Vanya's POV:I had tried, I really tried, to stick to the two-week break Marco and Emilia had practically forced on me.For the first few days, I indulged in the luxury of not having to rush anywhere. I spent time with my children, making them breakfast and driving them to school. I even allowed myself the guilty pleasure of spending a quiet afternoon reading a book, something I hadn't done in ages. You might say I was living my best life.But the itch to return to work, to the life I had built so meticulously, became impossible to ignore. By the end of the first week, I found myself pacing the house, feeling restless and uneasy. Every time my phone buzzed, my heart would skip a beat, half-hoping it was a work-related emergency that would justify my return to the office. But it never was. Instead, my phone seemed to be a direct line to Cian's persistence.Every morning, noon, and night, without fail, he would text me. At first, I blocked his number. Then he started sending emails. I
Vanya's POVVanya's POV:I had tried, I really tried, to stick to the two-week break Marco and Emilia had practically forced on me.For the first few days, I indulged in the luxury of not having to rush anywhere. I spent time with my children, making them breakfast and driving them to school. I even allowed myself the guilty pleasure of spending a quiet afternoon reading a book, something I hadn't done in ages. You might say I was living my best life.But the itch to return to work, to the life I had built so meticulously, became impossible to ignore. By the end of the first week, I found myself pacing the house, feeling restless and uneasy. Every time my phone buzzed, my heart would skip a beat, half-hoping it was a work-related emergency that would justify my return to the office. But it never was. Instead, my phone seemed to be a direct line to Cian's persistence.Every morning, noon, and night, without fail, he would text me. At first, I blocked his number. Then he started sendin
Vanya's POV I sat in the muse of what I now thought to be a blissful evening, one of the best I have had in quite a while. The surprise party had been a success, full of laughter, warmth, all with a fleeting sense of safety. For a brief moment, I had allowed myself to believe that perhaps I could reclaim a semblance of normalcy in my life. But as I stood in the quiet aftermath of the celebration, surrounded by empty champagne flutes and deflated balloons, I realized how naive that hope had been.I was tidying up the last of the decorations when I heard footsteps echoing in the empty hall. My heart skipped a beat, a sense of unease creeping into my chest. When I turned to face the intruder, my breath caught in my throat.There he was, standing at the entrance with a smug grin plastered across his face Cian. Dressed immaculately in a dark suit that seemed to blend with the shadows, he held a bouquet of roses in one hand and a small box wrapped in silver paper in the other. The sight o
Vanya's POVCian's golden eyes flicked to Marco, and for a moment, a dangerous silence filled the room. Then, to my disbelief, Cian's lips curled into a mocking grin, a dark, twisted amusement dancing in his gaze. "Kill me?" he echoed, his voice dripping with condescension. "How quaint."The casual dismissal in Cian's tone only fueled Marco's anger. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles turning white as he fought the urge to strike the smug look off Cian's face. "You don't understand" Marco warned, his voice low and menacing. "This isn't a game, Cian. If you hurt her again-"But before Marco could finish his sentence, Cian threw his head back and laughed-a chilling, hollow sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Oh, Marco" Cian said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye as his laughter subsided. "You really think you're in control here?"A flash of uncertainty streamed across Marco's face, but he stood his ground, determined to protect me at any cost. "I'm done talking" Marco
Vanya's POV:The oppressive tension in the air was almost tangible, pressing down on me as I huddled in the corner of the room, my mind reeling from the terrifying encounter with Cian. His presence had lingered long after he'd left, like a dark cloud that refused to dissipate, leaving my nerves frayed and my heart racing with the aftermath of what had just transpired. But then, out of nowhere, Cian's phone rung. The shrill tone cut through the silence, startling me. I watched as Cian's golden eyes flicked to the device in his hand, a look of annoyance crossing his features. For a moment, I held my breath, praying that whoever was on the other end of that call would somehow save me from this nightmare. Cian answered, his voice low and clipped, the usual arrogance muted as he listened to whatever was being said. I couldn't make out the words, but I saw the change in his expression-an irritation, a flash of something that almost looked like anger, before his expression settled ba
Vanya's POV"He'll be fine," the healer assured us after what felt like hours of anxious waiting. "The poison is not lethal, but it's already beginning to clear from his system. He just needs rest and time to recover." My relief was so overwhelming that I nearly collapsed. The tears I had been holding back spilled over as I clung to Emily, her body shaking with the force of my sobs. The healer's words had brought some measure of comfort, but the emotional toll of the night was too much to bear. Emily held me, stroking my hair as she whispered soothing words, but I couldn't stop crying. The weight of everything-the fear, the guilt, the helplessness-crashed down on me like a tidal wave and I was powerless to stop it. That night, the house was shrouded in an oppressive silence, the atmosphere heavy with the aftershocks of the evening's events. I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Cian's face, heard his voice, felt the terror that had gripped me so tightly. I l
Vanya POV I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my phone as the glow of the screen illuminated my worried expression. The comment I had posted under Cian's taunting message was still racking up likes and responses, a flood of reactions pouring in from all corners of the internet. People were taking sides, speculating, laughing, jeering-it was all one big, twisted circus. But the thrill of throwing Cian's arrogance back in his face had worn off. Now, doubt gnawed at me. Have I done the right thing? I couldn't tell if my response had been an act of defiance or a rash mistake. I had wanted to hurt him, to put him in his place, but the fear of retaliation lingered like a dark cloud. Cian was not the type to take public humiliation lightly, and I knew this spat was far from over. Lost in my thoughts, I nearly jumped when I heard a soft knock at the door. Marco stepped in, looking pale but determined. He was moving slowly, still recovering from the ordeal of that night, but
Vanya's POVLater that evening, Emilia prepared dinner with all of my favorite dishes, trying to lift my spirit after the past days events. The meal was delicious, but I could barely taste it. The tension and anxiety from everything that had happened were still weighing heavily on me, and i found it hard to enjoy anything. As we sat around the table, trying to make small talk, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at it and saw the endless notifications pouring in comments, messages, tags. The internet drama was still raging, and now it seemed to have taken on a life of its own. My heart sank as I opened my direct messages, only to be bombarded with questions from strangers--mostly women, asking me how my night with Cian had been, whether the rumors about him being a monster in bed were true. Some messages were crude, others curious, but all were intrusive, a reminder that my life was now fodder for public consumption. I scrolled through the messages, my stomach churning