Victor’s POV“Daddy, look!” Jasmine exclaimed, holding up a rough sketch of her project. “The scent adventure machine is going to have buttons for each smell! Like this one is for the beach, and this one’s for the forest.”I crouched beside her, nodding appreciatively. “That’s brilliant, Jasmine. Yo
Aria’s POVDinner had been nothing short of exquisite, with every dish crafted to perfection by Victor’s chef. “This is the best food I’ve ever eaten in my entire life!” Jasmine exclaimed. “Thanks, Daddy. For this, and for helping with the science project.”Then she turned to hug me. “You’re the be
Aria’s POV“Maybe I should sleep here with you, Jasmine,” I suggested lightly, glancing at her as she emerged from the bathroom, twirling in her new pajamas.Jasmine froze mid-twirl, her jaw dropping in exaggerated disbelief. “Mom,” she said, placing her hands on her hips, “you and Dad have to share
Victor’s POVI sat at my desk, staring blankly at the open folder in front of me. Numbers, charts, and projections blurred together, failing to hold my attention for more than a second. My mind was elsewhere—with her.Leaning back in my chair, I ran a hand through my hair and laughed softly at mysel
Aria’s POVAs I was nearing the school playground, I could hear my daughter’s bright laughter rise above the children’s chatter, drawing my eyes to her instantly. She was crouched by the jungle gym, engrossed in an animated conversation with someone towering beside her.At first, I felt a twinge of
Victor’s POVThe day Aria and Jasmine officially moved in felt surreal. The house, once filled with silence, now echoed with laughter and the sound of boxes being shuffled from room to room. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched Jasmine dart between her room and the living room, carrying stuffed anim
Victor’s POVI glanced at the clock on my desk for the third time in the past five minutes. Aria was supposed to be here by now. She’d mentioned dropping by after her meeting, and I couldn’t help but look forward to seeing her. The sound of a knock broke through my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, ha
Aria’s POVThe moment I stepped out of the elevator and saw Victor, I couldn’t help the smile that lit up my face. He was standing there, his usual commanding presence somehow softened just by the sight of him. Without thinking, I stepped forward and wrapped him in a quick hug.“Hey,” I greeted chee
Wendy’s POVIt wasn’t supposed to go this far.I crouched behind the low wall outside the edge of the old warehouse, heart hammering as the rain came down in cold, relentless sheets. The building was dimly lit, tucked away in a forgotten pocket of the city, but I knew what was happening inside. I’d
Samuel’s POV"Wait for me, I'll bring it to you now," I told Aria over the phone, my fingers brushing against the envelope sitting quietly on my desk. Her voice was tight. "Thank you, Samuel. Please be careful.""You too."I ended the call just as footsteps approached my study. I turned, surprised
Aria’s POVI was halfway down the corridor when my phone buzzed again.It was Jessica: Packaging floor. Terminal 4. Now.My heels clicked against the tiles as I turned sharply and practically jogged to the elevator. My chest was tight, my pulse a steady hammer in my ears.I tried calling Wendy again
Aria’s POVI locked my office door, pretending to take a call as I slid the flash drive into the secure offline laptop Jessica and I used only for emergencies. The light blinked once, then twice, and the folder opened.I held my breath as the contents loaded.Documents. Dozens of them.At first glan
Samuel’s POVI wasn’t exactly sure what brought me to the Velvet Vibe office that morning.Maybe I wanted to check in on the tech team after the breach. Maybe I wanted to make sure Aria was okay, after everything. Or maybe—and this was harder to admit—maybe I just wanted to see her.I walked in, and
Aria’s POVMy phone buzzed on the table, vibrating next to my untouched coffee.Victor.I answered quickly. “Hey, everything okay?”“I’m really sorry, love,” he said. “I won’t be able to drop by the office. Emergency meeting with the board. One of the European partners is threatening to pull out unl
Aria’s POVThe smell of buttery pancakes and fresh strawberries filled the air as I poured a generous drizzle of maple syrup onto Jasmine’s plate. She beamed up at me, still in her pajamas, her feet swinging under the breakfast table.Victor was making coffee, humming to himself, hair slightly tousl
Aria’s POV"Okay, so we've locked the backend to only three admin logins," Jessica muttered, her eyes glued to the screen. She had dark circles under her eyes and her fourth coffee of the day in hand. "I had the IT team purge the cloned QR redirect code from our database. But if the data's been stol
Aria’s POVThe laughter in the room was easy, flowing like music that hadn’t been played in far too long. It was the kind of afternoon I had only dreamed of during those long, uncertain nights. One filled with light, warmth, and peace.But what caught my eye most wasn’t the cake or the wine or even