Serena’s POVI’m finally getting the hang of this.Training with Bill is going way better than I thought it would. At first, it was awkward — especially after all the tension from the other night — but now, we’ve settled into a rhythm. There’s still that tension, sure, but it’s like we’ve learned to
Serena’s POVI shouldn’t be here.I sit at the small corner table in Trattoria Rossi, my fingers tapping lightly on the stem of my water glass. The restaurant is dimly lit and cozy, but I can’t shake the unease that’s been sitting in my stomach since I walked in. I didn’t bother dressing up for this
Serena’s POVI wasn’t prepared for this.Calvin sits across from me, his eyes shifting nervously as he takes a deep breath. His usual calm, gentle demeanor is nowhere to be found, replaced by something heavier. The tension in the room is thick, and I’m just waiting for the truth to hit me, but I hav
Serena’s POVMy eyes blur with tears as the weight of Calvin’s words sinks in.I can barely process it all — the warehouse, Bill getting shot, the hospital, the fact that I was put under for an emergency C-section and woke up to find out my baby was gone. But deep down, something doesn’t feel right.
Serena’s POVI’m dragged into the backseat of a sleek black car, and before I can even process what’s happening, the door slams shut behind me.I struggle against the hands gripping my arms, the guards seated in front of me holding me down with a roughness that makes my skin crawl. My breath comes i
Serena’s POVI can’t stop shaking, but I keep the gun steady, aiming it between the guard and the man sitting across from me.My heart’s racing, every nerve in my body screaming at me to stay alert, to keep control. But the man — this calm, polished stranger — just looks at me with that unsettling s
Bill’s POVThe contract I’m staring at might as well be written in a foreign language.I’m in my study, supposedly reviewing some final agreements for Pinnacle AI, but my mind keeps wandering. The numbers blur together, and I rub my temples, trying to force myself to focus. But then, my phone rings.
Bill’s POV“Calvin might be telling the truth,” Serena says.I grip the steering wheel tighter, my jaw clenching. It takes everything in me not to snap back. “Maybe,” I mutter, barely able to keep my voice calm. “But I’m going to find out for sure. One way or another.”Serena doesn’t say anything af
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
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