Elijah’s POVLooking at Sophia's back as she fled into the apartment building, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the last few days pressing down on me. The wonderful, intimate, wild moments we'd shared seemed to replay in my mind, each memory a vivid flash that made my heart ache with longing. God, how I want to be with her again, to feel the warmth of her body and see that spark in her eyes! The thought of it made me chuckle and shake my head in disbelief. Of all the things that could happen, this unexpected reunion had to be the funniest and most unexpected twist life had thrown at me in a long time.Just as I was about to leave, I noticed a small figure near Sophia's apartment. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the little girl—Reese. She held a stuffed toy in her hand, and was skipping along the sidewalk. What’s she doing here? My curiosity piqued, and a sense of protectiveness surged within me. I got out of the car and walked over to her. “Hey, Reese?” I called sof
Elijah’s POVI pinched Reese's tiny nose gently, causing her to giggle. “It's too late to take you without your family's permission,” I said, trying to sound serious, but her infectious laughter made it difficult.Reese's eyes widened with determination. “Mommy will say yes! Promise!” she declared, her voice high and full of confidence. Before I could react, she wriggled out of my arms, darted to the nanny's side, and snatched the phone from her hand.“Reese, wait—” the nanny started, but Reese was already trying to navigate the screen with her chubby fingers.“I'll call Mommy and ask!” Reese insisted, her face scrunched up in concentration. The nanny, looking slightly exasperated but quite a little shocked, gently took the phone back from Reese.“Sweetie, there's no need for that,” the nanny said softly. “Remember, I'm your mommy's sister.”I looked at her in surprise. “Yes, sir, I am,” she reiterated. “But still, her mother will worry if we go with a stranger.”“I want to go!” Rees
Elijah’s POVI exchanged a quick glance with Serena, a silent conversation passing between us. Reese was smiling so brightly, her little face lighting up with joy. “Mommy’s work!” she exclaimed, pointing to the design on the desk. “Look at that smile,” Serena exclaimed. She stared at the little girl, seemingly scrutinizing her. “She looks just like Sophia.”I nodded, my throat tightening. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking that for some time now. So it’s not surprising that I’m not the only one who thinks so.”Serena walked over to Reese and crouched down to her level. “Hello again, sweetie,” she said softly. “Why are you excited about that design?”Reese beamed up at her and then pointed to the design again. “Mommy made this,” she declared proudly.My heart pounded wildly. A little girl can’t possibly lie like that, right? This could really be Sophia’s daughter!Serena stared at Reese with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. It was a fake, strained smile that made something twist in my gut.
Sophia’s POVMy heart swelled at the sight of my little girl entering the apartment. But I held back, unsure if she was still upset with me for being away on business the past few days. Instead of rushing to her, I took a moment to collect myself and observe.She didn't run to me. That was the first sign something was wrong. Reese was usually so excited to see me, her little legs carrying her as fast as they could into my arms. But this time, she sat on the sofa with her eyes downcast. As I got closer, I noticed the telltale shimmer of tears clinging to her lashes.“Reese?” I said gently, touching her arm. She looked up at me, and my heart broke at the sight of her red-rimmed eyes. “Sweetie, what's wrong?”Her bottom lip quivered. But before she could answer, her nanny stepped in. “Ms. Sophia, I should explain,” she said, her tone apologetic. “There was a bit of an incident today.”My eyes widened with concern. “What happened?”“It was that man again from the park. Elijah.”My heart
Elijah’s POVI came home late that night, the exhaustion of the day's work settling into my bones. But I couldn’t stop thinking about Reese, picturing her cute little smile and hearing her adorable voice. The house was dark and quiet. I hung my coat on the rack and made my way to my study, craving a few moments of solitude before heading to bed.I sat down heavily in my chair, staring at a file on my desk that seemed to taunt me with its presence. I'd hired a detective to look into Reese, and now the results were staring back at me, demanding attention.I opened the file and flipped through the pages, each piece of information making my heart beat faster. Reese had been born in France, and the date of birth matched perfectly with the timeline when Sophia was pregnant. The pieces fit together in a way that made too much sense, yet still seemed surreal.“Reese looks like Sophia,” Serena had commented earlier today. “It's not just you, Elijah.”I rubbed my temples, trying to make sense
Sophia’s POVJust as I was about to open my mouth to speak to Elijah, I heard a familiar voice calling my name. “Hey, Sophia, it’s a good thing you came to work!” When I turned around to see who it was, I was surprised to find Trevis there, together with Chris. “Hey, man,” Trevis greeted Elijah. Chris also shook Elijah’s hand.“Uh, I’m sorry but I can’t stay long,” I announced, looking uncomfortable. I had been ready to divulge something important to Elijah, but it will have to wait. I guess it’s not yet meant to be. “But I thought we were supposed to talk about something important?” Elijah wondered. I gulped, and then forced myself to smile. “Oh, that. Uh, I just wanted to consult something regarding the project. But we can do it some other time. And I only came here to grab some files from my office, but I have to go now.”Trevis stepped forward. “Wait, don’t go yet, Sophia. Chris needs to talk to you.”I turned to Chris curiously. I don’t think we’ve ever been introduced forma
Sophia’s POVI stared at Elijah in shock, unable to believe what I had just heard. I’d always thought before that he favored Julia over me. Elijah stood firm, his jaw set in a way that brooked no argument. “No, Sophia,” he repeated, “I won’t agree to Chris using Julia’s name for your work.” Then he turned his gaze toward Chris disapprovingly. “What kind of request is that, anyway?”Before Chris could respond, though, Elijah went on, raising his voice just a little bit and showing his emotions. “Besides, Julia has hurt Sophia before because of that plagiarism issue. This is just unacceptable. I don’t want Sophia to deal with similar problems again. And also, it won’t be good for Urban Next if any of it comes out. Right, Trevis?”Trevis, standing off to the side, looked just as surprised as I felt. “Of course!” He immediately agreed with Elijah. Then he said, “Chris, are you serious? This is insulting to a designer, especially one of Sophia’s caliber.”Chris shifted uncomfortably, his
Elijah’s POV“Do you know Reese Davis?” I asked Sophia once more, intent on finding out the truth from her. Sophia’s eyes widened, the shock evident on her face. She seemed to brace herself against the counter, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the edge. “So you've found out already about Reese...” she said slowly, her voice almost a whisper. She didn’t even bother to deny it or to lie. Maybe she came here in the first place to really tell me about our daughter. I nodded. “I know she was born in France about three years ago. This was the time you would have given birth, if you hadn’t really… If you had not gone to the hospital and…” I swallowed hard, pushing through the lump in my throat as I remembered the pain of finding out she’d terminated the pregnancy. I couldn’t even make myself say it. I took a deep breath and continued, “And I know that Reese and your best friend Kayla share the last name Davis.”Sophia’s eyes darted away from mine, her face pale. She looked very guil
Sophia’s POVA hush of golden light slipped through the curtains, draping the room in warmth and calm. It felt like the kind of morning that only came after surviving the storm.Weeks had passed since the chaos faded, and for once, the quiet didn’t feel temporary—it felt earned. I stirred slowly, eyes drifting open to find Elijah beside me, his hand resting lightly over mine. I studied him in the silence, taking in the softened edges of a man who’d carried us through fire and finally found peace.I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. His eyes fluttered open, and when they focused on me, he smiled sleepily."Morning," he murmured."Morning," I whispered back, letting my fingers trace the line of his jaw. "Can you believe we actually get to wake up like this? No chaos, no danger—just us."He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. "I could get used to this."Just as I was about to say something, the door burst open."Mommy! Daddy!" Reese called out, followed quickly by Roxy an
Elijah’s POVWe weaved through the cracked streets, deeper into a part of the city that felt like time had forgotten it. Boarded-up windows, rusted signage, buildings collapsing in on themselves. This was the kind of place where ghosts lingered, and today, we were chasing one of them."We’re close," Joe muttered from the front seat, his eyes scanning the GPS on his phone. "This is the last possible location that fits Hugo's hideouts."Antoine sat beside me in the back, silent but focused. His jaw was tight, hands clenched. I still didn’t know if I fully trusted him, but I couldn’t deny this: he was here, risking his neck like the rest of us. And right now, I’d take any edge we could get.I have to find Grandpa George. For Sophia.When we pulled up to the burned-out remains of what once looked like a chapel, a chill shot down my spine. The stone structure still stood, half-charred, the wooden beams above blackened and skeletal. Nature had tried to reclaim it—vines curling around scorch
Elijah’s POV“Sophia…”Her name was the only thing in my mind as I stormed through the decaying hallway, boots slamming against rotting wood, gun drawn. My pulse thundered in my ears. The floor creaked beneath every step, but I didn’t slow down. I couldn’t.Joe and his men fanned out behind me, covering corners, checking every room.We were running out of time.Then—A scream.My heart nearly stopped. It was her.I charged forward, slamming my shoulder into the door at the end of the hall. It burst open—and I saw red.Morgana was on the ground, gasping for air as Hugo’s hand squeezed her throat, and across the room, Sophia was trying to drag herself toward them, her face pale and streaked with tears.“NO!” I shouted, and without hesitation, I raised my gun.Hugo turned just as I fired.The bullet tore through his shoulder. He howled, stumbling back and releasing Morgana, who crumpled to the floor, coughing violently.I crossed the room in three strides and tackled Hugo before he could
Sophia’s POVThe first thing I felt was cold.A biting chill that wrapped around my arms and legs like a second set of restraints. Then came the pressure—tight, scratchy ropes cutting into my wrists. My head pounded like a drum, fog thick behind my eyes. Everything smelled like mildew and dust.My eyes struggled to make sense of the shadows.The room was dim, lit only by a weak bulb overhead that flickered like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to stay on. I was on a metal chair, hands tied behind my back, ankles secured to the legs. The air tasted stale and old, like the walls had been sealed off from the world for decades.Panic bloomed in my chest.My brother Chris. What had become of him?I jerked forward, straining against the ropes. “Chris!” I called, my voice hoarse and raw. “Where is he?!”I noticed some movement in the darkness. A shadow stirred in the corner of the room. I froze as a figure stepped out into the light. Tall. Gray-streaked beard. Sunken eyes like old coals. A d
Sophia’s POV“This is insane,” Elijah muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. “We’re relying on Antoine to lead us to Hugo. Does no one else see how crazy that is?”Joe, who had been checking messages on his phone, barely looked up. “We don’t have another choice.”I watched Elijah pace the room, his frustration clear. He wasn’t wrong, but I knew that if there was even the smallest chance of finding Grandpa George, we had to take it.Joe sighed and turned to Antoine. “You sure you can make him bite?”Antoine shrugged. “I know Hugo. He’s a cockroach—he won’t go down without a fight. But if he thinks his last hiding spot is compromised, he’ll make a move. That’s when we strike.”Elijah muttered something under his breath, but I didn’t catch it. Joe’s phone buzzed. As he studied the screen, he said, “We got something. Two possible locations.”Elijah straightened. “Then let’s move.”They all hurried out, and I had the sudden, overwhelming urge to call Elijah back—to make sure he’d pick up
Sophia’s POVMy mother sat on the couch, clutching Grandma Evelyn’s hands, trying to calm her down. My father stood near the window, staring out into the darkness, his face pale and unreadable.Chris and Connor were huddled over a laptop at the dining table, analyzing security footage.Joe was already there, speaking into his phone, barking orders to his contacts.But no one had any answers yet.And Grandpa George was still missing.I turned to my grandmother, kneeling in front of her. “Grandma—did you see anything? Anyone suspicious? A car, a stranger?”Her red-rimmed eyes filled with fresh tears as she shook her head. “No… nothing. I don’t know how this happened.” Her voice broke. “George was just in his study… and then he was gone.”Elijah placed a hand on my shoulder, grounding me, but I could feel the rage simmering beneath his calm exterior. He wasn’t just worried—he was furiousJust then, Chris snapped his fingers at the screen. “We’ve got something.”Connor turned the laptop t
Sophia’s POVWe had been trying to track down both Antoine and Hugo, but they had vanished like ghosts.No leads. No sightings. Nothing.Lucas had called me earlier, still searching, still digging. Even Elijah and his contacts have been working doubly hard. But so far, they’d come up empty too. It was frustrating—knowing the danger was out there, lurking, waiting for the right moment to strike.But tonight…Tonight, we weren’t going to think about it.Tonight, we were here to celebrate.After all, Lila and Adrian’s joint concert was finally happening. This was their moment, their dream unfolding before them.And for the first time in what felt like forever, we were all together, enjoying something good.Kayla was everywhere at once, her headset on, clipboard in hand, barking last-minute instructions into her earpiece. She was stressed, frantic… but glowing. Even though there could have been other people to take care of all this from her company, she wanted to be in charge, to personal
Emily’s POV“Walk away, Hugo,” Antoine said sharply, stepping in front of us as if to shield us from the strange man.The name triggered a memory.Chris had mentioned it just yesterday—Hugo Tournier. Suddenly, I remembered. It’s the name Sophia and Elijah had been trying to track down. The man who had supposedly changed Sophia’s life forever.And now he’s here. Why?!My hands instinctively balled up as my heart slammed against my ribs. Could this really be the same man?Hugo’s expression darkened with satisfaction as he took another step, exuding an air of quiet arrogance.“Well, well,” he drawled, his voice smooth but laced with something sinister. “You’re not as fun outside of prison, Antoine.”Phoebe’s grip on my wrist tightened. “Emily, let’s go,” she muttered under her breath.I wanted to. Every instinct screamed at me to turn and leave. But I couldn’t—not yet.Hugo came forward, his eyes staring straight at me. He gave a low chuckle, mocking. “It’s interesting to meet Sabrina Ba
Emily’s POVI refused to flinch. Even as Antoine stood in front of me, blocking my way, I forced my body to stay still, to stay firm.I squared my shoulders, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. “Move.”Antoine didn’t budge. His gaze shifted between me and Phoebe, like he wasn’t sure if I’d actually listen or turn and run.“I’m not here to fight,” he said, his voice calm. “I just want to talk.”Phoebe’s grip on my arm tightened, and her anger was immediate, sharp.“Oh, hell no,” she snapped. “What are you even doing here? Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”I inhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. I wasn’t going to let him see me feeling nervous or affected by him. Antoine exhaled, his face unreadable. “I just wanted to talk.”Phoebe laughed coldly. “Talk? You took Jared, Antoine. Without permission. Do you have any idea what you put us through?”“I know,” he admitted. “I made a mistake.”Phoebe scoffed. “A mistake?”I stepped forward, my gaze hardening. “Please, Antoine.