Serena's POVAs the festival kicks off, people start wandering past our booth, some stopping to look more closely, others just browsing. I’ve done this enough to know that patience is key. Still, there’s always that little thrill when someone picks up a piece and studies it.About an hour in, a wom
Serena's POVThe day’s almost over, and we’ve just got a couple more pieces to sell. I glance at Colette. “I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick. You okay holding down the fort?”“Of course. Go ahead,” she says, waving me off.I hurry toward the nearest restroom, but the line is way longer tha
Bill's POVI slam the car door shut, the engine still running as I sit in front of my mother’s house. Selling her shares to Calvin, of all people? It’s all I can think about as I force myself out of the car.The door creaks open before I can even knock. My mom stands there, arms crossed, her expres
Serena's POVThe day finally arrives, and Colette and I can hardly contain our excitement as we head toward the atelier of one of Paris’s top jewelers. The streets of the city seem even more vibrant today. There’s something about this moment that feels surreal… Like we’re about to step into a whole
Bill's POVThe tension in Frederick’s office is palpable the moment I step through the door. His sharp gaze meets mine, as if he already knows this isn’t just a casual visit."Bill," Fred says, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. "What brings you here today?"Without hesitation, I take a se
Bill's POVThe assistant gestures for me to follow, and I step into Taylor Vanderbilt’s mansion. The place is just as I remember — grand, pristine, almost too perfect. High ceilings, polished marble floors, and walls lined with expensive paintings that probably cost more than some people's homes.T
Serena's POV The last day of boot camp feels like the end of something much bigger than a training program. The air is thick with finality, but there’s a quiet buzz of excitement too. I step into the workshop, and for a moment, I just stand there, taking it all in. The familiar scent of metal, th
Serena's POV“Thought I needed to surprise you because it’s the last day of boot camp,” Taylor says, flashing one of her signature smiles.I can't help but smile back as we move toward each other for the typical Parisian greeting — cheek to cheek. It’s a warm gesture, one that feels natural between
Stevie’s POVI’m crouched on the floor, camera in hand, trying to get the perfect angle on the way the late afternoon light filters through the glass vase on my coffee table. The shadows spill across the hardwood in a way that makes me itch to capture it.“Almost got it,” I mutter to myself, leaning
Stevie’s POVThe smell of the takeout I ordered fills the apartment, mingling with the faint scent of lavender from the candle I lit earlier to make this whole situation seem less... intense. My stomach is doing somersaults, and it’s not because of the baby.I glance at my reflection in the microwav
Serena’s POVThe sound of laughter and clinking glasses fills the room, mingling with the faint hum of conversation. I lean against the edge of the kitchen counter, sipping sparkling water from a champagne flute and watching as Bill twirls Collin around the living room.“You’re going to wear him out
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