LOGINEVE'S POV The decision to return to my rented office wasn’t easy. Three days after we got Lily back, the penthouse still felt like the safest place in the world. Every corner had been reinforced with new security... biometric locks, constant camera feeds, armed guards rotating shifts like silent shadows. Lily slept in her crib with two monitors and a dedicated operator stationed just outside the nursery door. I hadn’t left her side for more than a few minutes since the rescue. The thought of stepping away, even for a few hours, made my chest tighten with familiar panic. But the project... my project...had been bleeding for too long. The sabotage from Sophia and Alex had gutted most of my progress. Permits stalled, contractors pulled out, funders vanished. If I didn’t fight for it now, it would die completely. And I refused to let them take that from me too. “I need to go in today,” I told Damon over breakfast. Lily was in her bouncer beside us, happily chewing on a teether. “Just
Lily slept peacefully in her nursery, the soft glow of the nightlight casting gentle shadows across her crib. Eve sat beside me on the couch, her head resting on my shoulder, Lily’s baby monitor glowing on the coffee table. It had been three days since we got our daughter back, and the relief was still raw, fragile, like a wound that hadn’t fully closed. Sophia was still out there. The police update this morning had been grim... she had slipped through the net again, disappearing into the city with help from unknown accomplices. Alex remained in custody, but his lawyers were already pushing for deals, and his smuggled messages to Eve continued to arrive through hidden channels. The threats hadn’t stopped. The fear hadn’t left. But tonight, I couldn’t wait any longer. “I need to see her,” I said quietly, breaking the silence. “Catherine. One last time.” Eve lifted her head, searching my face. “Are you sure? After everything…” “I’m sure.” My voice was low, steady, but the weight b
EVE'S POV The new security protocols hummed constantly in the background... soft beeps from motion sensors, the low murmur of extra guards rotating shifts, reinforced doors that now required biometric scans. Lily slept peacefully in her crib, but I checked on her every few minutes, my body still wired from the trauma of her kidnapping. Damon worked from his home office, refusing to leave us even for a short meeting. His presence was a constant, protective shadow. The doorman buzzed. “Miss Eve, your parents are here, they say they want to see Lily and apologize.” I tensed immediately. Damon looked up from his laptop, jaw tight. “You don’t have to see them if you’re not ready.” “I need to,” I said quietly. “For closure. But stay with me.” My parents stepped off the elevator looking exhausted and guilty. My mother, carried a small gift bag with a stuffed toy and baby clothes. My father held a bouquet of flowers. They both had red, swollen eyes. “Eve,” my mother said, voice tremblin
EVE'S POV The penthouse felt heavier than usual the morning after the rescue. Lily slept peacefully in her crib, her tiny chest rising and falling in the soft glow of the nightlight. I stood over her for a long time, just watching, afraid that if I looked away she might disappear again. The emotional reunion last night had been everything... tears, tight hugs, the three of us tangled together on the nursery floor as we whispered promises and thanks. But the fear hadn’t left. It sat in my chest like a stone. Damon came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. “She’s safe,” he murmured, voice still rough from lack of sleep. “We got her back. She’s right here.” I leaned back into him, but my body stayed tense. “I know. But Sophia is still out there. And Alex…” The detective’s call came just after breakfast. Damon put it on speaker in the living room while I held Lily in my arms. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, we have an update on Sophia Thompson
EVE'S POV The nursery was quiet except for the soft hum of the white noise machine and Lily’s gentle breathing. I sat in the rocking chair, holding her against my chest in the dim glow of the nightlight. She had fallen asleep after her evening feed, one tiny fist curled around my shirt like she was afraid to let go. I understood the feeling completely. It had only been two days since we got her back. Two days since the nightmare of her kidnapping ended with her safe in our arms. But my body hadn’t caught up yet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Sophia’s wild face as she clutched my baby and ran. I heard Lily’s terrified cries. I felt the emptiness in my arms all over again. “I’ve got you,” I whispered into her soft hair, rocking slowly. “Mommy’s got you. No one’s ever taking you again.” Lily sighed in her sleep, trusting and warm. The sight should have filled me with peace. Instead, something sharp and ugly twisted in my chest. My breathing started to quicken. The room felt
EVE'S POV The hospital room felt like a fragile bubble of peace after the storm. Lily slept soundly in the crib beside my bed, her tiny chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. I hadn’t taken my eyes off her for more than a few seconds since we got her back. Damon sat in the armchair next to me, his hand never leaving mine, even as exhaustion lined his face. The graze on his side from the fight with Alex had been stitched up, but he refused painkillers, saying he needed to stay sharp. “We really have her,” I whispered for the hundredth time, tears slipping silently down my cheeks. “She’s here, she’s safe.” Damon leaned over and kissed my temple, his voice rough with emotion. “She’s safe. We got her back, both of you.” The doctors had cleared Lily after thorough checks... mild dehydration, some bruising, but no serious injuries. She was a fighter, they said. Just like her parents. We were keeping her overnight for observation, but the relief was overwhelming. For the first t
I woke up to Damon watching me."Happy birthday," he said softly. Right, today I turned twenty-five. I'd forgotten somehow, lost track of days in the mess our life had become."Thanks," I said."I have something planned for tonight, dinner at eight. Just us.""Where?""Here, I
Day three of living with Sophia and I was already considering murder.She'd been perfect, of course. Sweet and apologetic and staying mostly in her wing like she'd promised.Which made it worse somehow, because I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.It dropped on Wednesday morning.I came into t
The call came from Damon's mother three days after Sophia sent the medical records.Catherine Sterling's voice was cold and clipped when Damon put her on speaker."We need to have a family meeting," she said. "This situation with Sophia and the baby needs to be addressed properly.""There's nothing
They'd been back from the wedding for three days when Damon's phone rang during breakfast.Unknown number.He almost didn't answer, then something made him pick up."Hello?"Eve watched his face change, watched him go still in that dangerous way he did when he was trying not to react."Sophia," he







