GIDEON’S POVIt had grown dark by the time I got out of the car and was throwing that golden light across the driveway. I pressed my temple where, I felt, the weight of the day lay. The company was in trouble, one of our biggest investors having pulled out. I had spent hours trying to salvage what was left. As I approached the front door, I could hear raised voices inside. Alexa and her mother.I crept into the room quietly, just in time to hear the voice of Alexa break into the house."Why do you always ask me for money? I'm not an ATM, Mother! You're not my responsibility anymore.”Her mother, Mrs Sanchez, spoke in a softer tone almost as a pleading. "I tried to ask Amy to help. But she's different now. Not the same person—she's Amethyst Amadeus. Heartless, Alexa. She won't help us."I moved aside, stepping out of the living room, and listened. "Amy …. Her name still stung, even now. The problem wasn't that. That was everything collapsing around me.”Alexa’s voice turned cold, dripp
The next morning I woke with a constant throbbing headache and this creeping sense of doom that enveloped me like a heavy fog. Alexa was still sprawled out beside me, but the presence had become just too much for me to bear; I was out of bed and into the shower before I could take another breath. The flowing water beat away at me as it tried to wash away the tension of last night's argument.That wasn't helpful.I could remember standing there, with all those thoughts rushing back into my head. These thoughts of Amy, everything I tried to forget, and everything I had deeply buried. My fists were clenched as water ran over them. Not a very good way to start the day. I needed space; I needed air.By the time I got out of the shower, I knew I had made up my mind—I would not be able to see Alexa today. I couldn't. I threw some clothes on, grabbed my keys, and was out of that house before she got a chance to speak her piece.I did not want to head off straight to the office and could not s
I clamped my jaws shut and swallowed hard to silence the cyclone storming within me. "Home, resting," I lied, jerking my face into a smile that felt more of a grimace.I wanted laughing sounds-of it being utterly completely insignificant that Amethyst was there, radiating and unreachable. And as I captured her eye, a shiver of amusement danced across them and heightened my frustration."Ah, how noble of you," Nicolai added in, sarcasm dripping from his voice like acid. "Making sure she doesn't overexert herself. Pregnancy can be quite the task, can't it?"She stung with the jab, but bit my feelings."I'd like to see our baby," I said in a false display of excitement. "We have everything waiting for us at home.".For one moment, Amethyst's gaze gentled as she revealed me, and the burden of our past bore down on the space that had seemed to crowd in between us. And then no, she lingered on Nicolai, and the moment shattered.“Good for you, Mr. Grayson”, she said coolly, I hope that you t
Amethyst POVI watched Gideon walk away, the stiffness of his back, the weight of his responsibilities heavy on his shoulders. I had hoped for so much connection, so much of a glimpse of the man that once lived in me, and now I only felt this distance between us since the betrayal and divorce.Nicolai slid along the wall, grinning. "What a piece of work," he said. "Mr. Family Man really put on a show, didn't he?I let out a sharp laugh, a mix of disbelief and bitterness. “Yeah, he’s got the whole noble act down. As if I’d fall apart just because he’s around.”“Right? It’s like he thinks you’re going to burst into tears or something, ” Nicolai said, rolling his eyes. “What’s going on with him, anyway? He seemed totally out of it.”I shrugged, trying to shake off the feelings Gideon had stirred up. “It’s just so strange to see him like that—so… detached. It’s like I’m looking at a stranger.”He leaned forward, his face stern. "Perhaps you ought to remind him who you really are. You are
I filled my lungs with air, but Nicolai's words settled over her like a dark cloak. It was tempting to have someone in her corner, someone who understood the stakes. The catch in his offer made my mouth twist with a bitter aftertaste, though."So, what's the game, Nicolai?" I demanded, crossing my arms in self-defence. "You think you can just come in here playing knave? Knight and shining armour and all that rot?"Nicolai leaned back in his chair and flashed me a sly smile that made me snap up with a twinge of annoyance at his air of ease."Not at all," he said, leaning forward, his hands clasped together between his knees."I'm offering you a partnership. We both want justice, and if you agree to marry me once we've secured that evidence, then it's a win-win."My heart thudded fast, but this time anger washed over my face instead of excitement. "You are using my pain as a bargaining chip." Words just spilt out of my mouth, which sounded spiky and accusatory."I'm just being practical
She raised one eyebrow and smiled a little at me, but I was ahead of her."It's not about trust but what's the benefits?" “I don't trust anyone, not even someone like Nicolai. It's not about trust—it's about control."Victoria raised an eyebrow, and the eyebrow drooped immediately. "Exactly. Use him like a tool to get what you want. It is transactional and as long as you keep that in mind-“I don't need the reminder," I said, standing up straight, arms crossed."I played this game a long time before Nicolai wandered in with his little offer. If he thinks I am some damsel in distress, he's in for a rude awakening."Victoria smiled faintly, but I didn't flinch. She was nobody to teach me how to play a game."You are right," she said, smoothing her image once more."But don't let yourself get too caught up in his jargon. If you need to, pay lip service. Make him believe he's on top".I would think my smile was made of ice. "I'll convince him to believe whatever I want him to. He may hav
GIDEON’S POVIt was like a thick fog that sank in and covered everything within its sight. A minute to collect my thoughts was a must since my chest had knotted up. Mr. Apollo was our lifeline. He was the kind of investor who could keep us afloat during such times. But now, it was a death sentence for Grayson's company at a time when sales hung by a thread.“Get him on the phone,” I urged, pushing my voice to sound normal, mayhem churning inside me. "I need to speak to him now," I say.I would pace that small office in my head, getting ready to make a pitch to Mr. Apollo. I will convince him that we were still worthy of investment. This period had to end; we had a way of dealing with it. The figures trended upward. I could already see them in my head: forceful marketing, revamping the sales, maybe a new partnership that would set things on fire once again.A knock on the door brought me out of my daze, suddenly. My secretary entered, looking worried. "Mr. Apollo's on the line for you,
Vicky, clearly tired of our exchange, pulled on Nicolai’s arm. “We’re just friends.”“Friends? Haha!” I doubted and laughed.“You cheated on Amethyst. I caught you both!” I accused.He leaned forward, his eyes flashing with the catch of laughter. "You're an idiot, Mr. Grayson," he muttered.“What are you trying to say? Some knight in shining armor? You're just her ex-husband playing hero to save her from herself? The whole thing is pathetic.”I knew that was true; it was a taste, a bitter one, to swallow. Yet I wrestled it back. I was not my mistakes. "I'm not here to save her," I said, taking strength in my voice. "I just caught you two.".That made Nicolai laugh harshly and jolted my nerves again. "Caught? Just like how she caught you?" he said sarcastically. "You are the last person she should bother with. You have broken her trust not me.”Vicky’s impatience was palpable, her annoyance radiating off her like heat. “This is ridiculous,” she said, pulling Nicolai’s arm again. “We sh
The door to my office slammed behind Nicolai, his presence still lingering in the air like a storm cloud. I stood there, fists clenched, heart racing, as the sound of his footsteps echoed down the hallway. For a moment, I thought I might collapse under the weight of his words. “You owe me, Amethyst. You’re not getting out of this.”I tried to steady my breathing, tried to push the anger and frustration aside. I was done with him. Done.But even as I forced my thoughts to calm, I could feel the storm inside me building. Nicolai hadn’t come to talk—he had come to control, to make sure I stayed trapped in a deal I had made in a moment of weakness. He wasn’t going to let me walk away, but that didn’t mean I had to roll over and let him take everything.I grabbed my coat, my movements sharp and deliberate as I marched out of my office, my heels clicking on the floor with the same intensity that burned in my chest. As I reached the elevator, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nicolai’s eyes
As the finality of the words echoed in my mind, I slammed the phone down onto the passenger seat, my breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. The engine hummed louder in the quiet, but it did nothing to drown out the storm brewing in my chest. My grip on the wheel tightened until my knuckles were white, the car speeding through the dark streets as though the road could outrun my thoughts.Gideon. Nicolai. Both of them seemed to be haunting me, lurking at the edges of my mind, tugging at the threads of my past like they thought they had any claim to me. But they didn’t. I wouldn’t let them.I had promised Nicolai I would marry him. I hated how his words echoed in my mind, how they pushed into my thoughts no matter how hard I tried to ignore them. He had helped me bring justice to my mother, had fought alongside me when I needed it most. And in exchange, I had given my word—my promise—that I would marry him. A deal sealed in the chaos of a moment, but a deal nonetheless.I closed my eyes
As I drove through the empty streets, the cool night air creeping through the cracked window, I focused on keeping my grip firm on the steering wheel. The hum of the engine was a dull noise against the thundering thoughts in my head. My pulse still raced from the confrontation with Nicolai, but my mind was more preoccupied with the man who had shown up uninvited: Gideon.I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion swirling in my chest. It had been so long since I’d seen him, and yet, here he was, right when I least expected it.Gideon. I could still feel the weight of his gaze, the way his presence seemed to fill every space between us. But no matter how much he tried to be the hero in my life, I wouldn’t let him back in. Not after everything.The past was filled with too many scars, too many broken promises, for me to entertain the idea of letting him slip back into my life. What he did to me, what we had, couldn’t be undone. I wasn’t some helpless girl waiting for him to save me
Nicolai groaned, shaking his head, clearly dazed from the punch. Blood dripped from his split lip as he glared up at Gideon, struggling to get to his feet. “You think you can just show up and play the hero? You don’t know what’s going on, Gideon.”“I don’t need to know the details,” Gideon shot back, taking a step closer to Nicolai, his presence towering over him. “I just know you’ve hurt her enough. And I’m not going to stand by and let it happen again.”I stood frozen, still reeling from the shock of the scene unfolding in front of me. Gideon. Gideon was the one who had intervened. It had been so long since I’d seen him, let alone spoken to him, and now here he was, protecting me—when I least expected it.Nicolai, still on his knees, wiped the blood from his chin and glared up at both of us, his voice dripping with venom. “This isn’t over,” he spat. “
“Meet me at Marble diner,” I replied.Later that evening, I found myself waiting in a quiet café downtown, the place I had arranged to meet Nicolai. It was a small, secluded spot—ideal for a conversation I had no intention of backing down from.My phone buzzed in my pocket. Nicolai’s name flashed on the screen. My thumb hovered over the notification for a long moment. Should I answer? Should I make him wait?Finally, I clicked open the message.I’m here.I took a deep breath and stood, my posture straight, my expression set. No hesitation. I wasn’t about to let my emotions get the best of me.It didn’t take long before he appeared, cutting through the crowd like he owned the room. Nicolai’s eyes locked with mine instantly. Despite everything, I could still feel the old pull between us—but it was no longer enough to make me falter.He reached the table, his usual confident stride faltering for a split second when he saw the steel in my gaze. I didn’t move as he sat down across from me.
Days had passed since that conversation with Nicolai. The days felt like a blur, a haze of conflicting emotions and unanswered questions swirling in my mind. Every time I tried to focus on something, my thoughts inevitably drifted back to the phone call with Gideon, and the way Nicolai’s voice had cracked with emotion when I’d confronted him.It was almost like I was living in two worlds. There was the world with Nicolai, where everything felt so close to being perfect, where I wanted to believe in us again. And then there was the world with Gideon, a world full of regret, accusations, and a past I couldn’t seem to outrun.I tried to push it all aside, to focus on the present. I had to move on. I couldn’t let Gideon’s words—or Nicolai’s mistakes—ruin everything.But when I arrived home that evening, something felt off.I pulled my car into the driveway, the sound of the tires crunching on the gravel a familiar comfort. I grabbed my purse and walked towards the door, my mind still tang
The days that followed were suffocating, each moment heavier than the last. Alexa moved through the house like a shadow, her presence only a reminder of what we had lost, what I had lost. She continued her routine—making breakfast, cleaning, pretending that the life we had built together was still intact. But the more I watched her, the more I realized it was all just a charade.I stayed distant. I couldn’t bring myself to be near her, not after what had been said, not after the truth had finally come out. I kept to myself, retreating into the silence of my own mind, where the weight of the last few days pressed down on me like a physical force. The house felt colder than it ever had before, as if it were rejecting me, as if I were rejecting it. And Alexa? She felt like a stranger now.One morning, I found her sitting at the kitchen table, the same spot where we used to share coffee and talk about our days. Her hands were wrapped around a cup, her eyes distant, lost in thought. I stoo
“Alright,” I said, the words slipping out like a vow I’d made to the devil himself. “But after this, it’s really over. No coming back. No regrets.”The relief that flashed across her face was brief, almost imperceptible, but I caught it. And then it was gone, replaced by the resolve that had brought her here in the first place. She pulled out the papers from the pocket of her robe and set them on the desk with a crisp rustle. The sound echoed in the room, loud and final. I glanced at them, the ink on the page both freedom and a death sentence.With a steady hand, she signed her name, the motion so deliberate, so final, that it made my stomach twist. My heart squeezed in a way that made no sense, as if the world were shifting beneath me, changing forever.“It’s done,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.The weight of those words settled deep into my bones, and I stood there, rooted to the spot, as she turned and walked out of the room. The silence she left behind was deafening,
The tension in my chest was suffocating as I stared at the bartender, the question ringing in my ears: Was it worth fighting for?My jaw clenched, the stinging ache of regret and desire coiling deep inside me. I took a deep, shaky breath and looked at the amber liquid in my glass, the fire of the whiskey biting at my throat, numbing the chaos in my mind.Amethyst. Her name brought an ache that felt like it would crack my chest open. She deserved so much better than me. And yet, the thought of losing her forever was unbearable.I knew it was stupid, reckless even, but I couldn’t stop myself. I would fight for her, no matter how many times Nicolai pushed his way into her life, no matter how many times I screwed up. She was worth every battle, every scar. But I was running out of chances, out of time.“It’s worth fighting for,” I finally admitted, my voice barely more than a whisper, raw and vulnerable. “But I don’t know i