Serena’s POV“Oh, shut up,” I snap at Stevie, pleading for her to quit the teasing. "Calvin and I are just friends."Thinking about Calvin and me as more than friends sends a flurry of butterflies through my stomach. Yet, he's told me he cares in a way that feels more like an uncle. I have to shake
Serena’s POV"Baby? What baby?" Calvin's eyes widen in shock at what he just heard. "Serena, are you pregnant?""Oh, fuck," Stevie whispers under her breath, instantly regretting her slip.Words fail me at the moment, so I simply nod, confirming Calvin's suspicions without saying a word.Calvin sigh
Bill’s POVSerena tears the $10 million check I handed her into shreds, flinging them at my face as if they were mere scraps. The audacity!Before I can muster a single word in response, she whirls around, dashes into her apartment, and slams the door with a resounding thud.Damn it! She has a knack
Bill’s POVFlashbackI remember that day like it was yesterday. A little girl and I were having a blast building our sandcastle, totally lost in our own little world. The sun was shining, the waves were calm—it was perfect.Then, out of nowhere, these jerks showed up, laughing and stomping around li
Serena’s POVI've been scrubbing down the last of the shelves in my shop, muscles aching and hands worn. It's taken me nearly half a month to finish the renovation of my shop. I'm exhausted, sure, but with the baby on the way, I'm not pushing myself too hard.I glance around my shop, taking in the
Serena’s POV"Anything yet?" I call out to Stevie, who's waiting outside the door, keeping an eye out for customers approaching our shop.Stevie turns to me, frustration clear in her voice. "Nothing yet," she says, her disappointment palpable. "No one's coming.""Don't worry, Stevie," I reassure her
Serena’s POV"Sorry, I'm late for the opening," Calvin says, his breath slightly hurried from the rush. "Got caught up with lots of work stuff. Are you mad?"I smile at Calvin, shaking my head gently. "Nah, I know you were busy. And this is just sparkling cider," I say, lifting my glass in reassuran
Serena’s POV"Calvin?" I call out, noticing his sudden change in demeanor. He seems to have spaced out, lost in thought. "Are you alright?" I ask.Calvin breaks his trance, blinking a few times as if returning from a distant place. "I’m alright, don’t worry," he says, his voice a touch distant. "I'm
Stevie’s POVDay two of bed rest, and I’m already losing my mind.I’ve tried everything—scrolling through social media, half-watching a documentary about deep-sea creatures, even flipping through one of Calvin’s absurdly expensive coffee table books about architecture. None of it sticks. My brain is
Serena’s POVWalking into Stevie’s hospital room feels like stepping into a warzone after the battle has already ended. She’s lying back against a mountain of pillows, looking pale but steady, her hair messy in a way that she’d normally complain about. Calvin is by her side, of course, holding her h
Calvin’s POVThe hospital room is too quiet, the kind of silence that makes every beep of the monitor feel like a gunshot. Stevie’s asleep, her face pale and fragile in a way that makes my chest ache.I step out into the hallway, the sound of my shoes echoing on the sterile floor. My phone is alread
Stevie’s POVI’m crouched on the floor, camera in hand, trying to get the perfect angle on the way the late afternoon light filters through the glass vase on my coffee table. The shadows spill across the hardwood in a way that makes me itch to capture it.“Almost got it,” I mutter to myself, leaning
Stevie’s POVThe smell of the takeout I ordered fills the apartment, mingling with the faint scent of lavender from the candle I lit earlier to make this whole situation seem less... intense. My stomach is doing somersaults, and it’s not because of the baby.I glance at my reflection in the microwav
Serena’s POVThe sound of laughter and clinking glasses fills the room, mingling with the faint hum of conversation. I lean against the edge of the kitchen counter, sipping sparkling water from a champagne flute and watching as Bill twirls Collin around the living room.“You’re going to wear him out
Calvin’s POVThe Lancaster estate feels colder than usual today, and it’s not because of the weather. The vaulted ceilings and polished marble floors echo with the tension that always seems to fill the air when the family gathers.This isn’t a casual dinner or a holiday reunion. It’s a “concerned di
Stevie‘s POV“Calvin, I can’t just say yes.”The words tumble out before I can stop them, hanging in the air between us. His eyes, which had been so hopeful, cloud over with something I can’t quite place—disappointment, maybe, or worry.We’re sitting in my apartment, the baby gear shoved into the co
Stevie‘s POVThe lens feels foreign in my hands at first, like it’s judging me for neglecting it for so long. I twist the focus ring back and forth, snapping shots of random things in my apartment: the pile of laundry I still haven’t done, the chipped paint on the windowsill, the vase of wilted dais