Selene's POV "Just look at how happy they are. I can't believe they didn't want a party, that is so unlike them. Do you remember their last birthday?" Nelly chuckles beside me, and I glance at her. She's smiling widely while watching Anna and Asher. I'm glad she loves my kids as much as I do. "How could I forget?" She laughs, a wide grin on her face. "They almost gave Mom a heart attack. When they were bouncing off the trampoline, I thought she was going to pass out from fear." We both chuckle, reminiscing about the chaotic day. She smiles before walking away with my children toward the toy section. My phone rings, and I furrow my brows when I see an unknown number. I swipe to answer, but the person on the other end stays quiet. All I hear is their heavy breathing. "Selene Norman, leaving your kids unattended was a mistake," a voice sneers, and my heart skips a beat. "Now watch me take them away from you. Time is ticking. Can you save them, or will you never see them again? You
Selene’s POV: The panic consumes me, and my voice shakes with frustration. "Please help me find them and tell me what the hell happened, because I am confused and losing my mind here!" Nelly looks horrified but remains silent. I don’t have time to wait for her explanation. I take off, ignoring the people I bump into, my only focus on finding Anna and Asher. My heart races as I run through the mall, but it feels like I'm just going in circles, each turn bringing me nowhere closer to them. I stop in the middle of the mall, frustration boiling over as I try to get my bearings. Nelly must have gone to ask for another announcement, but I can’t wait. I keep looking around, scanning every face, every corner, when—there they are. Anna and Asher, walking toward me, looking so normal, so unbothered. My heart leaps, but then I stop dead in my tracks as I see who's with them. Maximus. What the hell is happening right now? My breath catches in my throat. As Anna and Asher approach, holdi
Selene's POV I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed ever since Maximus found out about the children. I know I’ve been acting differently—on edge, constantly looking over my shoulder. Every time I hear a knock on the door, I expect it to be him, barging in, demanding that I hand over Anna and Asher. Or worse, that he takes it to court, dragging my children into a battle they don’t deserve. I don’t want them to go through that trauma. And now, the threats. The same unknown number that called me at the mall—taunting me while my children were missing—called Nelly, too. That can’t be a coincidence. No one else knows about my children except Maximus. It has to be him. He’s trying to spook me, to make me panic, to make me slip up. But I won’t. What worries me most is the thought of him telling his family. If they find out, they’ll come after us. Cecilia Hemsworth especially. She was the one who made my life a living hell, calling me barren, telling me I was a disgrace to th
Maximus’ POV It’s been over a day since I found out I have children with Selene, but it still feels like a movie to me—like I’m watching it unfold, playing the lead role. How is it possible that Selene was pregnant, and I didn’t know? Could it have happened just before we divorced or maybe just weeks before I started treating her so badly? I can’t shake the guilt. I feel like a complete jerk. My children, now grown and the same age as Kylie, didn’t have a father in their lives. I know Selene lied to them, telling them I wasn’t their father to keep them from worrying. Five years—five years I missed. I wasn’t there for her first ultrasound. I wasn’t there when she gave birth. I was there when Jess had Kylie. I watched her go through the agony of labor, and yet I let Selene face that alone. How could I? Would my children even want anything to do with me when they find out how I abandoned their mother and married their aunt instead? I wouldn't forgive myself if I were in the
Mason’s POV "You really love being a hospital patient, don’t you, Selene? Even though you work here, you don’t seem to get tired of this.” I glare at her as she lies on the bed, then shift my focus to Avery, who’s sitting beside her. My jaw tightens. "Your best friend refused to tell me anything. She’s being a brat. She barely even let me step into the damn room." Selene lets out a small cough, but before she can say anything, Avery speaks up. "That’s because you were causing a scene, Mason. You were acting like it was your wife in that hospital bed.” She rolls her eyes. “ oh, and let’s not forget how You scared the hell out of the nurse—she thought you were about to lose it and attack her. What was I supposed to do?" She throws her hands up, then sighs dramatically. That word—wife—makes me tense. I hate the way Avery says it, like I’m just some stranger with no right to be here. She never wants me near Selene. And the thing is, I barely even know this girl, but she acts like
Mason: I grip my shirt tightly. Whoever is trying to hurt Selene will have to go through me first. If they think they can just waltz into her life and take it away, they’re dead wrong. I’ll get to the bottom of this. But I already have a sneaking suspicion. Jess. Even though it doesn’t make sense. Jess couldn’t have known Selene would be at that café today. There’s no way she could have slipped poison into her drink at that exact moment. Unless… Selene has more than one enemy. The thought sends a fresh wave of anger through me, but I push it down and step closer to her, taking her hands in mine. Her eyes meet mine, tears brimming at the edges. I squeeze gently, a silent promise. I’m not letting go. I’ll be by your side, no matter what. The door swings open. A young man steps inside, tall, good-looking, with a calm, almost reassuring presence. He smiles at Selene, but I don’t like the way he looks at her. I know that look. It’s the look of a man in love. "You’re fina
Selene's POV No matter how hard I try to stay calm, restlessness clings to me like a shadow. It feels like one problem after another, each one piling on before I’ve even had a chance to breathe. I still haven’t fully processed the fact that Maximus now knows I had his kids. And now, someone tried to poison me. On top of that, Mason and Neo can’t seem to be in the same room without turning it into a competition. I swear, if we had told Maximus about my attempted murder, he would’ve stormed into this hospital and demanded that I take a break from work. I have no idea how I ended up with three chaotic men in my life. When I came back to New York City, all I wanted was peace, a quiet life. But apparently, the universe had other plans. I can barely keep up. At least there’s one good thing about today—they caught the waiter who tried to poison me. He was caught before he could slip out of New York City by train. That knowledge brings me some relief. But only some. My leg b
Selene: The bastard tilts his head slightly, his smirk widening. "Let’s just say I have a weird hobby—hurting pretty girls like you." His voice is casual, almost amused, like this is all a game to him. "If it were up to me, I wouldn’t want you dead just yet. I’d take you home, chain you up, make sure you never see daylight again. And then…" He leans in slightly. "I’d slit your throat. That’s how I like my victims to look." The words send a chill down my spine, but before I can react, Detective Rivers shoves him back into his seat. I don’t hesitate. I lunge forward, grabbing his cuffed wrists and squeezing, pressing the cold metal into his skin. His smirk vanishes as he winces, his body jerking against the restraints. A sharp cry of pain escapes him, but I don’t let go. I tighten my grip, staring into those brown eyes. Liar. Something about this isn’t adding up. He talks big, but the guy sitting in front of me doesn’t look like a killer. His words are meant to scare me, b
Maximus’ POV"Asher, slow down! The ice cream isn’t going anywhere," I grunt, watching my son sprint ahead like he’s in some kind of race. "If you fall, I swear I won’t feel bad for you this time. I’m serious—get back here!"Of course, he doesn’t listen. If anything, he runs even faster, making me chase him like some desperate lunatic.I give up. I’m already exhausted, and the last thing I need is to pass out because my kids are being their usual mischievous selves.Beside me, Raymond chuckles, clearly enjoying my suffering. I shoot him a sharp look, and just like that, his laughter dies."I don’t think you’re in any position to laugh," I scowl, crossing my arms. "This is your fault. You had one job, Raymond. One. Look after them till I got back. I don’t need you to be the ‘cool uncle’—I need you to be the responsible one. No wonder Avery doesn’t like you.Please, for the love of everything good, remind me never to let you babysit again. You’re the worst."He grins, completely unfazed
Maximus: My heart skips a beat. “That bomb explosion was meant to take out everyone, including Benjamin, whom I sent. That’s right, Maximus, I’m the one behind your sabotage,” he continues, grinning widely. “The orphanage, the construction worker, Henry O'Hara, sending you those threatening messages—it was all me. And I must say, I had fun, but now the fun is over. My sidekick is dead. I told him I don’t like loose ends, so I had to end his life. Benjamin is practically useless to me.” It’s one shocking revelation after another. First Jess, now this?! What’s next? “You’re lucky Raymond survived. I don’t know how he got out of the building on time, but that’s not my business. My fight isn’t with him.” Mason steps closer “Now come over here, let’s go, Selene. I’ve already arranged a plane to take us anywhere you want. We can get married and live however we want.” Selene takes a step back as Mason points a gun at us. I move her behind me, determined not to let my brother hurt th
Maximus POV It’s been over an hour since the police took Jess away, and the weight of it all still hasn’t fully hit me. She’s finally going to pay for what she’s done. Her words echo in my head, and I can’t seem to shake them. I can’t believe all these years I’ve been lied to—Kylie isn’t even my daughter. Jess has been deceiving me all this time. But I won’t let that define how I see Kylie. I will prove Jess wrong. When I look at my child, I won’t see someone else’s daughter. I’ll see my daughter, and nothing Jess says will change that. If she thinks that I’m going to hate Kylie because of her lies, she’s sorely mistaken. Kylie has always been the light in my life. She’s the reason I’ve been able to endure this broken marriage for as long as I have. Every morning, seeing her smile makes everything worth it. The thought of ever telling her she wasn’t mine is unthinkable, especially with the anxiety issues she’s been battling thanks to Jess. I would never put that on her—she’
Selene: I take an involuntary step back as panic courses through my veins. "What are you doing here? How are you out?" My voice comes out shaky, my mind racing. How is he not behind bars? He poisoned me. He almost killed me. I can’t comprehend how he’s standing in front of me, free. He must see the confusion in my eyes, because he immediately starts talking, as though he’s read my thoughts. "I know what you're thinking," he says, his tone hesitant but strangely apologetic. “What am I doing out of jail? Well, I can't tell you how I got out. I didn't escape if that's what you're thinking. I just... I wanted to apologize." I feel an odd sense of dread twist in my gut. "Apologize?" I repeat, incredulously. I take another cautious step back. I don’t trust him. Not after what he did to me. Not after what he almost did. His eyes are desperate, almost pleading, as he moves closer, and I instinctively take another step back, my body going tense. "I lied," he continues, his voice low. “I
Selene: My life feels like it's spiraling, like a country song with all its ups and downs. I'm drowning in the weight of it, but there's no time for wallowing in despair. That’s exactly what Jess wants, and I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me broken. When Anna and Asher get back from their outing with Maximus, the first thing they do is run straight looking for Nelly. My heart tightens, knowing the truth that they can’t yet understand. How do I explain to them that the woman they trusted—who took care of them, played with them, and protected them—was the same person who orchestrated their kidnapping and tried to take my life over the past few months? How do I explain that? It hits my mom the hardest. She’s known Nelly for years, taken her in like family. To find out that the woman she trusted was behind this all… it’s breaking her. She doesn’t say much, just quiet and distant. But I can see the sadness in her eyes. She tells me she’ll heal, just needs time
Selene’s POV: Without thinking, I slam her door open, my anger boiling over. How dare she?! After everything, after I took her in, trusted her, and let her live under my roof like family. I feel like a fool. How could I not see that something was off about Nelly all this time? She’s been my enemy this whole time, and I didn’t even realize it. "Selene, I’m fine. I’m just frustrated," Nelly says, her voice trembling slightly. "I wanted to go to the bathroom, but then I remembered that I can't walk. I almost hurt myself, but I’m fine. Really." I can’t even look at her. How does she act so innocent, so pretentious, when I know what she's done to me? How does she stand there, pretending like nothing happened? Every instinct tells me to slap her, to make her feel the weight of what she’s done. But I know it wouldn’t be worth it. I’ve already called the cops. It won’t be long now before she’s where she belongs. I can't hold it in any longer. The words spill out of me, bitter and furio
Selene: If life had a spinning wheel, mine would be spinning out of control. Chaos. That’s what my world feels like. One disaster after another, piling on top of each other until I can barely breathe. First, I got hit by a car. Then, I barely survived being poisoned. Not long after that, my children were kidnapped from school. And now? Now Nelly is stuck in a wheelchair, with no clear answer on when—or if—she’ll ever walk again. Whoever ran her over wasn’t just reckless. They were brutal. She’s devastated. She barely leaves her room, convinced that her life is over. That she’s useless to me now. Nothing I say seems to get through to her. She keeps insisting that I’ll fire her—abandon her—because she can’t take care of Anna and Asher anymore. As if she’s just some employee. She’s family. My mom adores her. My kids love her. I wish she could see that. I wish she could understand that she’s not alone in this. At least the driver was arrested. A drunk driver. In the m
Maximus POV His eyes flick to Anna, then back to me, a smirk playing on his lips. "You do have kids elsewhere," he says, his tone laced with something unreadable. "And might I say, your daughter is your exact copy. So? Aren’t you going to introduce me to my niece and nephew?" I don’t respond. I can’t. He studies my expression, his smirk deepening. "Why are you looking at me like that? You seem… tense. What’s going on?" I force myself to mask my shock, but my mind is racing. What the hell is Mason doing here? And more importantly—how does he know about Selene and the kids? I get that Anna looks exactly like me, but why does Mason automatically assume Selene is their mother? There are plenty of women he could have considered—so why her? My stomach twists. He’s obsessed. And I don’t like it. It’s like he thinks Selene belongs to him. Like she’s some prize he missed out on. Did he follow me here? I didn’t even notice if someone was tailing me. That’s what bothers me th
Maximus’ POV For the first time in days, I feel a sense of relief. My kids are safe. That’s all that matters. Even though Anna sprained her wrist and has to wear a bandage for now, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of pride. Turns out, she was the one riling up their kidnapper, protecting Asher from getting hit. I guess whoever took them doesn’t like quick-witted kids. Anna may have my looks, but she’s got Selene’s sharp tongue. And while that might have made things worse for her in that hellhole, I’m glad she never backed down. She’s strong. What I don’t feel good about is Selene still believing I had something to do with this. No matter what I say, no matter what I do, she refuses to let go of the idea that I was involved. And honestly? I’m getting tired of proving my innocence. But nothing could have prepared me for the shock I got this morning. Selene called me—early. Good thing I spent the night at the office. If I’d been home, Jess would have started nagging