LOGINNatasha’s POVAnanya’s question hung in the air between us. I frowned. “What does me throwing up have to do with my period?”“I don’t know, Tasha,” she said. “You’ve been throwing up for quite a while. You look pale. The last time we met, you just snapped out of nowhere and got super emotional.”“And? It still doesn’t answer my question.”“You haven’t even answered my question.” She pushed away from the sink, her arms still crossed. “That’s the only way I can answer you.”I thought about it and realized I hadn’t even been paying attention at all. “I… can’t remember.”Ananya stared at me for a moment longer than necessary. “Okay,” she said, reaching for the door. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”I watched as she walked out of the restroom, leaving me alone to my thoughts. If I hadn’t seen my period…there was only one possibility I didn’t want to think about.Ananya returned a few minutes later with a small box in her hand. She closed the door behind her and handed it to me. “Here.
Natasha’s POVI cried myself to sleep last night. Not just because of the awkwardness with Tristan. It was the weight of everything I’d been holding in. I thought I’d gotten over the fact that my sister had been sleeping with my ex-boyfriend behind my back. But it dawned on me that she’d known he was alive this whole time. Then Lucas came back just when things between Tristan and me were finally starting to get better. The space beside me was empty. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. My head felt heavy. I dragged myself out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, hoping the warm water would wash away my problems all at once. I had just stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping the towel around my body, when I opened the bathroom door. Tristan was stepping in from the balcony at the exact moment. We both froze.He was in sweatpants and nothing else, looking like he hadn’t slept much. I thought he had already left for work early. Our gazes met. His expression was unreadable. The air b
Tristan’s POVWork had been a perfect distraction. I buried myself in meetings with Marcus and the new investors for his company. I even forced myself to stay through irrelevant conversations, nodding my head like I gave a damn, all just to push last night’s events to the back of my mind. Then there was Abuela. By the time the meetings ended, I still wasn’t ready to go home. Daniel had noticed. Somehow, we ended up at a bar tonight. I hadn't stepped foot in one since I got married to Natasha. We sat in the VIP section. Eric had somehow managed to join us. I didn’t ask how, but I could use the familiar faces right now. I pulled out a cigarette and lighter out of habit, flicking it on. The flame danced briefly in front of me, but I turned it off immediately. I slipped them back into my pocket. I waved at the waitress instead. The waitress approached the section with a smile. “What would you like tonight, Mr. Castillo?”“Honestly?” I said, scratching my forehead. “I don’t know. Surpr
Natasha’s POVI woke up slowly, the morning light filtering through the curtains. My hand reached across the bed, searching for the familiar warmth of Tristan’s body. The space was empty. It was still early. He must have gone to check on Adelina and Patricia. He’d probably be back any minute, slipping under the covers to pull me close like he always did. I stretched and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The events of last night still lingered in my mind—Victoria’s confession. It suddenly made sense how Lucas seemed to know far more than he should have. Then there was the awful kiss I never wanted. I pushed the memories down and swung my legs off the bed. For some strange reason, all I could think about was Tristan. I couldn’t explain it. My body felt restless in a way it hadn’t in weeks. We hadn’t been intimate since Lucas came back. Maybe it was remnants of sleep, or the confusing ache of wanting to be touched by the man who actually belonged to me. Tristan stepped out of
Tristan’s POVAfter I’d met with the investors, I shook their hands and removed the tie around my neck completely. I stared at it longer than necessary. A faint smile crept onto my face. Natasha insisted I wore it. I did. Despite never wearing one before… I did anyway. I slipped it into my pocket. I excused myself to go to the rooftop and told Daniel to drive Natasha home whenever she was ready to leave. He had noticed the shift in my expression, but didn’t ask questions. Several minutes passed as I watched Daniel lead Natasha into his car from the rooftop. She had never mentioned who Lucas was. And maybe it didn’t matter. But I’d just heard her tell him she loved him. My hands tightened around the railing until my knuckles turned white.Come to think of it, I didn’t think I had any right to be mad. She had told me she wanted out the moment her father’s company was safe. Still… I didn’t expect it to be soon. But we had been in a good place these past few weeks… what changed?I exh
Natasha’s POVTristan’s speech was brief. I couldn’t help but smile when he admitted he wasn’t much for long speeches. It was so him. The moment he was done, he made his way back to me, weaving through the crowd with a smug smile I was beginning to know so well. “How’d I do?”I wrapped my arms around myself. The night air was starting to get cold. “You did… okay.”“Okay?” he said, already shrugging off his jacket and draping it over my shoulders. “I just know you don’t like me.”I shook my head, smiling as I pulled the jacket closer around me. “Thank you.”Then a waiter stopped beside us, balancing a tray of champagne. “Champagne, sir? Ma’am?”I reached for one of the flutes, but Tristan intercepted it, taking the glass from me before I could even raise it to my lips. I knitted my brows. “Why would you do that?”He placed it back on the tray before picking up a glass of sparkling water instead and handed it to me. “You’re light-headed when you get drunk,” he said. “I can’t risk
Natasha’s POVThe week flew by faster than I expected. Today was our last day before the trip to California, and Ananya had practically dragged me out of the house for emergency shopping. We had spent the past few days going out and making memories, but today was strictly for shopping. We were c
Natasha’s POVAfter leaving Adelina’s room, I went back into our bedroom for a warm bubble bath. The room was already clean. The bed was neatly made, and everything had been tidied. The maids must have come in while I was preoccupied. I reached for my phone on the nightstand and walked into the b
Natasha’s POVA sharp pounding in my skull woke me. The kind that rolled through my head like distant drums, dull and insistent. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut against the light leaking into the room. Slowly, I forced them open. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar—high, modern, with smooth reces
Tristan’s POVThe basement looked the same as it always did. Like it remembered every silence that had ever settled down here. I stood just beyond the reach of the dim bulb, hands in my pockets, staring at the man slumped on the chair behind the bars.“Three days,” I said quietly, glancing at my w







