LOGINThird Person POV“Everything is all set,” Benjamin declares, smiling. “It’s all good to go. The only thing we need to do now is wait.”Russell says nothing. He just stares at his own portrait that hangs on the mantel of his office. “I don’t think I can rest until I know that it really worked.”“Well, this one might be Mira’s success.” Benjamin sits on the chair in front of his desk. “No hitches so far. Everything that could’ve gone wrong actually went right. I mean, come on. You have to give her some credit here—she really did well.”But he refuses to give her credit.Not until he sees this through. Not until he sees what’s actually going on.“Is the camera in place?” Russell finally asks. “Did they set all of it? Because I need to know.”“They are in place,” Benjamin confirms. “The cameras in the woman’s place is also set now. And it’s in night vision, so everything will be seen.”“Good, good.” He still doesn’t look up. “And Mira? Where is she?”Silence settles over the place.Benjam
Tristan’s POVI step back. I feel guilty stepping back from her when she looks so scared, but this is not the reaction or situation that I was expecting when I opened that door.The woman has blonde hair, but it’s streaked with something bright.I peer in and I realize that it’s blood.It’s all over her hair, seeping into her dress, which I thought was red but now I realize is actually white.My chest tightens with horror. “What happened to you?”“My boyfriend got really mad because of what I was wearing and he hit me, then he hit my friend and locked her in the bathroom,” the woman sobs, her voice shaking and almost barely audible. “She’s still locked in there and I need to be there for her! Please!"The woman starts to sob, sinking into her knees. “Please, please!”“Okay,” I stammer. “I will help you.” I put the razor back on the nightstand and try to find the phone. “Let me just—”“I already tried calling!” She snatches back the phone from my hand and tosses it to the bed. “I said
Tristan’s POV“You’re going to marry him?” I ask, my voice sounding distant. Like it’s no longer my own.“Only after the divorce is finalized,” Elena says quietly. “I think he already told you that we’re going to make it as amicable as possible. I actually have a plan for it, if you don’t mind me talking about it. I know that you got upset when Alexander told you—”Pride, strong and stubborn, rises in my chest. “Oh, no. I wasn’t really upset about that. I was just a little offended by his mother.”Where are all the lies coming from?I don’t know.But I need them to keep coming.I continue. “I admit, I was an asshole to you and the kids. I guess she just made me feel like I shouldn’t be here and I took that to heart. I’m really sorry.”“It’s okay,” she says, smiling and patting my shoulder. “But you do need to know that she’s just like that. As I was saying, we’re going to make it really amicable. You will never find yourself away from the kids when unnecessary.”When unnecessary.And
Elena’s POVAlexander kisses up my neck as he nuzzles close to me, burying his face in my hair, and I consider it more and more. I can stay like this forever. It won’t even be a problem. Alexander has always been nice and he feels nice and he’s just… amazing.I close my eyes and he strokes my hair, still kissing me.“About what you said,” I bring up, a little nervous. “Did you mean that? Did you… really want me to be yours?”“Why?” He chuckles against my face. “Do you not like the sound of it?”“I like the sound of it,” I whisper. “That’s why I’m asking you.”I look up at him, watching his expression turn serious. “Really?”I nod.“Elena,” he says. “I mean, you know what it means, right? You know what I’ve been implying, right?”“I do,” I say. “You want it to be official. More official than it is now.”Alexander’s eyes soften. “Yes. I do.”I put a hand on his face, gently.This man has been with me through everything.For all his faults, for all the bad things that have happened to us
Elena’s POVAlexander has booked us a separate room.I know that it would be beautiful based on everything else outside the room, even the elevator. But I didn’t have the time to explore any of it because as soon as he opens the room with the keycard, it’s on.He’s already cashing in on the little taste I gave him when we were in the lobby.He drops the bags at the door, closing it behind him. He scoops me up in his arms and returns my kisses.But to my surprise, it’s so different from what I’m used to.There’s no softness in his kiss. Just eagerness. He’s pressing me against the wall, pinning me with his firm body, making me feel the hardness that’s already there. He parts my legs and makes me wrap them around his waist, so that my core is directly aligned with the bulge that he’s now rubbing against me in a frustrating imitation of what we both want.And strangely, I don’t mind.I kiss him back, rubbing against him. Letting myself get lost in him. His touch, his scent, his warmth. E
Elena’s POVI watch as the men stop talking.Alexander looks like he’s in high spirits, even patting Tristan on the back like they agreed to something. But Tristan is just the complete opposite. Solemn. Maybe even shell-shocked. Like he just witnessed something he wasn’t supposed to see. He just stares into the distance as Alexander makes his way back to me.“Is everything alright?” I can’t help but ask. “Why does he look like you just asked him to sell his soul?”“Because maybe that’s what happened,” Alexander jokes.But I give him a frown. “Hey. Seriously. What’s up with him?”“I mean, I don’t know,” he confesses. “He’s been like that all day. Didn’t you notice?”Actually, I did notice. Since I brought him with me to find out where Alexander was, he’s been quiet and reserved like this. I’ve been tempted many times to just sit him down and ask him what’s going on, but I don’t know if I’ll get through to him. That’s never been a guarantee when it comes to Tristan.But now it feels a l
Elena’s POV“Alexander!”My scream echoes in my ringing ears. Time slows down, almost sputtering to a halt, and as I rush towards Alexander, it feels as though my limbs are traveling through amber. Slugging. Unable to reach him in time.Grace gasps. I know she didn’t mean to do it. She’s out for me
Tristan’s POVI came to Elena’s house fully prepared to confront her about what she did to our kids, about the two miscarriages she had that she felt the need not to tell me about. I’ve been angry and hurt and distraught. I was ready to fight. I didn’t care about her threat of being able to take me
Elena’s POVThat night, I go home feeling… weirdly uplifted.I don’t know if it’s because I have a solution for the party and how to escape the scrutiny I know I will receive, or the fact that I agreed to a date with Alexander. All I know is that after this whole day—which is utter disaster in ever
Tristan’s POV“Who released this statement?” I roar, looking at the faces in front of me.I gathered all my staff to talk about the reports circulating. I just can’t believe that they would say something about the break-in without my permission. Something so big and damaging that it could destroy w







