Serena’s POVThe office feels quieter than usual. Maybe it’s the late hour or the fact that most people have already gone home. But as I glance across the room at Stevie, hunched over her laptop, I know something’s off.She’s always had a way of pushing through, of pretending everything’s fine when
Serena’s POV“Stevie, stay with me,” I mutter, my voice shaking as I keep one arm wrapped around her shoulders. Her weight sags against me, and I feel the panic rising in my chest.“I’m fine,” she whispers weakly, but her pale face and unfocused eyes say otherwise.“You’re not fine,” I snap, flaggin
Calvin’s POVHospitals always feel the same—like time slows down, stretching every second into an eternity. I’m standing outside Stevie’s room, staring at the door, willing myself to move. My hand hovers near the handle, but I can’t bring myself to push it open.I can hear her voice faintly through
Stevie’s POVThis has to be the fanciest kidnapping in the history of bad ideas.I’m standing in the foyer of Calvin’s penthouse, staring at the polished marble floors, the towering windows, and a chandelier that looks like it could fund a small country. Everything about this place screams luxury—to
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
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
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 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
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