Annie As soon as we arrived at the school door, my Mom gave me a hug so nice that it made me lose the desire to leave her. “Have a great day at school, my dear,” she said. “Anything you need, don’t hesitate to call me or your dad, and we’ll come running, okay?” She held my face with her hands, lo
Annie “We waited for you, Annie,” Abby said in a sullen voice. At that moment, she, Caleb and I were sitting on benches in the school yard. Classes hadn't started yet that day, and even if they did, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the activities without talking to those two first. I mean, wh
Laura “Excuse me, Mrs. Davies. You have a call,” Zoey, my secretary, said on the other end of the intercom. “Really?” I asked in surprise. “Send it to me, please.” “Alright,” the girl replied. It was almost the end of work that day; in a little while I was leaving the office to go home. Annie h
Laura “Girls, I'm not going to lie, I miss my husband so much!” Ava cried. We were still having our girls' night, drinking and having fun while talking. Ava's husband was spending time at one of the branches of the Davies company, located somewhere in Pretoria, which is why she missed her husband b
Jason “Has she been in her room since she got back from school?” I asked my boys as I looked towards the stairs. “Yes, that’s right,” Stephen replied. “She said she had a lot of material to catch up on.” I had my hands on my hips as I looked in that direction, trying to figure out if it would be
Jason “Are you going to use the jiu-jitsu moves you’ve been learning, dad?” Stephen was asking from the backseat as they and I headed towards the location where Laura was. “Ah, I'm going to use a lot more than just Jiu-jitsu moves, boy. Make sure of it,” I said as I drove. Apparently, Laura had
Gideon Bathory The golf course in Manhattan was more than a place for sports. It was a symbol of exclusivity, power and, above all, wealth. Even though I was used to places like that, I couldn't help but notice how surreal the environment was. The impeccable grass looked like a living carpet, the a
Gideon Bathory I should have known that asking Jason for help was a colossal mistake. He never liked me, and maybe he had his reasons. Our past is a minefield, full of resentments and unresolved disputes. Jason always saw me as a threat, even in times when our lives didn't intersect so much. So wh
Max POV The club was a circus of flashing lights and bass that made the floor feel alive, pulsing like a heart about to burst. The air reeked of gin and tonic, sweat, and overpriced perfumes, and I was at the bar counter, swirling the ice in my bourbon, watching the crowd throw themselves onto the
I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. "But what if... what if I mess it all up again? I’m not perfect, Matt. I have my flaws, my scars." He smiled, a smile both gentle and confident. "No one’s perfect, Lindsay. I’m not either. But you know what? My dad, Killian... he’s not my biological
Lindsay POV We arrived at the hotel after a night that still echoed in me like a good dream. Wyatt was exhausted, which wasn’t surprising after such an eventful day at the Weiss house. He fell asleep almost immediately after I put him to bed, a slight smile on his face that made me feel that, despi
Lindsay POV The dinner was a marvel, an experience that felt like a warm hug in the form of food and company. Emma Weiss insisted that I try every dish she had prepared with such care, and I couldn’t deny how much it made me feel welcomed. "My lasagna recipe is famous," she said with a proud smile,
Lindsay POV The weekend in Atlanta had a taste of novelty and nervousness. Matt had invited me to dinner at his mother's house, Emma Weiss, and the idea of meeting his family left me in a state of anxiety mixed with anticipation. I had never met the parents of someone I was dating since, well, sinc
Laura POV Jason and Terence were terrible singers, but that didn't stop them from diving into karaoke, hitting every note off-key while making their wives laugh with their comedic performance. Ava and I, now alone in a VIP area of the bar, continued the celebration of our daughters' entry into col
Laura POV"This strawberry drink is delicious," I commented, sipping my drink through a straw."Oh, nice. My pineapple one is really irresistible," Ava also commented, smiling, though the smile was somewhat reserved and awkward, just like mine.We were at a luxurious bar, a place that contrasted wit
As we walked, I thought about what Abby had said. It wasn't Caleb who mattered; it was the betrayal of a friendship I thought would last forever. The pain of losing that trust was still fresh, and perhaps that was why I didn't want to think about Caleb at all. But at the same time, there was a part
Annie POV I watched my parents' car drive away with a sense of sadness; part of me wanted to go with them and give up on everything, but I was also excited to start a new life at Oxwell. The sound of the engine fading into the distance seemed to carry away a piece of my childhood, leaving me with a