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
Serena’s POVThe kitchen table is a disaster zone. Wedding magazines are piled high, ready to topple over at the slightest nudge. Fabric swatches are scattered everywhere like pastel confetti, and sticky notes are plastered all over, each one screaming something I still need to deal with. My laptop
Bill’s POVThe elevator ride to our suite feels longer than usual, but I’m not complaining. Serena leans into me, her fingers tracing lazy patterns along the back of my hand. Her engagement ring catches the soft glow of the elevator lights, and I can’t help but smile. I don’t know how I got lucky en
Serena’s POVBy the time we return to the hotel, Collin is completely worn out. I tuck him into his crib, brushing his hair back as he mumbles sleepily. His tiny chest rises and falls, his face relaxed in a way that only toddlers can manage.When I step out of the room, Bill is waiting for me, a mis
Serena’s POVThe morning is cool, and the light spilling through the trees casts a golden hue on everything. We’re sitting at this small café by the canal, the kind of place that’s almost too picturesque to believe — flower pots on the tables, cobblestones underfoot, and the faint sound of water lap
Serena’s POVMariah Johnson sits across from me, her eyes wide with admiration as she flips through her notes. The studio for Luxe Perspectives is bright and modern, the kind of place where creativity feels like it’s floating in the air. The interview has gone on for over an hour, but Mariah’s energ
Bill’s POVThe room is silent as the jury files in, their expressions solemn. I sit straight, keeping my focus on them, my heart pounding despite the steady mask I’ve worn all day. Beside me, Serena sits just as tense, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. I glance at her briefly, giving her a small
Bill’s POVThe second day of the trial feels heavier than the first. I sit at the stand, every eye in the courtroom on me. Kevin sits across the room, leaning back in his chair, his face as blank as ever. But I’ve known him long enough to spot the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers tap rh
Serena’s POVEvan Carter steps up to the stand, his posture rigid but his face set with a kind of quiet determination. He’s nervous — I can see it in the way his hands grip the edges of the chair, his knuckles white — but he doesn’t hesitate when the prosecutor starts her questioning.“Mr. Carter,”
Serena’s POVThe courtroom feels like it’s holding its breath. Kevin sits across the room, calm and collected, as if he isn’t facing the weight of his crimes being read aloud. Arson. Money laundering. Drug trafficking. Arms dealing. Conspiracy. Each charge is like a hammer falling, but Kevin doesn’t