Serena's POV"Serena, please say something," Bill pleads as he's carrying me.I look up at him, and finally, everything sinks in. I break down crying, unable to hold it back any longer."I'm just so scared, Bill," I sob. "I almost lost our baby.”Bill tightens his grip around me. "You're fine, Seren
Serena's POVThat's weird. I can't remember returning here. I'm lying in the master bedroom, the room Bill and I once shared. It looks exactly as it did the day I left after deciding to get a divorce.The same floral curtains hang by the windows, and the familiar scent of cedar and musk lingers in
Bill’s POVIs it just me or has Serena been avoiding me all morning? I watch her from across the kitchen as she moves around, keeping herself busy with chores that don't need doing. She's being slippery. She leaves rooms right when I walk in and won't meet my eyes.I let her be and focus on answeri
Serena’s POV"Let me walk you to your work," Bill says.I glance at him, a little surprised but touched by the offer. "You don't have to, Bill. I can manage.""I know you can," he replies, grabbing his jacket. "But I want to.”After getting dressed for work, we step outside into the crisp morning ai
Serena’s POVI pause at the shop door, my fingers brushing against the chipped paint. It has been days since we've had customers. I'm afraid I'll walk into the shop and find it empty, except for Stevie.My heart beats fast as I push the door open. To my surprise, there are a couple of people browsi
Serena’s POV"So, what are you suggesting, Taylor?" I ask. "I could post a storytime on my TikTok, but it might just make me look defensive."Since I don't have any evidence that Max sabotaged my debut as a designer, it'll just look like a he-said-she-said situation.Taylor smiles at me, her eyes li
Bill’s POVI enter my office, feeling a rare bounce in my step. Tomorrow, Serena and I are finally going on a date. Just the thought of it makes me smile. It feels like ages since I got to take her somewhere after our divorce. I can't wait to spend some quality time with her.As I walk through the
Bill’s POVI tell Sarah to call Frederick's secretary and arrange an afternoon meeting. There's no time to waste. This could be the most important meeting of my career.The secretary found an available slot in Frederick's schedule today. So, I jumped in my car and headed to his office in Westwood,
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