LOGINThe striking, facial structure. Sydney is an absolute, undeniable replica of the woman in the vintage photograph—Tobias’s mother. The almost psychotic protectiveness Tobias has shown toward Sydney from the very first moment he met her. The massive financial safety nets he threw under her, the fact
Before I can even open my mouth to apologize for breaking into his house, Tobias speaks. His voice is incredibly quiet, completely devoid of its usual sharp authority, yet it carries a heavy, haunting weight that pins me right to the carpet. "For years..." he murmurs, his finger continuing its slow
I stand frozen on the gravel path, the engine of Sydney’s departing car roaring in my ears. I watch the taillights of her vehicle bounce over the cemetery threshold, disappearing completely from sight, and with every inch of distance she puts between us, my heart shatters into a million jagged, irre
My throat locks up. I’ve seen Owen angry, I’ve seen him arrogant, and I’ve seen him lethal in a courtroom. But I have never seen him cry like this. "I am so sorry for leaving you in that jail cell, Sydney," he whispers again, his voice cracking completely now as he stares down at my lips. "I know n
The second Owen’s fingers touch the chrome handle of his sleek black sedan, I violently twist out of his reach. I yank myself away from his side, clutching the lapels of his oversized designer suit jacket against my chest like a shield. He freezes, his hand dropping from the door as he whips his he
My stomach completely drops. The press. The paparazzi who were banned from the main service have already spotted the commotion from the outer gates. Long, heavy camera lenses are already poking through the iron bars, the rapid, machine-gun clicking of shutters filling the air as they capture every
I sink into the plastic chair in my designated break area and finally let out the breath I’ve been holding all morning. Working with the Assistant Director has been every bit the nightmare I anticipated. The man has the personality of a sandpaper loofah and a penchant for making me repeat simple w
Nicholas looks like he’s been through a blender. His usually perfectly coiffed hair is a nest of dark tangles, and he’s wearing his sunglasses indoors, which is never a good sign. He sheepishly reaches out to take the keys, his hand trembling just enough for the metal to jingle. "God, Sydney," he g
Nicholas is leaning heavily against the wall, looking entirely bewildered, while Owen is standing a few feet away, swaying slightly with his hands shoved in his pockets. "It... it attacked me," Nicholas mutters, pointing a shaky finger at the debris. "The vase. It moved. I’m certain of it." "You’r
"He froze every single one of my personal accounts, leaving me with zero access to the money I earned long before I met him," I say, looking at the judge. "And when I didn't crawl back, the threats started. He told me he’d ruin my reputation with every studio in the city. He said I’d never work in t







