“Okay, this might be a little out there, but I thought it’d be fun to do something that doesn’t cost a thing. Something that actually lets us learn a bit more about each other,” I say, reaching into my pocket.She raises an eyebrow. “I’m intrigued.”I pull out a folded piece of paper with a list I m
KIAN’S POVAs we pack up the remnants of our picnic, I catch Leslie giving me a curious look. “You’re not hiding more surprises, are you?”I grin, knowing exactly what’s coming next. “Actually, there is one more thing. But it might be a bit...out of character for us.”She raises an eyebrow, intrigue
“Did owning a company make you so damn competitive?” she teases, nudging me.“Who knew you were so good at dodgeball?” I retort, grinning. “Gosh, you would have been a nightmare to your classmates in high school.” She laughs, and it’s the kind of laugh that feels like it’s reaching right into my he
LESLIE’S POVWe stroll along the nearly empty street, our fingers entwined, and I can’t help but notice how natural this feels, walking with him in the quiet night air. My cheeks ache from smiling so much; I feel like a teenager again. “You’re keeping me guessing tonight, you know.”Kian looks over
“It was…a process,” I begin slowly, feeling his hand warm in mine. “The first year was the hardest. After I left I had to figure out who I was without you, without our history, without my father and every crafted part of my past.” Whenever I think of my father, my heart aches. I want to ask Kian ho
LESLIE’S POVTonight feels like a delicate balancing act of past and present. Kian’s beside me, his hand brushing against mine as we walk toward Madam Annie’s front door. The warmth of the dim porch lights casts over us as we stand in front of it without knocking immediately. We’ve talked about thi
He skips them most of the time because of Mallory and I know by the look in his eyes that he is here because Kian came. He doesn’t miss out on anything he considers fun. “I’m genuinely surprised you’re here.” Kian says and Cole snickers.“Don’t look at me like that, I’m family too.” He then sniffs
KIAN’S POVThe dishes clink softly, echoing through the small, cozy kitchen as I lean against the wall, watching Leslie. She’s laughing with Madam Annie and Mallory as they wash up, the three of them sharing inside jokes I’ll likely never understand. Each giggle and exchange between them is intimat
CHAPTER 106 [A Rebound] ~SOPHIE~ I stared at my reflection in the mirror, tilting my head to the left, then the right. My dress fit like a second skin—black, sleeveless, simple but elegant. It wasn’t over-the-top, but it hugged me in all the right places. Still, I felt uncertain. “Do I look l
CHAPTER 106 [A Rebound] ~SOPHIE~ I stared at my reflection in the mirror, tilting my head to the left, then the right. My dress fit like a second skin—black, sleeveless, simple but elegant. It wasn’t over-the-top, but it hugged me in all the right places. Still, I felt uncertain. “Do I look like
CHAPTER 105 [Erasing Him] ~SOPHIE~ I’d made up my mind to erase Travis totally. In my thoughts, in my future and even in my memories if I could help it. I had decided, and now, I was beginning the painful process of erasing him. The first conversation I had that morning was with my father. I’d ti
CHAPTER 104 [ Another lost kid] ~ELAINE~ (8) I kept my gaze locked on the food, my hands gripping the edge of the blanket wrapped around me. My stomach twisted painfully, but the fear in my chest held my body in place. I didn't trust it. I didn’t trust him. He didn’t look like he was trying to
CHAPTER 103 [The Lesser Evil ] ~ELAINE~ (7) I curled up tighter on my bed, pulling the covers around my frail body even though I wasn’t cold. It wasn’t the temperature that made me tremble—it was the growling in my stomach and the pounding in my head. Hunger had a way of distorting everything, e
CHAPTER 102 [No String and a Billionaire’s Name] ~SEBASTIAN~ (3) The moment I stepped into the house, silence greeted me like a sneer to the face. No voices, no footsteps, no Sophie playing the dutiful daughter as I ordered her to do. Just silence and the faint creak of floorboards as I shut the
CHAPTER 101 ~TRAVIS~ I didn’t know what it was or what to call it exactly; that feeling that curled in my chest the moment Sophie looked at me like a stranger and walked away with an actual one. But whatever it was, it was familiar. I’d felt it before on the very night she ended things. That
CHAPTER 99 [You Heard The Lady ] ~SOPHIE~ The can of juice in my hand was already warm. I hadn’t taken more than two sips, but I tossed it into the nearest trash can like it had personally offended me. Coming here was a mistake—again. I shouldn’t have let my father’s excited words or Travis’ i
AUTHOR’S NOTE 📝 Hi, everyone. I know. I have done the unforgivable—leaving without a word and not updating for a long period of time. I sincerely apologize to everyone of you who has dedicated your time to reading my book. I didn’t intend to but I was in a terrible place last month—mentally—