(Harper’s pov)It has been two fucking days of hell, from my work and home, Alice was getting on my nerves and I couldn't take it anymore.She creates messes around the house and acts nonchalant and uses her pregnancy as an excuse, like why do I give a fuck. I didn't get her pregnant so why should I be suffering from a mistake she dragged herself into not to mention Edward?I groan, I get annoyed just thinking about him, he has turned the whole office upside down and I get the side-eyed looks from everyone because they all still think am engaged with him.Since Edward goes around lying about me begging him to take me back after he called off our engagement, the nerve of that good-for-nothing guy.He was always making mistakes and and the end of the day we the junior staff always get scolded for his errors.I have been up and down cleaning his mistake to avoid more eyes and insults from the other staff and all he does is yell and take a one-hour break.“Here are the documents,” I said
(Edward’s pov)At that moment, a surge of anger swept over me, fueled by the embarrassment of feeling foolish. The door flung open abruptly, hands yanking me away from her.My eyes widened in the realization of my actions. What had I done? I stared at my hands, then walked over to where Harper sat on the floor.She winced, her hand gently pressing against her neck as she coughed, trying to alleviate the pain. Ava knelt beside her, patting her back in a gesture of solace.“Harper... I...” I attempted to speak, but before I could utter a word, I was interrupted.“Don't come near me!” Harper's yell reverberated in the room, drawing the attention of the gathered crowd.As murmurs and curious stares shifted from me to Harper, Mr. Sterling entered the scene, his gaze flicking between the two of us.“Mr. Pierce, care to explain what's happening here? Have you resorted to physical harm against a colleague?” Mr. Sterling's inquiry hung heavily in the air, all eyes fixed on me awaiting a respon
~Gideon's POV~ The drive home from the airport was exhausting, the hours of travel leaving me drained. Two weeks away from back-to-back business meetings had been more than enough. As Joshua, my assistant, navigated the car through familiar streets, he filled me in on updates from the firm. The most notable one? Edward. He had started working at the company and already managed to cause a scene. "He hit Harper," Joshua said, his voice laced with disdain. "Right in front of her coworkers." Of course, Edward would pull something like that. Hopeless and reckless—he would never change. "Was he dealt with properly?" I asked, my tone sharp. "Yes, sir." Joshua handed me his phone, showing me photos of the results. I stared at them for a moment, a flicker of satisfaction breaking through my exhaustion. Edward deserved every bit of it. "Good. Next time he lays a hand on Harper or anyone else in the firm, he'll face worse." "Yes, sir," Joshua said. "Inform payroll to send him on
~HARPER’S POV~The drive home was peaceful, the hum of the car engine blending into the night’s silence. Honestly, everything about tonight had been amazing. Gideon had a way of making even the worst days feel lighter. But deep down, the lingering weight of earlier events refused to lift. My run-in with Edward at the office replayed in my mind like a broken record. That jerk dared to lay his hands on me in public. It wasn’t like it was the first time, but it didn’t make it any less humiliating—or infuriating. I felt shaken, the way I hadn’t since the night my parents died. I clenched my hands into fists, the old anger simmering under my skin. I would never forgive Edward for that. Never. “Are you okay?” Gideon’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned to face him, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine… just thinking. Old memories,” I said quietly. “Edward?” he asked, his tone steady but his grip tightening slightly on the steering wheel. Even though his eyes stayed
~Harper’s POV~The drive back to my house was quiet, and for once, I welcomed the silence. It felt like a relief to finally share how I had dealt with my parent’s death. It hadn’t been easy, but somehow, I pulled through. When Gideon pulled into the driveway, my eyes shifted from him to the faint glow of light coming from the house. I sighed deeply. Alice must be home. The thought of seeing her face made my stomach churn. Just two days under the same roof with her felt like an eternity in hell. “You have a guest?” Gideon asked, his eyes darting between me and the house. “It’s Alice,” I said, the name bitter on my tongue. Even saying it aloud felt like admitting defeat—especially to someone who knew how broken my relationship with her was, not to mention what she’d done. Gideon raised an eyebrow, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel. “I never pegged you as the forgiving type.” “That’s because I’m not,” I shot back, my voice laced with frustration. But I could fee
(The Bills)~EDWARD'S POV~I've been stuck in this hospital bed for five days now, and Harper still hasn't shown up. I know I hurt her, but the least she could do was come and see me. Just once. Lying here feels useless. I should be working, proving myself. If I even still have a job. This job was supposed to be my chance to turn things around, to show Harper I was serious about changing. I wanted her to see that I could put in the effort and that we could get back to the way things were. Frustration bubbled up as I glanced around the room, searching for my belongings. I needed my phone. I couldn't just sit here, waiting like some invalid. I had to do something.The sound of the door creaking open drew my attention. Jessica walked in, her gaze landing on me before she scanned the room. "Where's Mom?" she asked, her tone flat."I told her to go home and rest," I said, irritation creeping into my voice. "She shouldn't be here all the time. You know, you could help her out."Jessic
(Start Afresh)~ALICE’S POV~“What do you want?” Edward’s voice came through sharp and impatient on the other end of the line. I rolled my eyes at his attitude. He should be grateful I even bothered to call him. The nerve of this idiot. If it weren’t for the child growing inside me, I wouldn’t have bothered. Scratch that—I wouldn’t have even looked in his direction if I had a choice. But here I was, stuck in this mess with him. “Still at the hospital, I guess?” I said, keeping my tone casual, waiting for him to reply. “I’m not in the mood for games, Alice. Just get to the damn point.” His voice was clipped, laced with frustration. I shifted on the couch, leaning back into the cushions as I stared at the ceiling. “Don’t take your frustration out on me,” I snapped, my tone sharp. There was silence on the other end, thick and tense before he finally spoke again. “What do you want, Alice? Surely you didn’t call just to piss me off.” “Well, for once, you got something right,
(A DONE DEAL)~GIDEON’S POV~ I stared at the stack of files in front of me, my desk cluttered with paperwork. It had been work, work, and more work. Dealing with so many mergers was exhausting, and the pressure to get everything done on time was weighing on me. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. I missed spending time with Harper. My eyes shifted to my phone, sitting quietly on the desk. Maybe I should call her. I wanted to hear her voice. I tapped the screen, unlocked it, and scrolled to my contact list. Her name stared back at me, tempting me to tap it. I was about to give in to the urge when there was a knock on the door. I looked up as the door opened slightly, and Joshua, my assistant, stepped inside. He had that look on his face—the one that said he had news to deliver. “Is there a problem, Joshua?” I asked, setting my phone down. “The report you asked for, sir,” he said, making his way toward me and handing me a file. I took it, unlocking the folder
CANDLELIT DINNER 2~HARPER'S POV~Three days. That’s how long I’d spent with Gideon after taking a very necessary sick leave from work.And honestly? It had been magical. I never wanted any of it to end. Mornings with breakfast in bed. Afternoons with lunch in expensive restaurants.Nights filled with reckless, mind-numbing sex—wherever we found ourselves until we were too exhausted to move.Who the hell was this man? And more importantly…What was he doing to me?Tonight, Gideon had promised yet another surprise. As if everything else hadn’t been enough. When he first mentioned wine tasting, I’d blinked at him in confusion."What's that?" I had asked, immediately regretting how clueless I sounded.He had only smirked, shaking his head slightly. "You're cute when you're clueless."Not exactly an answer. But then again, Gideon never answered things directly. And now, as we pulled up to the event, my breath hitched at the sight before me.A massive vineyard stretched across the land, bat
A PAWN & A KING ~ALICE’S POV~I was still standing there, staring at the door Noah had just walked through, trying to piece my sanity back together. But that was the thing about sanity. Once it cracks, it doesn’t take much to shatter. A low groan cut through the silence. I turned slowly, my stomach flipping as I saw Edward stir on the floor. Another groan, and he rolled onto his side, wincing as he dragged himself up onto his elbows. Blood was trickling from his lip where Noah had hit him, and his eye was already starting to swell. For a split second, I thought maybe he’d pass back out. No such luck.“Mother… fucker,” Edward muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Then his bloodshot eyes snapped to me.And just like that, chaos was back.“You,” he snarled, pushing himself upright with shaky determination. “You bitch.” He stumbled to his feet, swaying for a second, but that didn’t stop him. Didn’t slow him down, either. His gaze was locked on me like I was hi
SECRETS OUT ~ALICE’S POV~I sat on the cold kitchen floor, one hand still pressed to my throat. Every shallow breath I took scraped against the soreness Edward’s fingers left behind. But that wasn’t what had me shaking. Not really. Noah’s eyes were on me now. And they were clear. Focused. The kind of dangerous I hadn’t seen in him before. He wasn’t drunk anymore. At least not enough to make a difference.“Drink this.” Noah’s voice was low, but there was something in it that made me obey. I took the glass of water he handed me and sipped, though my hands trembled the entire time.He waited. Patient. Too patient.When I finished, he set the glass aside and knelt in front of me again. Elbows on his knees, body relaxed. But his gaze was razor-sharp. He looked like he was watching me through a scope.“Let’s talk,” he repeated. No more playful slurs. No more lazy smirks. Just a cold calculation.I swallowed hard, even though it hurt. “About what?” My voice came out hoarse. Weak.
CRAZY OR NOT~ALICE’S POV~I dragged myself out of bed, grumbling as I made my way downstairs. The banging on the door wouldn’t stop. Who the hell was that at this hour? It was four in the morning. People were supposed to be sleeping. I stood in the middle of the dark living room, flipping on the light. The pounding on the door only grew louder. “Harper! I know you’re in there! Open the fucking door!” A familiar voice slurred from outside. I rolled my eyes, groaning as I shuffled toward the door. Twisting the lock, I pulled it open— And there he was. Edward. Drunk. And beside him, half-collapsed on the porch, was Noah. “Edward,” I sighed, annoyed. “What the hell are you doing here?” “Where’s Harper?” he barked, pushing past me without waiting for an answer. “I know she’s inside!” “What the hell—” I shouted, stumbling back as he stormed into the house like he owned it. Who the hell did he think he was, barging in here like that? This wasn’t his home. It wasn’t even mine.
A MAN LIKE GIDEON~EDWARD’S POV~I pulled up in front of Noah’s apartment building, parking in the near-empty lot. Killing the engine, I grabbed my keys and stepped out, slamming the door harder than necessary. I made my way to the elevator, jabbing the call button with more force than required. The doors slid open. I stepped inside and hit the button for the tenth floor—the top. Noah better has a damn good reason for dragging me out of my mother’s house tonight. He had a lot to answer for. A lot to make up for. And Harper... I gritted my teeth, glancing at my phone again. Still no calls. No texts. The nerve of her, ignoring me like I didn’t exist. Like I wasn’t trying. What the hell was her problem? The elevator dinged on the tenth floor, snapping me back to the present. I stepped out, walking down the dimly lit hallway toward apartment 135 at the end. I rang the bell once. No answer. I rang it again. This time, I heard the latch click. The door creaked open. Noa
CANDLELIT DINNER 1~GIDEON'S POV~The rooftop was perfect. Minimalistic. Private. High above the noise of the city. Just the way I liked it. And tonight, it was all about Harper. I stood at the edge, staring out over the skyline as the sun bled into the horizon. Colors like fire and blood. Fitting. I took a slow breath, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows watching the staff finish setting the table. Nothing extravagant. Two chairs. Crisp white linens. Crystal glassware. And candlelight. Soft. Intimate. Deceptively simple. Because it wasn't about impressing her. It was about control. About giving her something no one else could. I turned when I heard the elevator doors open behind me. Footsteps, slow and hesitant. Good. She was already off balance. I liked that. "Wow..." Harper's voice was soft, almost breathless. I let her take it in. Let her have her moment. Then I turned, letting my gaze sweep over her slowly, deliberately. "You're late," I said, but my tone was smooth.
DREAMING PERFECTION~ALICE'S POV~I stood in front of the shopping mall, staring at the baby mannequin in the window display. Tiny clothes, soft pastel colors—things I imagined seeing my child in. I arched a brow, resting my hand on my flat stomach. My gaze shifted as a family stepped out of the shop—a father, mother, and their little daughter, laughing as she clutched a new stuffed toy. For a brief second, I wondered. P‘If Edward had seen this... if he'd wanted this... would he have supported me? Would he have loved this child? Would he have wanted a future with her?’I sighed bitterly, my palm pressing lightly against the glass. "Who am I kidding?" I whispered to myself. Edward wanted nothing to do with this baby. With me. I slipped my hand into my purse, pulling out my phone. Scrolling through my contacts, I hesitated when my finger hovered over Noah's name. Should I?I needed a distraction. And he always was one. I hit the call button before I could think twice. It
YOUR LOVE MATTERS~GIDEON’S POV~The moment I saw Jessica’s name flash across my screen, I rolled my eyes. Why the hell was she calling me? And how did she even still have my number? I almost ignored it. Almost. But curiosity always was a dangerous thing. So I answered. And when she told me about Edward and Chanel, I wasn’t surprised. Not even a little. Chanel had always been stupid. Easily manipulated. And Edward? He was good at manipulating people who didn’t know any better. I had to give him that. Still, I was curious. Curious about what those two idiots thought they were plotting. Jessica said she had information, so I invited her over. She’d better have something worth my time. Because if this was another one of her pathetic attempts to get me back… She wasn’t as smart as I thought she was. Or maybe she was. Who knows? I guess I was about to find out.I was already pouring a drink when I heard the knock. Right on time. Jessica was many things, but late wasn’t one
THE NEW DEAL~EDWARD’S POV~I watched Chanel carefully. She was all glossy lips, high-end perfume, and a smile that could make a man forget himself. But I wasn’t about to forget anything. Not now. Not with Gideon’s threat still ringing in my ears. ‘If he wants to play games… he’s not very good at them.’I clenched my jaw, my fingers twitching at my sides. Fine. Let’s play. Chanel tilted her head at me, her dark eyes curious, maybe even a little dangerous. “Your sister isn’t exactly subtle,” she said, running a manicured finger along the frame of a painting by the hallway. “I can see why you two don’t get along.” I smirked, stepping closer. “Jessica doesn’t know how to mind her own business.” “Hmm,” Chanel hummed, trailing her gaze back to me. “And what about you, Edward? Do you mind your own business?” “Never,” I said, matching her stare. “Especially when there’s something I want.” She gave a low, amused chuckle. “And what is it you want?” I didn’t answer right away.