Serena’s POV"Sorry, Serena, I thought you were still upstairs," he stammers. I clear my throat. My back still turned to him and my eyes focused on the door as I try to regain my composure. "It's okay, Bill. I just... wasn't expecting that," I manage to say, my voice slightly shaky.There's an awkw
Serena’s POVI blink more than I intend to, trying to stay calm as I keep eating. The meal, which should have been enjoyable, now feels like a chore. I look at Bill’s direction and say. "I honestly don't know where to begin. Why don't you start by telling me what you remember?"Bill pauses, his fork
Serena’s POV"Thanks for asking, Bill, but I think I'll handle this one on my own. It's just something I'm used to doing alone," I say as I let him down easily. "Don’t you have work today? I don’t want to mess up your schedule."I can see he’s not ready to drop it just yet. "Really, Serena, I don’t
Bill’s POVDr. Sanchez leads us into the sonogram room where the gentle hum of the ultrasound machine fills the air with a subtle buzz of anticipation. It's dimly lit, making the screen in front of us the brightest thing in the room. Serena carefully lies down on the examination table, looking a bit
Serena’s POVOverjoyed by the ultrasound news of our baby boy, I suggest to Bill, "Let's go grab some coffee and maybe look at some books?" Bill smiles, the kind that shows he's just as eager to stretch out this day a little longer.We head to the nearby bookstore with a cafe at the front. As we wal
Serena’s POVCalvin saw us laughing. I know he did. Now, we're all standing in front of my apartment door, and it's like a standoff. Calvin and Bill are staring each other down, neither of them willing to look away first."Hi, Calvin, it's so nice to..." I start, but then I glance at Bill. He's sto
Serena's POVBill grabs Calvin by the collar, yanking him forward. Calvin's eyes widen in shock, and he stumbles slightly, trying to regain his balance. For a moment, he looks genuinely surprised, but then his expression hardens. He clenches his fists at his sides, but he doesn't make a move to fig
Bill's POVI sit in the backseat of my car, staring blankly out the window. How could one of the happiest days of my life turn into an absolute nightmare by the end?Everything was going well. The baby’s check-up, the plans we were making — I thought Serena and I were finally on the same page. But
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
Serena‘s POVI can’t focus. Not on the new campaign proposals sitting in front of me, not on the email from our partners in Paris, and definitely not on the cup of tea I made an hour ago that’s gone cold on my desk.All I can think about is Stevie.Her face, flushed with anger, tears glistening in h
Calvin‘s POVThe buzz of my phone pulls me out of my focus, its vibration rattling against the glass surface of my desk. It’s another alert, no doubt tied to the leak at Etoile de Collin. The headlines have been relentless: “Scandal Rocks Global Launch,” “Is Etoile de Collin Losing Its Shine?”I don
Stevie‘s POVThe click of my camera is the only sound in my apartment. The blinds are half-drawn, letting in just enough light to paint soft streaks across the floor. I’ve spent the last hour taking photos of mundane things — a chipped coffee mug, the shadow of my old ficus, the crumpled blanket I t
Calvin’s POVThe call comes in just as I’m reviewing a financial report in my office. It’s Serena, and I can tell immediately from her clipped tone that something’s off.“Calvin, we have a situation,” she says, not bothering with pleasantries.I lean back in my chair, setting the report aside. “What
Serena’s POVI tap my pen against the edge of the conference table, staring at the open file in front of me. My head’s buzzing, not from caffeine—I haven’t had nearly enough of that today—but from the words staring back at me in black and white.“Are you sure about this?” I ask Grace, my PR director
Calvin’s POVI’ve been staring at her address on my phone for ten minutes, trying to work up the courage to get out of the car. It’s ridiculous. I’ve faced down corporate takeovers and boardroom ambushes without flinching, but this? This feels harder.Stevie’s apartment building looms in front of me
Bill’s POVThe sound of waves crashing against the shore is a far cry from the usual buzz of our daily lives. No conference calls, no meetings, no tantrums over spilled cereal. Just the ocean, the wind, and Collin’s laughter as he runs across the sand, a kite string gripped tightly in his little han
Calvin’s POVThe waiting room at Stevie’s doctor’s office isn’t anything like I expected. It’s bright and cheerful, with pastel walls and outdated parenting magazines scattered across the coffee tables. A little kid toddles past me, clutching a stuffed giraffe, while his mom trails behind him with a