2025-05-30 13:03:48
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276. Beneath The Surface
By Tuesday morning, the rhythm of home had settled back into place. Ivy moved through the kitchen barefoot, coffee cup in hand, watching birds flutter at the feeder outside the window. Billy and Chloe were still in their pajamas, building a precarious tower out of wooden blocks on the rug. Van had taken his toolbox out to the shed to fix a loose hinge, his steady footsteps fading across the porch.Everything looked the same.But it didn’t feel the same.She’d woken up with a strange tightness in her chest, the kind that didn’t go away with deep breaths. Maybe it was just leftover anxiety from the wedding and travel. Maybe it was something else.Then came the knock.Three soft taps at the side door, familiar in their rhythm.Ivy opened it, and there was Lila— backlit by the morning sun, cardigan neatly folded over her arm, a tray of lemon bars in hand.“Welcome home,” she said with a cheerful smile. “Thought I’d bring by something sweet.”Ivy blinked. “Hi. I was wondering where you wer
275. Odd Silence
The train ride home was smooth, the late afternoon sun drifting through the windows in soft golden strips. Ivy watched the countryside roll by, her suitcase tucked between her legs and Macy’s wedding program folded in her lap. Her heart was full from the weekend —laughing with old friends, hugging her sister in law through happy tears, dancing until her feet ached —but a deeper part of her ached in a different way.She missed her children.She missed Van.And more than that, she missed the rhythm of home: the twin giggles in the morning, the squeak of the front door when someone came in from the porch, the scent of coffee and oat muffins in the kitchen.When the train pulled into the big city station, Van was already waiting in the car. He waved when he saw her and opened the passenger door before she could even reach it.“You didn’t have to drive all the way here,” she said with a smile, leaning in to kiss him.“I wanted to,” he said simply, helping with her suitcase.He looked tired
274. The Decision
Van waited until he heard the sound of Lila’s cab crunching down the gravel driveway before he stood. He gave it another minute —just to be sure— then eased open the door to the twins’ room. Chloe and Billy were still sleeping, tangled in each other like they always did when they napped. Chloe’s stuffed bear had slipped onto the rug. He picked it up and tucked it beside her.She looked fine. Normal. As if nothing had happened.And that, he thought grimly, was the problem.He went back downstairs and stood in the middle of the living room, unsure what to do with his hands. His chest was still tight, like the adrenaline hadn’t caught up with the reality yet.She had lied to him about Chloe.That part kept echoing, sharper than the rest. She’d faked a crisis. Used the twins to get him alone. That wasn’t just crossing a line —it was detonating it.Van turned slowly, surveying the living room through a new lens. It wasn’t just a room anymore. It was a place she’d moved freely in. She’d lau
273. The Kiss
The call came just past noon, while Van was standing outside the café in town, balancing a takeout coffee tray in one hand and his phone in the other.“Van?” Lila’s voice crackled with panic. “It’s Chloe. She fainted and she won’t wake up.”Everything around him faded to a blur. “What do you mean she won’t wake up?”“She just— she was standing by the window and then she collapsed. I can’t get her to open her eyes. I don’t know what to do— should I call an ambulance?”“I’ll be home in fifteen minutes,” he said, already moving. “Keep her on her side. Stay calm.”He didn’t remember dropping the coffee tray. He didn’t remember unlocking the car or how fast he’d taken the turns on the narrow gravel road that led back to the house. He only remembered the dull thudding of his heart against his ribs and the thousand versions of what-ifs racing through his head.Chloe. Chloe, unconscious.The house came into view. The front porch was empty. No ambulance, no chaos. Just stillness.Van slammed t
272. Fun Day
Back at his company, Van sat at his desk, sunlight streaking through the tall windows of his corner office. The skyline stretched endlessly behind him, but his focus remained on the paperwork in front of him. Legal briefs, financial updates, acquisition reports—he had spent most of the past week getting his affairs back in order after being cleared of the lawsuit. Though he’d been declared innocent, the tension of those weeks still clung to his shoulders. The trial had cast a shadow over his company, but his team had stood strong, and now it was time to prove that Van Everest’s name still meant something. "Mr. Everest?" Naya’s voice came through the intercom. "There's someone here to see you. He says it's urgent." Van didn’t even glance up. "Tell him to schedule an appointment. I’m not available for walk-ins." There was a pause. "He says he’s a representative from Benedict Arlow." That name gave Van pause. He sat back in his chair slowly. "Send him in." Moments later, the door
271. Not Guilty
Van sat in his office, the skyline stretching out behind him in tall silver lines. Naya entered without knocking, her expression cautious but composed.“Mr. Van, Benedict Arlow has arrived.”Van set down the proposal he’d been reviewing and nodded once. “Send him in.”A few seconds later, Benedict Arlow stepped into the room.He looked as poised and confident as ever, dressed in a flawless three-piece suit, his hair slicked back with the same calculated precision Van had seen at the Amaranthine dinner. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, landed on Van with a quiet intensity.“Mr. Van,” he said, offering a hand.Van rose from his seat but did not offer his hand. “Arlow.”Benedict smiled faintly and sat down across from him. “I thought I’d stop by personally. I assume you’ve given my proposal some thought.”Van leaned back in his chair. “I have.”“And?”"I’m not interested.”The room fell into a brief silence.Benedict didn’t flinch. Instead, he adjusted the cuff of his jacket, unhurried. “
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