I can handle this.”Nick tried to figure out what I was thinking. “You sure?”“Positive.” I stretched up to kiss his cheek, making sure everyone watching got a good show. “Save me a dance?”“Always.” He shot Ethan
(Ethan)Caroline Montgomery’s words kept repeating in my head like an old nightmare I’d remembered again. Eight years old. An accident. Lost memories.My glass nearly slipped from my fingers as decades-old memories rushed back.“Are you alright?” Grace touched my arm, but I barely felt it. “You look pale.”“I need air.” I set the glass down harder than necessary, ignoring the champagne that spilled from it.“Ethan—”I ignored her. I was already moving, pushing through the crowd toward the terrace where I’d seen Nicholas lead Lila. My mind’s eye saw fragments of a past I’d tried so hard to forget.A summer fair. Cotton candy. A little girl’s laugh.And then…darkness.The dates matched. The age matched. Even the way Lila had always felt familiar somehow, from that first night at the bar...“It can’t be,” I muttered, gripping the stone railing. “It’s impossible.”But was it?I’d spent years searching for that little girl after it happened. I’d lost track of her completely afterwards. No
(Lila)Nick led me back into the ballroom from the terrace. The band was playing something classical, and most of the couples were on the dance floor.“A necklace? What was he talking about?”I rubbed my temples as Nick led me toward the bar. The pain behind my eyes wouldn’t stop.“He’s trying to get under your skin,” he said. “Don’t let him.”“But how did he know about it? I never told him about any necklace from my grandmother.”“Lila.” Nick turned me to face him. “Stop. Whatever game he’s playing, it doesn’t matter.”“But—”“There you are!” My mother joined us. “The photographer’s been waiting ages. We need shots for the media reports.”I glanced at Nick. “Mom, I’m not feeling—”“Nonsense.” She grabbed my arm. “This is the social event of the year. The Montgomery-Baldwin engagement must be shown properly.”Nick jumped in front of me. “Mrs. Montgomery, maybe if we—”“The fountain.” She pointed toward the huge centerpiece. “The lighting there is perfect.”She practically dragged us t
(Lila)Old Mr. Baldwin barked orders at security while guests split up and ran everywhere, shouting James’s name.“Lock down all exits!” The head of security spoke into his radio. “No one leaves until we find the boy.”“Call the police,” someone suggested.“No!” Grace grabbed the man’s arm. “No police. He was just here, he has to be here somewhere.”My mother came at my side, grabbing my elbow. “Darling, you look awful.”“I’m fine.”“You’re not. Look at you, you’re shaking.” She waved desperately. “Jonathan! Come look at her.”Dad rushed over, leaving his conversation with the security team. “Princess? What’s wrong?”“Nothing.” I tried to pull away from their hovering. “We need to help find James.”“You need to sit down.” Mom put her hand on my forehead. “You’re burning up.”Alexander pushed through the crowd toward us. “Give her space to breathe, Mother. She doesn’t need you smothering her right now.”“But she—”“Is perfectly capable of telling us if she needs help.” He squeezed my s
(Lila)I bolted upright in bed, gasping. “James!”“Hey, easy.” Nick sat on the edge of the mattress. “You’re okay. You’re in my dad’s home.”I opened my eyes to a strange room and blinked. Everything looked different, but my engagement party dress was thrown on a chair.“How long was I out?”“All night.” Nick poured water into a glass. “Drink.”I gulped it down, my throat raw. Nick took the empty glass. “James. Did they find him?”“No. Security’s still searching. Your brother’s coordinating with private investigators.”“But the message said no investigators.”“Alexander doesn’t care. He says something about this feels wrong.”I pushed back the covers, then realized I was wearing one of Nick’s t-shirts. “Did you…?”“Your mother changed you.” He smiled a little. “Though I offered to help.”“Nick!”I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My knees buckled but I forced myself to stand. “I need to go home.”“You need to rest.”“A child is missing!”“And you passed out cold at your own eng
(Nick)The scotch burned going down, but not as much as the memories playing on my laptop screen. I hadn’t touched this video in years, and now Maxwell had somehow gotten his hands on it.The flames licked higher in the grainy footage, spreading fast on a deck slick with blood.I remembered every detail. Every scream. Every desperate moment.My phone beeped. Another text from Maxwell.“Tick tock, Nicholas. How long before everyone knows the truth?”I downed another glass, watching the video loop again. Younger me, standing amid chaos. Smoke billowing. Bodies scattered across the yacht’s deck. The night Jean-Paul died.The night everything changed.Paris, five years earlier, played out in my mind like a nightmare I could never escape.The shipping deal had seemed routine. Jean-Paul Renaud, a powerful French maritime magnate, had approached me about expanding Baldwin shipping routes into European markets.We had met at that exclusive restaurant near the Seine, deinking the French wine a
(Lila)I watched Alexander and Romy gather their coats after the intense family dinner. The discovery of Maxwell’s surveillance cameras had everyone moving quickly, casting wary glances at the corners of rooms.But who’d put them there?Romy’s phone chimed—a sharp sound in the tense quiet. She pulled it out, reading something on the screen. Her fingers started trembling so badly she nearly dropped the phone. All the blood drained from her face.“Romy?” Alexander grabbed her waist as she stumbled. “What is it?”She shook her head, shoving the phone into her pocket. Alexander bent down, whispering something in her ear that made her grab his arm hard enough that her fingers went white.“We need to leave,” he muttered, already steering her toward the elevator. “Now.”“Wait.” My mother’s voice stopped them. “Nick, Lila—a moment please?”Nick helped me adjust on the couch as everyone else filed out. My back ached from sitting up so long, the baby kicking restlessly, but I needed to hear wha
(Grace)I lay on my satin sheets in the luxury rehab suite, staring at the ceiling as I waited for the evening group therapy to begin. My silk robe swished as I shifted.Anyone would think I had wandered into rehab straight from a five-star hotel!A knock on my door. “Ms. Williams? Group starts in five minutes.”“Coming,” I called, dabbing concealer under my eyes. Just enough to look tired but dignified. Broken but beautiful.The therapy room smelled like coffee, and nothing says rock bottom like bad coffee and broken dreams. I settled into my usual armchair, arranging my robe just so.A new patient—some washed-up actress—openly stared at my Cartier bracelet.“Grace, would you like to start?” Dr. Sanders smiled encouragingly. “You mentioned wanting to discuss your progress.”I pulled out a tissue from my purse, letting my hand shake just so. “I just…I miss my son so much. Every day without him feels like torture.”“Tell us more about that pain.”“James is my whole world.” I twisted th
(Nick)“Let’s move to the living room,” I said, helping Lila into her wheelchair. She’d insisted on getting out of bed for this conversation, despite my protests.Thompson brought extra chairs as everyone settled in. James curled up next to Lila on the couch while Ethan paced by the windows. Alexander hadn’t moved from Romy’s side since they arrived.“Start from the beginning,” my father demanded, gulping down all his scotch. “What about Grace?”Romy sat perched on the edge of an armchair, her hands clasped tight in her lap. “I met Grace when we were both modeling. She was eighteen, already dating Ethan. I was with Alexander.”Her eyes swept to him before dropping back to her hands. “At first, she seemed sweet. Vulnerable. But there were…incidents.”“What kind of incidents?” Ethan stopped pacing. Romy twisted her hands like she used to do with her wedding ring, but she was no longer wearing it.“Little things at first. A model would get sick before a big shoot that Grace wanted. Someo
(Lila)I shifted uncomfortably against the mountain of pillows in our bed, trying to maintain a dignified position while everyone crowded around for this bizarre family dinner in our bedroom. The doctor’s orders for complete bed rest had turned my quarters into a dining room, with makeshift TV trays and chairs scattered around my massive bed.“Can I sit next to Lila?” James bounced on his toes by my bedside. “I want to tell the baby about my new book!”“Careful—” Nick and Ethan spoke at the same time, then locked eyes across the room. They both looked like they were about to lose it.“Come here, sweetheart.” I patted the space beside me before they could start arguing. “Tell me all about this book.”James scrambled up, mindful of my stomach. “It’s about space! Did you know Jupiter has seventy-nine moons? That’s like, so many names we could use for the baby!”“Absolutely not,” Old Mr. Baldwin grumbled from his armchair. “No granddaughter of mine will be named after a moon.”“What about
(Lila)The monitors finally stopped screaming. My heart rate settled into a steady rhythm as doctors stepped back, nodding with satisfaction.“Both mother and baby are stable,” Dr. Pitt announced, checking the ultrasound screen. “Though—” She paused, squinting at the image.“What?” Nick moved closer, his body tense. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing’s wrong.” Dr. Pitt smiled. “Your daughter is just being particularly photogenic today.”My breath caught. “Daughter?”“I thought you wanted to wait,” Ethan said from the corner.“We did, but…” I pressed my hand to my stomach. “A girl.”Nick’s fingers threaded through mine, but something felt off in his grip. He’d positioned himself between me and the medical team, watching each movement like he expected an attack.“I’ll want to keep you overnight for observation,” Dr. Pitt said, reaching for my chart.Nick intercepted her. “I want to see your credentials again.”“Nick!” I tugged his hand. “She’s been my doctor for months.”“People lie.” His eyes da
(Nick)The hospital lights made everything look sickly. I paced outside Lila’s room while doctors tried to stop her labor, my shoes leaving scuff marks on their clean floor.“Mr. Baldwin?” A nurse approached. “We’ve stabilized her contractions for now.”“Can I see her?”“She’s resting. And Mr. Ethan Baldwin is already—”“What?” I pushed past her. Through the window, I saw Ethan sitting beside Lila’s bed, his hand covering hers on her stomach. My stomach twisted.“It’s his baby,” the nurse said gently. “He has a right—”“I know whose baby it is.”Thanks to my nephew’s ex, now the whole world knew about our private matters.Ethan looked up, catching my eye through the glass. He said something to Lila before coming out.“The medication’s working,” he said. “Labor’s stopped for now.”“Good. You can go then.”“Nick—”“James needs you more than we do.”“He’s with my parents.” Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “Threw a fit about staying, but I convinced him Lila needs quiet.”“Still don’t s
(Lila)I sat at the long dining table in the Baldwin mansion, watching James teach Ethan the “proper” way to arrange peas on his plate.“See, Dad? If you make a circle, none of them can escape!”“Very strategic, sport.” Ethan helped him corral a runaway pea. “Where’d you learn that?”“Nick showed me.” James beamed. “He says food tastes better when it’s organized.”Nick’s hand found mine under the table, squeezing gently. The gesture should have comforted me, but something in his grip felt too tight.Ethan’s mother clinked her wine glass. “I just got off the phone with Grace’s facility. She’s…” She glanced at James. “Settling in well.”After her outburst in court, Grace had been taken to a mental health and drug rehab facility.“When can I get my toys from her house?” James asked suddenly.The table went quiet. Ethan set down his fork. “Baby, we talked about this. Mom needs time to…”“But I want my dinosaur book.” James pushed his peas around. “The one Grandma gave me before she died.”
(Nick)The reporters swarmed outside my building like vultures. Through the penthouse windows, I watched them jostle for position, cameras ready. Their shouted questions could be heard even forty floors up.“Mr. Baldwin! Any comment on the pregnancy?”“Is it true you’ll be raising your nephew’s child?”“How does Grace Williams factor into this?”I turned away from the windows to find Lila propped up in our bed, scrolling through her phone with shaking hands.“Stop reading that trash,” I said, taking her phone gently. “Doctor said no stress.”“Have you seen what they’re saying?” Her voice cracked. “The pictures they dug up…”“Hey.” I sat beside her, pulling her close. “Let me handle the press.”“But—”“No buts.” I kissed her temple. “Your only job is taking care of yourself and this baby.”James padded in, still in his dinosaur pajamas. “Uncle Nick? The TV people are saying mean things about Lila.”“Come here, buddy.” I patted the bed. He crawled up carefully, mindful of Lila’s stomach