IrisI’m staring at my phone in disbelief, reading the email for the third time to make sure I’m not hallucinating.“We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the Abbott Gallery residency. Your work demonstrated exceptional promise and artistic vision…”My fingers tremble as I scr
Is staying here, continuing this toxic dance with Arthur, really what’s best for Miles? Or am I just afraid of hurting him in the short term, even if leaving would be better for him in the long run?Biting my lip, I pull out my phone and send a text to Alice: “Can you come with me to look at an apar
ArthurThe email arrives while I’m getting ready for work.It’s from a law firm. Subject line: “Urgent Legal Matter: Your Presence Required.”My first thought is Selina. Perhaps she’s trying to sue me for breach of contract or public humiliation after I ended our engagement at the exhibition, not th
Each accusation lands like a punch to the gut because they contain just enough truth to be damning. I look to Iris again, desperate for her to understand.“Iris, we can work this out. We don’t need lawyers. We can talk about this, just the two of us.”She shakes her head slightly. “There’s nothing t
IrisI can’t believe I’m doing this.Suing Arthur for custody feels wrong. Cruel, even—not just to him, but to myself and Miles as well. Each day since I took the lawyer’s offer, I feel as if I’ve made a grave mistake.And yet, at the same time, it feels like the only solution. The only way out from
“Iris! Iris, wait!”I don’t respond. I don’t look back. I don’t even look at his fading form in the rearview mirror.…The drive to our new apartment later that afternoon is silent. Miles sits in the backseat, his face pressed against the window. He hasn’t spoken to me in days—not since I told him w
Arthur & IrisArthurI check my watch for the third time in as many minutes as I sit in the conference room. The meeting was supposed to begin nearly twenty minutes ago, and Iris still isn’t here. Even her lawyer arrived before she did.Maybe she’s decided against this, a tiny voice in the back of m
My blood runs cold. “Are you saying this wasn’t an accident?”Ezra’s expression hardens. “I’m saying it’s suspicious. Especially given the timing… with the custody battle just starting.”A murderous rage begins to build up inside of me. “Find out who did this,” I order, my voice dropping to a danger
I dab at the mural, buying time to formulate a response. “Thank you, Giulia. But Arthur and I aren’t exactly a family. Not in the traditional sense.”“No? The way he looks at you says otherwise.”I shake my head, unable to explain the complicated mess that is my relationship with Arthur. How do I te
IrisArthur accepts the lemonade gratefully, and I can’t help but watch the way his throat moves as he swallows, a bead of sweat trailing down his neck and disappearing beneath his collar. I’ve never seen him like this before—dirty, sweaty, his hair mussed from work rather than styled for appearance
My throat bobs. That was… unexpected. But it’s touching, if I don’t let my mind wander into the darkness and assume he’s just doing it for brownie points. The genuine look in his eyes makes me believe he’s being serious, though.“Okay,” I say with a nod. “If anything comes up, I’ll do my best to exp
IrisArthur arrives at exactly nine o’clock the next morning, looking remarkably different from his usual polished self. Instead of his customary tailored suit, he’s wearing worn jeans, a simple gray t-shirt, and work boots. His hair isn’t perfectly styled—even that single curl is visible across his
I shake my head. “I shared this room with five other girls. We didn’t have much privacy, but we became like sisters.”“Do you still keep in touch with any of them?” Arthur asks.“No. We all scattered after aging out. Different cities, different lives.” I run my hand along the windowsill, noticing a
IrisThe Ordan Central Orphanage looks smaller than I remember, or maybe I’ve just grown since I was last here. The once-vibrant red bricks have faded to a dull rust color, and the front garden, which Headmistress Giulia used to maintain so meticulously, is now overgrown with weeds. Several of the w
His little face scrunches in thought. “Oh. That’s sad.”“It was, sometimes, but not always. But I’m thinking we could bring them some cookies and maybe some toys. Would you like to help me do that?”He nods eagerly. “Will we see your old room?”The question catches me off guard. I hadn’t thought abo
IrisI nearly choke on my coffee when the news segment begins the following morning.“Breaking news in the Willford family scandal,” announces the reporter, standing outside what looks like an enormous mansion. “DNA test results confirm that Selina Willford, the former fiancee of Alpha President Art
“Iris,” Arthur breathes, his eyes widening. “What are you doing here?”I hold up the flowers awkwardly. “I heard about Selina. I wanted to… I don’t know. Pay my respects? See if you were okay?”Caleb looks between Arthur and me, his expression darkening. “So this is the human,” he says, with a dismi