JASON. I can’t take my eyes off her. There’s something about her, the way she carries herself, the way she moves, even the way she breathes—it pulls me in like a magnet. I’ve met with dozens of women at events like this, but none have made me feel like this. Not since... Stacy. I step forward, my hand outstretched, “Dance with me, please.” Her eyes narrow behind the mask, but there’s a flicker of hesitation in them. She’s about to respond when Nicole’s voice cuts through the air, sharp and demanding. “Jason, what the hell are you doing?” I turn to see her storming toward us, her face contorted with anger. “You’re seriously asking another woman to dance? Right in front of me?” I don’t flinch. “There is nothing wrong with dancing with Natalie.” Nicole looks like she’s been slapped. “Jason!” Natalie—no, whoever she is—stays silent, her body tensing as if she’s debating how to handle this. She’s caught between us, but I don’t care. I need this dance. I need to know why I feel thi
JASON. It can't be… She is dead. I buried her remains in my pack five years ago… My heart slams my chest as memories flood back, overwhelming me… The way she used to look at me. The way she smelled when we were alone. The way she smiled and laughed. The way she cried… It all crashes into me at once like a tidal wave I didn't see coming. Natalie or_Stacy, raises her hand to cover her exposed face with her eyes wide with panic. She immediately backs away, her voice trembling. “Daniel, I have had enough of this. Please take me home now.” “Of course Natalie,” Daniel's breathing is ragged, his face flushed from the fight, but his hand is steady as he pulls her close. He glares at me, but I barely notice. All I can do is watch as they move towards the exit, her half hidden face burning into my mind. The crowd murmurs around me but I'm too numb to it. That's Stacy and not Natalie… I stand there, frozen as they disappear through the doors. She is alive all these years… But how? My pu
STACY.Meanwhile not so far from the square market.... I sit at my desk, but my fingers tremble over the keyboard, unable to focus on the task in front of me. No matter how hard I try, I can’t shake the image of Jason from my mind—his eyes scanning my face, his growing suspicion gnawing at my nerves... The mask had barely concealed me after Daniel revealed half my face last night. Does he know it's me? My heart pounds faster at the thought. If Jason finds out the truth—if he discovers Liam is still alive… I swallow hard, panic bubbling up. What would he do? Would he take Liam from me for forever? I try to shake it off, pushing the memory aside, but the dread clings to me like a suffocating cloak. I glance over at the clock, wishing the hours would fly by faster. The door opens with a soft bell sound, and Lizzy, breezes in with her usual bright energy. “Morning, boss!” she chirps, dropping a stack of files on the desk. “You’re up early today. How was the gala last night? You l
JASON. The phone rings once before she picks up. I freeze, my heart thudding heavily in my chest as I hear her breathe on the other end. It’s her. Stacy. My Stacy. I open my mouth to speak, to say something that might fix everything. But all that comes out is a weak, desperate, “Stacy...” There’s silence. A tension so thick I can feel it even through the phone. I swallow hard, my throat dry. “Please,” I plead, my voice trembling, “just hear me out. I need to talk—” The line goes dead. I stare at the phone in my hand, disbelief washing over me. She hung up on me. The knot in my stomach tightens, and I grip the phone so tightly my knuckles turn white. She’s avoiding me. But she can’t. Not anymore. I’ve spent five years mourning her, thinking she and our son were gone forever. The pain of burying a child and wife… well, ex wife whom I still want... that grief never leaves. But now I know the truth. I felt it in that ballroom when I saw her. She’s alive. They’re alive. This is all t
STACY. ‘I want my family back.’ Jason's shocking words echo repeatedly in the back of my mind as I regret showing up for work today. I should have stayed home and laid low like I had said yesterday. My fists clench at my sides as anger surges through me. ‘I’ll fight for you and our son_’ more of his words reply in my mind like a broken record. How dare he? After everything he put me through—after abandoning me and Liam—now he wants his family back? He is lying to himself… Because to me, love is a deadly poison that eats your soul until it completely devours you… Love is painful. It is better to not feel anything. This is the point where I have reached and I won't look back to be made a fool again. Besides, he has Nicole and their pup, so why the hell does he want me now? More anger flares in my chest, and Jason's words take me off guard. A strange feeling stirs in my heart, and I hate it. Does he really expect me to forget what he did, just because he showed up here, demanding
JASON. BANG!!! The sound of Stacy's car crash hits me like a physical blow. I’ve been secretly following Stacy since she stepped out of office after our first meeting in a long time, hoping to get another moment to explain myself, and to fix things, but now, all that matters is getting to her. Her car is a crumpled mess, the front end lodged deep in a ditch. For a split second, I freeze, my chest tightening with sheer panic. No, no, no. This can’t be happening again. Without another thought, I sprint toward the wreckage, yanking open the driver’s side door. “Stacy!” My voice cracks as I pull her limp body from the car, laying her flat on the ground. “Come on baby, come back to me. I need you,” I mutter under my breath, my hands trembling as I check for signs of life. Nothing. No response. Damn it. My first aid training kicks in. I press down on her chest, counting compressions, praying for movement. “Please, Stacy. Don’t do this to me.” Sweat drips down my face as I lean
STACY. “You have exactly five minutes to say what you want to say then leave. And this time for good Jason. I don't want to see you or breath the same air as you.” I start the conversation while my body aches from the car crash I just encountered. Jason looks at me with remorse and desperation before he speaks. “Stacy, I’ll leave Nicole. I swear it. I’ll do anything to get you back.” I huff a laugh, crossing my arms over my chest. “Is that what you want to speak to me about? Leave Nicole? Jason, you don’t even know what you’re saying. You think throwing those words around is enough to make me forget everything you did? Four minutes…” I subtract a minute from the five minutes I gave him. His eyes pop wide and pleading, fixing on me like they always used to. But I’m not that girl anymore, and his charm isn’t working this time. “You left me no choice,” I spit, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I’ve been holding inside. “You married her! You moved on, had a child
NICOLE.Meanwhile in midnight pack... “Why is Jason not yet back?” I pace back and forth across the marble floors of the mansion, my fingers clenched into fists. The rage bubbling inside me threatens to spill over, but I bite my lip to keep it in check. It’s been two days since Jason ordered me to come back to our home with Alex, while he stayed behind at that Blue Moon pack. Who was the woman in the mask that grabbed his attention? The way he rushed me out of blue moon pack, that cold look in his eyes, something had changed. And I’m not stupid—I know he was admiring her from the moment he set his eyes on her. “Nicole, sit down. You are giving me a headache with your pacing,” My father’s deep voice rumbles behind me. Victor Cruz, the infamous rogue leader who’s caused countless packs to shudder at the mere mention of his name, leans back casually in Jason’s leather sofa in the living room like he owns the place. “I don’t want to sit down,” I snap, crossing my arms as I continue