Emily’s POVToday was the day. The grand opening of my studio, and I could hardly believe it was actually happening. I stood at the entrance, gazing at the sea of faces and the sparkling new sign above the door. The white letters gleamed against the navy blue background, Emily Thompson Couture — it felt surreal to see it come to life.My hands trembled slightly as I adjusted my dress. I’d chosen something simple yet elegant: a soft pink dress that complemented the mood of the day. The endless stream of congratulations from well-wishers and the buzz of excited potential clients had me floating on cloud nine.“Emily!” I turned to see Kayla making her way through the crowd, her smile as bright as ever. “You look amazing!”“Thanks, Kayla,” I replied, trying to match her enthusiasm. “I can’t believe how many people showed up.”Kayla’s eyes sparkled. “You’ve done an incredible job. I told everyone I know to come by. They’re all raving about your designs.”As she spoke, a pang of anxiety jab
Emily’s POVAntoine’s grin widened as our eyes met. “Emily,” he said smoothly, his tone both mocking and familiar. “I hear you’re quite the busy lady today.”I forced a tight smile, trying to appear calm. But inside, I was screaming with fear and dread. “Antoine. What a surprise.”He sauntered into the room, his gaze sweeping over the chaos of the busy studio. “I need a fitting for a very special suit, and I was told only you could handle it.”I glanced around, hoping someone would intervene, but the staff seemed absorbed in their tasks. “What kind of suit?” I asked, going along with his act because there were customers around. Antoine’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “A suit that I could wear when I return to France with my ex-wife, who’s going to be coming back with me.” Then he lowered his voice before adding, “Whether she likes it or not.”I gasped. Panic clenched my heart and fear spread throughout my limbs. I need to get out of here, escape from him as fast as I can. My eyes dar
Julia’s POVI settled on a bench across the street from Emily's new store. The grand opening was bustling with excitement; people in bright clothes, all smiles, gathered around her like moths to a flame. The nauseating happiness in the air made my skin crawl. The way they fawned over her, congratulating her on her success, made me want to vomit. The fact that Chris was likely among them, beaming with pride, only added fuel to the fire.My hands tightened around the newspaper I pretended to read, the thin paper crinkling under my grip. Every fiber of my being ached to strike, but on the surface, I was calm and composed, disguised as an old man. Henry doesn’t want me coming back here to the city, I thought, biting my lower lip and feeling just a tad guilty for having lied to him about where I was going. But the itch was back, that nagging whisper in the back of my mind, growing louder with every passing day. I had to see them again — Elijah, Sophia, and the rest of the gang. Every on
Emily’s POV“I’ll be back.” The echo of Antoine’s voice had kept haunting me for the past few days. His words were like shards of ice lodged in my mind, refusing to thaw. I remembered the last time I’d seen him—how he had made no scene, didn’t force me to go with him, but left a menacing promise hanging in the air. The way he looked at me, that cold detachment—it made my skin crawl.I let out a shaky breath and shuffled out of the hospital restroom, my swollen belly leading the way. “Calm down, Emily,” I told myself as I walked toward my doctor’s clinic. I needed to have my baby checked just to give me peace of mind, because I’ve been so stressed. The corridor was quieter than usual. My footsteps echoed against the tiled floor, and I tried to focus on anything but the spiraling anxiety inside me.Then, I heard footsteps behind me. They were faint at first, but as I continued walking, they grew louder. I didn’t turn around, assuming it was just another patient or staff member on thei
Emily’s POVI stirred from my slumber with my mind a huge jumble of foggy thoughts and fragmented images. My body felt heavy, and my chest ached as if I’d been holding my breath for too long. I tried to focus, but everything around me was just unclear. Then all of a sudden, everything came rushing back — the whole confrontation with Isabelle. But she was gone now, and I wasn’t sprawled out in a hallway. I was lying on some hospital bed. “Isabelle!” I croaked in a whisper. “I need to—”I wanted to report her so the police would know that she’d been here. But where the hell is my cellphone? I tried to sit up, but my whole body seemed to be in pain. I also had a very bad headache. I have to find Isabelle again! I thought with desperation. But then, as I slowly got up on the bed, I felt an intense pain in my abdomen. It felt like a steel band was tightening around my insides, gripping with unyielding pressure. “Aaaahhh!” I screamed as the pain worsened. “Help! Someone, please!” I cri
Sophia’s POVI breathed in slowly as Kayla and I made our way into the NICU. It was a world of tiny miracles, and right now, one of those miracles belonged to Emily. My heart pounded with a blend of anxiety and exhilaration. I couldn’t wait to see baby Jared, but I also worried about how Emily was holding up.Kayla gave my arm a supporting squeeze as we approached Jared's incubator. “It's going to be okay, Soph,” she whispered, her eyes moving over to the clear enclosure where a tiny bundle of life lay surrounded by tubes and wires. “Emily's a tough cookie, and Jared... well, he's a fighter.”I nodded, forcing a smile. We turned the corner, and there he was—Jared. My breath caught in my throat. He was so small, so fragile, but perfect in every way. His tiny little hands and feet, the soft flutter of his eyelashes... it was incredible.Emily was already there, standing beside the incubator with a look of pure adoration on her face. The exhaustion was still visible in her eyes, but ther
Sophia’s POVAntoine’s smug smile was even more infuriating in person, and the sight of him made my blood boil.“Going somewhere, Sophia?” he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery.I should have felt fear, terror even, knowing what he was capable of. But instead, a red-hot fury surged through me, eclipsing every other emotion. This was the man who had nearly destroyed Emily, who had hurt Elijah so badly, almost killing him. The audacity of him showing up here, of all places, set something off inside me.“Antoine,” I spat his name, taking a step closer without even thinking about it. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and I could feel my heart pounding with the adrenaline of my anger. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here after everything you’ve done.”He chuckled, clearly amused by my reaction. “And what exactly do you think you’re going to do about it, sweetheart?”The patronizing tone, the way he called me ‘sweetheart’—it only fueled my rage. I took another step forward,
Antoine’s POVI couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Sophia’s words hit me like a sledgehammer, and for the first time in a long while, I felt completely out of control. Isabelle had been feeding me information for weeks, feeding me lies. I formed my fists into tight balls, the rage within me building to a dangerous level.Isabelle had been contacting me frequently, always with something new to say about Emily. Her reports were consistent, always painting Emily in the worst possible light. She’d even sent me photos—ones that made my blood boil. Emily, cozying up to Chris, kissing him like she didn’t have a care in the world. It reminded me of that day at Elijah’s house when I caught them together. The way Chris looked at her, the way she smiled at him... it drove me mad.And then there was Elijah. Isabelle’s accusations about Emily’s supposed affair with him had been hard to swallow at first, but the photos made it impossible to ignore. Emily and Elijah, always together, even hugging