LOGIN~ ROMAN ~The next day, I arrived at Luka's office at eleven fifty-eight.I had spent the entire morning thinking about what I was going to say. How I was going to warn my brother that I was about to burn our father's companies to the ground. And how I was going to ask him to forgive me for the fallout that would inevitably touch his life. Really? How do I even begin to explain that protecting Marty meant destroying everything our father had built, not that our father has been the best to us.Just like most elite homes, our parents had cared more about the fame, reputation and keeping the company up to standard. Luka's secretary let me through without question. She knew me, she had once worked for me while I was still working for our father. Her expression told me she already suspected something was wrong. When I entered his office, my brother was standing at his window. He was looking out at the city the way I had been looking out at it for weeks now. Almost as if he was search
~ ROMAN ~I stood on the balcony alone with my phone in my hand and looked at the messages from my father.The others were enjoying themselves inside, it was a good thing, I liked that Marty was happy and laughing. My phone pinged in my hand. I sighed knowing who it was even without checking. FATHER: END IT BY TOMORROW OR THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES YOU CANNOT IMAGINE.I read the message again and again with Danien’s words ringing in my head. I wasn't actually scared of drowning my father’s business.What I was scared of was losing the little connection I had with my younger brother.Hurting someone I have promised to always protect for my own gain wasn't entirely pleasing to me but Lord help me, I will do it if my father keeps pushing me because there is no way I am giving him what he seeks.The door to the balcony opened behind me. I quickly relaxed my face knowing who it was from the soft footsteps of his.He was back again even after I told him I would join them soon. I couldn't
~ ROMAN ~I was sitting in Damien's study home when I heard the commotion from downstairs.They had told me they would be returning today but Eva said I shouldn't inform Marty that she wanted to surprise him.So I asked him to escort me to their house because I wanted to pick something for work. But it was all set up by Eva and me.Eva's voice rang out through the mansion, loud and bright and alive in a way that made the whole house feel different. Next was Marty's voice answering her immediately, excited and happy in a way I had not heard from him in days.I stood up and walked downstairs.Marty was in the foyer embracing Eva like she was the most precious thing in the world. She was laughing, her hands on his face, her eyes wet with tears. Behind her, Damien stood with two babies in his arms. A boy and a girl. Danny and Danielle. Born just weeks ago. "Why did you not tell me you were coming back?" Marty demanded, pulling back from Eva just far enough to look at her properly. "Hal
~ MARTY ~Roman pulled up to my apartment building at eight thirty in the evening.The drive from the restaurant had been quiet. Not uncomfortable, just quiet. Roman's hand had stayed on mine the entire drive, his thumb tracing small circles on my skin like he was reassuring himself that I was real and still there.He parked in the underground garage and walked us to the elevator. Sarah was humming something to herself, completely unbothered by the intensity of the day we had just lived through.As we reached the entrance to my building, Sarah suddenly spoke up."Roman," she called out, her voice taking on a serious tone that I had never heard from her since she came. "I want you to know something."I quickly stiffened thinking she was about to say something stupid. Roman turned to look at her, his expression curious."Do not hurt my brother," Sarah warned, her voice very firm. "Because if you do, I will come for you. I do not care how rich you are or how many connections you have.
~ ROMAN ~I walked toward the back of the restaurant where no one could see us. Celeste followed me silently which is weird because the Celeste I know would never have agreed to follow me.We entered a small private room and I closed the door behind us. For a long second we just looked at each other across the space of eight years. Eight years since I had seen her face in person. Eight years since we had last spoken.She looked different and older. No one could stay younger after eight years so I understand."Hello, Roman," she said softly, her voice friendly but cautious."Why are you here?” I asked. I did not ask it like I cared, I didn't care and I needed to get out of my air and return to wherever she was coming.She took a deep breath. Then another as if she was gathering courage from somewhere to answer my question. "I came back because of what happened with Marty," she said. "I heard about the uproar in the media. And I realized that your father still hasn't changed. He is b
~ MARTY ~The second we entered Roman’s Tesla car, I broke down in tears as I remembered the embarrassment Michael put me through.The vendetta was personal, because the fucking CCTV cameras could have proven that I was innocent but Michael didn't care.What my sister and Roman didn't know was that Michael had once been sent to our company to talk about a business deal of having Eva's designs on their shelves but Eva had declined their offers.Michael being the misogynistic fool that he was started insulting Eva but didn't have the gall to do it in her presence but in mine calling her a pretty face with no brains and how if it wasn't for her face she wouldn't have been able to marry Damien.Having had enough then, I had shut him down, and even had security bundle him out of the company because of the horrid things he said about Eva.I never thought that he still harbored that day in his mind. If only Sarah had listened to me and we had gone to another shopping mall. Slowly, the sobbi
~ MARTY ~Danny and Danielle Blackwood came into the world at four seventeen in the morning.I know the exact time because I was sitting outside the delivery room when Damien appeared in the doorway and said it. I looked at my watch just to mark the moment and to tell Eva. The doctor said the boy
~ ROMAN ~I saw them coming out of the restaurant at seven forty-three. I swear I wasn’t following him.That was what I told myself, sitting in my car on the opposite side of the street, watching Marty and Felix walk out of the restaurant side by side into the Friday evening crowd.I had done my re
~ MARTY ~The two days after the Harrington event I threw myself into work the way I did whenever something was sitting in my head and I hadn't figured out how to deal with it yet.I took on three new client meetings that Lisa had been handling. I reorganized the campaign schedule for the Sterling
~ MARTY ~The Harrington Foundation charity event was an evening event I attended because my clients expected me to be seen in these types of circles, not because I particularly enjoyed standing in a ballroom making conversation with people I would forget by morning.I had been there forty minutes







