We spent the next few minutes sorting through the few items I had brought with me. As I pulled out a small, worn pony plush toy from my bag, I felt a pang of nostalgia. It was one of the things I had prepared years ago when I was pregnant.The pony, along with a few storybooks and baby toys, had been part of the little nursery I had put together in anticipation of my baby’s arrival.Thea’s eyes immediately lit up when she saw the toy. “Pony Bella!” she squealed, grabbing the plush from my hands.I froze, staring at her in shock. “What did you call her?”Thea hugged the toy to her chest, beaming. “This is Pony Bella. She’s my best friend! I tell her all my secrets.”My heart skipped a beat. How could Thea know that name? During my pregnancy, I had often spoken to my unborn baby, telling her stories and talking about how Bella the pony was waiting to meet her.It had been a name I had chosen out of the blue—something special, just for my baby.I swallowed hard, my hands trembling slightl
I lay in bed, feeling completely out of place. Everything about this situation was wrong, and yet, a strange warmth had settled in the room. What unsettled me even more was seeing Elijah—usually so distant and cold—display a rare hint of tenderness.It was clear that he adored Thea, completely convi
I carefully placed the strands of Thea's hair into a small cloth bag, taking care to stash it somewhere that no one would come across it.All it would take was a simple DNA test. And if the DNA matched mine, then the truth about Thea's parentage would finally be revealed, and I would have to confron
Just then, the door swung open, and a woman entered. She was tall and sharp-featured, her brunette hair pulled back tightly. “I’m here to collect Luna Olivia’s belongings,” she announced, not even really looking at me.I felt my pulse quicken.“You can’t take anything until Elijah returns,” I state
Elijah listened as I spoke, nodding to himself. I prattled off every single name on the list, along with a distinctive feature of each person, without looking at the papers. When I was finished, I was out of breath and my tongue was dry.“Not bad. But this doesn’t mean you’ve passed the assessment,”
Elijah"I didn’t permit you to return here," I said coldly, my voice steady, though inside I was anything but. I had not expected her to come back now—if ever.Olivia’s smile was tight, revealing nothing of the turmoil I felt at her presence."I just want to talk."I glanced toward Agnes and Thea as
I instinctively tried to pull my hand back, but Elijah held my wrist firmly, his grip surprisingly gentle. A shiver ran through me as I felt his warm tongue lapping at the wound.The sharp pain gradually faded, replaced by a soothing warmth that spread through my finger, as if he were weaving some k
Elijah I submerged myself in the warm water, letting it envelop me like a comforting embrace. The heat seeped into my muscles, washing away the tension that had accumulated in my shoulders. Yet, my mind was far from at ease.The weight of responsibility hung heavily on me, particularly concerning O
Elijah, noticing the tension leaving my shoulders, offered me a soft smile. “And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sexy as hell when you get like that.”I blushed and looked away. “Stop it…”“But I mean it,” he murmured, his voice growing husky as he leaned closer to me. His lips brushed mine ever so
AgnesElijah gently pulled me out of the banquet hall before I could say another word.We reached the nearest bathroom—a small powder room off the main hallway—and Elijah ushered me inside, locking the door behind us. Without a word, he turned on the faucet and soaked a washcloth in cold water.“Her
My hand tightened around my wine glass, and I felt a flicker of heat race through my veins, which I quickly pushed down with a big gulp of wine. It wasn’t enough, though. “Water, please,” I said abruptly to the bartender. “Extra ice.”The bartender nodded and handed me my glass. I chugged half of it
Agnes“Hold still,” I muttered around the pins that were pinched between my lips. “I’m almost done.”“But it tickles,” Thea whined.I sighed, sitting back on my heels to survey my work. The pink dress had turned out even better than I’d imagined—the fabric caught the light just so, and the purple em
Thea was already back from day camp when I arrived, sprawled on the living room floor with a coloring book and a horde of new crayons—which we’d certainly be finding under the couch for years to come. She looked up as I entered.“Mommy!” She jumped up and ran to hug me. “How was work?”“It was good,
AgnesI straightened my blouse one last time before pushing open the glass door to the design department. It had been almost a month since I’d last set foot in the office—first because of the fire, then because of everything with Thea and the house rebuild.I wasn’t nervous, exactly, but there was a
“Thank you.” I took a sip, letting the rich flavor roll over my tongue. “For everything. Not just the wine.”He smiled. “You don’t need to thank me, Agnes. None of this would have happened without you.”“That’s not true. You’re the one who went to see Olivia. You’re the one who believed her crazy st
Agnes“Your eyes are drooping, kiddo.”“Are not!” Thea insisted, even as her eyelids fluttered shut for a moment as she said that. “I’m just… blinking.”I snorted and shut the picture book I was reading. “Those are some awfully long blinks, Thea. Your new room will still be here when you wake up in
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the house together. Thea insisted on opening every drawer, looking into every closet, and testing every light switch. Elijah and I couldn’t help but join her in this endeavour.The builders really had outdone themselves, and my mind was already racing wit