SADIEI managed to keep my anxiety in check for Megan’s sake, but my stomach was gurgling and my mind was racing with all sorts of terrible ideas of why her dad had suddenly reappeared. I wanted to talk to Mr. Grave so badly, but he didn’t come home in time for dinner. In fact, it wasn’t until much later in the evening, after I had put Megan to bed, that I heard the front door open, indicating his return.I’d been waiting impatiently in the living room, trying to watch TV to distract me. The moment I heard him come into the house, I jumped to my feet and hurried out to the foyer to greet him.“Mr. Grave,” I said the moment I saw him. “I need to talk to you.”He looked momentarily surprised to see me and then let out a huff of breath, as though annoyed.“It’s been a long day, Miss Bruns,” he grumbled. “I’m sure whatever complaints you have for me can wait until morning.”I ignored his small insult and came to a stop in front of him.“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” I insisted. “Someth
CYRUS My fury threatened to overwhelm me. The urge to go out and hunt Ralph down myself was so strong, I’d locked myself in my office to keep myself from getting into trouble. I had to remind myself what was at risk if I tried to handle him personally. My custody of Megan wasn’t permanent yet, and if I did anything to put myself at odds with the law, she’d most likely be taken from me.Still, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to smash my fist in Ralph’s face over and over again. It was an immensely satisfying fantasy, and one I’d had ever since I’d discovered all that he had been doing to Kate.I had to immediately shut down that train of thought. I was angry enough as it was. I didn’t need to remember all the abuse he’d put my sister through. Very likely, I wouldn’t be able to hold myself back from hunting him down if I let those memories run free.I sat at my desk, drumming my fingers impatiently on the surface as I waited for my head of security to arrive. I didn’t
CYRUS “I want you to put a tail on Miss Bruns, our nanny,” I answered. “I want to make sure she’s safe and guarded as well.”Caleb appeared surprised by that. Tilting his head, he studied me for several long moments. There was a gleam in his eye that I didn’t like.“What?” I growled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”“This new nanny…is she cute?”I glared at him. “Not funny.”“Not trying to be funny.” He smirked, his eyes dancing with mirth at my obvious annoyance. “Just curious. You seem rather protective of her.”“Of course I am,” I said. “She’s taking care of my niece. I don’t want anything to happen to either of them.”“Makes sense.” Caleb shrugged, that stupid grin still on his face. “But you seem to be a bit worked up about her. Tell me about her, buddy. Come on. Don’t hold back.”“There’s nothing to tell,” I replied sharply. “She’s my nanny. That’s it. That’s all. She takes care of Megan and is good at her job. I don’t want her to regret working here.”I tried to make mys
SADIE We made it to the weekend, but I was still shaken up by the incident with Megan’s dad. She seemed all right, but I kept a close eye on her to make sure she wasn’t struggling with any anxiety or fear like I was. There were moments when I would catch her staring off into space, apparently lost in thought. I’d ask her what she was thinking about, and she’d give me an odd look and insist that she wasn’t thinking of anything. I didn’t believe her, but I didn’t push the issue either. I didn’t want her to feel pressure to process things she wasn’t equipped to process.Still, I wanted to help her. I wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be okay…though I didn’t know how I could do that. I was just her nanny, after all. I wasn’t her mother or aunt. What could I say to her that would possibly make her feel better? What could I say to assure her that her father wouldn’t harm her? I couldn’t even be certain that was true, and I didn’t want to lie to her.I hated to admit it,
“What’s that?” I asked, trying to contain my glee and surprise.“I’m going with you,” he stated. “I don’t want you two going anywhere without me right now, even if you have the bodyguards.”I hadn’t expected that. It was a reasonable enough request, and honestly, I was okay with it. After what had happened with Megan’s father, a little bit of backup didn’t sound like such a bad idea. Still, I didn’t want him to know that having him with us would be a relief. There was still that little tension between us, and I didn’t want him thinking that I was incapable of caring for Megan myself. It was a little contradictory, I know, but my pride was on the line. That wasn’t something I was willing to just sacrifice, so I had to put up a little bit of a front.“Are you sure?” I questioned. “That’s probably not necessary. You probably have a lot of work to do, right?”He shrugged. “It’s all right. It can wait.”“You really want to spend the day chasing a seven-year-old girl through a crowded zoo?”
CYRUS In all honesty, spending the day at the zoo sounded like torture. Not because I didn’t want to spend time with Megan, but because I was so stressed about Ralph showing up, I didn’t think I’d actually be able to relax and enjoy myself. Miss Bruns didn’t seem to have the same concern, though. She was all smiles as we loaded up into the car to leave. Maybe it was for Megan’s benefit, as she appeared super excited to be going as well. I put on a smile and tried to act happy in front of my niece, but my mind just kept imagining all these terrible scenarios of things Ralph could do if he caught us out in public. I knew my thoughts weren’t rational given that we would be surrounded by people, but I honestly didn’t know to what lengths Ralph would go to get to Megan.“Hey, you need to relax,” Miss Bruns suddenly whispered to me. She sat next to me in the car. Megan was in the seat behind us, distracted by a book about monkeys that Miss Bruns had brought along.“What do you mean?” I h
I was holding her hand and she nearly got away from me as she tried to dash forward.“Hey, hold on now,” I said with a chuckle, tugging her back. “You’ve got to stay with us, all right? No running off, Meg.”She stopped and looked up at me with wide eyes, clearly eager to get going but struggling to behave.“Okay, Uncle Cyrus,” she replied. “But can we hurry and go look? Please?”“Yes, of course,” I chuckled. “Let’s go.”I shot a glance to Miss Bruns, who was watching us with a small grin. Swallowing, I tore my gaze from her and focused on Megan. We walked down the pathway together, which was lined with multiple enclosures housing various species of monkeys. Megan could hardly contain herself as we moved from group to group. She giggled and pointed at a pair of capuchins chasing each other through the trees.“Look!” she squealed. “Sadie! Uncle Cyrus!”“I see, sweetie,” Miss Bruns said with a nod, squatting down next to Megan. “Do you think they’re playing tag?”“Monkeys can’t play tag
SADIE It was hours later when we finally returned home. After a long day of running around and exploring, Megan was exhausted. She fell asleep on the ride home, and when we arrived, I picked her up out of the car and carried her into the house.“Should we just put her to bed?” I asked Miss Bruns when I reached the bottom of the house’s main staircase.Nodding, she softly answered, “Yes, I think that’s a good idea. Since we had some food before we left the zoo, she doesn’t need dinner.”“Okay,” I whispered, gently adjusting Megan in my arms. “I’m pretty sure she’s out for the night.”Miss Bruns grinned, and we made our way up the stairs to Megan’s bedroom. Before I laid her on her bed, Miss Bruns removed her shoes and pulled the covers back. I carefully placed Megan down on the mattress, and Miss Bruns tucked her in. When we were done, we stood side-by-side and gazed down at the little girl.She looked so peaceful as she slept. I was happy that she seemed to have gotten over the worst
Xavier I drop shrimp into sizzling garlic butter, the pan spitting and hissing. The chaos mirrors the storm inside me—anger at Melanie’s selfishness, carefully hidden for Hazel’s sake. I sip my riesling, keeping my calm façade intact.When dinner’s ready, I call Hazel and plate the food. Her familiar footsteps on the stairs are comforting, but when I see her, I freeze. For a moment, it’s Melanie—the same bright red hair, slim shoulders, and lean frame. Hazel has grown so much, and for a fleeting second, I almost imagine my wife is back.I serve the pasta and pour another glass of wine, offering Hazel a smile. She’s so much like Melanie it’s startling. The resemblance is uncanny—her body slim and delicate, yet striking—but her face is softer, her icy blue eyes wide and innocent, free of Melanie’s hardened edge.Hazel devours the meal like she hasn’t eaten in days, and worry twists in my chest. How could Melanie abandon her own child?“What did your mom say before she left?” I ask, alr
Blurb:What happens when the one person you shouldn't want becomes the only one you crave?Hazel Holland’s life is a mess, and the last thing she wants is to crawl back to her stepfather for help. But Xavier Rochat isn’t just her rock—he’s all broad shoulders, commanding presence, and forbidden temptation. Living under his roof again stirs feelings she knows she shouldn’t have, but she can’t stop thinking about those strong hands and the way his voice makes her knees weak.Xavier has always seen Hazel as the girl he helped raise—but she’s not a little girl anymore. She’s stunning, tempting, and entirely off-limits. Resisting her is a battle he’s losing, especially when she makes it clear she doesn’t want to play by the rules.Their connection is wrong, dangerous, and too hot to resist. But how long can they keep their hands off each other before everything explodes?My forbidden stepdaddy is a raw, forbidden romance full of tension, temptation, and heat that will leave you begging f
EpilogueSadie – One Year LaterI gazed down at my baby, my son, in absolute wonder. My heart swelled in my chest with so much love, I thought it would burst. I was exhausted, and my whole body hurt, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was my little boy, that he was healthy and whole.“Are you feeling up to visitors?” the nurse attending to me asked in a soft voice, careful as to not disturb my sleeping baby.I smiled at her and nodded. “I am.”“I’ll let them in, then,” she replied with a grin.Turning, she made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. I turned my gaze back down to my little boy and couldn’t help the smile that curled my lips.He was so beautiful. Tiny and pink and perfect.I couldn’t wait for his daddy and sister to meet him.At that moment, the door to my room opened back up, and the nurse returned with Cyrus and Megan in tow. Cyrus had been with me during the labor, but had gone out to wait with Megan while the baby was cleaned up so he could bring h
CyrusThe silence stretched between us for several long moments, and with each second that passed, I grew more and more nervous that she was going to say no.Her expression flickered between so many emotions so quickly, I couldn’t fully decipher what she was thinking.At length, she slowly said, “Are…are you asking me to marry you because you genuinely love me and want to…or are you just afraid of losing me after everything that happened with Ralph?”“Oh, baby, no,” I assured her with a firm shake of my head. “I love you with my entire being, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to raise Megan together and be a family. I swear to you, this has nothing to do with Ralph.”I held her gaze, praying she believed me. I was ready to do whatever I had to in order to convince her I was being entirely serious.To my complete relief, though, her lips curled into a smile, and she blurted, “Yes! Yes, Cyrus, I’ll marry you!”I surged to my feet, pulling her from her chair. Wr
Sadie It was hard to break that bond between a child and parent, and no matter what Ralph did, I think there would always be a part of Megan that wanted that connection with him.“I hope so,” Cyrus told her. “He’s going to try. That’s what’s important.”Megan regarded him a long moment before saying, “I’m glad he’s going to try.”Cyrus smiled softly. “Me, too. I promise you, Megan, I’m going to take care of you and protect you no matter what. Okay?”The corners of her lips curled up at that. “Okay. I love you, Uncle Cyrus.”“I love you, too, Megan,” he replied. Then, he looked up at me. I couldn’t help but smile back at him. My heart swelled, and I fell even more in love with him at that moment. I wanted to explain my feelings to him in more depth, but we needed to talk away from Megan. I didn’t want to confuse her even more as Cyrus and I tried to figure out the stuff between us.“All right, is there anything else you want to talk about?” Cyrus asked, turning back to Megan.She blin
SadieA week after Ralph’s arrest, things finally felt as though they were getting back to normal. Ralph was charged with breaking the restraining order. True to his word, Cyrus didn’t press any other charges. Ralph would spend a little time in jail before his trial, and then, it was up to the courts to decide his fate.I didn’t worry about him, though. I focused on Megan and helping her overcome the latest trauma she’d been through. I hated that she’d gone through so much at such a young age. It wasn’t fair. She deserved so much better. I wanted to make it my mission in life to make up for all that she’d suffered. I wanted all this mess with Ralph to fade into distant memories for her. I wanted her to be happy. More than anything else in the world, I wanted her to just be a normal, six-year-old girl.We were out on the terrace one day, coloring, when she looked up at me and asked, “Sadie? Is my daddy gone forever?”I frowned at her and replied, “What do you mean, sweetie?”She hesita
Ralph stared at me. I could tell he wanted to argue.I waited for him to say something, anything, that I could use to shut down any chance he had left of getting close to Megan.To my surprise, though, he reluctantly nodded. “All right…all right. I’ll…I’ll do what you say. So long as you promise you won’t stand in Megan’s way if she wants to see me someday.”I regarded him a long moment before releasing a long sigh. “I promise. I won’t stand in her way. And I promise that I will take excellent care of her.”Ralph dropped his head, looking defeated.“I know you will,” he whispered.At that moment, I heard Sadie rushing back to us.“The cops are on their way,” she gasped when she reached me. She looked between me and Ralph and then gave me a relieved smile. “I’m glad to see everyone is still in one piece.”“Barely,” I grumbled.She wrapped her arm around mine and hugged it.“Thank you,” she whispered.I smiled down at her, but I then caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning
CyrusI was at the very end of my control. My temper was about to snap. I kept reminding myself of Sadie’s words. Of my promise to her, but it was getting damn difficult to hold myself back. Ralph would just not give up. He kept pushing and pushing, bringing up Kate’s name and claiming Megan as his.It was infuriating. He kept saying he was a changed man, but he wasn’t taking responsibility for what he’d done. He wasn’t owning the fact that Kate wouldn’t have driven off the road that day if he hadn’t chased after her. I didn’t care that it was an accident. I didn’t care that he thought he loved her.In the end, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because Kate was still gone. And she was gone because of him.“You know what, Cyrus?” Ralph growled. “You think you’re so high and mighty. You think you’re so much better than I am, but the truth is, you failed Kate just as much as I did.”My whole body went cold. “What the hell are you saying?”Ralph had the gall to glare at me. “If you thou
I couldn’t comprehend that. It made no sense.“How could you claim to love her and yet hurt her as much as you did?” I asked in a soft, cold voice. “How could you love her, but you put your hands on her? Hit her and scare her? Manipulate her, so she remained submissive and broken?”“I was messed up,” he answered in a pathetic tone. “I know I was. I know what I did to Kate was wrong. If I could go back and redo everything, I would. I’d love her the way she deserved to be loved. I wouldn’t lay a hand on her, and I’d do everything I could to make her happy. There is nothing I want more than the chance to undo all that I did, but I can’t. It’s too late for me to make things right with Kate, but it’s not too late for me to make things right with Megan!”I stared down at him, debating whether or not I believed him. To be honest, he did seem to be truly remorseful. I didn’t think anyone could truly fake this kind of emotion.Still, just b