Bill's POVCalvin’s arm is like a vise around my throat, cutting off my air. I claw at his forearm, trying to break free, but his grip is strong, fueled by months of pent-up resentment. My vision starts to blur at the edges, dark spots swimming before my eyes as I struggle to breathe.I twist, throw
Bill's POVThe cab screeches to a stop at the curb, and I throw myself into the backseat, barely able to get the door closed before I bark at the driver, “Get me to this address. Now.”The driver glances at the address on my phone, his eyes narrowing. “You sure about that? That part of the city’s da
Bill's POVThe warehouse looms in front of me, a hulking, dilapidated structure that’s seen better days. It’s exactly as I remember it — cold and empty.My heart pounds as I sprint toward the heavy, rusted door. Without hesitation, I bang on it with both fists, the sound echoing through the still ni
Bill's POVKevin steps closer, and I can see the rage simmering just beneath the surface. His fists are clenched at his sides, and his eyes are locked on me, burning with a hatred that I can’t fully understand. Doris watches us with a twisted smile, leaning against the wall like this is some kind o
Bill's POVThe tension in the room is suffocating, every breath feels like it could be the last. Doris has Serena’s life hanging by a thread, and one wrong move from any of us could send everything spiraling into chaos. My mind races, searching for any possible way to disarm Doris and save Serena. E
Bill's POVI lie on the cold, hard ground, every breath sending sharp waves of pain through my abdomen. The blood is sticky between my fingers, and each heartbeat feels like it’s tearing me apart from the inside. I try to stand, but the effort is too much. My legs give out beneath me, and I collapse
Serena's POVThe bright overhead lights blur into a haze as I’m wheeled through the hospital corridors, my body jostling on the gurney. Voices murmur around me, but they feel distant. I’m struggling to make sense of what’s happening. My mind is foggy, and everything feels disconnected like I’m stuck
*Trigger alertSerena's POVThe beeping of machines and the sterile scent of antiseptic fill the room, but all I can focus on is the crushing weight in my chest. My eyes flutter open, and for a moment, I’m not sure where I am. The bright lights above me sting, and everything feels too sharp, too rea
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
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