[Vivienne]My eyes hurt like hell, but I keep them open, not wanting to fall asleep in front of the police officer.“So, let me get this clear,” the man says, not looking even remotely interested. “You’re here to report a missing person—someone I’ve already told you isn’t worth reporting?” he looks at Anna, frowning. “Listen. I get that you’re worried, but this is just a waste of time. I know your neighborhood like the back of my hand. No boy ever goes missing there. They just leave home because they don’t give a crap anymore.”“You’re wrong,” Anna’s voice cracks as she fights to hold back the tears. “Javier isn’t like that. He’s a good boy. He keeps his head down, never causes trouble.”“Well, that’s what every family thinks,” the officer grunts, shifting his bulging belly, which is spilling out from between the gaping buttons of his shirt. “That their kid’s the best. That they do nothing wrong. Then, boom—they’re thieves, or worse. Stealing, messing around for kicks.”“How can you s
[Vivienne]“What the hell just happened?”Anna says, once we leave the police station and wait for Marcus to bring out the car.I chuckle. This girl is so damn innocent and adorable. I can’t believe she has been going through so much for so long and I didn’t even have a clue.I stuff my hands into the pockets of my jacket. “Someone got a good smack in the back, that’s what happened.”She nods, as if she understands, but the confused look stuck on her face tells me she doesn’t get it all.“Who was on the phone, though? Was it someone powerful? Wait,” her eyes widen. “Was it the president? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. I know Mr. Richardson has played golf with him a few times. There are pictures in his office. I even asked once about it and he confirmed that they were real.”I shake my head, still smiling. “No, Anna. It was not the president of the U.S. Though it surely helped to speed up the process.”She smiles, her cheeks growing red. “Sorry. I don’t know how any of this works.
[Vivienne]The next day, when I wake up, I wake up with a good feeling.I don’t know how to explain it, I just do. Even after one hell of a day yesterday—from going viral to almost being physically hurt—it all feels distant, like it happened eons ago, and therefore, doesn’t matter anymore.I shake myself out of my thoughts and get out of bed.An hour later, I’m ready to leave, planning to have breakfast at a nearby café. I grab my purse, lock the apartment, and take the elevator as soon as it arrives.It’s a five-minute walk, so I don’t bother calling Marcus. I take a slow stroll through the market, enjoying the morning rush. When I enter the café, the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee hits me in a way that makes my whole body vibrate.I smile to myself and slide into one of the empty booths. I’ll be having breakfast alone, but that’s fine. I need this calm and quiet after everything that’s been going on. I deserve some me-time.I grab a menu and skim through it, though I already kno
[Vivienne]I stare at him for a long moment, unable to decide if it’s a joke or if he’s being serious.Although considering my luck these past few days, I don’t have the slightest doubt that when it comes to me, things can go from good to worse faster than the speed of light.I try not to laugh at my fate. “And why exactly do you think my life’s in danger? Is it because of my recent fifteen minutes of fame, or am I just that irresistible?”I don’t mean to be sarcastic, but I can’t help it. My life seriously feels like a joke right now. The more I try to take control, the more out of control it gets.He tilts his head slightly. “By fifteen minutes of fame, are you referring to…?”It would be a miracle if he hadn’t seen those fake pictures. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”He nods, lips pressed together. “I suppose I misjudged what would be appropriate to bring up around you. My mistake. Please, accept my sincere apologies.”“Are you for real?” I let out a dry laugh.“Well, I
[Vivienne]“Lawrence & Sons?” I know I’m just repeating what he said, but I can’t help it.Out of all the places I could’ve imagined, Caden’s office building was the last one I’d expect.“Are you saying my fake nude pictures were uploaded from my ex-husband’s office?”“Well, if you put it like that…”I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Was Caden behind this? I mean, it’s his office we’re talking about here. How could something like this happen under his nose, and he wouldn’t even know about it? Is he involved? Is he…So many questions. Too many. But not a single answer. I’m just getting more and more confused.“Hey.” Alexander’s deep voice pulls me gently from my tangled thoughts. “You’re overthinking. It might not be your husband.”“Ex-husband,” I correct him, and he instantly lifts both hands in surrender.“That. Of course. My mistake.” He sets his coffee aside and takes my hand in his. “All I’m saying is, let’s not jump to conclusions. Let’s find out the whole truth first and then de
[Vivienne]The moment those words come out of his mouth, I turn around and walk away.“Ms Sinclair?” He yells behind me. “Come on, just listen to me once.”I don’t. How dare he suggest something like that? Sure, he helped me, and I’ll be eternally grateful, but this… this is crossing a line. His solution to my problem doesn’t feel like a solution—it feels like a whole new problem.I keep walking, muttering under my breath.When I reach my building, I tell the guard that if anyone comes to see me, send them away. He nods, and I head for the elevator.Stupid, stupid Alexander. I thought he was different. I should’ve known better. All men are the same. Assholes. Selfish. Well, except for Elijah, my dad, and my brother, of course. They’re good people. But the rest? Exactly what I said. Self-absorbed creatures with only one thing on their minds—how to make others miserable.I enter my apartment and lock the door. But I’ve barely made it halfway through the first room when the doorbell ring
[Vivienne]Now, what am I supposed to say to that?I swallow instead, thinking hard about how not to sound rude or, well, like an ass.“What happened?” I ask, wondering what might have happened in the short while. The last time I saw his mother, she looked fit as a fiddle.He stands from the couch and walks towards the window, peeking through the shut curtains. “Another episode. But this time it was worse than any of them before. She was out of control.”I nod, trying to understand. I still don’t know what kind of episode she must be having, but I suppose, that’s not important right now.“Why did you say she’s dying? It can’t be that bad,” Or could it be? Why would he say something so serious if it wasn’t true?“Except, it is,” he says, facing me, looking more defeated than I’ve ever seen him. “Her doctor says the next attack could be lethal. It might just kill her.”I can’t help but feel sorry for him. It must be devastating to know his mother could die at any moment. If it were my p
[Vivienne]“What the hell?” I blurt out, eyes wide with horror. “Why would she think that? And sure of it? What the hell does that even mean? Why would…why would you let her believe something like that?”So many questions. So many of them. I just can’t seem to find a rest, can I?But more than anything, why does it make me uncomfortable that he knows I’m pregnant? Everyone’s going to find out sooner or later. So why do I feel like I’m not ready yet?Alexander looks guilty as hell.“I wish I could tell you how it happened. One moment, she was talking about her paintings and how she’d like to try a new family portrait, and the next moment, she was talking about you and how the child you’re carrying will look like me when he’s older. She said she’d like to paint him, so when she’s gone, the child would have something to remember her by.”The fact that they have already decided on my child’s gender irritates me even more.“This is insane.”“Don’t mind her, please. She’s not in the right s
[Vivienne]I don’t know what else to do.The way he’s acting—so different from anything I’ve ever seen—I feel like the only way I’ll get through this is by getting the hell out of here.But there’s just one little problem.The way he insists on driving me home, I can’t shake the feeling that even if I reject his offer (which I already have, by the way), he won’t let it go. If my past experience with his stubbornness is any indication, he’s going to follow me. And if he doesn’t do it himself, he’ll hire someone to do it for him. He’s done it before—what’s to say he won’t do it again?And if I’m being honest, I’m not ready for him to know anything about me yet.There was a reason I moved to my grandparents’ place—to get through this pregnancy in peace.I glance at him now, his face etched with determination, and I feel a wave of frustration wash over my entire being. He’s not the same man I left behind—not completely, at least. There’s something softer in his expression, a crack in the
[Caden]Before I can even reach for her arm, she pushes her chair back and grabs her bag.“Are we done?” she asks, her tone distant, her gaze fixed anywhere but me. She doesn’t even want to look at me anymore.If this had been one of those times in the past—when things were easier, when she still loved me—I might have thrown a fit myself. I might have grabbed her arm, dragged her to the car, shoved her inside, and kissed her like she was the air I needed to breathe.Kiss her. God, it’s been so long since I felt her lips on mine. Too long. And who knows how long it’ll take me to convince her to come back home, to even give me a chance to touch her again. I’d do anything for her, but I know better now. I burned those bridges myself. I’ve been a jerk, an asshole, so utterly blind to her existence, that if it takes me an eternity to carve even the smallest fragment of love back into her heart, I’d deserve every second of that wait.But I don’t have that kind of time.I can’t let my child
[Caden]There’s so much I want to say—so many misunderstandings to clear.But I can tell she’s way too worked up to hear anything right now. If I even tried to explain anything, she’d probably blow a fuse.So, I do what I do best. I shut my mouth and keep it all in, reminding myself that the whole point of inviting her here is to have a calm and collected conversation—a meaningful one—and there’s no way I’m doing anything to make her think otherwise.When the hostess arrives, I release a relieved breath and lean back in my chair.“Let’s just order something. We can always continue this later.”For whatever reason, Vivienne looks at me as if I have lost it. Her big, brown eyes stare at me as if about to eat me alive. She mutters something under her breath, probably calling me names and all, before going back to the menu and ordering herself more than a few meals.After the hostess leaves, I turn to face her. “Are you going to be okay eating that much food?”She glares. “Do I look like
[Vivienne]I agree to ride with Caden, but not without having the biggest distance between us possible.We make it to the restaurant and he helps me out of the car.The restaurant is a little bit fancier than I imagined. It’s not some huge place, but still, it’s got a really nice vibe to it.As we enter the restaurant, there’s a short, plump woman in a suit standing there. Her blonde hair is pulled into a low bun and she smiles as we approach.“Welcome,” the woman greets, giving us a small bow.“Table for two,” Caden replies.“Yes, this way, please.”The hostess leads us to a table and pulls out the chair for me, which I accept gratefully.I take my seat, and Caden follows, the hostess handing us each a menu before leaving.“What do you want to have?” he asks, as if this is some normal, everyday thing for us, instead of him practically forcing me to come here.“Doesn’t matter.”“Come on. There must be something you like. Order anything you feel like. I promise I won’t judge.”He says
[Vivienne]“Look at that tiny hand, saying hi,” the doctor says with a smile, as we go through the anomaly scan of my baby.I can’t help but smile, the feeling so natural—so pure—my eyes almost water.“It’s beautiful,” I mumble to myself, looking at the screen. “Is the baby healthy?”The doctor shifts the probe slightly, the screen flickering with new images of my baby, who seems so small yet so full of life.“Yes, everything looks good so far,” the doctor replies, her tone reassuring. “The baby is developing perfectly.”Relief floods through me, and I exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My hands instinctively rest on my belly, a silent connection to the tiny being growing inside me.“Do you want to know the gender?” she asks, her eyes kind.I hesitate for a moment, glancing at the screen. The idea of knowing feels both exciting and overwhelming, like unwrapping a gift too soon.“No,” I finally say, shaking my head. “I think I’ll wait. I want it to be a surprise.”The doct
[Sasha]“No!” she says stubbornly, her brows furrowing. “How can you even think about it? Absolutely not. You’re not bringing any harm to the child, Sasha. You just can’t. I know it’s hard right now, but that doesn’t mean you should do something so rash.”“I know you don’t want to hear it, but what choice do I have?” I choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t have any money left. So, instead of starving the baby to death, wouldn’t it be better if we just… let it go?”I cry harder, my tears soaking the sleeve of my shirt.Mrs. Lawrence gets up from the couch, pacing the hall as if trying to think of something.She turns to face me almost immediately. “Alright, here’s what I think.”
[Sasha]I can’t believe I’m back here.After everything this family has done to ignore me, to ensure I never received a single penny from them, I’m still here, hoping for some help.Never in my life did I think I’d be in a position where I’d have to beg for my next meal. But here I am, and it’s the only option I have left. After selling the company and using half of the money to pay off the loan shark, and the other half to cover Dad’s hospital bills and pay the overdue salaries of employees we’d kept waiting for years, it wasn’t surprising that I was left with absolutely nothing.It doesn’t help that my idiot brother, Arthur, is nowhere to be found. Ever since he was released from the hospital and learned what I had to do to get rid of the jerk he borrowed from, he’s completely disappeared.Damn it. If I see him next time, I swear to God, I’m going to kill him.“How long is this going to take?” I ask, standing up from the couch as I spot one of the maids of the Lawrence residence pas
[Vivienne]“Where are you? You were supposed to be here hours ago,” I say over the phone, carefully walking down the stairs per the doctor’s instructions during my last visit.“On my way, I swear. Just got caught up in a call and couldn’t put it off,” Rosita says huffing, and not at all sounding as if she’s in a car.I reach the end of the stairs, frowning. “Have you even left? Please be honest with me.”“Of course,” she says as a matter of fact, but then right after a moment, she blurts out. “Actually, no.”Before I even respond to that, she rushes to explain. “Before you get mad, just hear me out. I swear I was leaving, I was almost ready to leave the house, get into my car, and reach you, but then…then someone came over and it seemed like urgent. And I could have told you all about that but…but…but…”“Hey, hey, hey,” I laugh. “Calm down, Ro. You’re making me sound like some tyrannical friend or something. It’s fine, really. The only reason I asked you to come over is because you sa
[Caden]Since our last meeting at the courthouse, I decided to keep my distance from Vivienne.A few weeks have passed now, and I think it’s enough time and space she might have needed to get used to the new reality of our lives—the kind of reality where she sees me around more often. The kind of reality where she allows me to be there for her and our child.“Excuse me, sir,” Betty Adams—my assistant—pulls me out of my thoughts.I look up to find her standing at the door. “The meeting starts in five.”The meeting. Of course. My last task of the day. After this, I’ll be free to visit Vivienne.Speaking of which—I get up from my chair, reaching for my suit jacket. “Did you find Vivienne’s new address?”I hear footsteps behind me. “About that…”When it feels like she’s going to leave it at that, I turn around, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“I mean, I tried, sir.”She must be out of her mind. “Well, clearly, you haven’t tried hard enough.”“But, sir—”“Leave it.”I walk past h