“There’s something else.”“What?” I asked almost immediately.“You asked for updates on the other business contracts,” he said in a neutral tone, careful not to overstep.I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the polished wood of the desk. “Go on.”Drew’s eyes flicked down to his tablet. He scrolled briefly before meeting my gaze. “Three of the contracts were declined—two in Paris and one in New York. Seven were approved, and the rest are still pending, awaiting signatures or further negotiations.”The numbers rolled over in my mind like a slow wave, and I nodded thoughtfully. “Not bad,” I said finally, though the rejections nagged at me. “Looks promising.”Drew’s shoulders eased, a subtle but telling shift in his normally rigid posture. He wasn’t the kind of assistant to show cracks, but I could read him better than most.“Anything else?” I asked, leaning back in my chair. The leather creaked softly under the shift of my weight.“Nothing else for now,” Drew said with a slight shake o
“Stay where you are. Watch them, but don’t let her see you. Text me the flight details as soon as you can.”“Alright,” Kai said before the line went dead.I set the phone down, my hand shaking a bit from trying to control my feelings.I slammed my hand against the desk, the sound echoing in the quiet room. Ruby wasn’t going to do this. She wasn’t going to take my children and disappear.I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Ruby had made her decision, and realizing that she was leaving with the children filled me with an unexpected sense of urgency. I pushed my chair back and stood up, pacing to and fro. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, and I needed to breathe. I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was nearly 7 PM. If they had already checked in, they could be boarding any minute. I had no time to waste… PING!The sound of my phone drew my attention back to the device laying on the desk. It was a text from Kai, short and to the point: “Flight 237 to Howling Heights
ROMAN’S POV I stepped into my apartment, the city lights bleeding in through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the last thing I expected was Kai lounging on the couch. ]He had his feet kicked up on my coffee table, a glass of whiskey in hand, looking entirely too comfortable for someone about to deliver bad news.“Kai,” I said flatly, tossing my keys onto the counter.“You’re late,” he replied, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. His tone was light, but the tight set of his jaw betrayed his usual bravado.“What is it?” I asked, already sensing something was off.“You asked me to be here in an hour… remember?”Kai reached for a tablet sitting on the table and handed it to me without a word. The screen came to life under my touch, displaying grainy security footage from the airport. My stomach twisted the moment I saw her—Ruby—walking through the terminal. She was holding Rhett’s hand while Little Ruby clutched Helen’s. They were laughing, bags and boxes trailing behind them
RUBY'S POV The cab pulled into the city, and as the familiar skyline came into view, a tightness crept into my chest. I clutched my bag a little closer, staring out the window as the streets passed by in a blur of muted colors and ghosted memories.I was back.The place where everything began, where everything fell apart. The city that held every piece of me—the good, the bad, the broken. Each corner seemed to echo with memories of smiles, laughter, and heartbreak. It felt as though the air itself weighed heavier here, thick with the past.I blinked away the feeling and reached for my phone, dialing Liam’s number.“Ruby,” he answered almost immediately. His voice was warm, like a balm to my frayed nerves.“Hey. I’m here,” I said in a steady voice despite the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. “Is it still the hotel I told you about?”“Yeah, same place,” he confirmed. “I’m already here waiting for you.”I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Alright. I’ll be there
RUBY'S POVLiam and I stood outside the hotel, waiting for the car we had ordered. The morning air was both clear and heavy. I tried to focus on the simplicity of the moment—the soft breeze brushing against my skin, the faint hum of traffic in the distance—but it was impossible. My thoughts were racing, my stomach in knots.“She’s going to be fine,” Liam said beside me.I looked at him, trying to take comfort in his calm demeanor. “I hope so,” I murmured.The ride to the hospital was quiet, almost painfully so. I watched the buildings blur past the window, every street corner bringing me closer to memories I’d buried for years. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my coat, a nervous habit I’d picked up as a child. Liam sat next to me. His steady presence helped me stay grounded when my thoughts felt like they were going crazy.When we got to the hospital, the tall, white building stood in front of us. It looked cold and clinical. My heart sank as we entered the lobby, the antiseptic
Liam turned toward me with that reassuring smile of his, the one that always managed to make things feel lighter, even when they weren’t. “I’ll just be outside, alright?”I gave him a small nod. “I’ll see you in a bit.”He turned around and walked away. The door clicked shut behind him, sealing us in calm silence. For a brief moment, I let myself breathe, only to turn back and find Aunt Jean watching me. Her gaze—steady and probing—held something I couldn’t quite decipher.“He’s…” Jean began but trailed off as if searching for the right words.“Straightforward,” I supplied, offering her a faint smile.Jean nodded slightly, a knowing look flickering in her eyes. “Disciplined. Open. He has every good quality you could ask for in a person.”“He sure does,” I admitted softly, unable to hide the small smile tugging at my lips. I could still feel the lingering warmth of his presence in the room.“You two seem very close.” Jean's voice was careful, but there was a question in it that she di
ROMAN’S POVThe airport buzzed with its usual chaos—announcements blaring over speakers, the shuffle of luggage wheels on tile, and the hum of impatient travellers. As my car pulled up to the curb, I spotted Kai standing near the entrance, casually leaning against his car, arms crossed like he didn’t have a care in the world.I rolled down the window as we approached. “Driver, stop here,” I said, motioning toward Kai. Grayson nodded and pulled over.Kai noticed me and straightened up, a smug smile creeping across his face.“Finally decided to show up?” he quipped, walking toward me as Grayson unloaded my bags from the trunk.I stepped out of the car and nodded to him. “Thanks. I can take it from here. You can head back now.”He nodded, tipping his hat before driving off.As I turned to Kai, I couldn’t help but notice his car parked behind him. A thought struck me, and I smirked. “So, what’s the plan for your car, Kai?” I asked, gesturing toward it with a tilt of my head.Kai patted t
The car arrived at the large apartment building, which looked sleek and modern with its glass exterior reflecting the city skyline. Several workers hurried out to greet us, their faces eager but restrained, their bows precise. I offered a curt nod in response, the weight of my thoughts leaving little room for pleasantries.Kai let out a dramatic sigh as he dragged my luggage to the entrance and flopped into the nearest chair. “Feels good to be back,” he said, kicking his feet out and leaning back.I raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t get too comfortable. My office—now,” I said, already heading for the stairs.“Damn it,” Kai muttered behind me.“I can hear you,” I called over my shoulder, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.“Of course, you can,” he shot back, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. “A little break would be appreciated, you know.”Reaching the top of the stairs, I called back without turning, “You wouldn’t know what to do with one.”Kai groaned theatrically be
Helen’s POVThe afternoon dragged on, stretching thin like a frayed rope ready to snap.Kai’s laptop whirred quietly, his fingers moving across the keyboard in a steady rhythm—the only consistent sound in the room.Everyone else was beginning to wilt under the weight of exhaustion.The twins had been sent to their rooms, instructed firmly not to come back until we called for them. They didn’t argue. That alone told me how drained they were.Esperanza, Keely and Ruby were in the kitchen preparing something for us all. I was going to join them, but they seemed to be having their family/sister kind of bond and conversation going on there.Not that they’d mind me joining them but I just didn’t feel up for it.And then there was Roman.Pacing.Back and forth.Over and over again.Like a caged animal barely keeping itself from breaking something.His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, his shoulders rising and falling with controlled breaths.Finally, he muttered, "I need some air,"
Esperanza’s POVI did not see that coming.Like, at all.I wasn’t even paying attention at first. The kitchen fire was way more entertaining than it should have been—watching the twins fumble over their excuses, Roman trying not to laugh, and Ruby looking like she was debating grounding them forever.But then.Then Ruby said it.“Excuse me? They got it from you. You are the troublemaker here.”Roman had called her a little troublemaker too and Ruby gasped like he just exposed her entire existence.At first, I thought they were just bickering like always, but the way they looked at each other? The way Roman smirked like he was remembering something personal?Something wasn’t adding up.I turned to Keely, nudging her lightly. “You’re seeing this, right?”Keely, still amused by the chaos, raised an eyebrow. “Seeing what?”I gestured toward Roman and Ruby, who were now arguing about which one of them was the bigger troublemaker.Roman was grinning. “You started it, Ruby.”Ruby scoffed. “E
~Rhett’s POV~I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. This was hopeless."So, since we're back in our rooms—""Since we've been kicked back to our rooms," Little Ruby corrected, sitting cross-legged on the floor, arms crossed like she had just been terribly wronged."Yeah, kicked back," I agreed with a sigh. "Let’s get back to our plan."Little Ruby perked up immediately, her eyes shining with excitement. "Okay, so hear me out… what if we fake a disaster?"I sat up so fast my head almost spun. "No way.""Why not?" she whined."Because we’ve tried this before," I reminded her, giving her a hard look."And?" she asked, tilting her head like she didn't already know.I shot her a glare. "Mom almost drowned."Little Ruby grimaced. "Okay… yeah. Bad example." She waved it off like it didn’t matter. "But this time, we control the situation!"I narrowed my eyes. "Uh-huh. And how exactly do we fake a safe disaster?"Little Ruby waved her hands around dramatically. "We don’t fake it. We j
~Ruby’s POV~The morning air felt heavier than usual. Maybe it was just me.I stood at the kitchen counter, absentmindedly stirring my coffee, though I had no real intention of drinking it. My mind was tangled in too many thoughts, one looping louder than the rest.Liam loves me.He actually said it. And now? Now, I had no idea what to do.I’d spent the morning avoiding him, keeping my conversations brief, and dodging eye contact whenever possible. Liam had tried—oh, he had tried—to catch my gaze, to start some kind of conversation about it. But I wasn’t ready.Not now. Maybe not ever."Mom, can I have cereal?" Rhett's voice pulled me from my thoughts.I blinked, looking down to see him already climbing onto a chair to reach the cabinet."Yeah, of course, baby. Let me help." I moved on autopilot, grabbing the cereal and pouring it into his bowl.Little Ruby came in a second later, rubbing her eyes. "Is Uncle Liam still here?"I tensed for just a moment before nodding. "Yeah, he was ou
~Little Ruby’s POV~The house felt weird that night.It was too quiet.Even though the lights were still on and the TV played some show nobody was really watching, it felt like something heavy was sitting in the air, making it hard to breathe right. Mom was sitting on the couch, looking tired, and Aunt Helen had her arms crossed, staring at nothing.Rhett and I sat near the stairs, not really sure what to do. Usually, there’d be talking or laughing, or maybe Aunt Helen would be telling Mom one of her long stories that didn’t make sense. But tonight? Nothing.Then the front door opened.Uncle Liam walked in, and everything felt even weirder.He looked around really fast, like he was trying to figure out what was wrong.“Uncle Liam!” Rhett and I said together, but not in our usual happy way. Just… normal.“Hey, kids,” he said. “How are you?”“Good… I guess,” we both mumbled at the same time.His eyes moved to Aunt Helen. “Hey, Helen.”“Hi, Liam.”Then he looked at Mom.I saw something
~Ruby's POV~The house was unusually quiet that night.Even with the kids around, the usual laughter and chatter were absent. Instead, a heavy tension hung in the air, pressing down on all of us like an invisible weight.Helen sat stiffly on the couch, arms crossed over her chest, her eyes distant. The kids lingered near the stairs, speaking in hushed voices, exchanging glances as if sensing the unease but not quite knowing what to do with it.And then Liam walked in.The second he stepped through the door, his sharp gaze swept over the room, taking in the atmosphere. “Uncle Liam!” The kids said in a neutral tone. “Hey kids, how are you?” “Good… I guess.” They both chorused.His jaw clenched slightly as his eyes landed on Helen. “Hey, Helen.” “Hi, Liam.”Then on me.He saw it. The frustration. The tension. The exhaustion.He didn’t ask questions right away. Instead, he sighed, running a hand through his hair before speaking. “I need to talk to Ruby. Alone.”Helen nodded, standin
~Roman’s POV~I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.Oh my god.This changes everything.I turned my gaze to Rhett. If he already had this kind of strength at his age… it could only mean one thing.The prophecy might be true.I stared at him, my mind racing through possibilities. His innocent face held no idea of what he had just done, what it could mean. If he was already showing signs now, then there was no more time to waste.Before I could even process my next thought, the front door swung open.Ruby.I’d already heard her coming, already bracing myself for this conversation.“Hey, Mom!” The kids ran toward her, their voices light, innocent—completely unaware of the storm brewing between us.Ruby barely had time to acknowledge them before I stepped forward.“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked with a firm but low voice.She barely spared me a glance, her focus shifting. “Where’s Aunt Helen?”“At the back,” Rhett answered.Ruby let out a breath and then looked at the kids. “G
~Roman’s POV~Hours earlier…The day's burdens felt overwhelming. My office was a mess of scattered files, unfinished reports, and half-empty coffee cups. I was exhausted, my brain fogged from hours of staring at documents that never seemed to end.With a sigh, I shoved the last folder aside and leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples."Enough."I needed a break.Dragging myself out of my office, I made my way to the living room. The couch welcomed me like an old friend as I sank into it, grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels mindlessly.Nothing caught my interest.That’s when my gaze landed on the iPad sitting on the coffee table.I hesitated.For a second, I debated whether to check or not. But curiosity won over restraint.I reached for the device and tapped into the camera feed linked to Ruby’s house.And what I saw made me sit up straighter.Liam.Helen.The kids.All walking into Ruby’s house.I stared at the screen, trying to process it. The kids weren’t sup
~Ruby’s POV~The moment I saw my kids, everything else faded."Mom!" Their voices rang out, high-pitched and filled with excitement as they sprinted toward me.I barely had time to brace myself before they crashed into my arms. My hands roamed over their backs, checking for injuries or anything unusual."How are you two doing?" I asked."We're fine," they chorused.Little Ruby tilted her head up at me, her dark curls bouncing. "It's been a while, Mom.""Yeah... I really missed you two." I squeezed them tighter, as if that would make up for lost time.Helen’s presence caught me off guard. "Helen? How—why did you come too?" I stammered.She nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. "I had to. Marcus can take care of Mom."I swallowed down my gratitude and hugged her too. "Good to see you."Then, I turned to Liam. He was standing there, arms crossed, waiting. He looked the same as always—casual, composed—but I knew him well enough to see the flicker of questions in his eyes."Liam," I said, st