ALEXANDER’S POVI’ve always believed that when you’re dealing with someone as ruthless as Camille, you have to be prepared for the unexpected. But nothing could have prepared me for the call that came in late that night. The voice on the other end was shaky, and filled with fear. It sounded as if they’ve been sitting on this secret for far too long."Alexander," the voice says. "I have information about Camille."I sit up straighter, immediately alert. My hand grips the edge of my desk. The blood in my veins runs cold. It’s the one thing I’ve been searching for—information that could expose everything about her."Who is this?" I demand.The voice hesitates for a long moment before answering, as if trying to think if they can trust me with what they're about to say."You don’t know me," they say, and there’s bitterness in their words. "But I know you. I know you’ve been digging into Camille, and I know what you’re trying to find."I lean forward “How do you know this?”“I was once like
ERIC’S POVThe image of Wendy’s innocent face keeps replaying in my mind. I’ve tried to focus on work, to push the thought of her out of my head, but it’s impossible. There’s something about her—something that calls to me. Something is urging me to uncover the truth. I know I should stay away, that my life is complicated enough as it is, but when I saw her with Mia… it shattered everything I thought I knew.I hired the best investigators, threw every resource at the case. My obsession grows with each passing hour. I tell myself it’s for closure, that I need answers. But deep down, I know it’s more than that. It’s something deeper. There’s a part of me that can’t shake the feeling that this little girl, Wendy is mine.I look through the details of Mia’s life after prison. The investigators are thorough. They help me uncover things I never knew, and it only deepens my desire to know more. After her release, Mia traveled to a state I never knew her to visit before. I can’t explain why, b
MIA’S POVEric just left my office, and I can’t breathe. The air feels thick, like I’m choking on all the secrets I’ve tried so hard to bury. My hands are trembling as I sit back in my chair, staring blankly at the door he walked out of.He knows.He has to know something.Why else would he accuse me like that? Like he’s piecing it all together. My stomach turns as I think about Wendy, my sweet, innocent Wendy and what this could mean for her.Eric can never find out she’s his daughter. Never. Not just because of the custody battle I’m sure he’d launch the moment he finds out, but because of Julia. That woman, no, that witch—would ruin Wendy’s life. I can already see it: Wendy being treated as some unwanted stepchild while Julia parades her fake smiles in public and spits venom at her in private. Wendy deserves better than that. She deserves love, stability, and happiness. I’ve worked too hard to give her that to let Eric and his wife take it all away.I grab my phone and dial my priv
MIA’S POVThe cold metal chair beneath me is uncomfortable. The air in the visitation room is thick and suffocating. My fingers drum restlessly against the table as I wait.As soon as Eli gave Camille the document, we knew Camille would try to double cross him. Turns out, we were right. Camille got Eli arrested. I need Eli’s help. So, I decided to come see him in prison.I tap my fingers on the table, waiting impatiently. Then, the door creaks open.Eli steps through, and my breath catches in my throat.He’s barely recognizable. His walk is slower, heavier. His cheekbone is bruised, his lip split, and there’s a faint discoloration around his eye that tells me he’s been in a fight—several, by the looks of it. His jumpsuit hangs off his frame.“Jesus, Eli…” The words slip from my lips before I can stop them.He smirks, or at least tries to, but it looks more like a grimace. “Miss me?”I shake my head, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “What the hell happened to you?”He exhales slo
ERIC’S POVI pace the length of my study. My fingers keep drumming against the desk as I stare at the countless documents spread out before me. I know Mia is lying. Wendy is mine—I feel it in my bones. But feeling isn’t enough. I need proof. And if Mia won’t give it to me willingly, I’ll tear the truth from her hands myself.The research is relentless. I’ve scoured every record, every connection Mia had in prison, looking for someone—anyone—who might know what happened during those months she disappeared from my life. And then, in the midst of my search, I stumble upon something I never expected: my own past. I find out a secret about my family that I never knew about.A scandal. A cover-up. A murder.My father, my perfect, untouchable father—was accused of killing a family of three. Not with his own hands, no. He built the unstable house they lived in and because of how greedy he was, he refused to renovate it with better materials. He let it crumble to pieces around them. And when t
MIA’S POVMy heart pounds against my ribs as I sit in the car, gripping the leather of my seat. Outside, my driver speaks to the stranger who has been following us. I watch them through the tinted window with my breath caught in my throat.Who is this person? And why are they trailing me?Then, the second car door opens, and someone steps out.Gina.My breath hitches. Gina? My secretary?What the hell is she doing here?She exchanges a few words with my driver. As she talks, I can see her hands trembling at her sides. Then I hear it in her voice as she speaks. Even her voice is shaking."I need to speak to Miss Mia alone." She says.Alone?We literally just saw each other at the office. Why didn’t she talk to me there? Why did she have to trail behind me like a mad man?I lower the window. My eyes lock onto hers, searching for answers. Gina looks terrified. Her face is pale and I can see beads of sweat glistening on her forehead despite how cold it is outside."Gina?" My voice comes o
MIA’S POVThe moment Gina walked away, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The best option was to fire Gina but she begged me not to. I put myself in her shoes. I don’t blame her. She was desperate.Besides, was firing her really the best idea? Gina knew a lot about the company and she could easily play into Camille’s hands out of spite. The best thing is to keep an eye on her.I sink back into the seat of the car. My thoughts keep circling back to the fake document. It was supposed to be a weapon, something to use against me, but Camille didn’t know it was fake. Camile didn’t have a clue, did she?Just as I’m about to slip deeper into my thoughts, my phone buzzes, dragging me out of my head. The number on the screen is unfamiliar, but I answer it anyway.“Mia,” the voice on the other end says.I recognize the voice immediately. It’s Eric.“I see you,” he says “You need to pull over. I need to talk to you.”I sigh, rubbing my temples. I don’t have time for his games. Not
MIA'S POV"You are pregnant."The words hit me like a wave. To say I'm shocked is an understatement. I blink, trying to grasp the words, trying to make sense of what the doctor just said. My heart starts to race, and for a second, I think maybe I imagined it."I'm pregnant?" I whisper.My hand moves to my stomach, resting there, where a tiny life now exists."Yes," the doctor confirms with a warm smile. "Congratulations, Mia."Tears fill my eyes, but this time, they’re from happiness—pure, overwhelming happiness.I’m pregnant.It feels like a dream, like all the pain and doubt I’ve been carrying for months has been lifted. After all the waiting, the hoping, the endless frustration—this is the moment I’ve been praying for."Thank you! Thank you so much!" I say.I grab the report from his hands, clutching it tightly, as if it’s the most precious thing in the world—because right now, it is. I nearly fly out of the doctor’s office. As I make my way through the hospital hallways, a smile s
MIA’S POVThe moment Gina walked away, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The best option was to fire Gina but she begged me not to. I put myself in her shoes. I don’t blame her. She was desperate.Besides, was firing her really the best idea? Gina knew a lot about the company and she could easily play into Camille’s hands out of spite. The best thing is to keep an eye on her.I sink back into the seat of the car. My thoughts keep circling back to the fake document. It was supposed to be a weapon, something to use against me, but Camille didn’t know it was fake. Camile didn’t have a clue, did she?Just as I’m about to slip deeper into my thoughts, my phone buzzes, dragging me out of my head. The number on the screen is unfamiliar, but I answer it anyway.“Mia,” the voice on the other end says.I recognize the voice immediately. It’s Eric.“I see you,” he says “You need to pull over. I need to talk to you.”I sigh, rubbing my temples. I don’t have time for his games. Not
MIA’S POVMy heart pounds against my ribs as I sit in the car, gripping the leather of my seat. Outside, my driver speaks to the stranger who has been following us. I watch them through the tinted window with my breath caught in my throat.Who is this person? And why are they trailing me?Then, the second car door opens, and someone steps out.Gina.My breath hitches. Gina? My secretary?What the hell is she doing here?She exchanges a few words with my driver. As she talks, I can see her hands trembling at her sides. Then I hear it in her voice as she speaks. Even her voice is shaking."I need to speak to Miss Mia alone." She says.Alone?We literally just saw each other at the office. Why didn’t she talk to me there? Why did she have to trail behind me like a mad man?I lower the window. My eyes lock onto hers, searching for answers. Gina looks terrified. Her face is pale and I can see beads of sweat glistening on her forehead despite how cold it is outside."Gina?" My voice comes o
ERIC’S POVI pace the length of my study. My fingers keep drumming against the desk as I stare at the countless documents spread out before me. I know Mia is lying. Wendy is mine—I feel it in my bones. But feeling isn’t enough. I need proof. And if Mia won’t give it to me willingly, I’ll tear the truth from her hands myself.The research is relentless. I’ve scoured every record, every connection Mia had in prison, looking for someone—anyone—who might know what happened during those months she disappeared from my life. And then, in the midst of my search, I stumble upon something I never expected: my own past. I find out a secret about my family that I never knew about.A scandal. A cover-up. A murder.My father, my perfect, untouchable father—was accused of killing a family of three. Not with his own hands, no. He built the unstable house they lived in and because of how greedy he was, he refused to renovate it with better materials. He let it crumble to pieces around them. And when t
MIA’S POVThe cold metal chair beneath me is uncomfortable. The air in the visitation room is thick and suffocating. My fingers drum restlessly against the table as I wait.As soon as Eli gave Camille the document, we knew Camille would try to double cross him. Turns out, we were right. Camille got Eli arrested. I need Eli’s help. So, I decided to come see him in prison.I tap my fingers on the table, waiting impatiently. Then, the door creaks open.Eli steps through, and my breath catches in my throat.He’s barely recognizable. His walk is slower, heavier. His cheekbone is bruised, his lip split, and there’s a faint discoloration around his eye that tells me he’s been in a fight—several, by the looks of it. His jumpsuit hangs off his frame.“Jesus, Eli…” The words slip from my lips before I can stop them.He smirks, or at least tries to, but it looks more like a grimace. “Miss me?”I shake my head, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “What the hell happened to you?”He exhales slo
MIA’S POVEric just left my office, and I can’t breathe. The air feels thick, like I’m choking on all the secrets I’ve tried so hard to bury. My hands are trembling as I sit back in my chair, staring blankly at the door he walked out of.He knows.He has to know something.Why else would he accuse me like that? Like he’s piecing it all together. My stomach turns as I think about Wendy, my sweet, innocent Wendy and what this could mean for her.Eric can never find out she’s his daughter. Never. Not just because of the custody battle I’m sure he’d launch the moment he finds out, but because of Julia. That woman, no, that witch—would ruin Wendy’s life. I can already see it: Wendy being treated as some unwanted stepchild while Julia parades her fake smiles in public and spits venom at her in private. Wendy deserves better than that. She deserves love, stability, and happiness. I’ve worked too hard to give her that to let Eric and his wife take it all away.I grab my phone and dial my priv
ERIC’S POVThe image of Wendy’s innocent face keeps replaying in my mind. I’ve tried to focus on work, to push the thought of her out of my head, but it’s impossible. There’s something about her—something that calls to me. Something is urging me to uncover the truth. I know I should stay away, that my life is complicated enough as it is, but when I saw her with Mia… it shattered everything I thought I knew.I hired the best investigators, threw every resource at the case. My obsession grows with each passing hour. I tell myself it’s for closure, that I need answers. But deep down, I know it’s more than that. It’s something deeper. There’s a part of me that can’t shake the feeling that this little girl, Wendy is mine.I look through the details of Mia’s life after prison. The investigators are thorough. They help me uncover things I never knew, and it only deepens my desire to know more. After her release, Mia traveled to a state I never knew her to visit before. I can’t explain why, b
ALEXANDER’S POVI’ve always believed that when you’re dealing with someone as ruthless as Camille, you have to be prepared for the unexpected. But nothing could have prepared me for the call that came in late that night. The voice on the other end was shaky, and filled with fear. It sounded as if they’ve been sitting on this secret for far too long."Alexander," the voice says. "I have information about Camille."I sit up straighter, immediately alert. My hand grips the edge of my desk. The blood in my veins runs cold. It’s the one thing I’ve been searching for—information that could expose everything about her."Who is this?" I demand.The voice hesitates for a long moment before answering, as if trying to think if they can trust me with what they're about to say."You don’t know me," they say, and there’s bitterness in their words. "But I know you. I know you’ve been digging into Camille, and I know what you’re trying to find."I lean forward “How do you know this?”“I was once like
ERIC’S POVI step into the supermarket with a frown on my face. My life has been hell lately, and this errand is the closest thing to a break I’ve had in weeks. Julia has been unbearable. She’s been clinging to me like a shadow…literally. She’s always watching, always scheming. I should’ve seen it before. I married a psycho.My hand clenches around the grocery list she shoved at me this morning. Milk, eggs, cereal—all the necessities she refuses to get herself. Still, I’m grateful for the outing. At least, for a moment, I can breathe without her presence suffocating me.I’m walking through the crowded shopping mal when I feel a small, solid thud against my leg. Looking down, I see her. A little girl, no older than five, looking up at me with wide, deep brown eyes. Eyes that look oddly familiar. My breath catches in my throat.There’s something about her… something I can’t quite place.“Sorry, mister,” she says softly. She clutches a small stuffed bunny in her arms. Its ears are worn a
ELI’S POVI shove my hands into my pockets as I make my way to the warehouse. I take a deep breath as I push open the creaky door. I’ve got one goal tonight: end this.Camille stands in the center of the room, poised like a queen in her court. Her heels click against the concrete as she turns to face me. She smirks when she sees me. She looks as confident as ever.“Eli,” she purrs, tilting her head. “Right on time. How predictable.”I don’t bother responding. Instead, I pull the folder from my jacket and toss it onto the table between us. “There. That’s everything you asked for.”Her eyes are filled with amusement as she picks up the document, flipping through it leisurely. “You really outdid yourself this time. I have to admit, I never thought you had it in you. You actually got it. It was hard, wasn’t it?”“I did what you asked. It doesn’t matter how I did it”“How cute. I guess this means you’ve patched things up with your Mia, huh?”Her words are like nails scraping against my ski