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 POV Sam’s voice was low, cutting through the tense air. “Who leaked it?”Genevieve’s answer was immediate. “Evelyn.”The name hit me like a physical blow. Evelyn, Daniel’s cousin. My mind immediately jumped back to the last time I saw her—at the airport with Genevieve. And before that, at her dance studio, the very place I had stumbled into Daniel after our separation. Evelyn had made it clear she had no love for me then, and now she’d escalated her vendetta.&ldquo
SAM'S POVThe Harrington estate sprawled out like a glittering monument to excess. Inside, the ballroom was ablaze with golden lights and the low hum of murmured conversations. But I wasn’t in the mood to admire the opulence or bask in the privilege of the evening. My mind was elsewhere, my nerves taut with frustration and a simmering jealousy I couldn’t seem to tamp down.I stood near the grand staircase, scanning the crowd. Somewhere in this mass of people was Daniel’s elusive cousin, Evelyn. She was the one link we had to the Morettis’ connection to the Bennett family, and every minute she stayed hidden felt like a personal failure.Daniel was here, of course, and his easy charm made him impossible to miss. He flitted between small groups, laughing, clinking glasses, and talking to women. None of them seemed to be Evelyn. I checked my watch for the third time, wondering when Genevieve and Nora would arrive.And then I saw her.She descended the staircase with Genevieve beside her,
NORA'S POV The music had resumed, but my world hadn’t stopped spinning. My face burned with humiliation as I stormed out of the ballroom, each step echoing the harsh sting of Isabella’s words. My baby bump felt heavier than ever, and I instinctively placed a hand over it, as if shielding my child from the weight of my turmoil.I pushed open the restroom door and leaned against the sink, my hands trembling. The bright lights reflected back a version of me I barely recognized—frazzled, hurt, and teetering on the edge. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to steady my breathing, when the restroom door creaked open behind me.I glanced up in the mirror and stiffened. Daniel stood in the doorway, his expression soft but determined. “You shouldn’t be here,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.“I know,” he replied, stepping inside the small lounge area of the restroom. “But I need to make sure you’re okay.”I turned to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t need you to
SAM'S POV I stood watching Nora walk away, everything collapsing in my brain into a suffocating loop. I would never win her back or solve this mystery. I stood there frustrated and my body frigid with shock and hurt. She was leaving. Again.The ballroom’s glittering lights and hushed murmurs felt distant, muted beneath the pounding in my head. My mind veered to the conversation I overheard on the balcony—casual admissions of murder, veiled threats, and the nauseating implication that someone in my family was involved.Genevieve appeared beside me, her face pale, her expression tight with urgency. “Evelyn just left,
NORA'S POV The moment I flagged down the taxi outside the Harrington gala, tears began to blur my vision. My chest felt tight, constricted, as if the weight of everything—the fight with Isabella, the tension with Sam, and Daniel’s confession—had finally become too much. I leaned my head against the cool window as the cab sped through the city, my thoughts a chaotic tangle of frustration and heartbreak.By the time I reached Genevieve’s loft, my tears had dried, but the ache in my chest remained. The familiar coziness of the loft greeted me as I unlocked the door and stepped inside, but instead of comfort, I felt a strange emptiness settle over me.
SAM'S POV The sterile air of the hospital room felt heavier than usual as I stood beside my father’s bed. He was propped up, his face still pale from the ordeal, but his sharp eyes remained the same. For someone who had just narrowly escaped death, he looked remarkably composed.I, on the other hand, felt anything but.“Evelyn Caradelli,” I began, my voice firm but tinged with frustration. “She’s connected to the Caradellis
NORA'S POVSam had barely left to visit William when the thought struck me like a thunderclap: I can’t wait anymore.Pacing the living room wasn’t helping, and neither was Genevieve’s well-meaning attempt to distract me with talk of our growing security concerns. None of it mattered right now. There were too many unanswered questions, and they all pointed in one direction—my mother.“I’m going to see her,” I said aloud, surprising even myself.
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