(Winona)I’m in the kitchen, ladling the creamy chicken casserole into a dish of rice. It smells amazing. Jayden always loved this recipe. It feels like forever since we’ve had dinner with just the two of us.Soft, calming music flows through my headphones, and a gentle, soothing voice reminds me to breathe. Inhale peace, exhale stress. My heartbeat follows the rhythm, easing into a steady calm. Everything is as it should be.Dinner is ready, and Jayden will be landed, I think. It’s only a fifteen-minute drive from the city. We’ll finally have our time to reconnect, to talk, to share news that I’ve been holding onto with cautious hope.Lisa called and I talked to the kids who were having so much fun. I told them they could have a later night as long as their chores and study got done tomorrow.They all had a stuffed animal each and sticky faces from cotton candy. I’m not sure they’ll sleep at all from the sugar rush. But it’s fine this once. I’m so excited about telling Jayden my news
(Winona)“Guys, look, don’t say things you don’t mean…” Lance is up and trying to stop us arguing.“Jayden is the one acting like a mad man.”Jayden’s face hardens again. “Don’t turn this on me. You betrayed me, Winona. Of all the men in the world, you had to go with the two that would hurt me the most.”“It wasn’t about you, Jayden. This whole fucking world does not revolve around you.”“Your world sure as hell doesn’t. If it wasn’t for the photos I got, I’d never have known. You three would be laughing at me behind my back forever.”“I was going to tell you. Just not yet.”“Sure. Like I believe that. Well, now I know. Anything else you care to share with me while we’re at it?”I glare at him. My head is thumping, and I feel dizzy. I need to get calm, I need to think of the baby. My baby.I hold my head in my hands.“Maybe you need another hall pass week while Lance is here? Is Phillip on the next flight?”My breath catches, and I feel the sting of hot tears spilling down my cheeks a
(Jayden)I don’t even stop to catch my breath after heading back to the jet. I’ve called the pilot and organized a return trip. The sooner I’m away from here the better.My heart is still racing, my torn fists ache from the fight. The betrayal. The utter destruction of everything I thought I knew engulfs me.Finally, I’m at the airport private jet area. I get out of the car and make a beeline for the jet. It’s waiting, fueled up and ready to take me back to London.“Mr. Brennan,” the pilot greets. “Do you need anything else before we leave?”“I’m fine,” I snap. “Just get me out of here.”He nods, and I march past him, my phone clenched in my hand. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I don’t need anyone. Winona, Lance, Viktor. I can run my own life. Make my own decisions.I collapse into the seat, yanking out my phone to turn it off. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. I recall the argument with Winona. I can’t remember the last time rage engulfed me like that.Those words just spewe
(Winona)The cottage is eerily quiet after the fight. The only sound is my own ragged breathing as I sit on the edge of the sofa, my head still spinning from hitting the step.The ache in my chest, both from physical pain and the emotional wreckage Jayden left behind, refuses to fade.Lance stands a few feet away, his face battered and bruised. Estate staff are tending to his cuts, wiping away the blood with practiced but concerned efficiency.He keeps glancing at me, eyes full of worry, but I can’t bring myself to meet his gaze.I’m trying to keep it together, but I’m unraveling fast. I’m hot and sweaty and each pulse rushes through my ears.“Do you have Klara’s number?”I unlock my phone and hand it to him. “She lives a three-hour drive away and she has her own family. But she will know who can come see me.”“Okay. Otherwise, I’m taking you to the nearest hospital.”“As if you’re in any condition to drive.”“Klara,” Lance says, into my phone, his voice thick with urgency. “I’m Lance
(Jayden)The three-hour flight goes by in a blur. I suspect I slept through most of it, lost in a drunken haze, but I can’t be sure. My head is pounding, a steady, merciless throb that matches the ache in my chest.The alcohol dulled the fire, but it’s like trying to put out a forest blaze with a glass of water. It’s only made the edges of my grief sharper, more cutting.The jet touches down in London, and I force myself upright, stumbling slightly as I exit. My vision swims, and I grab my briefcase just to have something solid to hold onto.The fight with Lance replays in my mind, every punch, every accusation. And Winona’s face—her eyes wide with shock, then hurt. The memory crushes me like a boulder, heavy and unrelenting.Viktor is waiting. Of course he is. He’s leaning against a sleek black SUV, arms crossed, his expression as impassive as ever. His eyes narrow as he watches me stagger down the steps of the jet.He pushes off from the car with that same unshakeable authority he a
(Winona)The room is suffocating, even though Klara has opened the windows to let in the evening air. I’m lying on the bed, trying to keep my breathing even. My blood pressure has come down, but Klara’s concern hasn’t.She sits beside me, her hand resting on mine, grounding me. The soft hum of conversation between Lisa and Lance fills the other room, but I’m barely hearing them.Lance and Lisa come into the bedroom, looking just as exhausted as I feel.Lance still has dried blood on his shirt, and his bruised face is swollen.“I’m going to London,” he says, his tone rough but resolute.Lisa stares at him. “You can’t be serious. Look at you! You’re in no shape to travel, let alone deal with Jayden. Have you even seen your face?”“I have to,” he insists, his eyes blazing with determination. “Jayden’s my friend—at least he used to be. I have to try and fix this before it’s too late. Before he does something even more destructive.”The determination in his voice stirs something inside me,
(Jayden)The morning light filters through the curtains of my hotel suite, glaring and unrelenting. My head throbs with the hangover from last night’s scotch-fueled spiral.Everything is a blur, yet the anger and pain from the fight remains vivid, slicing into me.I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to gather the pieces of myself, when there’s a knock at the door. It’s firm and authoritative. Only one person knocks like that.“Come in,” I mutter, my voice rough and strained.The door opens, and Viktor steps inside. His gaze is steely, assessing me with that infuriating calm of his. He’s dressed sharply, not a hair out of place, but there’s a tension in his eyes.He looks at me as if he’s deciding whether I’m capable of doing my job.“Mr. Brennan,” he says, voice cool and even. “You look… unwell.”I let out a harsh, humorless laugh. “I feel worse than unwell,” I admit, grabbing a glass of water from the bedside table. It does little to soothe my parched throat. “What is it, Vikt
(Judy)London’s pulse beats with an energy I’ve always found exhilarating. I walk through the busy streets with a sense of ownership of life, bending chaos to my will, whether the people around me realize it or not. Life is mine, a chessboard on which I move my pieces, and today, I’m preparing to play one of my most significant moves.The queen can move anywhere she wants.Sliding into the back of my town car, I pull out my phone. The screen lights up with a string of updates from my contacts. Information from Gus’s estate staff flows to me like clockwork.A constant stream of intel I’ve worked hard to cultivate, weaving my influence so tightly into every corner of Jayden’s world that nothing escapes me. Even the smallest whispers reach my ears.Jayden, my brilliant but stubborn son, is back in London, and the ripples I set in motion turned into a tsunami. It’s a beautiful thing, really, watching how easily people fracture when you know which strings to pull.The fight. The accusation
Readers, I’ve been back through all your comments and it really touches me that so many of you cared about these characters. I want to send a very special shout out to mitzi.goodson and Theresa for your active love of the story all the way and for commenting regularly. I love you guys and I love all the readers #hearteyes# Also I have discovered a mistake in the upload of Chapter 553. Only half the chapter seems to have been uploaded and I have now fixed that. I know you’re asking about if you’ll see these characters again…right now, I’m letting them rest but I hope to update you on them in the future. Right now I’m focusing on my new stories which I know you’ll also love.In the next one, After waking from a 5 month coma, Ava Lancaster watches her beloved daughter die. Ex-husband Zach Lorne, allowed the mother of his first child, cunning Sienna Sinclair to use little Lila as a medical pawn. Consumed by grief, Ava sets their mansion ablaze—clutching Lila’s body while Zach pleads outs
(Winona)Lisa sits on the couch between me and Jayden, her fingers curled around the USB stick.“You don’t have to,” I remind her gently.“I know,” she replies. “But I want to. I can’t move forward if I don’t hear him out.” She hands the drive to Jayden.Jayden leans forward and plugs the drive in. The screen flickers.And then there he is.Lance. Black eye blooming from Jayden’s attack over hall pass week, bruised knuckles, the same crooked grin he always wore.“Lisa,” he says, “I’m so sorry. I wish this could have been different.”I glance at her. She flinches but doesn’t look away.He shakes his head. “No big poetic intro. No music. No tragic montage. Just me.”His smile cracks slightly.“First, I want to say this isn’t your fault. You didn’t fail me. You didn’t love me wrong. In fact, you’re probably the only person who ever loved me right.”Lisa’s breath hitches beside me.“I wasn’t built for longevity, Lisa. You knew that. Hell, I practically had an exit sign blinking over my he
(Winona)Viktor stands with his hands by his side while Jayden finishes up his announcement.I watch on, proud of them both. Not only staunch in business but as friends.“I’ll still be involved on a higher level, but day-to-day, Viktor’s your guy,” Jayden says, firm and confident. “Effective immediately, he’s the new CEO of Nexus Global.”There’s a brief pause before the quiet, respectful claps ripple through the room.Viktor just nods. “Thank you,” he says. No long speech. No dramatic reaction. Just two words. Classic Viktor.Jayden glances my way and walks over.“Proud of him,” I say quietly. “And of you.”“He’s ready,” Jayden replies. “Hell, he’s been ready for a while now. He taught me almost everything I know about Nexus Global.”Viktor lingers by the window, posture steady. Astrid steps up beside him, saying something low. He replies with a brief nod and the smallest of smirks.Jayden leans into me and murmurs, “did you see that?”I arch an eyebrow. “The nod or the smirk?”“Both
(Winona)I see the moment his eyes catch mine in the window behind Astrid. He blinks like he’s seeing a ghost. Too late. I’m already across the restaurant floor, my heels pounding each step out in deliberate warning, the sound sharp against the quiet hum of late-night conversations. Heads turn. I don’t care.His face shifts from confusion to panic as I advance—his mouth parting slightly, eyes darting to Astrid like he’s trying to figure out if he’s imagining this. He’s not. I’m here. I saw everything.I saw the kiss. I saw the closeness after. The lingering smiles, the laughter, and the way Astrid’s hand stayed on his like they were sharing secrets. Like she belongs to him. You don’t need sound to understand body language.That kiss wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a friendly peck on the cheek. It was enough for me to wonder if they’ve been playing me for a fool for weeks. Maybe months.Jayden stands just as I reach the table, knocking his chair back in a clumsy scrape. Astrid rema
(Jayden)Astrid raises her glass, the candlelight catching the rim. “To surviving another quarter without firing anyone major.”“To the rest of us surviving the grueling schedule of the Ice Queen herself.”“You did okay.”“Just okay?”“Better than okay. You have quite the work drive, Jayden. Gus was right to leave Nexus in your hands.”“Not one of you thought that at first. You all hated me. Especially Hugo. I think he still might, actually.”“Oh, you are not so bad, after all.”We clink glasses. The wine’s sharp, dry—like her. The restaurant is dim, ambient, tucked just off the canal. Astrid insisted it was the best late-night spot in Brussels. So far, I can’t argue.The food was incredible, the service seamless, and the company? Easy. A little too easy.This dinner has gone longer than I expected. I expected an answer from Winona to my text. But it hasn’t come. The conversation just flowed so effortlessly tonight.No drama. No awkward silences. No carefully chosen words. Astrid, wh
(Winona)It’s nearly 1 a.m. when I step off the jet into the crisp Brussels air. I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten properly. My thoughts have been chewing on each other for nine hours straight.I hear my phone notification, but I see Cass and I’m so damn happy. She’s about to launch the rest of her life and I’m excited for her.“It’s so good to see you.” I say as I run towards her and give her a hug.“You look like hell,” she says as she grins and hugs me back.“Oh, thanks for the compliment. You look like death yourself.”“Just finished a12 hour shift, what’s your excuse?”We walk out to the private parking area. Having a private jet is so convenient.“I can only blame stress and paranoia,” I tell her as we put my case in the back seat and get into her car.“Paranoia?”“Yes, about where Jayden and I stand in out marriage lately. I’m not sure I’m what makes him happy. All we do is fight, it seems.”“Okay… ah, so me telling him you’d have been better off never meeting him probably didn’
(Jayden)It’s nearly ten. The office is quiet, except for the soft hum of fluorescent lights above the boardroom. Astrid and I have been going through projections for Q3. Numbers, strategies, deadlines. All things that used to matter more than they do right now. My family call is bothering me. It’s not that Winona had a sudden business trip, that’s expected, it’s just the way we interact lately. Going through the motions. Not speaking up on how we feel in case it triggers an argument. I’m as much to blame.“You missed an adjustment here,” she says, tapping the edge of my laptop.“I didn’t miss it,” I say, not looking up. “I just didn’t apply it yet.”She raises an eyebrow. She knows I’m distracted. I’ve worked with her long enough to recognize the look that says I’m full of shit.“You want my input or just someone to nod along while you pretend to work?” she asks.I lean back in my chair. “You always cut right through it, don’t you?”“Of course.”She’s right. She doesn’t have patie
(Winona)The family call starts like any other.Except this time, I’ve told the kids I’ll be away and lied about where I’m going.Now I have to convince Jayden it’s an unexpected business trip.Bobby’s got a stack of papers next to him, pretending he’s not glancing at them while he listens to Jayden. He’s been working on some design options for the school vegetable garden.He’s become quietly obsessed with getting it right.Sarah is asking about when she can next visit the Nexus office again. Abby’s wearing one of Henry’s bibs and announcing herself as the ‘baby boss’ while trying to feed Henry a cracker he doesn’t want.Henry is slamming his hands on the table, shrieking with defiance, and Kit is doing her best to keep the screen steady while holding him.Chaos. Beautiful, familiar chaos. Welcome to the Brennan zoo.Jayden is calm, smiling, fully engaged. He’s asking Bobby about his team at school, praising his leadership skills. He tells Sarah he misses her drawings and promises to
(Winona)Phillip is at his desk when I walk in, finishing up a call. He looks up and gives me a half smile, casual but watchful.I cross the room but remain standing. “I won’t keep you long. I just… I wanted to let you know I’m stepping down in an active capacity from Vault. Effective immediately.”Phillip’s face shifts from polite curiosity to astonishment. “Wait—stepping down how?”I nod. “I’ll remain the owner. But I’m not going to be overseeing day-to-day management or strategic decisions anymore. I’m handing all of that to you. If you want it. CEO, President, call it what you will—I’m out.”He studies me carefully. “That’s… a big move, Winona. You’ve always been a control fre… ahh, hands-on.”I give him a quick grin. “Nice save.”“I’m talented, what can I say? But you being hands-off, I’m not sure that’s even possible.”“I’ve realized I can’t keep devoting so much energy to business. My family needs me. My kids need me.”“Is this what Jayden asked you to do?” “No. He’s been exc