(Evelyn pov) The divorce paper shook in my hands, the ink blurring as my vision swam. My chest constricted, and my breathing came in brief, agonizing breaths. The atmosphere in the room was stifling, weighing on me like an invisible pressure, yet I would not allow them to witness me break down Not here. Not in front of them. Sebastian stood across from me, his expression unreadable, making it seem as if this moment, the end of everything we created, was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Vanessa, on the other hand, crossed her arms, her gaze sharp and expectant, like she was waiting for me to surrender, to sign without a fight. But, I would not. Not without answers. I swallowed hard, forcing the tremor out of my voice. "How long?" Sebastian’s eyebrow knitted together slightly, but he didn’t ask for clarification. He knew exactly what I meant. Vanessa released a dramatic sigh, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Eve, does it actually make any differ
(Evelyn pov) A sharp, rhythmic beep pulled me from the abyss. Cold. The room was cold, yet my body burned from the inside out. My eyelids felt like lead, my limbs heavy, weighted down by an unseen force. The sterile scent of antiseptic clung to the air, sharp and suffocating. A harsh glare pressed against my closed eyes, forcing me to acknowledge the blinding reality waiting for me. Where…? A groan slipped past my dry lips as I shifted slightly, only for a dull, aching pain to radiate through my skull. It was nothing compared to the hollow emptiness clawing at my chest. Then it all came crashing back. Sebastian’s cold voice. Vanessa’s triumphant smirk. The divorce papers. The suffocating pain. I tried sitting up, but a firm hand pressed against my shoulder. "Take it easy," a soft voice murmured. "You're in the hospital." I blinked, my vision swimming until it settled on a nurse adjusting an IV drip next to me. "The hospital?" My voice rasped, throat raw.
(Evelyn pov) The knock on my hospital door was sharp. Cold. Like him. I didn’t say come in. Didn’t acknowledge it at all. But the door opened anyway. Sebastian entered, his tall stature filling the area, projecting elongated shadows in the softly lit room. The atmosphere changed, growing denser, bearing down on me with a nearly choking heaviness. He remained silent. Did not go past the entrance. He just stood there, observing me. His facial expression was inscrutable, a flawless facade of apathy, but I observed the nuances he couldn't entirely conceal. The rigidity in his shoulders, the manner in which his jaw tightened just a bit. And his hands, fingers curling by his sides, as if preparing for collision. Like he expected me to explode. Like he knew he deserved it. He was uncomfortable. Good. I avoided looking at him directly, keeping my eyes fixed on my lap, where my hands were held so tightly that my nails almost broke through my skin. The quiet lingered between us, end
Evelyn’s POV "Peter." I smiled softly as I turned toward him. His presence felt like a warm blanket after being left out in the cold for so long. Peter was Sebastian’s cousin, but over the years, he had become something of a quiet confidant. He never liked how Sebastian treated me, and he hadn’t been shy about saying it either. Now, seeing him here, my heart clenched with mixed emotions—relief, comfort, and a bittersweet ache I couldn’t quite name. Peter’s eyes softened when he saw me, concern etched into his handsome features. He held a brown paper bag in one hand and a bouquet of white lilies in the other. "I came as soon as I heard." He walked in, placing the flowers on the small table beside my hospital bed. "I brought your favorite—chicken soup from that little café you love." The simple gesture tugged at something deep inside me. No one had done something so thoughtful in a long time. "You didn’t have to—" I started, but he cut me off with a warm smile. "I wanted to. You
(Sebastian’s POV) The city lights blurred into long, glowing streaks as I sped down the highway, the tires humming against the asphalt in a relentless rhythm. My hands clenched the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned bone white, the leather groaning beneath my grip. The hum of the engine filled the suffocating silence, but inside my head, it was louder, chaotic, stormy, an unforgiving whirlwind of thoughts that refused to quiet. Evelyn and Peter. The image was seared into my mind, like a cruel photograph on repeat. Evelyn’s soft smile was gentle, almost radiant as she sat beside him. Her laughter, light and unburdened, echoed in my ears. I hadn’t heard that sound in weeks, maybe longer. Not from her. Not when she was with me. And Peter’s gaze? It lingered on her, steady and... protective. His eyes followed her like she was something fragile, something worth safeguarding. That look gnawed at me, scraping against my already frayed nerves like sandpaper on raw skin. Doe
(Evelyn’s POV) The cold night air bit into my skin as I sneaked out of the hospital’s back exit, my heart pounding so loudly I could barely hear my footsteps. The city hummed in the distance, cars, life, everything moving on, yet it felt eerily silent around me, like the calm before a storm. Shadows stretched long beneath the flickering streetlights, the scent of rain lingering in the air as if the universe itself anticipated what was coming. I pulled my coat tighter around me, wincing as the stitches tugged with every hurried step. Pain radiated through my side, sharp and unrelenting, but I welcomed it. It reminded me I was still alive, still capable of feeling something other than the suffocating emptiness that had threatened to consume me within those sterile hospital walls. I wasn’t supposed to be out of bed, let alone sneaking into the night like some fugitive, but I had no choice. Staying meant surrendering, allowing the crushing weight of memories, regret, and betrayal to drow
(Evelyn’s POV) The cold bit into my skin as I wandered through the unfamiliar streets, my steps heavy against the damp pavement. I had no idea where I was, only that it was far from everything I once knew. The city loomed around me, tall buildings casting long shadows under the dim streetlights, their facades both inviting and menacing. People passed me by without a second glance, bundled up in coats, lost in their own worlds. For them, this was just another night. For me, it felt like the start of something terrifying and unknown. I clutched my coat tighter, feeling the sting of tears threaten my eyes. You can’t fall apart now, Evelyn. I whispered the words in my head, but they sounded hollow. The ache in my body from the stitches pulled with every step, a brutal reminder of everything I had lost, everything I was running from. I paused under a flickering streetlight, my stomach tightening with hunger. How long had it been since I last ate? The hospital food hadn’t exactly been a
(Evelyn’s POV) Time had a strange way of moving, slow in the mundane moments and then rushing past when life felt whole again. Days turned into weeks, and weeks blurred into months. Before I even realized it, I was eight months pregnant, my belly round and full, the baby inside me growing stronger with each passing day. The first few weeks had been tough. Settling into a new routine, adjusting to the changes in my body, and trying to navigate this new chapter of life felt overwhelming at times. But through it all, Mia had been there, a guiding light in what had once been complete darkness. She wasn’t just my savior anymore. She had become my closest friend, my family. We built a rhythm together, an easy, comforting pattern that made the days feel warmer, even when the world outside seemed uncertain. Mornings were filled with the smell of coffee and the sound of laughter as we fumbled through breakfast, often burning toast or flipping pancakes that landed more on the counter than
(Sabatine’s POV)Chicago.The city pulsed with energy, cars honking, people moving in fast, purposeful strides, sirens crying in the distance, but inside me, there was nothing but hollow quiet.I had flown in earlier that morning, eyes bleary and body running on nerves and too much coffee. This trip wasn’t a choice, it was survival. My company was flailing, bleeding at the seams, and this meeting… it might be my last shot at saving it.Everything rode on one man. Stanley Woods.He was a giant in the business world, with a reputation built on fear, brilliance, and ruthless precision. If I could win him over, secure even a fraction of his influence, I might just pull us back from the edge.My assistant had set it all up, weeks of back and forth, confirmations, reminders. I’d rehearsed my pitch until I could deliver it in my sleep. I’d revised the slides, tweaked the figures, and polished the projections. Every word, every visual, tailored to him.And now, I was here. Standing in the sle
(Evelyn's POV)The sky stretched above us in a soft, pale hue, like a sheet of watercolored silk draped over the world. The car moved steadily, gliding past familiar clusters of trees and unfamiliar streets that blurred into the edges of memory. I sat quietly in the back seat, hands clasped loosely in my lap, a hush of anticipation fluttering between my ribs and echoing with every slow beat of my heart. It wasn’t dread. Not entirely. It was something deeper, restless and uncertain.Liam drove, his hands steady on the wheel, his eyes flickering to the rearview mirror every few minutes. Watchful, like always. He didn’t say much, but his presence filled the space, protective, grounding. He’d offered to drive without needing to ask why. He just knew.We were headed to Chicago. Not for a vacation or a business trip. This was for Mia, her remembrance, her absence wrapped in ceremony and silence.It didn’t feel real.Even after all this time, it still felt like a chapter I had read too man
(Vanessa’s POV)I stood at the edge of the rooftop garden, the breeze tugging softly at my hair as I held the phone to my ear. Below, the city hummed with life, cars weaving through streets, voices rising from open windows, but I barely noticed. The sun was beginning its descent, spilling golden light across the skyline like molten glass. Everything shimmered with beauty, but none of it reached me."Yes… thank you for sticking to the deal," I said, my voice calm and even. "They’ll be released this evening. You kept your end of the bargain, and so will I."A brief silence lingered on the other end, heavy and deliberate, before the line clicked off. Just like that.I lowered my hand, slipped the phone into my coat pocket, and stood still, letting the quiet wash over me. My gaze remained fixed on the horizon, but I wasn’t seeing any of it. The release wasn’t an act of mercy. It wasn’t forgiveness. It was simply the end of a transaction. Closure, not compassion. I didn’t need leverage ove
( Sebastian POV)On my way home, I found myself turning off the main road without thinking. One moment, I was driving past familiar buildings, replaying the conversation I'd just had in my head, and the next, my car had slipped into a small parking lot beside a bright, cheery-looking store with cartoon stickers on the glass windows.A kids’ store.I sat behind the wheel for a moment, staring at the entrance. I hadn’t planned this. I wasn’t even sure what made me turn. But something had pulled me here, quiet and insistent. Maybe it was the memory of her laugh. Or maybe it was the way she clung to me earlier, so easily, like I was already someone she trusted.Before I could second-guess myself, I stepped out of the car.The bell over the door jingled as I walked in, and suddenly I was surrounded, shelves of pastel onesies, racks of tiny jeans and frilly dresses, little shoes lined up like toys. The air smelled faintly like baby powder and plastic, and the colors, so many of them, felt l
( Sebastian pov)Evening couldn’t come fast enough.Time stretched itself thin, like taffy pulled too far and refusing to snap. Every tick of the clock echoed louder than it should have. Each passing hour dragged like an anchor tied to my thoughts, weighing me down as the day inched forward.Meetings came and went, their content dissolving into static. Faces blurred. Voices became background noise, like the hum of a refrigerator you only notice when everything else goes silent. I nodded when required, offered clipped responses when prompted, but my presence was a ghost, my body in one place, my mind elsewhere entirely.Back to the result.I’d told Dr. Jude I would come pick it up myself. I don’t know why I insisted. Maybe it was a need for control, some desperate attempt to own the truth before it owned me. Or maybe I believed that seeing the paper, holding it in my hands, would somehow make it more bearable. Less real. Less final.By the time I stepped out of the office, the sun had
(Evelyn pov)The scent of freshly brewed coffee wrapped around me like a soft hug, drifting through the air and mingling with the faint citrus notes of the cleaning spray from earlier. The warm mug sat snug between my palms as I stirred a generous spoonful of honey into the rich liquid, watching the golden stream swirl and melt away. A quiet sigh escaped my lips as I leaned against the edge of the table in my office, letting the gentle warmth seep into my hands, hoping it would somehow reach my chest too.Mornings like this used to mean something, a sliver of stillness before the storm of the day. Peaceful. Predictable. But lately, they only served as fleeting distractions, temporary veils draped over the chaos I refused to name. I stared at the cup a second longer before taking a small sip, letting the sweetness linger on my tongue.Then, I heard the door click open behind me. Not hurried. Not hesitant. Just familiar. Too familiar.“You’re late,” I said, not bothering to turn around
(Sebastian’s POV)I woke up with a weight on my chest.Not the kind that comes from restless sleep or a stiff mattress. This was Heavier. Like something inside me was sinking, pulling the rest of me into the same dark gravity.For a while, I didn’t move.I just laid there, eyes fixed on the ceiling, tracing the faint cracks in the paint like they held answers. The walls creaked softly, familiar but distant, and from below, the quiet murmur of a house slowly waking up, the low hum of the refrigerator, the occasional thump of settling wood.I could’ve stayed like that forever.But eventually, I sat up, slowly, like peeling myself away from something sticky and invisible. My limbs felt weighed down, my breath tight in my chest. I moved to the edge of the bed and just… stopped.I don’t know how long I sat there.Minutes? Hours? Time didn’t feel real. It never does when everything inside you is unraveling.The silence pressed in around me, not peaceful silence, but that thick, choking ki
Sebastian’s POVThe drive to school was quiet. Too quiet.The kind of quiet that Was not peaceful but unsettling. Crawling under my skin like an itch I could not scratch.My fingers gripped the Steering wheel. My Knuckles White as My thoughts tangled into a mess I couldn’t unravel. The call. The nagging doubts. The questions that loomed without answers.Beside me, Vanessa talked. Her voice was light, animated. Filling the silence with talk of Princess, the dress, the shoes, something about a tiara. Normally, I’d nod along, maybe even throw in a comment to show I was listening. But today, her words barely registered. Drowned under the weight pressing against my chest.“Seb?”Her voice cut through the fog, followed by a gentle nudge against my arm.I blinked. The road ahead had blurred for a moment, the lines smearing together before snapping back into focus.“Hm?” My voice came out lower than I intended, rough around the edges.Vanessa sighed. “I said, should we get her the pink one or
(Sabatine pov)My finger hovered over the answer button, but I didn’t press it.Not yet.A bitter taste lingered on my tongue, a mix of betrayal and something far worse, realization. If Vanessa had lied about something this big, what else had she been hiding? What other secrets had she so effortlessly buried beneath that sweet smile?I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening around the phone. The screen glowed in the dim light of my office, her name flashing insistently.Vanessa.My pulse pounded in my ears, each ring fueling the storm brewing inside me. I wanted answers. No, I needed them. But I wouldn’t be fooled again, wouldn’t let myself fall into the same trap.Not this time.The phone buzzed again, vibrating against my palm like a silent challenge. I exhaled sharply, steadying myself. Proof. I needed proof before I faced her. Because if my suspicions were right, then Vanessa was capable of far worse than just a simple lie.And I refused to be the fool who found out too late.Her nam