KIAN’S POVThe airport buzzes around us, a steady hum of voices and rolling luggage punctuated by overhead announcements. But standing here in this circle—our family, in its truest sense—the noise fades to a murmur. Annie’s hand is warm on Leslie’s shoulder, squeezing once before she pulls her into
LESLIE’S POVIt’s been two days since we returned home, and I find myself staring blankly at the TV screen. The vibrant colours of the show flicker in front of me, but my mind is elsewhere. Kian is busy at his company’s office, and Cole is with him, diving headfirst into the chaos of relaunching his
TRAVIS' POVFor a moment, time stands still. I can hardly believe my eyes. It’s been years since I last saw her, and the world around us fades into a blur. The memory of her laughter, her spirit, floods back to me, like a forgotten melody. She looks different—stronger, maybe—yet somehow still the sa
LESLIE'S POVToday is the day. I can hardly contain my excitement as I stand in front of the mirror, the soft glow of the vanity lights illuminating my reflection. The dress I chose—a sleek, deep emerald green that hugs my curves just right—feels like the perfect choice for this happy occasion. I wa
LESLIE’S POV [THIS MIGHT BE CONFUSING OWING TO HOW THE LAST CHAPTER ENDED BUT PLEASE READ TO THE END] *It’s bad, Leslie.*—COLE I suck in a breath as I read Cole’s message that just popped up on my screen. I don’t need him to fully clarify what’s bad; I already know what the problem is. It’s the sa
LESLIE’S POV Six hours after the two phone calls I made, the car Cole sends to pick me up pulls into the underground garage of Kian’s old company building. It’s late evening and the sun will set in another hour—the very time the launch is supposed to be wrapping up. The driver kills the engine wh
That’s until I literally feel a shift in the air. It’s ominous and the hair on the back of my neck rises like my very own siren for danger. I feel a presence behind me but before I can turn to see what it is about, a body presses into my back. A strong arm comes around my face and a palm drops over
LESLIE’S POVRoman’s car–a black and sketchy Cadillac Escalade with tinted windows–is parked in the same underground garage that I was in mere minutes ago. He must have been waiting there for me. It’s a big car, hard to miss amidst the dozens of smaller cars parked in the garage but I never paid att
CHAPTER 18 [ Intern Sophie] ~SOPHIE~ Until a few days ago, the sound of my alarm filled me with nothing but thrill. All it does now is make me bury my head into the pillow with pure irritation while rethinking every single one of my life choices. “Turn that off and get your ass in the shower, So
CHAPTER 17 [The Path Of Heartbreak] ~TRAVIS~ “You asked to see me, sir.” Sophie Summers. I could never get used to her presence, not even when I was the one who requested it. “Sit.” I ordered, barely looking at her. Knowing how defiant she can be, I expected some sort of retort but she quiet
CHAPTER 16 [ A Tangled Mess] ~SOPHIE~ I pushed the door open with a sigh, the familiar weight of the day’s events pressing on me. My head still throbbed, a dull reminder of last night’s recklessness. As I stepped inside the apartment, the soft scent of lavender and the comforting hum of the refr
CHAPTER 15 [Not Her Type] ~SOPHIE~ "Who’s this, Sophie?" Sebastian’s voice slithered through the hallway, his smirk widening when his eyes landed on Travis. "Your new boyfriend?" I was still trying to gather myself together after running into Travis so suddenly. I had questions about how he was
CHAPTER 14 [The Man Who Was Never Mine] ~SOPHIE~ The nausea hadn’t subsided. I sat at the edge of the bed in my childhood room, staring at the peeling wallpaper and the dusty, forgotten trinkets that once made this space my sanctuary. It had been hours since I’d woken up with the hangover poundi
CHAPTER 13 [In Her Absence] ~TRAVIS~ The absence was the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t the missing coffee on my desk—although I’d gotten far too accustomed to finding it there, piping hot and prepared just the way I liked it. Nor was it the lack of a sticky note, usually plastered on the edge
CHAPTER 12 [A Return To The Shadows] ~SOPHIE~ The dull throb in my head woke me before anything else. It pulsed behind my eyes like a relentless drumbeat, making it impossible to open them fully. I groaned, rolling over and burying my face into the pillow, hoping to escape the nausea curling in m
CHAPTER 11 [Kill-Joy] TRAVIS I wasn’t sure what annoyed me more: Sophie Summers’ audacity or the fact that I had actually turned around and come back. Sitting in the backseat of my car, I stared out the tinted window at the pub just across the street from my company. I had never step foot there bu
CHAPTER 10 [The Sophie Effect] ~TRAVIS~ If chaos had a face, it would undoubtedly wear Sophie Summers’ unrelenting smile. For the past few days, she had inserted herself into every corner of my life at my textile company, leaving me to wonder how someone so seemingly innocent could wreak such calc