Serena’s POVThis is bad. Really bad.I sit in the corner of a quiet cafe, my hands wrapped around a warm cup of coffee, but it doesn’t bring me any comfort. Across from me, Bill is fuming, his jaw clenched so tight I’m surprised he hasn’t cracked a tooth. James, calm as ever, is sitting next to him
Serena’s POVDamn, I need to focus.We’re in the middle of another sparring session, Bill and I, and every time he moves, my mind betrays me, focusing more on the way his muscles ripple than on his punches. The tension between us has been building for weeks, and now, it feels like it’s about to boil
Serena’s POVI can’t think. I can barely breathe.Bill’s lips crash against mine again, hungrier this time, more demanding. His body is pressed so tightly against mine that I feel like I’m melting into him. Every part of me is on fire, burning with a need I’ve been pushing down for so long, but now
Serena’s POVI’m lying on the mat, staring at the ceiling. For a moment, I’m out of breath. My pulse is still racing, and every nerve feels like it’s been reset. I barely even feel the coolness of the mat beneath me. Bill lies next to me. Neither of us says anything and I feel the warmth of his arm
Serena’s POVBill’s mansion feels different tonight like the walls are holding secrets. I can sense it even as I sit on the edge of the leather couch, scrolling through the same cryptic message over and over.He’s closer than you think. Just five words, but they keep me up half the night.Bill paces
Bill’s POVThe morning is too quiet, the kind of stillness that doesn’t sit right. I’m up early, wandering through the mansion as James dives into his work on the laptop. The tension in his eyes is unmistakable, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he scrolls through Kevin’s financial records. I
Serena’s POVMatt’s message pings on my phone, and something about it stops me in my tracks. There’s an urgency in his words, like he needs me to meet him right now, no questions asked. I don’t know what he wants to say, but the way he wrote it — short, almost desperate — it leaves no room for me to
Serena’s POVI take a deep breath, trying to keep myself steady, but before I can ask him anything more, Matt speaks.“Serena, I love you.” His voice is soft, but the weight behind those words is intense. He’s looking right at me like he’s been waiting a lifetime to say this. “I didn’t tell you befo
Stevie’s POVThe camera feels good in my hands. Familiar. Steady. It gives me something to focus on other than the weight of a hundred judgmental stares and the deafening hum of old money conversations swirling around me.Through the viewfinder, the Lancaster gala is dazzling. Gilded chandeliers spa
Stevie’s POVThe envelope looks expensive. Heavy cream-colored paper, embossed gold lettering, and Calvin’s name written in the kind of script that probably costs more than my monthly grocery bill. He’s staring at it like it’s a summons to court.“What is that?” I ask, leaning against the kitchen co
Calvin’s POVThe morning starts like most others these days. I wake up early, review emails over a cup of coffee, and make a mental list of everything I need to get done before the day spirals out of control. Except, today, there’s a weight sitting on my chest that has nothing to do with quarterly r
Stevie’s POVThe soft hum of the penthouse’s ventilation system is too damn loud today. Or maybe it’s my own restlessness that’s making me hyper-aware of everything—the sound of my foot tapping against the floor, the faint ticking of a ridiculously expensive clock that Calvin insists is “decorative.
Stevie’s POVIt’s too quiet in the penthouse. The kind of quiet that makes you feel small, even in a place this massive. Calvin left early for a meeting, saying he’d be back by lunch, but it’s already 2 p.m., and I haven’t heard a word from him.Not that I care.Okay, maybe I care a little.I pace a
Calvin’s POVStevie is restless again. I can see it in the way she keeps adjusting the blanket on her lap and tapping her fingers against the arm of the couch. She’s trying to hide it, but I know better.“You’re bored,” I say, watching her from across the living room.“No, I’m not,” she replies, her
Serena’s POVThe elevator ride up to Calvin’s penthouse feels endless, even though I’m pretty sure it’s moving faster than I can think. The last few days have been a blur of texts and phone calls with Stevie, each one giving me a little more reassurance that she’s okay, but not quite enough to calm
Calvin’s POVStevie’s been here for three days, and I’m starting to think she’s allergic to letting people take care of her.She spends most of her time holed up in the guest suite, emerging only when absolutely necessary, like meals. Even then, she always looks like she’s bracing herself for an amb
Stevie’s POVThe ride to the clinic is quiet. Calvin’s hands are steady on the wheel, his focus fixed on the road. I know he’s trying to make this feel normal, like he’s not driving me to an appointment that confirms the biggest change in my life. It doesn’t work.“You didn’t have to drive me,” I sa