Gideon POV I returned to my room with a slam of the door that echoed through the house, a reflection of the storm brewing inside me. The situation with Lindsay felt like a knot tightening in my chest. I needed a moment to compose myself, so I headed straight to the bathroom, where the sound of the
Max POV When I returned to my room, I found Zoey there; after all, she had asked me to go talk to Gideon. "So, what did he say?" She immediately asked when I entered the room. I sighed, throwing myself onto my bed. "He's not going to apologize to you, Zoey. I'm sorry," I answered, turning on my vi
I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "If you want to get out of poverty without working, you'd have to marry someone rich, and I'm not available, honey." "Why not? Am I not great in bed?" She also laughed. "You are, but I'm not a guy who dreams about marriage, you know," I replied with a shrug.
Gideon POV The morning was gray, as if the sky itself reflected the confusion taking over my heart. Upon entering the company building, the familiar environment should have brought me some comfort, but all I feel is a growing unrest. I headed to the reception desk, where Marcus, with his usual smil
Lindsay POV When I closed the door behind me, I had to lean against it and let out a long sigh with my hand on my heart. Resisting Gideon's charms and touches had been a Herculean struggle, but I knew that if I continued to yield as I had the night before, my life would turn upside down. I had to p
Laura POV I watched Lindsay leave my office with a sad look that broke my heart. The lingering scent of her perfume, a gentle blend of jasmine and vanilla, still hung in the air, reminding me of her happier days. Mourning Lindsay's situation was inevitable. Facing a divorce is already a Herculean
Lindsay Two years ago The pediatric area of London's private hospital did not seem to be a good place for sick children. The atmosphere in place was cold and a little sad, there were not many children, which was a good sign, but it was still a hospital, an almost morbid place. Adding the fact that
Quickly, I explained to Max that the boy had only taken a cold and that he would be discharged soon. "This is a great relief!" Max sighed relieved, happy that Wyatt was getting better. I smiled minimally. Having max beside me at that moment gave me a little comfort. Max was a person of strong pers
Caleb, Abby, Madison, Nadia—they all spun through my head like a broken carousel. I wanted to tell my parents everything, collapse and ask for help, but the thought of seeing disappointment in their eyes—or worse, them trying to intervene at Oxwell to “save” me—made me swallow the words. I had to fi
Annie POV It was the weekend, and I was at home, trying to take deep breaths and pretend everything was okay. The Oxwell campus was a few hours away, giving me temporary relief from the chaos my life had become. Here, with my parents and the twins, I could at least try to be the old Annie—the exc
Max POV Walking beside someone who’d once meant so much to me felt strange. I couldn’t stop thinking that our breakup had been a waste, couldn’t stop remembering how happy I’d been with this guy, only to ruin it all because of my ego, because of a toxic fixation I had on Albert. Conrad Adams walke
Max POV was stunned when Albert told me that, my mouth even went dry because I wasn’t expecting to hear it. Conrad Adams was back. He was my boyfriend in my early twenties. I met him through Albert, who was close friends with him during the dark days of his family’s company. Conrad was a good guy
Max POV I was driving through the city with the radio on low, just a background murmur to keep the silence from swallowing me whole, when my phone buzzed on the dashboard. Zoey. Of course it was her. The girl had already wormed her way into my house like a high-heeled parasite, and now, apparently,
Annie POV After the moment at the mall, I returned to the dorm with a tight chest, carrying the bags with the blue dress Summer had insisted I buy. The plan was to distract myself, but Madison’s words—“racist,” “canceled piece of trash”—spun in my head like a broken record, mingling with Nadia’s re
When I met her last week at a council meeting, I could tell she’d be a challenge—confident, charismatic, the type who knew how to play the game. “Ugh, Madison Goodwin is here too. What a rotten day,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes. Of course Abby would get close to Madison—she was her adopted cousin.
Annie POV I was still trying to process everything that had happened at the square. Caleb’s words—“I hope you suffer”—mixed with Nadia’s ultimatum about my revoked candidacy had left me in pieces. My dream of leading the student council, something I saw as the first step toward following in my mom’
Annie POV I was still sitting on the bench in the square, the echo of Caleb’s words reverberating in my head like thunder that wouldn’t fade. "I hope you suffer." He had shoved the bouquet of pink flowers against my chest and stormed off, leaving me with a mix of shock, anger, and something that