EMILY'S POVI stand in the center of the empty boutique with my arms folded and my heart pounding—not with anxiety this time, but hope. Real hope. The kind that sits warm in your chest and whispers this could actually happen.The space is enormous—bare concrete floors, brick walls, and wide glass windows that let in the golden morning light.This is mine. All mine.After the whole disaster with Maison de Lune, after watching everything I’ve worked so hard for crumble thanks to Lina’s venomous touch, I think I’m done. But something inside me refuses to stay down. Maybe it’s the baby, maybe it’s me finally choosing myself, but I know—I have to try again. So, I decide to open my own boutique and start my own fashion line. All by myself.I step forward and close my eyes.In my mind, I see the runway. I see models gliding down in pieces I haven’t even fully designed yet. The flashes of cameras. The gasps from the front row. My name echoing off the walls.Emily.It gives me chills.The glas
CARLOS’ POVThe boardroom is almost silent except for the voices echoing off the table.The long table in front of me is filled with laptops, folders, and untouched glasses of mineral water. One by one, the board members present their reports—logistics, international expansion strategies, profit margins. I nod, make notes, ask questions. I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do.But I’m not here.My mind keeps drifting. Sliding back to her.To Emily.Her soft laugh, the smell of her hair when she curls into me, the way her fingers trace lazy patterns on my chest when she thinks I’m asleep. The way she smiles when she talks about her designs. The baby.Our baby.Last night keeps replaying in my mind. The way her lips trembled right before I kissed them. How she held onto me like she needed me to breathe. I haven’t stopped thinking about her since I left her this morning with a kiss on her forehead, promising I’d be done early today. A promise I’m already breaking.“Mr. Carter?” someone
CARLOS’ POVThe sirens keep on blaring. Red lights reflect across the pavement as the ambulance doors fling open. I’m already running. My lungs are burning and my chest is heaving harder than it ever has before.“Emily!” I choke out her name, over and over. My throat is raw from smoke and yelling. My legs burn as I chase after the paramedics pushing her through the automatic doors of the ER.She looks lifeless. Her face is pale. Her lips are slightly parted and her hair clings to her face in sweaty knots. I can’t even tell where she’s burned, or if she’s burned, because everything just looks wrong. Like the life has been sucked out of her body and she’s just barely holding on.My heart crashes against my ribs like it wants to break free.“Please—Emily, baby, stay with me,” I beg, my voice cracking. The paramedics say something into their radios. The doors fling open for them, but a nurse blocks me from going in.I barely notice Bridget until she grabs my arm. She’s crying. Her fingers
DANIEL’S POVThe room is dark. Papers are spread across the table like a crime scene—photos, documents, notes scribbled in red ink, and right in the center… her face.Lina.The corkboard is above my desk. Red string crisscrosses the board, pinning together events that, at first glance, seem unrelated. But I see it now. A pattern. Her name, her face, connected to outbursts, fights, assaults and now…I stare down at the folder in my hand—its edge creased from how tightly I’m gripping it. My thumb brushes over the bold red stamp on the front: Sealed Record. It took an old favor and an uncomfortable call to a cop I hadn’t spoken to in five years to get this. But it was worth it.I open the folder slowly and my eyes scan the page.Name: Lina Veronica HaleDOB: 09/14/1996Juvenile Record: SealedCharges: Arson, Harassment, Assault, StalkingI whisper to myself, breath catching in my throat. "Arson. Harassment. Assault. Stalking..."I drag a hand down my face "This girl’s been unhinged sinc
EMILY’S POVEverything looks perfect. I made chicken, garlic butter vegetables, mashed potatoes and other things I know Carlos will love. My hands can’t seem to stop trembling as I arrange the table. I smooth down the linen napkins for the third time, adjust the candles, and glance at the clock. Carlos’s flight landed two hours ago, and he should be walking through that door any minute now.I inhale deeply, trying my best to calm myself. Yesterday, when the doctor said the words, “You’re pregnant,” I’d sat frozen for a moment, blinking back tears of disbelief and joy. It must have happened during that night—the one time Carlos had let his guard down. The night he had been drunk. It was the first time we had sex.For a year, I’ve dreamed of moments like this. A family with Carlos. A real chance at love. Maybe...just maybe, this news will be the start of something beautiful between us. This marriage started as a contract but I hope the news of my pregnancy will make Carlos realize that
EMILY’S POVThe sunlight rays filter through the curtains as I stir awake. For a brief moment, everything feels right—perfect even. I feel content. In that moment, I’m blissfully unaware of everything else—but then I shift. The gentle warmth of Carlos' arm around me tightens as I stir, as if he doesn’t want to let go. The familiar scent of his skin fills my senses, and for a split second, I allow myself to enjoy the feeling. I’m warm and safe, nestled in Carlos’s arms. His breath is soft against my hair. His body radiates a heat I’ve come to crave more than I’d like to admit. I feel perfect in his arms. It’s almost like we were made for each other.This is what I’ve always wanted: to wake up next to him, to feel like I belong here. To be a perfect married couple. I want our mornings to be like this all the time.But as soon as the thought crosses my mind, I feel sad again and my chest tightens painfully. The joy isgone before it even has a chance to settle. He isn’t mine. Maybe he ne
EMILY’S POVThe kettle whistles on the stove as I sit across from my grandmother at her small kitchen table. I just had to see her. Her presence is the only thing that can calm me down in this moment. I’ve always found solace in this house—the way it smells, the way the sunlight filters through the lace curtains and the way her cute little snacks taste. But today, even this place can’t stop the sadness I feel.“Emily,” my grandmother says softly, setting a plate of cookies on the table. “You’ve been staring at the same spot for minutes now. What’s wrong, darling?”I force a smile, though it feels like my face might crack from the effort. “Nothing’s wrong, Nana. Just a lot on my mind, that’s all.”She tilts her head, studying me with those intense eyes of hers. “You’re not a good liar, sweetheart. Never have been. Now, tell me. What’s troubling you?”I take the cup of tea she pours for me and wrap my hands around it. For a moment, I’m tempted to tell her everything—to lay it all out an
EMILY’S POVThe clock on the wall ticks louder than usual this night. Each second feels like an eternity as I sit on the couch, staring at my phone. It’s late, much later than usual and Carlos hasn’t come home. My mind keeps circling back to the same thought. Lina.She’s back. She’s the reason he wants a divorce. They just be together. I’m sure of it.I can’t help but imagine two of them together, laughing and catching up on old times. I imagine how the spark must have ignited again when they first saw each other after years of being apart. Truly, men never forget their first love.I close my eyes, trying to forget about it. Still, all I can picture is two of them together – kissing, touching each other, whispering how much they love each other.The thought alone is like a knife twisting in my chest. I rub my arms, trying to shake the chill that has nothing to do with the temperature. He’s probably with her. Maybe they’re having dinner. Maybe he’s holding her the way he used to hold m
DANIEL’S POVThe room is dark. Papers are spread across the table like a crime scene—photos, documents, notes scribbled in red ink, and right in the center… her face.Lina.The corkboard is above my desk. Red string crisscrosses the board, pinning together events that, at first glance, seem unrelated. But I see it now. A pattern. Her name, her face, connected to outbursts, fights, assaults and now…I stare down at the folder in my hand—its edge creased from how tightly I’m gripping it. My thumb brushes over the bold red stamp on the front: Sealed Record. It took an old favor and an uncomfortable call to a cop I hadn’t spoken to in five years to get this. But it was worth it.I open the folder slowly and my eyes scan the page.Name: Lina Veronica HaleDOB: 09/14/1996Juvenile Record: SealedCharges: Arson, Harassment, Assault, StalkingI whisper to myself, breath catching in my throat. "Arson. Harassment. Assault. Stalking..."I drag a hand down my face "This girl’s been unhinged sinc
CARLOS’ POVThe sirens keep on blaring. Red lights reflect across the pavement as the ambulance doors fling open. I’m already running. My lungs are burning and my chest is heaving harder than it ever has before.“Emily!” I choke out her name, over and over. My throat is raw from smoke and yelling. My legs burn as I chase after the paramedics pushing her through the automatic doors of the ER.She looks lifeless. Her face is pale. Her lips are slightly parted and her hair clings to her face in sweaty knots. I can’t even tell where she’s burned, or if she’s burned, because everything just looks wrong. Like the life has been sucked out of her body and she’s just barely holding on.My heart crashes against my ribs like it wants to break free.“Please—Emily, baby, stay with me,” I beg, my voice cracking. The paramedics say something into their radios. The doors fling open for them, but a nurse blocks me from going in.I barely notice Bridget until she grabs my arm. She’s crying. Her fingers
CARLOS’ POVThe boardroom is almost silent except for the voices echoing off the table.The long table in front of me is filled with laptops, folders, and untouched glasses of mineral water. One by one, the board members present their reports—logistics, international expansion strategies, profit margins. I nod, make notes, ask questions. I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do.But I’m not here.My mind keeps drifting. Sliding back to her.To Emily.Her soft laugh, the smell of her hair when she curls into me, the way her fingers trace lazy patterns on my chest when she thinks I’m asleep. The way she smiles when she talks about her designs. The baby.Our baby.Last night keeps replaying in my mind. The way her lips trembled right before I kissed them. How she held onto me like she needed me to breathe. I haven’t stopped thinking about her since I left her this morning with a kiss on her forehead, promising I’d be done early today. A promise I’m already breaking.“Mr. Carter?” someone
EMILY'S POVI stand in the center of the empty boutique with my arms folded and my heart pounding—not with anxiety this time, but hope. Real hope. The kind that sits warm in your chest and whispers this could actually happen.The space is enormous—bare concrete floors, brick walls, and wide glass windows that let in the golden morning light.This is mine. All mine.After the whole disaster with Maison de Lune, after watching everything I’ve worked so hard for crumble thanks to Lina’s venomous touch, I think I’m done. But something inside me refuses to stay down. Maybe it’s the baby, maybe it’s me finally choosing myself, but I know—I have to try again. So, I decide to open my own boutique and start my own fashion line. All by myself.I step forward and close my eyes.In my mind, I see the runway. I see models gliding down in pieces I haven’t even fully designed yet. The flashes of cameras. The gasps from the front row. My name echoing off the walls.Emily.It gives me chills.The glas
EMILY’S POVI look at Carlos in disbelief as he says those words.I freeze.Every part of me freezes.It is as if the world has stopped spinning for a heartbeat—just long enough for those three words to sink into my skin and pierce through my soul.“You… what?” My voice comes out a whisper.He steps even closer.“I love you, Emily,” he repeats, firmer this time. “I’ve always loved you. Even when I was too proud, too stubborn, or too damn broken to admit it.”Tears burn my eyes. I stare at him, trying to blink back the tears. I have waited years to hear him say those words.“Why now?” I whisper.“Because I can’t keep living like this. I can’t keep pretending like I’m okay without you—without us.” His voice cracks, and I watch his jaw tighten. “I know I hurt you. I know I let you down in every way that mattered. But if there’s even a tiny part of you that still wants this—still wants me—I swear I’ll do whatever it takes.”My heart pounds. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff,
EMILY'S POV.Carlos stands in front of me. His blue eyes burn into mine. I look at him. His devastatingly handsome face makes it so hard to stay angry—hard, but not impossible. His chest rises and falls like he’s just run a marathon to get here, to me. The moment he asks the question, my heart feels like it slams against my ribcage."Are you pregnant?" His voice is low, rough, filled with something I can’t quite name. Hope? Fear?I blink at him, stunned. My hand tightens around the zipper of the suitcase I’ve been half-heartedly packing."I—I don’t know what you’re talking about," I stammer, praying he’ll believe the lie, the pathetic defense I throw up in pure panic.But Carlos just takes a step closer, shaking his head like he isn’t buying a word of it."Don’t give me that crap, Emily," he growls. "If Bridget was pregnant, she’d have announced it to the entire world by now. You think I don’t know her?"He moves even closer, forcing me to tilt my head up to meet his gaze. His scent w
CARLOS' POVThe night air cools against my skin as I walk toward the car. Right now, my head is spinning with thoughts I don’t even know how to organize. I feel sick. Like something heavy sits in my chest, refusing to let me breathe properly.I open the car door and slide into the passenger seat. The scent of Daniel's cigar smoke fills the air. He sits behind the wheel, one hand lazily resting on it, the other holding a half-smoked cigar between his fingers. He looks at me briefly, eyebrows raised."How’d it go with Lina?" he asks. I lean back against the seat, closing my eyes for a moment. "Not good," I mutter.Daniel scoffs, taking a slow drag from his cigar. "Didn't think it would. You have... interesting taste in women, my brother." He exhales a cloud of smoke toward the open window. "You must be a goddamn fool to leave Emily for Lina."My jaw tenses, and I look away, staring blankly at the dark road ahead. "Yeah," I say quietly. "I see that now."There is a pause. Daniel turns
CARLOS’ POVI slam the door open so hard it ricochets off the wall, rattling the paintings in the hallway. My chest is heaving. My blood is boiling, and all I can think about is her. All I want to do is to confront her and demand an explanation. And then—there she is.Lina.She's standing in the living room with a wide, welcoming smile on her face like nothing in the world is wrong."Carlos!" she squeals, rushing toward me. Her arms wrap around my waist in a tight hug. The strong scent of her perfume is enough to choke me. I stand there for a heartbeat, stiff and unresponsive, before I push her away — hard.She stumbles back. Her mouth falls open in shock."Carlos?" she gasps, blinking at me like I’ve just slapped her. "What the hell is wrong with you?"My hands are shaking as I pull out my phone, shoving the screen in her face."Explain this, Lina." I raise my voice at her. The video plays. The sound fills the room — Lina’s voice is loud, sharp and practically dripping venom, tear
CARLOS' POVThe screen behind me lights up with the final slide of my presentation. It's a clean detailed graph that shows our revenue climbing steadily over the past two quarters. I let the room fall into silence for a few seconds, savoring their anticipation before I speak again."—and if we follow this trend, introducing the Phoenix Expansion Project next month as outlined," I say, "we're projected to increase profits by an additional eighteen percent before the end of the quarter."I click the remote once more. Another graph appears. This one highlights our competitor’s sluggish growth in comparison. Quiet murmurs spread through the boardroom.I glance at the long table, where the board members sit in their dark suits. Some are leaning forward, some sit back with their arms crossed — but all with their eyes glued to me. And then, my gaze drifts to the man at the head of the table — my father.He isn’t leaning forward or sitting stiffly; he is relaxed with a small rare smile tuggin