*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
Serena’s POVI stare blankly out the window, watching the world move on without me. The sky is a dull gray, the kind of color that perfectly matches the emptiness inside me. Life outside is continuing, people are going about their days, but here I am, stuck in this void, unable to feel anything but
Bill's POVDarkness surrounds me, but there’s something else too. Voices. Distant at first, like echoes from the bottom of a well, but they’re there, getting louder, clearer. I can’t move, can’t speak, but I hear them.“His vitals are stable, but we won’t know more until he wakes up.”A woman’s voic
Serena's POVTaylor's mansion is even more impressive in person than I imagined. The towering gates glide open smoothly, revealing a sprawling estate that looks straight out of a movie. The driveway is lined with meticulously trimmed hedges, and the massive front doors are framed by grand pillars.
Bill's POVI’m propped up on the edge of the hospital bed, the nurse’s hand steady on my arm as she helps me to my feet. My legs feel like jelly, and every muscle protests with sharp twinges of pain. I grip the walker like it’s a lifeline, trying to ignore the tremors in my limbs.“Slow and steady,
Serena's POVThe second I step inside, I know this place means business.The air is thick with the scent of metal and polish, almost like walking into a workshop in the middle of a city. Along the walls are these huge photos of incredible jewelry — pieces that look like they're worth millions of dol
Serena's POVThe second Madame Amélie finishes speaking, I’m on my feet, heading straight for my workbench. My mind is already racing with ideas, and I feel that familiar fire in my veins. A phoenix. The image hits me like a lightning bolt. Rising from the ashes, bold and defiant. That’s exactly h
Bill's POVI’m finally out of that damn hospital, but I’m far from feeling like myself. Every step is a reminder that I’m not at a hundred percent yet. My legs are still weak, and the stitches in my side pull with every movement, though the gunshot wound is at least healed. I grit my teeth and pus