Mag-log inMason's POVI left very early to go to a bar.This bar was the kind of place Coach Lawson loved. He loves coming here early in the morning. It was tucked away on a side street that most people wouldn't notice, it smelled like old wood and spilled whiskey. I'd been here a few times before, usually after games. My coach had brought me here multiple times , especially when I was still young and stupid and thought I knew everything. He'd told me then that this was his spot, his sanctuary, the one place where he could escape from the noise of his life.I was hoping it would be my sanctuary too.The door creaked as I pushed it open, and the bartender glanced up, recognizing me immediately. He nodded toward the back corner, where a familiar silhouette was hunched over a glass.Coach Lawson.I walked toward him, my footsteps heavy on the worn wooden floor. He didn't look up when I approached. He just sat there, staring at the amber liquid in his glass like it held all the answers."Coach,"
Third Person POVThe elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Jeffrey stepped out into the penthouse hallway.His shoulders were tight, his jaw clenched, his entire body humming with the kind of exhaustion that came from a long day of practice.His suit jacket was slung over one arm, his tie loosened, his shirt untucked.But the moment he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he knew he wasn't going to get what he wanted.The lights were on.Every single one of them.And his father was sitting in the center of the living room like a king on his throne.Senator William Kyler was a tall man, broad-shouldered and commanding, with the kind of presence that made rooms feel smaller. His silver hair was immaculately styled, his suit impeccable, his posture rigid. He didn't look up when Jeffrey walked in. He just sat there, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his eyes fixed on the city skyline beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows."Six o'clock in the morning," his father said without turni
"They raised you, and then they spent years tearing you down." I reached over and took her hand. "You've done more than enough for them. You're allowed to take care of yourself now."She squeezed my hand. "When did you get so wise?""Always been wise. You just never listened." I bragged, flapping my hand like a fan.She chuckled. "You're crazy.""You love me like that." I gloated."Someone has to keep you humble."I smiled, feeling some of the tension leave my body. It was good to see her smile again. "Okay," I said, settling back into the couch. "Now that we've dealt with your crisis, I have something to tell you."Brielle raised an eyebrow. "Oh?""Yeah." I took a breath. "I'm having dinner with Mason tomorrow night, and yes, I told you about it but I need your real thoughts on this, not as a friend."“Should it be like an interview setting, where I pretend I don’t know you and ask you some questions.” She looked more excited about this.“Yes, we can have it that way.” I was skeptic
Aria POVI had gone to pick up my package but unfortunately the shop had not opened yet when I got there.So I decided to go to Brielle's apartment.The door to Brielle's apartment was slightly ajar.That was the first sign that something was wrong. Brielle was obsessive about locking her door, she'd been robbed once, years ago, and ever since, she'd treated every lock like it was a matter of life and death.I pushed the door open slowly, my heart already starting to race."Brielle?" I called out. "You here?"No answer.I stepped inside and immediately froze.The apartment was a disaster. Clothes were strewn across the floor and everywhere I looked, there were bottles.Wine bottles, liquor bottles. Some empty, some half-full, some still sealed.My stomach dropped. "Brielle?" I called again, my voice sharper this time.A groan came from the bedroom.I crossed the apartment in three quick strides, pushing open the bedroom door.Brielle was sprawled across her bed, still in her clothes
The hallway was empty when I stepped out of the study.My mother was waiting for me by the front door, she looked worried.I was surprised to see her standing there."Are you okay? Did your father do anything to you? What did he say?" she rushed her words.I shook my head. “I’m fine, he can’t do anything to me.”She studied me for a moment, then pulled me into a final embrace."I'm sorry that I couldn’t stand up for you then, when your father was against you." Her eyes were misty. "I just want you to know that I've always been proud of you."I held her close. It was actually the first time she had apologized to me since what happened then, and strangely, I felt a bit relieved, like a load had been lifted off my chest slightly."Thank you," I smiled at her."Anytime, my son. I love you."I pulled back, kissed her cheek, and walked out the door.I couldn’t hold back the smile that danced across my face. I looked back at the house before entering my car.---Third Person POVThe Rossi e
Mason's POVThe Rossi estate loomed in front of me like a monument to everything I'd spent my life trying to escape.That evening, I drove to my parents house.I sat in my car for a long moment, engine idling, hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles had gone white. The house hadn't changed. It never did. It had always felt more like a prison than a home.I didn't want to be here.Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to turn the car around, to drive away, to pretend I'd never received that call from my father's assistant demanding my presence.But I couldn't.I killed the engine and stepped out into the cold afternoon air.The walk to the front door felt endless. The door swung open before I could reach for the handle, and there she was.My mother.Katherine Rossi stood in the doorway like she'd been waiting for me. Her hair was perfectly styled, her dress immaculate, even her expression carefully composed. "Mason," she said softly. "You came."I forced a ne
Third Person POVCarter's Bar & Grill hummed with its usual night energy.The lights were low and warm, casting golden pools across the polished wooden tables. The smell of grilled food and spilled beer hung in the air like a familiar blanket.Brielle’s eyes swept across the room, taking in everyt
Third Person POVThe shoot had been brutal.Seven hours of posing, changing, re-posing, smiling until her cheeks ached, holding positions that made her muscles scream in protest. By the time they finally wrapped, she was running on fumes and stubbornness.She didn't go home.She went to Mason's ap
Third Person POVThe afternoon air was a bit crisp.Brielle walked fast, she was already very late as it was. It was mid afternoon and she had still not opened her bar.Her heels clicked against the pavement in a rhythm that matched her mood rushed, she was already irritated with the day before it
Adrian closed the report.He left his office, and walked down the hall. Past the empty corner office, past the reception desk, even past the elevator banks, toward the bullpen where the lower-level employees worked.He didn't have a reason to go there. His job didn't require it. But he went anyway.







