MasukThe penthouse felt warmer these days, even with all the security still hovering like shadows we couldn’t quite shake. Mornings had a nice rhythm now. Lily would wake up babbling in her crib, demanding cuddles and breakfast right away, while I moved slower with this twin belly that seemed to grow bigger every single day. At almost fifteen weeks, the kicks were constant, little reminders that life was pushing forward no matter what tried to drag us back. Some days my back ached like crazy and my ankles felt swollen, but it was all worth it. I was in the living room on the floor with Lily, surrounded by her colorful blocks and soft toys scattered everywhere. My back ached from sitting too long, but I didn’t care one bit. These moments were pure gold after everything we’d been through. Damon had left for a quick meeting but promised he’d be back before lunch. The security team rotated quietly in the background, but we’d learned to live with it. Lily didn’t know any different yet. She jus
EVE'S POV The office smelled like fresh coffee and that sharp printer ink scent that always made me feel like I was actually building something real. Fourteen weeks with the twins, and my belly was starting to pop no matter how loose the tops I wore. Every little kick reminded me why I pushed so hard... why I dragged myself in here even when the nausea hit like a truck and my ankles felt like balloons. This project wasn’t just designs on paper. It was modular community hubs for families who needed them, flexible spaces with green walls and safe play areas. My name on it. My vision. Not tied to Sterling money or Damon’s world. Mine. I’d come so far since the kidnapping mess. The foundation grant had stuck, a couple of independent partners had circled back once the worst headlines faded, and I was finally seeing real traction. Lily was home with the full security crew and both sets of grandparents trying to make up for lost time. She was crawling everywhere now, babbling “mama” and “
EVE'S POV The courthouse hallway stretched long and cold under the fluorescent lights, the kind of sterile white glow that made everything feel sharper and more exposed. My heels clicked against the polished floor with every step, the sound echoing in the quiet space like a countdown I couldn’t stop. At nearly fourteen weeks pregnant with twins, my body already felt the changes... the subtle roundness of my stomach that made my clothes fit differently, the constant fatigue that settled deep in my bones, the protective instinct that made every step feel heavier, more deliberate. Lily was safe at home with the full security team and both sets of grandparents, who had finally started to earn their place back after months of careful healing. But today, I had to face Alex Rivera in court. The trial for kidnapping, stalking, corporate sabotage, and multiple counts of harassment had drawn a media frenzy that had been building for weeks. Cameras flashed outside as we arrived through a pr
EVE'S POV The morning of Sophia’s trial dawned gray and heavy, the kind of New York sky that matched the storm inside my chest. Thick clouds hung low over the city, pressing down on everything like a weight that refused to lift. I stood in front of the mirror in our bedroom, hands trembling as I buttoned the simple black blouse I had chosen for court. It was modest, professional, nothing that could be twisted into something sensational. The fabric felt cold against my skin, the buttons slipping through my fingers twice before I managed to get them right. No outfit could hide the fear that had settled deep in my bones since the moment we received the subpoena, that cold, creeping dread that made my stomach twist and my heart race even in the safety of our penthouse. Lily, now twelve months old, played on the rug behind me, stacking blocks with determined little grunts. Her first birthday had been a quiet, heavily guarded celebration two weeks ago, the kind of party where joy and cau
EVE'S POV The new lockdown turned the penthouse into a tomb of waiting. Every door sealed with biometric locks that clicked shut with a heavy finality. Every window reinforced with thick glass that made the world outside feel like a distant painting. Guards rotated in silent shifts, their presence a constant reminder that Sophia had been spotted again... standing on the street below, staring up at our windows like she owned them. The city outside felt farther away than ever, reduced to a glittering backdrop on the monitors that flickered in the corner of every room. Lily, eleven months old, fussed in my arms as I rocked her in the nursery. She was sensitive to the heavy tension in the air, her little hands clutching my shirt as she whimpered softly. I held her close, breathing in her sweet baby scent, my other hand resting on my stomach where the twins were growing. The joy of the pregnancy was still raw and fragile, tangled with terror that refused to let go. Every flutter inside
EVE'S POV The late afternoon light poured through the reinforced windows of the penthouse, casting long golden beams across the living room floor. Lily, at eleven months old, was in full explorer mode... crawling with surprising speed between the coffee table and the couch, her chubby hands slapping the rug as she babbled a constant stream of half-words and delighted squeals. She had discovered the joy of pulling herself up on furniture, and every successful stand earned a triumphant grin that made my heart ache with love. I sat cross-legged on the floor, one hand resting protectively on my stomach where the twins were growing. The pregnancy was still early, but the nausea and exhaustion were constant companions now. Joy and terror lived side by side inside me these days... joy for the new lives, terror for the world they would enter. Damon walked in from his office, loosening his tie, his face softening the moment he saw us. He dropped down beside me on the rug and immediately pu
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
The two weeks flew by faster than Eve expected.Jessica took her dress shopping even though the dress was already made. Said they needed the experience, the tradition of it. They tried on ridiculous gowns they'd never buy and drank champagne and laughed until Eve's sides hurt."This is what it shou
We drove back to the city Sunday afternoonNeither of us wanted to leave but we couldn’t hide forever. The week had been good, better than good, we’d talked and laughed and had sex on every surface in that house and figured out we actually liked each other outside of all the chaosBut now the chaos
Three days.It had been three days of this new arrangement and I was losing my mind.Not in a bad way. In a "I can't stop thinking about him" way. In a "every time he looks at me I remember exactly what he looks like naked" way.We'd fallen into this routine. Work during the day. Pretend to be norm







