Mia's POVThe hospital room is too quiet. Too white. Too empty.Just like me now.The morning light hurts my eyes. I keep my hand on my stomach. There's nothing there anymore. No movement. No life. Just emptiness.When the door opens, I know it's Kyle. I always know. Even now, my heart still responds to his presence. I hate that it does."You should be resting," he says. His footsteps are measured, controlled. Everything about Kyle is always controlled.I turn my head slowly. He looks perfect. Not a hair out of place. Like nothing has happened. Like our babies aren't gone."How's Taylor?" I ask. I can't help it. I need to know if he spent the night with her while I was losing our children.His jaw tightens. "She's fine. Some bruising."Of course she is. Taylor always lands on her feet. While I lose everything."The doctors say you need rest," he continues, checking his phone. Always checking his phone. "I've arranged for the best specialists—""I want a divorce."The words hang in the
Kyle's POV The scotch burns a path down my throat. Glass after glass. The bottle's nearly empty now, but the anger still burns hotter than the alcohol. Divorce. The word echoes in my mind, mocking my control. How dare she? After everything I've given her—the lifestyle, the security, the position—she dares to ask for a divorce? My office is too quiet. Too dark. The city lights spread out below my penthouse window, a sea of possibilities I've always controlled. Until now. I pour another glass. My hand is steady, even if my thoughts aren't. "Is everything a game to you, Mia?" The words taste bitter in the empty room. "Didn't you say you loved me?" The memory of her in that hospital bed flashes unbidden. Pale. Broken. Different from the Mia I know. The Mia who always smiled, no matter how cold I was. The Mia who looked at me like I was worth something more than my bank account. My phone buzzes. Taylor. Again. I stare at her name on the screen until it goes dark. Strange.
Mia's POVMy palm stung from the force of the slap, but the pain was nothing compared to the turmoil in my chest. Kyle's kiss still burned on my lips, a ghost of passion that meant nothing. That had always meant nothing. The taste of expensive scotch lingered on my tongue, bitter like the memories we'd shared."Don't touch me again." My voice came out steadier than I felt, ice coating each word. Inside, my traitorous heart still raced from his proximity, from the familiar scent of his cologne, from the way his body had pressed against mine. Old habits die hard, it seems. "I'm not your toy anymore, Kyle."His fingers touched his reddened cheek, storm clouds gathering in those grey eyes I'd once found so captivating. The slight tick in his jaw betrayed his anger . I knew all his tells by now, every minute expression that revealed the emotions he tried so hard to hide."You're being ridiculous," he growled, taking a step toward me. "This tantrum needs to stop."I backed away, my legs hit
Mia's POV"I brought your favorite flowers today, Mom." My voice echoed in the sterile hospital room as I arranged fresh lilies in the vase. "The florist said they just got them in this morning. Remember how you used to grow them in our garden? Before..."I trailed off, settling into the chair beside her bed. The monitors beeped steadily, their rhythm a poor substitute for her voice."The doctors say you can hear me," I continued, taking her hand. "I hope that's true because I need to tell you something. I need to tell you how sorry I am."My thumb traced patterns on her palm, the way she used to do when I was little. "I failed you, Mom. Everything you warned me about, everything you tried to protect me from – I walked right into it anyway.""I know I have told you a lot of times. Mom, you're the only one I can talk to about this. I married him, Mom. I married a man who doesn't love me. Just like you and Dad." My voice cracked. "I thought I could change him. Isn't that ridiculous? I w
Mia's POVMy hands trembled as I reached for my bag, fingers brushing against the manila envelope inside. The divorce papers felt heavy, weighted with more than just legal terms and conditions. They represented freedom – or at least, they should have."I've made my decision," I said quietly, pulling out the envelope. The hospital room seemed to shrink around us, the air growing thick with tension.Kyle's eyes fixed on the envelope, his jaw tightening. "What is that?""You know what it is." I held the papers out, my voice steadier than I felt. "I've already signed them."His laugh was harsh, echoing off the sterile walls. "You can't be serious.""I've never been more serious." I stepped closer, forcing him to take the envelope. "It's over, Kyle. Whatever this was between us – the contract, the pretense, all of it. It's done."Kyle's fingers closed around the envelope, but instead of opening it, he moved to the window. The setting sun cast his profile in sharp relief, highlighting the t
Mia's POVThe surgery seemed endless. Each tick of the hospital clock echoed through my bones, marking hours that felt like centuries. I'd been here since morning, pacing the sterile hallways, my prayers growing more desperate with each passing hour."Please," I whispered, my fingers wrapped tight around the small cross pendant Mom had given me years ago. "I'll do anything. Just let her live."The fluorescent lights cast everything in a harsh, unforgiving glare. Or maybe that was just my exhaustion. I couldn't remember the last time I'd truly slept. Not since losing the babies. Not since everything fell apart."Mrs. Branson?"The doctor's voice made my heart stop. I searched his face for any hint of hope, but his expression remained carefully neutral."How is she?" The words barely made it past my dry throat."The surgery is complete," he began, his tone measured. "We've managed to stabilize your mother's condition... temporarily."That last word hit like a physical blow."Her current
Kyle's POVI pushed Mia away, but the trembling of her body beneath my hands lingered like an accusation. The hospital room's fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across her face, highlighting the dark circles under her eyes, the hollow cheeks that spoke of too many sleepless nights. The sight of her – this woman who had always faced me with quiet strength now reduced to desperate bargaining – stirred something painful in my chest.She swayed slightly as I released her, vulnerable in a way that made my throat tight. Where was the fire that usually sparked in those green eyes when she challenged me? The subtle defiance in her chin when she disagreed with my decisions? This wasn't my Mia. Not the woman who'd always greeted me with soft smiles, whose love had been a constant I'd taken for granted."What are you doing?" The words came out harsher than I intended, laced with an anger I didn't fully understand. Seeing her debase herself like this – it felt wrong. Fundamentally wrong."Isn'
**Mia's POV**Cold. So cold.The hospital doors hiss behind me. Words echo, bounce and shatter in my head.*" We can't guarantee. You should prepare yourself..."*The machines beeping. Keep beeping,No. Don't think. Just walk. One foot. Then another. The parking lot swims before my eyes, street lamps bleeding into the darkness. Like watercolors. Like the ones Mom used to paint with me, before everything.My feet carried me forward mechanically. The parking lot stretched endlessly ahead, street lamps casting pools of sickly yellow light. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if my body was finally collapsing under the weight of everything I'd lost.Focus. Have to focus. But everything's spinning. Slipping. Like sand through my fingers. Like everything else.*"The experimental procedures are risky..."*My babies. My dreams. And now Mom.The concrete under my feet doesn't feel real. Nothing feels real anymore. Maybe I'm not real either. Maybe I died at the bottom of those stairs with m
Mia's POVImmediately? My eyes widened as I looked at Robert, who appeared equally surprised."Where is she getting this kind of money?" I whispered.Robert shook his head slightly. "I don't know, but I intend to find out."As the proceedings concluded, I watched Taylor being escorted out to process her release. She'd gotten exactly what she wanted.Outside the courtroom, reporters had gathered despite the court's attempts to keep the proceedings low-profile. Camera flashes erupted as we emerged, voices calling out questions."Mrs. Branson, how do you feel about the court's decision today?""Ms. Williams, were you surprised by the bail amount?""Are you concerned about Taylor Matthews being released?"Robert stepped in front of us, blocking the reporters. "No comments at this time. Please respect my clients' privacy."He guided us toward a side exit where a car was waiting, Mom keeping a
Mia's POVThe courtroom felt impossibly small that morning, every sound amplified in the tense atmosphere. I shifted uncomfortably on the hard wooden bench, trying to find a position that didn't make my back ache. At almost seven months pregnant with twins, comfort was becoming a distant memory."You okay?" Mom whispered, her hand finding mine.I nodded. The truth was, I wasn't okay.I had a feeling that today would not be very easy. Especially after I saw that possible “Taylor”.Robert, our attorney, leaned over from my other side. "Remember, this is just a formality. With the evidence we have, the judge should deny bail."The courtroom doors opened, and the bailiff called for everyone to rise as Judge Harriet Monroe entered. She was a severe-looking woman with steel-gray hair pulled back in a tight bun and rectangular glasses that seemed to magnify her already piercing gaze."Please be seated," she inst
Mia's POV"Ms. Williams? Are you alright?"I turned to find our building's doorman, Eduardo, watching me with concern."Yes," I managed, forcing a smile. "Just a little tired.""Let me help you with the door," he said, moving to hold it open."Thank you," I said, stepping into the building's lobby. "Eduardo, did you notice a blonde woman watching the building just now? Across the street?"He frowned, peering outside. "No, ma'am, I didn't see anyone suspicious. Would you like me to check?""No, that's alright." I didn't want to alarm him unnecessarily. "Probably just my imagination."But it wasn't my imagination, and we both knew it. Eduardo had been briefed on the security concerns regarding Taylor. His careful neutrality told me he was taking my question seriously."I'll keep an eye out," he promised, escorting me to the elevator. "And I'll alert the security team about possible suspicious activity."
Mia's POVI was about to stand up, but my big belly made it impossible. “Shut up, Kyle.”I said."Please, just hear me out," he interrupted gently. "You were right that I was confused. Finding out you were the girl from the warehouse..."I shook my head. “I can't listen to this anymore, Kyle.”As if he didn't hear what I said, he continued, undeterred. "But you were wrong about one thing. I didn't suddenly start loving you because of that revelation. It just forced me to acknowledge what I'd been suppressing for years."This is ridiculous."Kyle, shut the fuck up.," I said, "Stop. "This isn't the time or place for this conversation."Kyle looked like he wanted to argue, but after a moment, he nodded, respecting my boundary. "You're right. I apologize."We lapsed into silence again, this one more charged than before. I stared at the elevator doors, willing them to open and rescue me from t
Mia's POV"Fair?" In this creepy movie-like space, I took all my pent-up anger and lashed out at Kyle. “There is no fairness here.”After a while, he admitted, "No. None of that was fair.""So forgive me if I don't find your declarations of 'family' particularly meaningful," I continued, unable to stop now that I'd started. "You don't get to decide we're family when it's convenient for you."One of the twins kicked sharply, as if in agreement, and I winced, placing a hand over the spot."Are you alright?" Kyle asked immediately, taking a step toward me."I'm fine," I said automatically. "Just one of your sons expressing his opinion."Kyle stopped with uncertainty. "May I..." he hesitated. "May I feel?"“No.” I said, looking at him, and Kyle's eyes immediately darkened.Despite being the biological father, Kyle had only felt the twins move once. That day in Paris when the pendant h
Mia's POV"Ms. Williams?" A nurse hurried after me, waving a clipboard. "You forgot to schedule your next appointment."I sighed, turning back. This pregnancy brain was getting ridiculous. Last week, I'd put my keys in the refrigerator and spent twenty minutes searching the apartment while Gas watched me with what I swore was canine amusement."Sorry about that," I said, accepting the clipboard. "Guess I was distracted by the good news."The nurse smiled sympathetically. "Twins will do that to you. How about two weeks from today? Same time?"I checked my phone calendar. "That works. Thank you."Kyle said nothing, but saw it all.We walked in awkward silence toward the bank of elevators, maintaining a careful distance. Kyle pressed the call button, and we waited, the tension between us almost palpable.The elevator arrived with a soft chime, empty except for us. Kyle held the door as I entered, then followed, pressing the button for the ground floor."How have you been feeling?" he ask
Mia's POV"Are you all right, sir?" he asked the startled patient, a frail-looking man with thinning white hair."Yes, yes," the man muttered, clearly embarrassed. "These confounded wheels... they just got away from me."A nurse hurried up, flushed and apologetic. "Mr. Bartlett! I'm so sorry—I just stepped away for a moment to get your discharge papers.""No harm done, thanks to this young man," Mr. Bartlett said, gesturing to Kyle.The nurse took control of the wheelchair, thanking Kyle profusely before wheeling Mr. Bartlett away, gently admonishing him about the wheelchair brakes as they went.And then it was just Kyle and me, standing in the middle of the hospital corridor, staring at each other."What are you doing here?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them.Kyle's expression shifted from concern to irritation in an instant. "Saving you from getting run down by a wheelchair, apparently." His eyes moved to my belly, his frown deepening. "What were you thinking, walking t
Mia's POVThe conference room in the District Attorney's office felt colder than it should have. I adjusted my cardigan, pulling it tighter around my expanding belly as I listened to Assistant District Attorney Ramirez lay out the case against my father and Helen."The financial trail is quite extensive," Ramirez explained, clicking through slides of complex diagrams on his presentation. "We've tracked funds being siphoned from Sarah Williams' accounts through a series of shell companies before ultimately disappearing into offshore holdings in the Cayman Islands and Belize."I studied the web of arrows connecting various company names, trying to make sense of it all. Red Box Holdings LLC. Maritime Ventures Group. Sunward Capital Limited. All meaningless names designed to hide the theft of my mother's fortune.Ramirez adjusted his glasses. "They were actually quite sophisticated about it. Small amounts moved over extended periods, transactions timed to coincide with market fluctuations
Mia's POVThe twins were already awake, their movements gentle but persistent beneath my ribs. "Good morning to you two," I murmured.The smell of coffee wafted from the kitchen. The real coffee, not the decaf I'd been restricted to. That meant mom was up. I carefully pushed myself to sitting. Gas immediately perked up, his tail thumping against the mattress as he watched me with adoration."Yes, we're getting up," I told him, scratching behind his ears. "Wanna play?"I slipped on my robe and made my way to the kitchen, Gas trotting faithfully at my heels. Mom stood at the counter, butter knife in hand, spreading something on toast. She looked up at my entrance, her face lighting with a smile that still caught me off guard sometimes. To have her back in my life."There you are," she said. "I was wondering if jet lag would keep you in bed all day.""The smell of breakfast was too tempting," I replied, easing myself onto a kitchen stool.Mom slid a plate of toast in front of me. whole gr