Maya's POVThe silk blouse draped over my ironing board like water. Steam rose in delicate curls as I pressed each seam, remembering the way Janet had smiled during the interview. Tomorrow. My first real day of work in years."You'll wear out the fabric if you keep at it."I jumped at Grandfather's voice. He stood in the doorway of my room, watching me with fond exasperation."I want to look perfect," I admitted, smoothing the fabric one last time."Ah yes, your new job." He settled into the armchair by the window. "Though you didn't mention it was Alex's company at breakfast."Heat crept up my neck. "I didn't want you to think...""That he gave you special treatment?" Grandfather's eyes twinkled. "Maya, my dear, I've known you since you were born. You've never taken the easy path.""Daniel..." I hesitated, the iron hovering over silk. "He didn't want me to work.""And now?"The divorce papers flashed through my mind. I couldn't tell him. Not yet. "Now I'm free to try."Grandfather was
Maya's POVI'd been staring at my phone since dawn, refreshing the page where the article had been. Now it was gone, like it never existed. If only rumors disappeared that easily.My blouse hung perfectly pressed on the doorframe, exactly as I'd left it last night. Simple, elegant, armor for my first day. In the mirror, I looked different somehow. Maybe it was the way I held myself now, or maybe just the light."Early start?"Martha stood in the doorway with coffee. She'd been the mansion's housekeeper longer than I'd been alive, and nothing got past her."First day," I said, taking the cup. The warmth helped steady my hands.She clicked her tongue, reaching over to fix my collar. "Don't let them see you flinch."I smiled, as her simple words helped reinforce my confidence.The drive to Thorne Designs was too short and too long. I rehearsed my face in the rearview mirror - professional, calm, unbothered. The article might be gone, but people's memories weren't.The lobby looked the sa
Maya's POVThe usual morning bustle of the lobby froze the moment I stepped out of the elevator. My mother stood in the center like a gathering storm, designer handbag clutched like a weapon. Ten years hadn't changed her much - same perfectly coiffed hair, same expensive clothes that probably cost more than most people's monthly rent."So this is where you've been hiding," she announced, voice pitched to carry. "Playing career woman while your poor husband sits at home alone."My stomach turned at the sight of phones being raised, at the eager faces of my coworkers pretending not to stare. First day on the job, and already my past was here to haunt me."We should talk somewhere else." My voice came out quieter than intended, but steady."Don't you dare walk away from me." Her voice rose sharply. "I'm not done-""Either we talk privately," I cut in, heat rising in my cheeks, "or security escorts you out. Your choice."She laughed, that brittle sound I remembered from childhood. "You th
Alex's POVI watched Maya's reflection in the office window until it disappeared around the corner. The professional mask I'd worn slipped, just slightly, as I pressed my forehead against the cool glass. Below, the city sprawled like a glittering promise - the same view I'd fought so hard to earn.My fingers found the small scar at my temple, usually hidden by my hair. A souvenir from my stepmother's diamond ring, from a time when I'd dared to speak at dinner without permission. Strange, how certain memories stayed fresh no matter how many years passed.The pendant Maya wore today had caught the light during the lobby confrontation. Those beads - so similar to the ones I'd been turning over in my mind since our first meeting. The same intricate patterns, the same way of catching light...The memory rose unbidden, as it often did in quiet moments.I'd been twelve, though I looked younger - all knees and elbows and hunger that went deeper than missed meals. The mountain resort had been m
Maya's POVI couldn't help but laugh at the memory of Daniel stumbling through Grandfather's mansion last night, all scotch-soaked bravado and empty threats. It was the kind of laugh that caught in your throat - not quite bitter, not quite amused. Just real.The morning commute was oddly peaceful. Traffic flowed smoothly for once, giving me too much time to think about everything and nothing. About how his threats didn't land the same way anymore. About the competition piece I'd submitted last week - "Eden" - and how the name had just felt right.At my desk, I lost myself in current projects. The design for Emma's spring collection needed tweaking, and there was something not quite right about the stone setting in the latest prototype. Normal problems. Safe problems."Ms. Russo?"I jumped, nearly knocking over my coffee. Alex's assistant stood there, apologetic."Sorry to startle you. Mr. Thorne would like a word."My stomach did an odd little flip. Probably about the prototype revisio
Maya's POV"DESIGNER EXPOSES SISTER'S BETRAYAL: The Truth Behind 'Eden'"The words blurred as I stared at James' phone screen. Behind Fiona's perfectly orchestrated tears, I could see my sketches - the raw, unfinished versions of what would become "Eden." Drafts I'd left scattered across my bed that day, right before everything went dark."You okay?" James' voice seemed to come from far away. "You look like you've seen a ghost.""I need to make a call." My voice sounded steadier than I felt. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"I barely registered his concerned nod as I stepped into what could have been my new kitchen. My fingers shook slightly as I dialed Olivia."Please tell me you're seeing this." The words tumbled out before she could speak."I am. Maya, listen - Fiona's name isn't anywhere in the competition records. I've checked three times. She never even submitted an entry."Something cold settled in my stomach. "She doesn't want to win. She wants to make sure I lose.""Maya-"
Maya's POVIt's funny how spaces can change overnight. The same office that had buzzed with competition excitement yesterday now felt like a minefield of whispers. Every conversation died as I passed, replaced by the heavy silence of people trying too hard to look busy."...can't believe they're sisters...""...guess that explains the interview...""...heard she and the CEO..."The fragments followed me down the corridor. I kept my steps measured, my spine straight. The morning light caught on my design tablet, and I held it like a shield as I made my way to my desk."Did you see the livestream?" Sarah from marketing didn't even try to lower her voice. "The poor sister, crying like that. Makes you wonder what really happened.""Well, you know how she got this job." Claire's response carried just far enough. "The CEO personally-""Stop." I hadn't meant to speak, but suddenly the words were there, cutting through the whispers. Heads turned - some guilty, some curious, some already deci
Daniel’s POVThe scotch trembled against my fingertips as I rewatched the press conference footage. My empty chair in the background spoke volumes - a visible gap in the carefully crafted image we'd built. Amateur mistake, leaving Fiona to flounder alone."What were you thinking?" I kept my voice measured, the same tone I used in board meetings when someone had spectacularly failed. "Did you even consider the implications before staging this little performance?"Fiona perched on my office sofa, her designer dress wrinkled from hours of damage control meetings. "Danny, I was just trying to-""To what?" Ice clinked as I set the glass down. "If it had been any other designer, we could have handled this. Money talks. NDAs exist for a reason." I studied her tear-streaked face, seeing it clearly for the first time. "But Maya? You chose to publicly attack the one person whose silence we actually needed?""I thought-""No." I kept my voice soft, final. "You didn't think. You acted on emotion,
I spent the afternoon gathering supplies, then worked through the night preparing pieces for the fair. I created six more complete jewelry sets, each built around those distinctive spiral beads. By dawn, I had enough inventory to fill a small display, if not a full booth.I arrived at the square precisely at eight, carrying a folding table I'd found in the cabin's shed and a wooden tray that displayed my pieces against dark velvet. A few other vendors were already setting up, arranging pottery or paintings or handwoven textiles. Eleanor pointed me to a corner spot beneath a massive oak tree, the dappled shade perfect for displaying jewelry without harsh glare."You have your own table. Good." Her tone was clipped, but not unfriendly. "Need anything else?""I'm all set, thanks."She nodded and moved on, but I noticed her watching me from time to time as I arranged my pieces. Something about her attention felt oddly specific, though I couldn't place why.I wondered if she recognized me.
Two weeks passed in a blur. I'd fallen into a routine that felt both new and achingly familiar. Wake with the sun. Coffee on the porch. Hike the overgrown trails that surrounded the cabin until my legs ached. Sketch whatever caught my eye—a particular twist of tree branch, the pattern of lichen on stone, the way light filtered through pine needles. Then work with glass until my fingers were raw and my back screamed from hunching over the flame.I'd cleaned out the workshop properly now, scrubbing years of dust and grime from every surface. I'd cataloged all the supplies, surprised by how much Mami Lulu had left behind. Hundreds of glass rods in every imaginable color. Tools in pristine condition, despite the years of neglect. A small kiln that, miraculously, still worked when I plugged it into the generator I'd bought during my first supply run to town.The cabin itself had transformed too. I'd scrubbed every surface, repaired what I could with my limited skills, and arranged my meage
I spent the next several hours continuing the cleaning I'd started yesterday—more sweeping, more scrubbing, removing sheets from the bedroom furniture I hadn't gotten to yet. After more fiddling with the water system, I finally located the main valve outside and, after several attempts, managed to get the old pipes to deliver rust-colored water that eventually ran clear. The electricity was another matter—apparently disconnected long ago—but I'd come prepared with battery-powered lanterns and the camping stove I'd used last night.By mid-afternoon, I was filthy, sweaty, and oddly satisfied. The bedroom was now reasonably clean to match the progress I'd made in the main room yesterday, the bathroom was functional if primitive, and I'd aired out more of the musty odor. My arms ached from scrubbing and carrying water, but the physical exhaustion felt good—clarifying, somehow.I dragged an old wooden chair onto the front porch and collapsed into it, watching as the sun began its descent t
MayaI woke with a start, disoriented by the unfamiliar shadows cast across rough-hewn beams. For a moment, panic seized me—where the hell was I? Then the scent registered: pine, wood smoke, and something else—something that tugged at memories buried so deep they felt more like dreams than lived experience.The cabin. My cabin.Sunlight filtered through the windows I'd wiped down yesterday, catching dust particles that still danced in the early morning light despite my cleaning efforts. The fire I'd built last night had died to embers, leaving a slight chill in the air. Now, in the revealing daylight, I saw my childhood home properly, the areas I hadn't managed to clean yet standing in stark contrast to the parts I'd already restored.It was smaller than I remembered. Childhood memories have a way of making everything seem larger, more expansive. But the essentials were exactly as they'd lived in my mind: the stone fireplace dominating one wall, the rough wooden table beneath the east
AlexI made it to my car before my composure cracked. Sitting behind the wheel, I slammed my palm against it hard enough to hurt, cursing under my breath. I'd handled that all wrong. Again.The look on Maya's face when I admitted hiring a PI—pure betrayal. Rage. Fear. All justified.I started the engine but didn't move, just sat there staring up at the lights of her apartment building. She'd tried to slap me. Again. I couldn't blame her."Not investigating you anymore." Christ. As if stopping was some kind of favor I'd done her. No wonder she'd exploded.The envelope of evidence sat on the passenger seat where I'd placed a second copy before heading up to her apartment. I'd known she might destroy the first one. Might not believe me. Might throw me out.I'd been right about all of it, and still managed to fuck up the execution completely.The dashboard clock read 8:47 PM. Not even nine, but I felt as if I'd aged a decade in the last forty minutes. I pulled away from the curb, forcing
I slept poorly that night, dreams shifting between the peaceful cabin workshop and nightmarish scenarios where faceless figures stood watching through windows, calculating, waiting.By dawn, I'd made my decision. I would go to the mountains, to the cabin where I'd been truly happy. I would seek answers on my own terms, without Alex's theories coloring my perceptions or Daniel's threats hanging over me.I finished packing quickly, loaded my car, and left a message for Grandfather explaining my need for a brief leave of absence. He'd understand—might even approve of the strategic retreat while Daniel's legal situation developed.As I drove toward the mountains the next morning, I kept checking my rearview mirror, unsure if I was afraid of being followed or being alone with these new thoughts.
That night in my apartment, unable to sleep again, I opened my laptop and did something I'd been avoiding—I searched for our old address in the mountains. The cabin wasn't technically ours; Mami Lulu had rented it for years from an elderly couple who'd never bothered to raise the price or ask questions about the woman raising a child in the remote location.To my shock, the property appeared in current real estate listings. FOR SALE: Rustic 2BR Mountain Cabin with Workshop. The photos showed a structure slightly more weathered than in my memories but essentially unchanged—the wooden porch, the stone chimney, the clearing surrounded by tall pines.The coincidence felt significant, almost supernatural. I'd been dreaming of the cabin for weeks, and now it was available, as if waiting for me to return.Witho
The glass rod glowed orange-red under the flame, softening until it drooped like honey. I twisted it carefully around the metal mandrel, just as Mami Lulu had taught me."Steady hands," her voice came from behind me. "Let the glass tell you what it wants to be."The small workshop smelled of propane and hot glass, with undertones of the pine forest surrounding our cabin. Sunlight streamed through the windows, catching dust motes and turning them golden. The rough-hewn wooden walls felt solid and permanent around me."There," I said, holding up the mandrel to show her the perfect round bead I'd formed. Blue glass with swirls of green, like the deep pools in the creek behind our cabin.Mami Lulu smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Beautiful, mija. Now let it cool slowly."I placed the mandrel in the cooling rack, satisfaction warming my chest. Through the open window, I could hear the creek bubbling over rocks, the rustling of pine needles in the breeze, the distant call of a ha
I spent the rest of Sunday at Mami Lulu's bedside, reading to her unresponsive form from design magazines, describing the gala and its aftermath. The nurses said talking to unresponsive patients could help, that they might hear even if they couldn't respond. I chose to believe it, needing some connection to the woman who had truly raised me.Evening found me back at my apartment, reviewing the briefing materials Grandfather's assistant had sent over. Board member profiles, financial summaries, pending contracts—hundreds of pages of information I needed to absorb before Thursday.My phone buzzed with a text from Troy: Dinner? I have gossip about the industry fallout.I agreed, grateful for the break and the company. Troy arrived with Thai food and a bottle of wine, settling cross-legged on my couch as he unpacked containers."It's deliciously messy out there," he reported gleefully. "The industry is completely split. Old-guard designers are clutching their pearls over your 'violent out