Dad nods, as if agreeing with every word Mom said.“You should have married Sasha. You two would make a perfect pair. Not like that Vivienne, who’s a scheming manipulator. I always warned you not to marry her, and I still firmly believe you would’ve been much better off with someone like Sasha. Sasha knows you inside out, has been a part of our lives for years, understands your every whim and desire.”“It’s better late than never,” Mom adds. “Now that the divorce is underway, I’m sure Sasha is available. Why don’t you take her out on a date? Try to get to know her better. Perhaps you’ll discover a genuine connection, someone who truly appreciates you for who you are.”Dad nods.“I agree. Give it a go. Take her on a few dates. Maybe you will learn to appreciate her for the sincere person she really is.”“It’s a good plan. Do it.”I listen to the two of them plotting and making suggestions while I’m in the room. I shake my head and stand up, already feeling exhausted and frustrated by t
[Vivienne]“Madam, you’ll have to come with us,” one of the guards says, pointing to a room in the back, but I don’t dare budge from where I stand.This is insane. I can’t help but snap at this idiotic woman. “What the hell is your problem?”Sasha gasps, hand on her chest. “I’m just telling everyone the truth. I saw you trying to keep it in your purse.”The customers around us start whispering again, louder this time, and I close my eyes, praying for some patience.The guard turns to me again. “It won’t take long, madam. We will just do a quick search.”“But I don’t have the rings,” I tell him, glaring at Sasha. “I never stole anything. You can check the display; the rings should be where they are meant to be. This is ridiculous. I’m not letting anyone touch me.”The guard seems to be hesitating, but before he can make up his mind, I turn back around to face Sasha.“Look, I understand we have issues, but you don’t have to be such a bitch about it. Why are you making a scene here? What
“What’s going on here?” A deep voice rings throughout the store, drawing everyone’s attention to the man who just joined us.At the sight of the man who appeared, everyone falls silent. The guards straighten, and the manager rushes forward to meet him halfway. “Sir, this woman stole one of our pieces and refuses to cooperate with our investigation.”The man looks around as if searching for someone. “Which one is the culprit?”“That woman, sir,” the guard answers, pointing a finger at me.The man sighs, slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants. I’m not blind to the fact that Sasha suddenly looks more cautious, tucking her loose hair behind her ears and fixing her top as if trying to make an impression on the new person in the room.She steps forward. “I saw her stealing those rings with my own eyes. Your guards can’t find them in her purse, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have them hidden somewhere on her. You should search her.”The man frowns, glancing from her to the securi
[Vivienne]I rush into his arms, feeling the tension melt away as he holds me tightly. “I missed you, Harvey.”“I missed you too, kiddo,” he replies, giving me a reassuring squeeze before stepping back to look at me. “Are you okay? That must have been pretty stressful. I’m so sorry that you have to go through that.”“I’m fine now,” I smile up at him, feeling truly blessed to have a big brother like him. “But what are you doing here? I thought you were busy. At least, that’s what the receptionist said.”“I was, but I had to cut my meeting short when I heard about the situation,” he explains, his expression growing serious. “I couldn’t let this go unchecked.”“Thank you for stepping in. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”“Anything for you,” he says with a warm smile, handsome as ever. “Now, let’s get you out of here and go grab some coffee. We need to catch up.”We leave for his office and all this while Harvey keeps a protective arm around me, probably letting everyone k
[Vivienne]Harvey looks at me as if he’s looking at me for the first time, before he scoffs out a soft chuckle.“Are you serious? Who doesn’t know Jasper Sterling? He’s the star designer of my company. The guy is a freaking genius. I mean, every time I think he has reached the peak of his success, he surprises everyone with a new invention and outshines himself all over again. What about him though? Don’t tell me you plan to work under him. Because I assure you that’s practically impossible.”He shakes his head before moving around the table and settling back in his chair. “There is already a long line of people who want to work for him. I mean, that’s what people are trying to achieve, you know, the chance of working with such an iconic person. I’m just glad I was able to bind him to my company. For the next five years, he won’t be able to work for anyone else. Imagine the kind of business he can do for us.”I smile to myself. I didn’t know my brother was so impressed with Jasper’s w
[Vivienne]Harvey raises an eyebrow and glances at the door, clearly annoyed by the commotion. He straightens his suit jacket and moves toward the door with a determined stride.“Stay here, Vivienne. I’ll handle this,” he says over his shoulder.I nod, but my curiosity gets the better of me. I quietly follow a few steps behind, close enough to hear but not to be seen. As Harvey reaches the door, he swings it open with a calm but authoritative demeanor.Standing in the hallway is Arthur Clarkson, his face red with anger, his fists clenched at his sides. He’s an imposing figure, not as tall as Harvey but clearly ready for a confrontation.“Mr. Clarkson,” Harvey begins smoothly, “I understand you’re upset, but there’s no need for threats. Let’s talk about this like civilized adults.”Arthur takes a step forward, his eyes blazing. “Like civilized adults? Your store humiliated my sister! She was doing your store a favor by even coming here and you have the guts to embarrass her in front of
[Vivienne]As the security guards drag Arthur out, his threats echo through the hallway, growing fainter with each step he is pulled away. The office falls silent, the tension lingering like a thick fog.Harvey watches him go, his expression unreadable. He turns back to me with a faint, almost amused smile. “Well, that was a dramatic turn of events.”I nod, trying to process everything that just happened. “What was that about? Is it true? The thing that you said about the Clarksons?”Harvey shrugs, returning to his office. “It’s not my place to air out their dirty laundry, but yes, the Clarksons are having financial issues. I guess that explains their desperate behavior, always using different tactics to gain attention. But enough about that.” He turns to face me, back to his smiling self. “How about I take you out for dinner? It’s been really long since I had dinner with my favorite little sister.”I give him a playful glare. “That’s because you only have one sister.”“Yeah,” he laug
[Vivienne]Harvey and I exchange puzzled glances, both of us caught off guard by the outburst. I look toward the source of the commotion and see a man at a nearby table.The maître d’ quickly approaches him, trying to calm the situation. “Sir, I’m terribly sorry. We will make sure to rectify this immediately. Please, allow us to bring you a new dish.”The man’s voice rises further, though he seems to be calming down slightly. “This is outrageous! I’ve been coming here for years, and I’ve never been served something this terrible. I demand to speak with the chef.”Harvey sighs, clearly irritated by the interruption. “I guess this is what happens when you’re in the public eye. Everyone has their own idea of what’s perfect.”I nod, though my attention is still partly on the commotion. The man’s back is turned to us, but for some reason, my heart skips a beat.Is it really possible that he’s here?“Viv?” Harvey puts his hand on mine, successfully jerking me out of my thoughts.I turn to f
[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
[Vivienne]I can’t believe he’s here.But why?“Hey,” I manage, even though his unexpected appearance has completely thrown me off. “Long time no see.”“You don’t say,” he replies, placing the glass of water on the table in front of me when I make no move to take it. I might have zoned out for a second there. “So, how have you been? And may I just add—you’re a very hard person to find.”I smile faintly. That’s exactly what I’ve been aiming for since moving to my grandparents’ home in the hills. “Maybe that’s the point. I like my life quieter these days, away from all the chaos.”“I get it,” he says with a soft chuckle, his expression neither offended nor prying. “For a while, I thought it was me who chased you away, you know—with all those talks about faking an engagement and everything.”Oh. Right. I almost forgot about that. The proposal he made—the arrangement he thought would make his mother happy.Too bad I had far more pressing problems to deal with at the time.“Trust me, it wa
[Vivienne]“Are you sure you want to attend this event?” Harvey asks as I walk into my walk-in wardrobe, trying to pick an appropriate evening gown for the night.“Of course, I’m sure. I wouldn’t have asked you to accompany me if I wasn’t,” I shrug, leaning towards a stunning black dress but quickly getting distracted by a shimmery white gown with a sexy slit.“That, I understand. But considering your health…”“I’m fine, Harvey,” I roll my eyes. It’s been two months since that night when I rushed myself to the hospital after spotting blood on my sheets. “According to my doctor, I’m well past the risk phase, and I can start getting back to my daily routine.”“But still,” he says, sounding as if he still has doubts.Look, I know he cares. He’s my big brother, after all. I’ve known about his possessiveness for a very long time. But the reason I don’t want to spend my days sitting like a duck at home is that I’ve started to get terribly bored.Besides, tonight’s event is kind of special.
[Sasha]“What the hell is this place?” Dad fumes, glancing around the cramped, one-room apartment I brought him to straight from the hospital.“It’s…” I glance around myself, wrinkling my nose at the awful smell wafting in from the nearby window. “…something.”“Sasha,” Mom calls out, drawing my attention. Her voice holds a mix of confusion and concern. “What is this? Why aren’t we home?”“Mom, there’s something you should know,” I begin, feeling beads of sweat forming on my forehead and trickling down my back. I turn to Dad, bracing myself. “Remember the loan Arthur took from that loan shark?”“Of course, I do. How could I forget the biggest disappointment of my life?” he huffs, walking over to the old, sagging couch in the corner. He pauses before sitting down, noticing the thick layer of dust covering it, and chooses to stand instead. “What I don’t understand is—what are we doing here? Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? I need rest. I need to be home. And this place is far from i
[Caden]“Congratulations, Mr. Lawrence. You got what you wanted.” My advocate—Atlas Norman—extends his hand for a handshake. “Despite my better judgment, of course.”I return the handshake, albeit a little reluctantly. “You say that as if I ruined your fun.”“Well, you did. Especially since I enjoy a good challenge. But either way, my client’s satisfaction is what matters most. So, I’m glad I could be of service.”I have a strong urge to roll my eyes but manage to keep my composure. “Thanks for your efforts.”“All my pleasure. Now that the restraining order has been lifted, you need to be very careful with how you conduct yourself, Mr. Lawrence. As the judge mentioned, all eyes will be on you, and if you mistreat your ex-wife or the unborn child in any way, the order could be reinstated. From this point on, it’s about walking on eggshells. I hope you’ll remember that.”Of course, I do. That’s all I can think about—how not to screw this up.I might not have been the best husband a woma
[Vivienne]I answer the call—it’s Elijah.“Hey,” I say, watching Theo get up and resume pacing back and forth across the room.“Hey. How are you now?”“Much better. In fact, I’m just waiting for my discharge papers.”“That’s good to hear, Vivienne. I’ll come by to visit as soon as I can.”“Sure.” But something about his tone feels off. “Is everything okay? You sound… serious.”Elijah exhales, his tone growing heavier. “I won’t lie to you. I just got word from your ex-husband’s attorney.”The mention of Caden makes my throat go dry. Why is he suddenly everywhere today? Why can’t he just leave me alone?I shake my head, trying to dispel the rising anxiety. “What the hell is he up to now?”“Nothing good, if I’m being honest.”“Just tell me already.”“They’re preparing to file a motion to contest the restraining order.”“He’s doing what?” Did I just hear that right? Is Caden out of his mind? Why would he fight something he never cared about in the first place? What’s his goal here? A sudde
[Vivienne]“Ms. Sinclair?”I snap back into focus, realizing I’ve zoned out again.Damn it. Why am I thinking about him again? What is there to even think about? He broke my heart, shattered my life, and yet, here I am—wondering what else I could’ve said, what more I could’ve done, just to get some reaction out of him.I shake my head, trying to pull myself out of this vicious spiral. It’s the same toxic loop I always fell into when we were married—constantly questioning myself. What could I have done differently? What could I have said better? Anything that might’ve made him stay a little longer, look at me with more than passing interest, spend more than just a fleeting part of his day with me. Anything that might’ve made him care for me like a real husband, like someone who actually loved his wife.But no. I can’t let myself fall back into that labyrinth of false hope and endless what-ifs. Not again.Taking a steadying breath, I force a smile for the doctor, doing my best to seem c