August's POV The moment I opened the front door, the scent of chocolate cake wrapped around me, bringing back memories of when life had seemed so much simpler. Isabelle was pouring chocolate frosting over the cake, her hair twisted into a messy bun, wearing a fitted camisole. The sight hit me like a punch to the gut. It had been so long since we'd really touched each other. It was such an ordinary scene, but desire slammed into me anyway. I wanted to pin her against that kitchen island and lose myself in her body. "Hey. Sorry for ruining your diet, but I thought it'd be nice to bake a little cake... make things feel normal for a while. Doesn't it look beautiful?" Isabelle smiled proudly at her handiwork. That had been my mistake from the very beginning. Bringing her into my house. Into my bed. Letting her get comfortable. Letting her slip past every wall I'd spent years building around myself. I'd never fallen in love before. I'd never let anyone into my life, let alone my home

Isabelle's POV August was fast asleep, sprawled awkwardly across Caesar's couch, still wearing yesterday's clothes. The moment he left the house, I'd known he was going to do something. Karen had tried to comfort me, but I didn't want to talk about it. I simply waited. I hadn't even taken a sleeping pill, but the hours crawled by. I kept imagining he wasn't coming home. That he'd gone to his other apartment, probably with someone. Maybe even Juliana. One painful thought after another ate away at me. Trying to believe August when he said he hadn't cheated on me. Hearing him admit he didn't want children when they were my biggest dream. Wondering whether he'd come home or if he was out having the time of his life. It all tortured me. I paced the house until Camille texted me to say he'd gone to Lush, gotten blackout drunk, and that Caesar had taken him home. I didn't want to be the wife chasing after her drunken husband, but I couldn't stop myself. By morning, I was already sta

Diana's POV Isaac cut himself a slice of chocolate cake and set it in front of me. A cake he'd baked himself. Our lives had settled into a strange routine. Sometimes I'd show up during the day, sometimes late at night. I'd stay over, and the next morning he'd spoil me with breakfast. Every day I told myself it would be the last. And yet, every night ended with me in his bed, only wanting more when morning came. We never went anywhere. Our entire world existed inside that house. Isaac never asked questions. Never pressured me. I had no idea what this thing between us was. I only knew it couldn't exist. "You okay? You seem distracted." Isaac leaned against the kitchen counter, a mug of coffee in his hand. Here, I wasn't Diana Salvatore, Marketing Director of Seg29, future heiress, or the future fiancée of another man in an arranged marriage that was nothing more than a business deal. Here... I was just Diana. "It's nothing... just a problem at work." Eve

August's POV As if my life weren't already complicated enough, my secretary announced that my sister-in-law wanted to see me. I had no idea what Karen was doing there or why she wanted to talk to me. I definitely didn't need another problem. "You can send her in," I told my secretary. Karen stepped into the office, her eyes sweeping the room. She barely resembled the woman who'd spent a month in hiding. Even though they were sisters, Karen and Isabelle looked nothing alike. Karen had always been bolder. She dressed to be noticed, choosing clothes that were clearly meant to seduce. She was always perfectly made up, always touching people while she talked, especially men, always hinting at something. There was no denying she was beautiful. But beauty wasn't everything. Isabelle, on the other hand, seemed completely unaware of how beautiful she was. Her beauty came naturally. She tended to shrink into herself around other people, especially other women. She dre

Isabelle's POV When I got home, I was still in shock. I needed to talk to someone. To vent. To hear another perspective on what I should do. Of course, I also had the option of doing nothing at all, pretending I hadn't seen anything and letting everything sort itself out. But there was a problem. I liked Isaac. He was a good man. He didn't deserve to be deceived by someone like Diana, made into a fool when it was obvious he genuinely cared about her. So I decided that the next day, I'd talk to my sister-in-law. Maybe I could convince her to stay away from him. The whole situation struck a nerve. Watching someone be deceived like that reminded me of what I'd been through. I'd been lied to once too. No one deserved that. And to make things even worse, there was still Karen. Talking to my sister wouldn't be easy either. The image of her in that office still haunted me. I planned to confront her too, but first I had to try talking some sense into Diana, even though I kn