POV: HENRY
“Damn it…” I muttered as I opened my eyes, bringing a hand to my forehead, massaging the throbbing pain. My mouth was dry, my head heavy. “How the hell did I get home?”
I tried to move, but I felt something pressing against my shoulder.
Frowning, I turned my head to the side.
Lauren.
She was lying beside me, her hand resting on my chest, her head nestled against my arm. Her hair spilled over the bed—soft, fragrant, silky.
My gaze traveled down her partially covered body. The thin nightgown clung to her curves, revealing just enough to make my breath hitch. One of her legs was draped over my hip, her bare thigh exposed, dangerously close to revealing more than it should.
Shit.
She was stunning.
I swallowed hard, shifting carefully so I wouldn’t wake her.
POV: HENRYMy voice came out firm, unhurried. My eyes traveled over her body, taking in every detail of the thin nightgown that clung to her curves.Damn it… why did she have to look so irresistible?“We’re already done here,” she countered, her voice steady but her gaze hesitant. She tried to pull her arm free, but I tightened my grip slightly, keeping her in place.“There was nothing.”I raised an eyebrow, assessing her tense expression.“Nothing?” I repeated slowly, leaning in slightly.“Nothing,” she insisted, averting her gaze.“Then why are you running from me?” I stepped closer, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Why are you looking at me like that if nothing happened?”Becker p
POV: LAURENBeing around Henry was becoming dangerous.I touched my lips, still tasting him, the vivid memory of his kiss burning against my skin. My body felt branded by the firm grip of his hands, as if he were still there, holding me, provoking me.I bit my lip, trying to push the sensations away. Running my hands over my face, I let out a frustrated sigh.“What am I doing?” I muttered, staring at my reflection in the mirror.My eyes looked brighter than usual, and my cheeks were flushed.I couldn’t keep doing this.“This is already complicated enough.”I exhaled slowly, trying to rearrange my thoughts.“But why did he come here last night?” I murmured, remembering the knock on the door, the way his gaze devoured me, and the kiss he stole without hesitation.“Damn it!”The worst part?I liked it.No one had ever kissed me like that.No one had ever touched me with that kind of intensity, as if I were something precious and forbidden all at once.Not even Ethan—my ex-husband—had eve
POV: LAURENA soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. When I opened it, the housekeeper stood there, holding an elegant box out to me.“This arrived for you,” she said with a slight smile.I hesitantly took the box, feeling the weight of what it meant.“Did Mr. Carter send it?” I asked, suspicious.“Yes, he asked you to get ready for dinner—without delays,” she confirmed before stepping away.I took a deep breath and carried the box to the bed. Undoing the ribbon, I slowly lifted the lid.Inside, a white dress lay neatly folded—delicate and sophisticated. The lace details made it even more refined, and for a moment, I swallowed hard.“He’s got to be joking.” I murmured.The dress was stunning—almost too stunning. There was something about it that reminded me of a wedding gown. My fingers glided over the fabric, and the thought of what Henry might be planning settled in my mind.Was this a date?I shook my head, pushing the thought away. No… He was practical and calculated.
POV: LAURENThen, without warning, his lips captured mine.Shock hit me first.But it was the intensity of the kiss that truly disarmed me.Henry wasn’t just putting on a show. His touch was firm, demanding, as if he wanted to leave a mark—prove a point only he understood. His tongue brushed against my lips, forcing me to yield, and before I knew it, I was kissing him back.Heat spread through my body. My hands instinctively pressed against his chest, but instead of pushing him away, my fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. My heart pounded wildly, as if it were trying to escape my chest.What the hell was I doing?Before I could pull away, a bright flash followed by a clicking sound echoed around us.Flashes.The rapid snapping of cameras jolted me back to reality.I gas
POV: LAURENThe man was still trembling, his breathing heavy, and his wild eyes locked onto me. The barrel of the gun wavered between Henry and me, but Carter remained firm, unwavering.“No, it’s definitely not fair,” Henry stated calmly, taking another step forward—without hesitation, without concern for the gun aimed at his head. “But you’re committing the same injustice against Lauren. The decisions were her father’s, not hers.”The man growled, his jaw clenched in fury.“That bastard was a coward!” he spat, his face twisting with hatred. “He chose death over facing the consequences of what he did! But someone has to pay for it.”My body froze as he shifted the gun back toward me, aiming over Henry’s shoulder.“I might go to hell for this, but I’m taking the magnate’s little
POV: LAURENMy heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to burst from my chest.“You could’ve stayed quiet, but no. Now you’re going to die first, and your wife right after!” he shouted, his eyes burning with hatred as he unlocked the safety.My mind froze for a second.But then, acting on instinct, I grabbed the nearest chair and, with all my strength, smashed it against his back.The impact sent him stumbling forward, dazed, one hand instinctively reaching for his head.“You bitch!” he snarled, turning on me in fury.The slap came fast and brutal. My head snapped to the side, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.Before I could react, I felt his fingers tangle in my hair, yanking so hard that a cry tore from my lips.“You're useless—just like your
POV: LAURENThe sound of sirens echoed inside the restaurant, coming from outside. The lights in the room seemed even brighter, reflecting off the pools of Henry’s blood spreading across the floor.Panic was evident in the few people still there. Employees watched from a distance, shocked and frozen with fear.I was kneeling on the ground, my trembling hands pressing against my belly, while my gaze remained locked on Henry’s motionless body.“Step back!” The paramedic’s voice was firm. “Give us space!”A police officer pulled me up, holding me back, trying to move me away, but I struggled, fighting with everything I had.“No! I can’t leave! He’s bleeding! He’s dying!” My voice came out broken, choked by sobs. “I can’t leave him alone… He—he saved me, he…”&n
POV: LAUREN“Friend, I am not letting you get out of this bed.” Kate crossed her arms and lifted her chin, looking at me firmly. “For God's sake, you almost lost your baby and your own life.”Guilt weighed heavily on my chest.“I know,” I murmured, lowering my head.My fingers clenched the sheets as my mind drifted back to that moment. Fear still lingered in every cell of my body.“That man…” My voice came out weak. “What happened to him? Who was he?”Kate let out a tired sigh and stepped closer.“The police arrested him. His name is William Bournes. It looks like he was one of your father’s company investors,” she explained.“He wanted to kill me.” My stomach twisted.“Yes. And I still can’t believe he
POV: LAUREN“Lauren, what’s going on?” Kate ran up to me, her voice filled with concern.“Theodor ran away.” I said, the words broken up by sobs. “He’s nowhere to be found. I already checked every place he used to hide. My words fell apart, just like my emotional control.“Hey, hey, calm down.” Kate pulled me into a tight hug. I felt her sweet perfume, the warmth of her body against mine, and for a moment, I could breathe a little easier. “You’re going to make yourself sick like this. We’ll find him, Lauren. Kids scare us like that sometimes.”“He left because he couldn’t stand seeing us fight anymore…” I sobbed, my chest shattered. “He thinks it’s his fault. And I… I’m failing him. What am I doing wrong?”“You’re doing the best you can.” She h
POV: LAURENHenry’s eyes widened the moment he read the first words. His firm steps echoed on the wooden floor as he moved closer to the note. I saw his fingers tremble slightly as he held the paper. The silence that settled for a few seconds felt like it was screaming inside the room. My chest tightened. It felt like the ground was crumbling beneath my feet.Theodor’s words pierced my heart with a dull, growing pain.“Uncle and Fairy, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be part of a broken family like this. Mom and Dad fought a lot when they were alive. I thought my new family would be filled with love, respect, and playtime, like it was in the beginning. But everything broke after you separated, and I can’t pretend to be strong and brave while watching you both so sad. I don’t know how to protect Alice from this, either. I won’t be a good brother or a good son. Furthermore, I don’t have your blood, Fairy, and still, you call me your son. Uncle Henry could learn a bit from you. He’s a nic
POV: HENRYBecker tried to pull away, pushing my arms with a quick, almost automatic motion. Before she could take a second step, I grabbed her wrist. Her skin was cold, trembling.“What does that mean, Lauren?” I asked quietly but firmly. I could feel there was something unsaid, something she was hiding, and it only made the pressure in my chest worse.She hesitated for a moment, then slowly turned around, eyes glassy, her expression exhausted.“I'm considering moving to another city,” Becker said, her voice thick with emotion, though she tried to sound rational. “Starting over, far from here. Henry, thanks to the agreement you signed, I was able to pay off all my father's debts. I'm truly grateful for that. But… I can't take it anymore. This place reminds me of everything I lost. It destroyed me. I can't breathe here anymore.”Her words hit hard. Part of me understood. But the other part reacted without thinking.“So you're going to do to Theodor what you did to me?” I snapped, my v
POV: HENRYI stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to control my breathing. My chest rose and fell in an erratic rhythm, still tasting the kiss that shouldn’t have happened. I looked at her, and she stared back at me with red, watery, confused eyes full of hurt.I hadn’t planned any of that. Furthermore, I didn’t go there to kiss her or to touch her like that. But all it took was one gesture, one sigh, one hesitation—and I got lost again. Just like I always did with her.I noticed her agitation. The way her fingers moved restlessly in her lap, her eyes constantly avoiding mine, shifting back to Theo. She was uncomfortable, on the verge of a breakdown. When she got up from the couch with a weak excuse, saying she was going to make something, I knew it was an escape. And this time, I wasn’t going to let her run. I stood up too and followed her, feeling a tight pressure in my chest that I didn’t want to admit was fear.Fear of losing her. Fear that it might already be too late.“Lauren
POV: LAURENMy head was a whirlwind of voices, and none of them would let me breathe. The hurt pulsed like an open wound. The memory of that article… Mia in his lap, as if his past still had more power than I ever would. And the pain of remembering that night, the hope I carried in my chest when I was about to tell him everything. How I desperately wished he would accept being the father of my child. How I dreamed of a life by his side. As his wife. As a family.I felt my eyes welling up. I tried blinking slowly to hold back the tears, but they pooled in silence, forming a thin line of shine that made me feel… small. Weak. Useless.Part of me wanted to scream. To beg for forgiveness. To say I had been an idiot, that yes, I had lied—but only because I was scared, insecure, and confused. I wanted him to know that everything I felt for him had been real. So intense, it still consumed me today.But
POV: LAURENI wanted to pull away. I wanted to create distance. But everything in me screamed for the closeness I had avoided for so long. And I hated myself for still wanting it. For craving his touch, his voice, the comfort only he could give me. Because none of it was fair.Not to me. Not to him. Not to Theo or Alice.The tear slipped out before I could stop it. I reached for my face automatically, trying to hide it—but he saw.Henry stood up slowly, saying nothing at first. His fingers touched my face gently, and his thumb wiped away the tear in a gesture so intimate it took my breath away. His hand stayed there, holding my face, and in that touch there was something strange—a mix of care and provocation. Like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.I held my breath. My heart sped up, and inside, everything was spinning. It wasn’t just the touch—it was the way he l
POV: LAURENThe pain I felt now wasn’t just physical. It was the weight of choices, silence, and heartbreak all stacked together. I had ruined everything. That was the truth I fought against every single night. Whatever we could’ve been—me, Henry, Theo, and now Alice—I had destroyed it.And as if Alice wanted to remind me she was there too, that all of this affected her as well, another kick came. Stronger. Deeper. A sharp jolt knocked the air out of me for a second, and I instinctively placed my hand on the side of my belly. I closed my eyes and let out a soft, muffled groan. I wanted to play it off and pretend it was just minor discomfort, but I couldn’t.When I opened my eyes, Henry was already standing.“Are you okay, Becker?” Henry’s voice had changed—firm, alert. His hand touched my shoulder directly, without hesitation. Warm. Familiar.
POV: LAURENI gripped the doorknob tightly, trying to control the shaking in my fingers. My heart was beating so fast and so hard it actually hurt, like every thump was a reminder of what I had lost… or what I still felt. It had been a long time since I last saw Henry Carter—and that was no accident. I had been avoiding him. Hiding like a coward because I didn’t know how to deal with the chaos he left inside me. I fell for him in a way I never thought possible. I was his. Completely. And even now, just the thought of facing him made something inside me fall apart.I took a deep breath, and before I could hesitate again, I opened the door.He was there. So real. So absurdly handsome, just like I remembered. His hand, raised midair to knock, froze in place. His eyes locked onto mine—intense, that impossible shade of blue, like they could see straight through everything I was trying to hide. The corner of his lip
POV: HENRY“When Kate got there, the chaos had already started. Her mom was surrounded by armed security, pressured, threatened... my uncle was ready to make an example out of her. Kate freaked out. She tried to reason with them, to defend her, but no one there was about to listen to someone with a dirty last name and a pile of debt.” He paused, like he was choosing his words carefully. “She only avoided being dragged in with her because, when she saw my photo hanging in my uncle’s office, she said—without blinking—that she was my girlfriend. That we’d been together for months. She tried to sell a convincing story.”I choked on my drink the exact second he finished the sentence, coughing and thumping my chest.“Girlfriend?!” I repeated, clearing my throat in disbelief. “Should I congratulate you or ask when exactly you decided to start living in that fantasy?”“It never happened,” Lucian replied, gripping the glass, so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “But I didn’t deny it. I j