Serena’s POVToday, the shop is quieter than usual. There are fewer customers, and the usual morning buzz is gone. Only a couple of regulars are browsing. But they look unusually gloomy.The air feels heavy, with just the hum of the air conditioning and the occasional clink of jewelry. I force a smi
Bill’s POVI walk around my home office, watching the shadows flickering from the lamp. The earpiece warms my ear as I wait for James to speak."James, you there?" I ask. Static crackles on the other end."Yes, Bill. We're all set," James replies. We've been planning this for days, going over every
Bill’s POVMy eyes are fixed on the laptop screen, watching the live feed from James's body cam. I smirk, knowing Max has nowhere to run. It’s like watching the final move of a chess game, a perfect checkmate.Max shifts in his chair. His body leans away from the paper with the mafia logo."I-I don'
Serena’s POVEver since Eden's 'review' of my jewelry went viral, the shop has been like a ghost town for a couple of days.Sunlight filters through the front windows, casting shadows on the wooden floor. The display cases, once crowded with customers, now stand empty. Necklaces, bracelets, and ring
Serena’s POV"Let me get this straight," Calvin says, furrowing his eyebrows. "This TikTok creator posted a bad review on your jewelry and that's why people stop coming to your shop?"I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat. "Not just a bad review. He called my jewelry trash."Calvin frowns sympathe
Serena’s POVStevie is out of breath when she reaches the shop. Her usually neat hair is tousled, and there’s a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. She bursts through the door, causing the bell to jingle frantically. Her eyes are wide with urgency as she clutches her phone tightly in one hand."I
Serena’s POVStevie and I close up the shop in the mall, pulling down the security gate. At five months pregnant, I move more slowly, often resting a hand on my growing belly.Stevie insists on walking me home. We step into the cool evening air and make our way to my apartment.As we reach my buildi
Serena's POVI pace around the living room, trying to calm my nerves as I wait for Bill to arrive. When the doorbell finally rings, I take a deep breath and open the door to find Bill standing there with a bag of groceries, including a ready-made dinner from a gourmet deli. I can see containers of
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