NORA'S POV
I was shocked and for a heartbeat, all I could do was stare at my phone, my heart pounding in my chest.
“You there Eleanora?” The voice was unmistakable, deep and commanding.
William Bennett. A man who had once been a towering figure of respect and admiration in my life, almost like the father I had always wanted. I could practically see his steely blue eyes and the way his mere presence could command a room. As a child, I had idolized him, as had every boy in the Bennett family who aspired to be like him. Genevieve had been adored by him, treated like royalty, the beloved princess of their empire. I remember
SAM'S POVThe boardroom buzzed faintly as my father held the phone to his ear, his face unreadable. He was speaking to Nora. Every fiber of my being wanted to snatch the phone from him, but William Bennett didn’t tolerate interruptions, not even from his son.“Eleanora,” he said again, his voice firm but laced with a practiced charm. “You’re in Paris, I take it?”I could hear the faint sound of her voice through the receiver, soft and hesitant. My chest tightened painfully.“Yes,&rdquo
NORA'S POV The apartment was quiet, the kind of silence that bore down on me, heavy and oppressive, you could have heard a pin drop. I stood in the middle of the room, my hands clasped tightly in front of me, trying to steady my breathing. My mother sat on the edge of the couch, her expression unreadable, while Daniel leaned casually against the wall, his arms crossed, watching me like he was trying to figure out what I was about to say.This is it, I thought, bracing myself. This is the moment I decide.Before I could speak, my phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table, cutting through the silence like a knife. I frowned, reaching fo
SAM'S POVThe drive home was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Nora leaned against the window, her fingers absentmindedly brushing over her stomach. The image tugged at something deep inside me—love, protectiveness, a desperate need to make everything right. I hadn’t felt this much clarity in a long time.When we arrived at the penthouse, I watched her expression carefully as I held the door open for her. She paused, her gaze sweeping over the familiar space. “It feels… like I have been gone for long,” she murmured.I smiled. “Maybe because you have…
NORA'S POV The guest room was comfortable, but I couldn’t sleep. I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts tangled in a web of doubts and emotions. The memory of Sam’s face, the tenderness in his eyes when he showed me the nursery, lingered in my mind. It had taken every ounce of strength I had to leave him tonight, to stay in this room instead of crossing the hallway and curling up beside him.I tossed and turned, fluffing the pillow, pulling the covers up, then kicking them off. Sleep wouldn’t come. Every minute felt like an hour, and the quiet hum of the house only made my restlessness worse.When my phone buzzed on
SAM'S POV The chaos in my head mirrored the speed of the car as Jacob and I raced through the city streets to the hospital. Nora’s head lolled slightly against my shoulder, her face pale and her breathing uneven. My arms tightened around her instinctively, as if sheer will could protect her and the baby from whatever danger we’d just been thrown into.“Faster, Jacob,” I barked, my voice hoarse and urgent.Jacob didn’t reply, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel, weaving through traffic with reckless precision. By the time we screeched to a stop at the hospital entrance, my heart felt like
NORA'S POV “What is he doing here?” Sam’s voice was cold, each word laced with a sharp edge that cut through the tense atmosphere of the room.I turned my head toward the door, my stomach tightening at the sight of Daniel standing there, hesitant but firm. He looked out of place in the room, his tailored suit clashing with the sterile white walls of the hospital. His eyes darted between me and Sam, unsure of his place in this chaotic tableau, and for a moment, I wished he hadn’t come at all.Why was he here? My heart sank as unease prickled at the e
NORA'S POV William’s eyes, though tired, bore into mine with the intensity of someone who had seen too much. His grip on my hand was firm, grounding me despite the storm of emotions swirling within me. I hadn’t been alone with him like this since before the divorce. It was unnerving, but there was also a strange comfort in his presence.“Nora,” he began, his voice rough yet steady, “tell me the truth. How did you get involved with Milo Romano?”My stomach twisted at the mention of that name. “I… it was a mistake,” I stammered, trying to gather my thoughts. “I thought I was helping Sam. Milo promised an opportunity, but it was all a lie.”William’s lips pressed into a thin line, his silence more intimidating than his words. “A lie,” he echoed softly, leaning back against his pillows. “Milo Romano isn’t just some grifter. He’s a predator. And predators don’t just lie—they manipulate. He couldn’t have done this alone.”“What do you mean?” I asked, my throat tightening.His gaze didn’t w
SAM'S POV The sterile scent of the hospital lingered in the air as I stood in the hallway outside my father’s room, gathering my thoughts. Genevieve’s words replayed in my mind, sharp and damning. “Dad has suspicions about someone in the family betraying us.”Pushing open the door, I stepped inside. William’s eyes met mine, calm but calculating, as if he’d been expecting me.“We need to talk,” I said, my voice low but firm.He gestured toward the chair by his bedside, but I remained standing. “Go on then,” he said, his tone neutral.I took a breath, trying to steady the storm brewing in my chest. “Genevieve told me about your suspicions,” I began, my gaze unyielding. “You think someone in the family is working with the Morettis. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”My father exhaled slowly, as if tired of the weight of it all. “Because it’s a suspicion, Sam. Nothing more. And suspicions can destroy families if wielded carelessly.”“I have my own suspicions Dad, you should have told me…”
NORA’S POVThe sun bathed the Bennett estate in a golden glow, filtering through the canopy of white roses and twinkling fairy lights. It was the perfect day, the kind of day that had once seemed impossible. But here we were. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the delicate lace sleeve of my gown. It was nothing like the dress I had once imagined wearing for my first wedding to Sam. No, this was something entirely different—something that felt more like me. The gown hugged my frame, elegant and timeless. Soft ivory fabric cascaded down in delicate layers, embroidered with tiny pearls that shimmered when I moved. My hair, styled in loose waves, was pinned back with a single white rose, and a sheer veil trailed behind me like something out of a dream. But it was Sam’s face I longed to see the most. "Are you ready?" Genevieve appeared in the doorway, looking radiant in a soft emerald gown. Her usual sharpness was softened by the emotion in her eyes. I turned, feeling my he
NORA’S POVThe moment the plane touched down in New York, a flood of emotions surged through me. Relief. Exhaustion. Gratitude. I was alive. I was going home. Sam held my hand the entire drive from the airport, his grip firm yet tender, like he was afraid that if he let go, I’d disappear. My heart ached with anticipation; my mind consumed by a single thought—Zoe. I had spent weeks away from my daughter, missing the warmth of her tiny body against mine, the sweet scent of her skin, the sound of her giggles. The separation had been unbearable, and now, every second that kept me from holding her felt like
SAM’S POVThe fluorescent hospital lights hummed softly above me as I lay in the hospital bed, the sharp scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. I had never been afraid of pain—I had endured beatings, betrayals, and the weight of an entire empire on my shoulders. But this? This was different. Because this time, it wasn’t about me. It was about her. Nora. She lay in the bed
NORA’S POVThe beeping of machines was a constant rhythm, a reminder of the fragile line I was walking. The Parisian hospital room was bathed in soft golden light from the setting sun, but I felt cold. Not the kind of cold that came from the air conditioning or the evening breeze slipping through the cracks in the window—this was deeper, bone-deep, a chilling awareness that my body was failing me. Every breath felt like a borrowed one, shallow and effortful. The weight of exhaustion pressed down on me, heavier than it had ever been. My fingers tingled, my limbs felt distant, like they didn’t belong to me anymore. A part of me wondered if this was it—if I was already standing on the precipice between life and d
SAM'S POV The jet sliced through the cloud cover with the precision of a predator on a hunt, its hum a constant in the background as my thoughts drifted. Paris was just hours away, but I was already a prisoner of the distance—caught between two worlds, neither of which felt truly mine anymore.I had fought wars before, faced battles in boardrooms and beneath the weight of expectations. But none of those had ever felt so personal, so destructive. This fight had torn apart the very fabric of my family, shattered everything I had worked for, and left scars on my soul that would never fully heal. And the worst part? It had nearly cost me Nora—the one person I couldn’t afford to lose.
JACOB'S POVThe courtroom had emptied, but I remained frozen in my seat. The sound of the gavel still echoed in my ears. Life in prison. Isabella was gone.I watched as the guards led her away. She didn’t cry. She didn’t beg. She didn’t even look at me.She only turned once, just before disappearing through the doors, and for a fleeting moment, I saw it—regret. But it wasn’t for what she had done. It was for losing.I exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over my face. Was this how it was all supposed to
SAM'S POV The boardroom was suffocating, thick with tension and the scent of expensive cologne and polished wood. New York’s most powerful investors sat around the long mahogany table, their sharp eyes locked on me. Margot Moretti sat at the far end, composed as ever, but I could see the cracks beginning to show.For the past two hours, I had been fighting for control of what was left of my father’s empire. The Morettis had leveraged Aunt Marion’s shares and were dangerously close to tipping th
NORA'S POVThe hospital room was eerily silent except for the rhythmic beeping of the monitors and the quiet hum of the machines keeping me tethered to this world. The walls were painted in soft, sterile white, and the air smelled faintly of antiseptic. I had spent countless hours in this bed, staring at the ceiling, counting the tiles, trying to ignore the way my body felt weaker with each passing day.But today was different. Today, the doctors would begin the experimental treatment—the last chance I had.Sam was pacing. He had been pacing for the last twenty minutes,
SAM'S POV The Paris clinic was quiet, almost unnervingly so. The soft hum of machines filled the room as Nora slept peacefully, her breathing steady but shallow. I sat in the corner of her room, the faint glow of my laptop illuminating the stack of documents Alaric had sent over that morning.Balancing the weight of the Bennett empire and being here for Nora felt impossible, but I had no choice.The reports from New York weren’t promising. Despite the rise in stock prices following Alaric’s press conference, the Morettis