Sarah POVAs the evening drew to a close, the guests began to disperse, making their way back to their rooms. I had spent the rest of the day attending to their needs, ensuring everyone was comfortable and enjoying their stay. Alessandro and I had also toured the rest of the property, discussing potential improvements and changes. Throughout the day, I occasionally caught glimpses of Adrian, who seemed to be keeping a respectful distance. He watched me quietly, his expression unreadable, but he never approached or interrupted.After dinner, the guests slowly filed out of the dining room, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me. It had been a long and emotionally draining day. Alessandro and I made our way back to our room, walking in silence. The air was thick with unspoken words, but for now, silence felt more comforting than conversation.Once inside the room, Alessandro closed the door behind us and turned to face me. "How are you holding up?" he asked gently, his concern evident
Sarah POVAlessandro appeared in the doorway, his hair tousled from sleep but his eyes alert. "Good morning," he greeted, walking over to kiss me on the cheek. "How did you sleep?""Better than I expected," I admitted, handing him a cup of coffee. "I think I'm starting to accept everything, little by little."He nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "That's good. We'll take it one step at a time."As we sat down to eat, the doorbell rang. My heart skipped a beat, thinking it might be Adrian. Alessandro squeezed my hand reassuringly before getting up to answer the door.To my surprise, it was the family lawyer Alessandro had contacted. He was a tall, distinguished man with a kind but professional demeanor. "Good morning," he greeted, stepping inside. "I'm Mr. Thompson. Alessandro and I have spoken about your situation, and I'm here to help.""Good morning, Mr. Thompson," I replied, offering a smile. "Thank you for coming on such short notice.""My pleasure," he said, setting down his bri
Sarah POVOnce Mr. Thompson had left, Alessandro turned to me, his expression searching. "Feeling better?"I nodded, though the weight of the conversation still lingered in my chest. "Yes, I do. It's a lot to take in, but having good support makes it easier."His lips curved into a reassuring smile as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close for a brief but comforting embrace. "Good. Now, let's tackle the rest of the day. We have a lot to do."The morning flew by in a blur of phone calls and preparations. I reached out to my grandparents, explaining that we needed to have an important discussion with both families. Alessandro, on the other hand, spoke to Adrian, insisting that he get his parents involved as well. There was no room for misunderstandings or loose ends in something as significant as our child’s future.By early afternoon, everyone had gathered in my room. Adrian and his parents sat across from Alessandro and me, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and
Sarah POVAlessandro, ever the composed strategist, leaned forward, his tone firm yet fair. "We believe in giving people a chance to change," he said. "But actions speak louder than words, Adrian. If you’re serious about this, you need to prove it through consistent effort, not just promises."Adrian nodded vigorously. "I understand. I’ll attend the parenting classes, I’ll be present for my child I won’t let you down."At this, Mr. Thompson, who had been quietly taking notes, spoke up. "It’s crucial that we set up regular check-ins to ensure everything is progressing smoothly. These can be in-person meetings or video calls, depending on what works best for everyone involved.""That’s a great idea," Adrian’s mother agreed. "It will keep things on track and help hold everyone accountable."A sense of cautious relief settled over me. While this conversation didn’t solve everything, it was a step in the right direction. "Thank you, everyone," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "This mea
Adrian's POVI closed the door to Sarah's room quietly, the weight of our conversation lingering in my mind. The tension still clung to my skin, making every breath feel heavier. I walked down the dimly lit hallway, my footsteps echoing faintly against the wooden floor. The house was bathed in a warm, golden glow from the lamps, casting long shadows that flickered like ghosts of our past. I paused for a moment, glancing at the framed pictures on the wall—snapshots of a life I had taken for granted. Pictures of Sarah and me from when we were still happy, our smiles unburdened, our hands intertwined without hesitation.As I neared the living room, I found my parents sitting in their usual spots, their faces lined with the weariness of people who had seen too much. My mother looked up first, her gentle eyes searching mine."Adrian," she called softly, beckoning me over. "How did it go?"I took a deep breath, rubbing the back of my neck, trying to shake off the weight pressing on my shoul
Adrian POVThe next morning, I forced myself out of bed early. It was still dark outside, the air thick with the quiet stillness that comes before dawn. I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly as I pushed off the covers. My body protested the early hour, but I ignored the stiffness in my limbs. I needed to start fresh. I laced up my running shoes, tightening them more than necessary, as if grounding myself physically could help settle my restless mind.Stepping outside, the crisp morning air wrapped around me, sharp and invigorating. The sky remained a deep indigo, the horizon barely hinting at the first signs of daylight. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs before setting off at a steady pace. My feet hit the pavement in rhythmic succession, the soft thud matching the steady beat of my heart. Running had become my sanctuary, the only time my mind wasn’t cluttered with regrets and unspoken words. The air felt fresh against my skin, and for a brief moment, I let the motion car
Adrian POVIn the afternoon, I visited a bookstore, drawn to the parenting and self-improvement section. The shelves were lined with books filled with advice on raising children, repairing broken relationships, and becoming a better person. I ran my fingers over the spines, feeling the weight of my choices pressing down on me. After some deliberation, I picked up a few books on parenting and relationships, determined to educate myself on what it truly meant to be a responsible father and a better man.As I stood in line to pay, I glanced around the store. My eyes landed on a father sitting in one of the reading nooks with his young daughter perched on his lap. They were both laughing at something on his phone, their bond so evident and pure. A pang of longing hit me like a punch to the gut, but it was quickly replaced by determination. I wanted that with my child. I wanted to be the kind of father who could create those moments of happiness and security. But first, I needed to prove t
Adrian POVI closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to silence the torment in my mind. But the silence of my apartment only amplified my thoughts. Every corner of this place felt suffocating, a prison of my own making. Once, it had been filled with laughter and warmth. Now, it was a hollow space, echoing with the consequences of my actions.I shook my head, forcing myself to stand. I refused to let the past define me. Those were the actions of a man I no longer wanted to be. The guilt and shame were painful, but they served as a reminder—change was necessary. It wasn’t going to be easy, and there would be moments where I'd be tempted to fall back into old patterns, but I had to stay strong. I owed it to Sarah, to my child, and most of all, to myself.As I lay in bed that night, I reflected on the day. It was the beginning of a long journey, but for the first time in a long while, I felt hopeful. I knew I had a lot to make up for, but I was ready to put in the work. For Sarah, f
Sarah POVI gazed at my reflection in the mirror, wrapped in my robe, with Alessandro's text shining like a ray of hope in my hand."I understand we've had a rough patch. But if you can spare one night, I'd like to attempt to fix things.No expectations. Just you, me, and a little honesty. I’ll be waiting.”My heart ached. The sincerity in those words hit something raw inside me. I missed him, missed us. Missed the warmth of our mornings, the soft laughter that once filled our home. But pain changes things. Doubt makes strangers of the people you love most.Just then, there was a knock.“Come in,” I called, not looking up.I recognised the perfume before the door fully opened. Chanel No. 5. Chloe's signature. Of course.She stepped inside like a queen visiting a kingdom she meant to burn down.Silk robe fastened with precision, wine glass clutched like a villain in a sad drama. She always loved to put on a show."Going out tonight?" she inquired, her eyes sparkling as they darted to th
Alessandro’s POVIt had been ten days since we returned from the farmhouse. Ten days since everything unraveled.I sensed Sarah drifting further away from me, bit by bit, like sand slipping through an hourglass.She hadn’t raised her voice. She hadn’t lashed out. But her silence said more than any screaming match could. The way she avoided eye contact. The way her footsteps always trailed toward the guest room instead of ours. The way she smiled politely, but not warmly, when I handed her coffee in the mornings.I’d made a mistake. A big one.Not because of Mira, not entirely. That chapter of my life had been over years ago. And Mira’s accusations had never made sense to begin with. But I should’ve told Sarah everything the moment we got serious. I should’ve trusted her with my truth before someone like Adrian could twist it.God, Adrian.Even now, the thought of his smug face as he dropped that bomb still made my jaw clench. He’d timed it perfectly right when we were finding peace. W
Adrian’s POVThe city still felt cold, but the chill in my bones had shifted not from warmth, but from purpose. I finally had a plan.I sat at my desk, eyes fixed on Alessandro’s digital trail. His online presence lit up like a roadmap—threads of the past just waiting to be pulled. But I knew better now. Whispers and half-truths wouldn’t be enough. If I wanted to break them, I needed more than suspicion. I needed leverage. Misdirection.And I needed someone on the inside.That’s when it clicked.Chloe.Sarah’s perfect little world had always been cracked at the edges, and Chloe was one of those cracks. They were step-sisters in name, but anyone who spent five minutes with them knew there was no love lost. I remembered the subtle digs Chloe made at family dinners, the way Sarah would force a smile and pretend not to hear. But I heard them. I felt the tension.Chloe didn’t just dislike Sarah, she resented her.That kind of bitterness? It could be moulded. Turned into something useful.I
Sarah’s POV New York City’s noise had always been oddly comforting, the honking cabs, distant sirens, and hurried footsteps on pavement. But today, it felt too loud, too sharp, like it was echoing the storm still raging inside me. It had been a week since we’d returned from the farmhouse. Seven days of strained silences, clipped conversations, and the kind of emotional distance I never thought I’d feel between Alessandro and me. I still hadn’t fully processed everything. I had hardly gotten any sleep. Whenever I shut my eyes, I envisioned the expression on his face as I turned to leave.But how was I meant to simply act as if it never occurred? He had kept something huge from me. Not just about Mira, but about how little he must have trusted me—to think I couldn’t handle the truth, to let someone like Adrian be the one to reveal it. After everything we’d fought for, the secrets still found a way to wedge themselves between us. And it hurt. Today marked my return to the office aft
Alessandro’s POVI stood there, watching the woman I loved crumble in front of me, her eyes scanning that godforsaken document Adrian had handed her like it was a grenade. AAnd maybe it was due to my awareness of the explosion the moment her face shifted from confusion to disbelief to something that scared me more than any anger. Proximity. Although she was merely a few feet distant, it felt as if she stood across a canyon, unreachable. God, I wanted to fix it. But how do you fix something you didn’t even know was still broken?In the past, I thought I’d buried it. That nightmare with Mira... it had happened years ago, in a life that felt a million miles away from who I am now. I had been young, foolish, and too trusting. I never touched her. I never crossed any line. But when things ended, Mira spiralled. I tried to reason with her, but she twisted everything. She wanted revenge. And she got it in the worst way.I never expected it to follow me here, to this life. This future I’d bee
Sarah POVA few steps back, I noticed a captain whose face was completely devoid of colour. Words seemed to want to escape from his lips, but they were nowhere to be found.His still figure, rigid and motionless, also changed his hands into fists, which revealed the stress he was holding.This was simply too much to handle. My thoughts were fragmented, unable to reach a coherent conclusion. “Do tell me this isn’t the case,” I spoke in my flat voice. “Please tell me this is some unexpected blunder that someone made. That this… this woman is lying. Alessandro took a slow step toward me, but stopped when he saw me flinch not in fear, but in raw emotional recoil. That hurt in a way I couldn’t describe.The reflection of his features contorted with agony. "Sarah," a soft admission escaped as his throat felt like it was choked with raw feelings. “That's not the case.”We were close once, back in college. Yes, we dated for a few months, but when things didn’t work out, she didn’t take
Sarah’s POVThe paper trembled a little in my hands as if it knew what it held was too much for me to handle, and I stood motionless. My breath became trapped in my chest, in that agonising space where heartbreak and incredulity collide. I read it again, slower this time, praying I’d misunderstood. But every word sank deeper, each one a blow I hadn’t been ready for.Mira Solanki. Sexual harassment complaint. Alessandro’s name… tied to it.I looked up at him—the man I had let into every part of my life. My heart, my home, Gabriel’s world. The man who’d been my safe place after everything fell apart… was Alessandro. The person I trusted with my son, my recovery, and dreams I was hardly brave enough to share aloud.His gaze was directed towards the ground, pale, and his lips parted open like he was contemplating speech, but the words were not forthcoming. The tension was evident as he held up his arms and kept his fists in place, trying to conceal the strain. I couldn't take it in. Non
Sarah’s POV As I packed the last of Gabriel's small sweaters into his duffel bag, the late afternoon sun spilled gentle light into the room. I smiled as the fresh laundry's lavender scent clung to the fabric. He’d had such a beautiful time here. We all had. For the first time in weeks, things had felt… steady. Like the ground beneath my feet wasn’t constantly shifting. I glanced over my shoulder at Alessandro and Gabriel outside. Before we left the farmhouse, Alessandro had Gabriel sitting on his shoulders as they took a final stroll around the garden. The pure and contagious sound of Gabriel's laughter filled the air. A reminder that love wasn’t always about fireworks and chaos. Sometimes, it was about the way Alessandro always remembered how I took my coffee, or how he brushed Gabriel’s hair back before bed like it was second nature. It was safe. It was deep. Seeing them together made my heart feel full. It reminded me of the life I've always dreamed of—something genuine, cozy,
Adrian’s POVThe sun was slipping from the sky, casting a mellow light across the land; it felt like a reprieve. I stood in the hallway in my guest-sister’s room, peering through a silken curtain at them. Sarah, Alessandro and Gabriel had gone into the garden for a final evening together. To an outsider, it must have seemed like bliss – that scene of a perfect family.I couldn’t bear it.Alessandro was chasing Gabriel around the wildflower patch while he was laughing loudly and freely. He then effortlessly caught him again after swooping him into his arms and throwing him into the air. Gabriel's laughter reached me exactly where I was standing, resonating through the silence of the area. And then I saw it—the way Gabriel looked at Alessandro. Eyes wide with trust, with adoration. As if he were the safest place in the world.As if he were the father.Not me.A pain that was a mix of heartbreak, rage, and jealousy twisted sharply in my chest. I was descended from Gabriel. My son. Nevert