Mandy’s POVI sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the empty space in front of me. The silence in the apartment felt like it was closing in, suffocating me. My mind kept racing, replaying everything that had happened—Lucas’s apology, his desperate attempt to make things right, and the way he’d looked at me when he said he was willing to do whatever it took. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that he was truly sorry, that he was ready to change. But a part of me—maybe a bigger part than I cared to admit—was terrified. Terrified that I’d been fooled once again. I loved him. I always had. But the lies, the secrets… they had cut deeper than I was willing to admit. How could I trust him again after everything he’d kept from me? The worst part was that I didn’t even know if I could trust myself anymore. Had I been blind all this time? Had I ignored the warning signs, convinced myself that everything was fine, when in reality, I was just letting myself be deceived? I
Lucas’s POVI felt like I was running in circles, trying to catch up with something I could never quite grasp. Every time I thought I had a handle on things, they slipped away from me. Mandy was slipping away from me.And I couldn’t change the past. I knew that. But I wasn’t the man I used to be. I wasn’t the man who made those mistakes anymore. I just needed her to see that.I ran a hand through my hair, staring at the screen of my phone. Mandy hadn’t responded to my message. I’d hoped she would, but I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to hear from me. Not after everything. But I couldn’t just sit here and wait. I had to do something. I had to prove to her that Vanessa was lying. That everything she’d revealed about her pregnancy was just manipulation, a way to turn Mandy against me. I grabbed my laptop and started digging. I needed to know everything about Vanessa. What had she done in the past? What was her game? It didn’t take long to uncover something that made my blood run c
Mandy’s POVI sat on the couch, staring at the blank wall in front of me, my mind spinning. I was trying to piece together everything—my feelings for Lucas, the lies, the hurt, and now, this new mess with Vanessa. I didn’t know what to believe anymore. I kept thinking back to the good times. The moments when Lucas had made me laugh, when everything felt easy and right. When we were in sync, when I could look at him and feel like I was home. I remembered the way his eyes softened when he smiled at me, how he always knew just what to say when I was feeling down. But then I remembered the bad times too. The lies, the secrets, the way he’d kept things from me. The betrayal. The feeling of being so alone, even when he was right there beside me. I didn’t know if I could go back to that. I didn’t know if I could trust him again. But the truth was, I still loved him. I couldn’t deny that. And that made everything so much harder.I needed time. Time to think, to process everything. But as
Lucas’s POVI couldn’t breathe. Every inch of me was suffocating under the weight of this mess. I tried. God, I’d tried everything to make Mandy see that I wasn’t the same man I used to be. I had put myself out there, let her see the parts of me that I’d kept hidden for so long. But nothing was enough. She still looked at me like I was a stranger, like every word I said was just another lie.I was losing her, and the worst part was, I didn’t know how to stop it. I couldn’t make the past disappear. I couldn’t erase the mistakes I’d made, no matter how hard I tried.I’d done everything right. I’d apologize. I’d been honest. I’d laid myself bare for her, but it still wasn’t enough. I was standing at the edge, and I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on. But I couldn’t let go. Not without a fight. Not without doing everything in my power to fix this. I’d found James. The guy from my past who had been lurking in the shadows, causing all this chaos. I hadn’t wanted to face him, ha
Mandy’s POVThe tension in the room was suffocating. James stood at the door like he owned the place, his smirk practically daring Lucas to do something about it. I could feel the heat radiating off Lucas as he stood beside me, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. “What the hell are you doing here, James?” Lucas growled, his voice low and dangerous. James didn’t flinch. If anything, his smirk widened. “Relax, Lucas. I’m not here to fight. I’m here to talk. To clear the air.” “Clear the air?” I cut in, stepping forward. My voice was sharp, fueled by the frustration and confusion that had been building up inside me. “You show up at my door, drop a bombshell about Lucas, and now you want to ‘clear the air’? Are you serious?” James’s eyes flicked to me, and for a moment, I saw something that looked like regret. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by that infuriating smugness. “I know you’re angry, Mandy. You have every right to be. But you deserve to k
Mandy’s POVThe phone slipped from my hand, clattering onto the floor. My knees buckled, and I grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t pull in enough air. Emily. My baby. Something was wrong with Emily. “Mandy?” Lucas’s voice cut through the fog, sharp and urgent. He stepped closer, his hands hovering like he wanted to catch me if I fell. “What’s going on? What happened?” I shook my head, my voice caught somewhere between a sob and a gasp. “Emily... She’s at the hospital. Something’s wrong.” Lucas’s face paled. “I’ll drive.” I didn’t argue. I couldn’t. My legs felt like jelly as I stumbled toward the door, Lucas’s steady hand on my back guiding me. The ride to the hospital was a blur of headlights and panic. My thoughts spiraled, each one worse than the last. Was she hurt? Sick? How bad was it? “Wendy wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t serious,” I whispered, more to myself than to Lucas. He tightened his grip on the steering
Mandy’s POVThe room erupted into chaos. Nurses and doctors flooded in, their movements quick and precise, but to me, it felt like slow motion. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think—my feet rooted to the spot as I watched them surround Emily’s bed. “Clear the room!” one of the nurses barked, her voice sharp and commanding. “No!” I screamed, trying to push past Lucas, but his arms locked around me, holding me back. “Mandy, let them work,” he said, his voice firm but trembling. “I can’t leave her!” I cried, clawing at his chest, desperate to break free. “Lucas, let me go! She needs me!” His grip tightened, his face inches from mine. “She needs them to save her. Please, Mandy, don’t make this harder for her—or for yourself.” I sagged against him, my strength gone, and he guided me out of the room. The door shut behind us with a heavy thud, cutting me off from my baby. The hallway was eerily quiet compared to the chaos inside. My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, my hands t
Mandy’s POVDeliberate. The word echoed in my head like a gunshot, deafening and disorienting. Someone had intentionally hurt Emily. I felt Lucas’s hand tighten around mine, but I couldn’t look at him. My gaze was locked on the doctor, who stood there with an expression that teetered between pity and professional detachment. “What do you mean... deliberate?” My voice sounded foreign to my own ears—shaky, distant. The doctor hesitated, clearly choosing his words carefully. “The type of toxin we suspect—based on her symptoms—isn’t something one would encounter in everyday life. It’s... rare, and it would require deliberate exposure.” “Deliberate exposure?” Lucas’s voice was low, deadly. “Are you saying someone poisoned her?” The doctor nodded slowly. “That’s what we’re investigating. I’ve already informed the authorities. They’ll need to speak with you both as soon as possible.” Authorities. Police. Poison. I couldn’t process it. My daughter—my innocent, bright, beautiful
Mandy’s POVThe SUV’s tires screeched as it came to a halt, the eerie silence of the abandoned warehouse district swallowing the sound. My pulse raced in my ears as I sat motionless, gripping Emily’s limp body tightly. Each second felt like an eternity. The night air outside was thick with tension, the kind that made you feel like something terrible was about to happen, but you had no idea how to stop it.Lucas didn’t even glance at me as he opened the door and stepped out of the car. His face was set, hardened, like he was preparing for war. I followed quickly behind him, clutching Emily closer to my chest, her tiny body a fragile weight in my arms. The warehouse loomed in front of us—an ugly, decaying building at the edge of the city. There was nothing welcoming about it, nothing that suggested it could be a place of hope. It was a hollow structure, abandoned and broken, much like the world we had stepped into.We moved quickly toward the entrance, the dim lights of the street
lucas’s POVThe phone call felt like a weight around my neck, each second dragging me deeper into something I never wanted to revisit. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, knuckling white as I stared out the window. But my mind wasn’t on the road ahead—it was on the voice that had just spoken through the phone. "You should be rotting in a cell, Lucas."His words rang in my ears like a death sentence. Every syllable is a reminder of the mistakes I’d made, the enemies I’d created, and the man I once was—the man I still couldn’t fully outrun. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. "I don’t have time for grudges," I said, my voice clipped and controlled. "I need your help."The silence on the other end of the line stretched painfully long. I could hear him breathing, the rasp of air in and out as if he were savoring the moment. Finally, he spoke again. "Bring her here. But after this, you owe me."The words hit me like a blow to the chest, but I forced myself not to re
Mandy’s POVEverything around me blurred into nothing. The cold pavement bit into my knees, but I barely felt it. My arms tightened around Emily’s small, lifeless body, my hands trembling as I pressed my forehead against hers. "Please, baby… please…" My voice cracked, but no response came. The weight of her in my arms, too still, too cold, made it impossible to breathe. A strangled sob tore from my throat as I rocked her, desperate to bring life back into her. She had been laughing just hours ago, giggling in my arms, full of energy, full of love. Now, she was slipping away, and I couldn't stop it. "We need to get her to a hospital!" Ethan's voice cut through the fog of grief, sharp and urgent. He was crouched beside me, his hands hovering as if afraid to touch her, as if touching would make this nightmare real. Lucas stood frozen, his face unreadable, but his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. His knuckles were white, his whole body rigid. "If anything happens t
Lucas’s POVThe world felt like it was closing in on me. The lights flashing from the police cars outside the warehouse, the sound of sirens wailing in the distance, it all blended into a haze of confusion. Mandy had been pulled away, and I could only watch as she and Ethan ran for their lives. The chaos unfolding around us seemed like a nightmare I couldn’t wake from. Sophia had done this. She’d planned every step with the precision of someone who was playing a long game, and now, I was caught in it. A pawn. And I had no idea how to fight back. My mind was racing, but there was no time to think. I had to do something—anything—to protect her, to protect Emily. The weight of what was happening pressed heavily against my chest, suffocating me with guilt and fear. Mandy and Emily were in danger, and it was because of me. As I moved toward the door, my body tense and ready for whatever was waiting outside, my eyes caught the movement in the distance. The alley—where Mandy and Eth
Mandy’s POVEthan’s grip was unrelenting as he pulled me through the dark corridors of the warehouse. My heart thundered in my chest, and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed off the cold concrete walls. Behind us, the chaos erupted—yelling, shouts of orders, the sound of heavy boots pounding the floor as the police scrambled to respond. I barely registered it all. All I could think about was the fact that Lucas was being arrested. We were running, but for what? "We can’t let them take Lucas."His words hit me like a cold splash of water. He was right. We couldn’t let them take him, but how were we supposed to stop this? I stumbled slightly, still trying to process everything—Sophia’s cruel smile, the video, the betrayal I felt in my bones. Lucas… Lucas had never told me about his past with Sophia. I didn’t know what to believe anymore. Could I trust him? Should I? "What do we do?" I gasped, the words slipping out before I could stop them. My mind was clouded, and fear was s
Lucas’s POVThe moment the police stormed in, their weapons raised, I knew Sophia had been waiting for this. The blue and red flashes of sirens painted the dim warehouse in a kaleidoscope of chaos. The tension in the air thickened like a noose tightening around my throat. "Lucas Vanderbilt, you’re under arrest."The lead officer’s voice rang with authority, cutting through the heavy silence that followed. Beside me, Mandy tensed, her fingers twitching at her sides. I could hear her sharp intake of breath, but my focus stayed on the officers, on Sophia, and on the pieces of this twisted game she was playing. "For what?" I asked, keeping my voice controlled, even though my pulse pounded in my ears. Sophia let out a delighted hum, stepping forward as if she were the one running the show. "Oh, Lucas. You didn’t think I came empty-handed, did you?"My stomach tightened. Of course, she hadn’t. Sophia had never been the type to strike without a plan. She had been pulling the strings
Mandy’s POVI stood there, frozen, the weight of everything pressing down on me. The room felt suffocating as my chest was tight, my pulse racing as I tried to make sense of the video, of what I had just seen. My hands shook, my mind in a whirlwind of disbelief, hurt, and anger. "I trusted you!" I finally shouted, my voice breaking, raw with emotion. The words left my lips before I could stop them, and the pain behind them was suffocating. I had let my guard down. I had believed in Lucas, in us. But now, everything was shattered. The man I thought I knew, the man I had given my heart to, had lied to me—about something so crucial, so fundamental. I couldn’t even look at him. My eyes blurred with unshed tears, but I refused to let them fall. Not now. Not when I was this angry, this betrayed. Lucas’s expression faltered, his usual calm demeanor giving way to something more vulnerable—more desperate. "I didn’t leave her. I thought she was dead, Mandy. I thought I lost her that night
Lucas’s POVI could see Mandy hesitating, her finger hovering over the play button, but her eyes were locked on the screen, as if she were trying to prepare herself for what was coming. I could see the turmoil in her face, the confusion, the disbelief, and it made my stomach churn. What was about to unfold was something I had buried so deep, so far away from her, that I had hoped we would never have to confront it. But Sophia... she had found a way to drag it all back into the light.My heart pounded in my chest as the screen flickered to life. The darkness of the alley filled the frame, shadows stretching long and ominous. I could see myself, younger, desperate, pacing with a sense of urgency that was palpable even through the grainy footage. My voice echoed through the alley as I shouted Sophia’s name. "Sophia!" I could hear myself calling out, panic in my tone. "Sophia!"The air around me felt like it was thick with dread, and I could almost feel the weight of the night again.
Mandy’s POVThe world around me felt like it was slipping away. My body trembled, not from the cold, but from the weight of the words in the air. Each one felt like a stone being dropped into the abyss, echoing through me, making everything I thought I knew shake. I had always believed in Lucas, in the man who stood beside me, and yet now, his past was unfurling before my eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I even knew him at all.Sophia leaned in closer, her breath hot against my ear, and I froze. There was a dangerous calmness in her voice as she whispered the words that made my heart stop."He let me die, Mandy. He chose himself over me."Her words rang in my ears, and for a moment, everything inside me froze. He chose himself over her? The very idea cut through me like a knife. I could barely breathe, let alone process the enormity of what she was implying. Lucas was beside me, his fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight with barely contained fury. His voice cracked through the silen