Bill’s POV“Serena?” I say, watching the way she shifts uncomfortably. I can tell she’s on edge, so I don’t wait for her to introduce us.I turn to her friend, holding out my hand. “I’m Bill.”He looks at my hand for a second before shaking it. “Matt.”“Nice to meet you, Matt.” I keep my voice stead
Serena’s POVEster’s jewelry sketch lies in front. “So,” I ask Stevie, turning the design her way, “what do you think?”Stevie leans in, her fingers tracing the outline of the necklace in the sketch. She raises an eyebrow, shooting me a curious look. “Alright, spill. What’s the inspiration?”“Old Ho
Serena’s POVI pull up to Matt’s place, my stomach twisting as I see an ambulance parked out front and a few neighbors gathered, their voices low and concerned. Inside, the atmosphere is thick, heavy with an uneasy quiet. The doctors are tending to Matt’s mom, who lies in her bed, frail and pale, h
Serena’s POVMy face is soaked but the tears won’t stop. Matt sits across from me. He stares in the distance as if his mind is somewhere far away.“She didn’t want a funeral,” he says. “That was her choice. Just a cremation… keep things simple.” He swallows, still looking away. “She said it was bett
Bill’s POVSleep isn’t happening tonight. Serena is with some guy who looks like he walked out of a boxing ring. Or a GQ ad. Broad shoulders, trim waist. Arms that look like they could crush steel. He’s younger too — by at least five years, maybe ten.I roll over, punch my pillow, and try to settle
Serena’s POVI’ve always thought a gun would feel lighter, but this thing is solid in my hands, heavier than I expected. I glance over at Matt who’s standing close. The shooting range hums with distant pops and cracks, and even though I know we’re safe here, a nervous tingle runs down my spine. “L
Serena’s POV"What’s wrong with you, Matt?"The question shoots out before I can soften it. I’m still tense from the way he was firing, shot after shot slamming into the target with this angry energy that felt more than a little out of place. He’s usually calm, even a little smug. But just now? That
Bill’s POVThe day drags on in endless meetings and presentations, but it’s not work that’s on my mind.I’m pacing myself through the latest client pitch for Pinnacle AI’s predictive analytics suite, listening to the client’s questions with one ear while I mentally check off my list for the day. The
Bill’s POVSterling smirks, his grip steady on the gun, his expression calm. Too calm. His finger rests lightly on the trigger, like he has all the time in the world. He enjoys this. The fear. The tension. The power.“If I can’t win,” he says, slow and deliberate, “then neither do you.”Collin is fr
Calvin’s POVTime is slipping through my fingers.I can feel it. Every second Collin is gone is a second closer to Sterling disappearing for good.I grip the edge of my desk, staring at the screen James pulled up. The last trace of Sterling’s location blinks in red—just outside the city. He’s on the
Serena’s POVCollin’s name is already tearing out of my throat before I realize I’m screaming.I run through the house, heart pounding, breath sharp and uneven. The walls blur past me as I shove open doors, check under tables, search every possible place he could be hiding.Nothing.His toys are sca
Bill’s POVThe world tilts violently when I open my eyes.The air is thick with dust and smoke, curling through the wreckage, filling my lungs with something acrid. My ears are ringing so loud that I can’t hear anything else—no sirens, no voices, nothing but that high-pitched whine drilling into my
Calvin’s POVJames steps into my office, shutting the door behind him with more force than necessary. His face is unreadable, but his movements are sharp, focused. He drops a thick folder onto my desk and leans forward, pressing his hands against the surface.“We got him.”I sit up straighter, my fi
Stevie’s POVElijah is babbling to himself in the living room, gripping one of his stuffed animals by the ear and smacking it against the floor like it personally offended him. His little feet kick excitedly as he sits on his play mat, lost in his own world.I smile, stirring the pasta on the stove
Bill’s POVSterling’s estate looms in the distance, a glass-and-steel fortress perched high in the hills, isolated from the rest of the world. The long driveway leading up to it is lined with evenly spaced trees, so perfectly maintained they don’t look real. There’s something eerie about the silence
Bill’s POVThe club is dark, expensive, and filled with the kind of people who think power is the only currency that matters.I step inside, letting my eyes adjust to the dim lighting. Everything here is designed to make people feel important—the low hum of conversation, the perfectly aged whiskey,
Serena’s POVI stare at the numbers on my screen, scanning the latest financial reports for Étoile de Collin while trying to ignore the exhaustion creeping in. My eyes blur slightly, but I shake it off and keep going. Every detail needs to be right. Every move has to be airtight. We’re too close now