The next morning, Xavier Parker got dressed with deliberate quietness, stealing a glance at Annika James, who was still lost in deep sleep. The night before had been intense. She'd pushed back against his advances with a firm resolve, but eventually, her defenses crumbled, and she turned pliant and soft in his arms. By the end, she was pleading with him to stop, then slipped into an exhausted sleep with tears drying on her cheeks.

Xavier felt a pang of remorse. He'd missed her like hell the past week, and when she brought up divorce, a storm of anger and longing had driven him to go too far. He hadn't meant to be so rough.

He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead—a silent apology and tenderness both. Annika remained oblivious, still lost to the world.

His phone buzzed quietly, jerking Xavier out of his reverie. He glanced at his watch and left the bedroom.

At the front door, Rayan Henry stood holding open the backseat door. Once Xavier settled in, Rayan circled the car and slid into the driver's seat, clicking his seatbelt into place. They hadn't driven far when Xavier's voice cut through the silence. "Why does the car smell like roses?"

Rayan froze, sniffing the air but detecting nothing. Still, he knew Xavier's sense of smell was freakishly sharp. Realization hit, and embarrassment crept in. "I'm sorry, Mr. Parker. The other night, my girlfriend had a company event. I picked her up late, and she had a bouquet of roses—the company gave them to all the women. The scent must have lingered."

The backseat went quiet. A flush of shame crept up Rayan's neck. He knew Annika hated the scent of roses—it reminded her of someone she despised. No wonder she'd rolled down the window yesterday as soon as she got in. When he asked if it was too hot, she just shrugged it off and told him to keep driving. Regret twisted in his gut. His damn sinus issues always left him nose-blind to stuff like that.

"Mr. Parker, I could explain to Mrs. Parker—" Rayan started.

After a pause, Xavier cut him off. "No, leave it."

He knew it wasn't the roses she loathed—it was the person who adored them.

Silence settled again. Rayan glanced at Xavier in the rearview mirror, catching the calm but contemplative look on his boss's sculpted face, a shadow of worry creasing his brow. Taking a breath, Rayan ventured, "Mr. Parker, Mrs. Parker hasn't seemed herself lately."

Xavier's gaze snapped to the mirror, sharp and assessing despite its casualness. Under that weight, Rayan pressed on. "Sir, your wedding anniversary with Mrs. Parker is coming up. You were away last year. Maybe... plan something special?"

Xavier looked out the window, rubbing his temple. "I'm aware."

Rayan shut his mouth.

In the office, Rayan went through the day's schedule on his tablet. Xavier interrupted. "What's the date tomorrow?"

"The 17th," Rayan answered.

The 17th of every month was set aside for Annika to visit her father. Her dad, Andrew James, had worked for the Parkers for over twenty years before an accident left him with severe brain damage, his mind reduced to that of a child. He was in a care facility now, and Annika went to see him regularly. Xavier fell silent, thoughtful, as he stepped into his office and closed the door behind him.

—

Annika woke to the midday sun, her body aching all over. She cursed Xavier silently for being so damn rough. The smell of food hit her as she stumbled out of the bedroom.

The housekeeper had finished cooking and was about to head out. When she saw Annika, she gave a warm but restrained smile. "Mrs. Parker, I'll be finishing up at the end of this month."

The announcement caught Annika off guard. She paused, surprised.

This housekeeper had been hired after Annika married Xavier. She only came to cook, and Annika genuinely loved her food. She'd even joked during arguments that she'd give up any settlement just to keep the housekeeper. So why now?

Annika remembered Lina Turner visiting once. Lina had raved about the food, then 'jokingly' offered the housekeeper double the salary to come work for her. Lina always had a way of wanting whatever Annika cherished, always passing it off as a joke. The housekeeper had politely turned her down then.

"Is it about the money?" Annika asked.

The housekeeper shook her head, rubbing her hands nervously. "Oh no, you and Mr. Parker pay me well. It's just... my daughter is having her first baby next month. I've spent years taking care of other people's families. It's time I took care of my own. With postpartum care and all, she'll need her mother there."

Annika understood. There was no arguing with that. "Of course. Having a baby is a big deal. It's best you're there with her."

The housekeeper caught the glisten of unshed tears in Annika's eyes. In the three years she'd worked here, she'd learned something about Annika: for a woman who seemed to have it all, she cried easily. Some days, Annika would duck her head over her bowl, pretending to savor her food while quietly sobbing. As an outsider, the housekeeper never pried, but sometimes she couldn't help feeling a stab of pity for Annika. In all this time, she'd seen few visitors. Even fewer friends.

"Over the years, I wrote down the recipes for your favorite dishes," the housekeeper said, pulling out some papers. "You can give them to the next housekeeper."

It was too much. Annika turned quickly, her voice tight. "Just a moment." She retreated to the bedroom, where she dug through drawers for cash and an envelope, drying her tears with tissues. She found the envelope Xavier had given her last Christmas—still holding two thousand dollars. She returned to the kitchen and pressed it into the housekeeper's hands.

The housekeeper tried to refuse, but Annika was firm. "For your grandchild. Having a baby is a big deal. Call it a blessing."

The housekeeper's eyes brimmed. She bit her lip, accepting it. "Thank you, Mrs. Parker. I hope your kind blessing comes true."

At the door, she paused and looked back. "Mrs. Parker, you're young and beautiful. Please be happy. Life's too short to stay down. You can get through anything. I wish you all the best."

After the housekeeper left, Annika sat alone at the dining table. Her tears splashed into her food, turning every bite salty and warm. By the time she met up with Emma Sanchez that afternoon, Emma could tell right away she'd been crying. Her face grew serious.

"What happened?" Emma asked, her voice tight with worry. "It's not worth getting worked up over someone like Lina Turner. If you're really that fed up, I'll go with you to her place and we'll rip that stupid necklace to shreds!"

Annika, her eyes still puffy, forced a smile. "It's not about her," she sniffled. "My housekeeper is leaving. She cooked the most amazing meals, and I won't get to eat like that anymore."

Emma studied Annika for a long moment. There were a million things that could make Annika cry—Xavier's favoritism toward Lina, the crap the Parker and Turner families put her through, years of bottled-up frustration. But it was this one tiny thing that finally broke her.

Emma sat down across from her. "Annika, remember that therapist I told you about? Did you ever go see them?"

Annika dodged the question. "I'm not crazy. Why would I go to a therapist?"

Emma gave her a worried look. "You don't have to be messed up to see a therapist. If something's eating at you and you don't know who to talk to, that's literally what they're there for."

"No way. Just thinking about therapists makes me feel better," Annika said stubbornly. She'd hated hospitals and doctors since she was a kid. The mere thought of a needle could cure any symptom—she honestly felt like she could suit up for a football game afterward.

Seeing Annika's walls go up, Emma let it drop. Instead, she asked, "You're going to see your dad tomorrow, right? Is Xavier coming with you?"

Annika nodded, then shook her head, finally admitting, "I'm not sure."

He always went with her before, but a couple of times he ditched her for Lina. It really got to Annika. Even though Xavier promised it wouldn't happen again, Annika wasn't so sure he'd actually follow through.

Wanting to get Annika's mind off Lina, Emma switched gears. "Why don't we go pick up some sweaters for your dad? It's getting chilly, and he's always been sensitive to the cold."

Annika agreed, and as they left the café, they bumped right into Nash Sanchez.

"Annika, fancy meeting you here," he said with a grin.

Annika was startled to see him. Recovering, she asked, "You're back?"

"Yeah, I got back last night and picked up Lina from the Parker estate," Nash said.

Annika's mind immediately went to Xavier—had he not taken Lina home yesterday? Catching her expression, Nash added, "Annika, I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"I'm the one who asked Xavier to go with Lina to her prenatal check-up. I didn't give you a heads up, and it caused problems between you two. I'm really sorry."

His genuine apology threw Annika off a little. There were plenty of reasons she and Xavier argued, and it wasn't just about Lina's appointments. She still couldn't quite put her finger on the real issue.

After a beat, she replied, "It's fine. We fight for sport."

Nash, always the charmer, chuckled. "As long as you're not still mad at him."

"We should head out," Annika said, and with a nod from Nash, she and Emma walked on.

Emma glanced back at Nash. He was tall and lean, with a boyish face thanks to those bangs, giving him this sweet, wholesome vibe. From certain angles, he reminded her of that British actor, Tom Holland.

Turning back to Annika, Emma whispered, "I swear, Lina Turner doesn't know how lucky she is. She's got a husband like that, and she's still chasing after someone else's man."

"But Nash has nerve," Emma went on, "being her backup plan all those years and still marrying her. And now he's acting all noble about it."

Nash had known Annika and Lina since they were kids. His family wasn't as big name as the Parkers or Turners, but they still ran in the same circles, so they'd cross paths a lot growing up. He'd always had a thing for Lina, trailing after her even though she was always brushing him off, calling him a pest and doing everything to avoid him.

Emma met Annika in high school, and since they were friends, she ended up seeing Nash around a lot—always chasing after Lina just to get shut down.

Emma had once said to Lina, "Nash is actually a pretty decent guy. He's cute, he's polite. You don't have to treat him like crap."

Lina had shot back, "You don't think it's annoying having someone constantly there, someone you can't get rid of no matter what you do? Don't people have any pride? How can someone be that shameless?"

Emma could only say, "Because he likes you."

That's love for you—makes people lose all shame.

Emma and Lina were actually close once—until that fateful English class. The teacher had everyone pick an English name. Emma and Lina both went with "Cindy." Since Emma was older and taller, people started calling her "Big Cindy" and Lina "Little Cindy."

Lina kept quiet at first, but later she was ranting to everyone, "Why do I have to be Little Cindy? I'm prettier and richer. Emma is just some country bumpkin—she doesn't even deserve a name like Cindy."

Word got back to Emma, and they had a huge blowout. Annika tried to play peacemaker, telling Lina to apologize. Lina wouldn't, accusing Annika of siding with Emma, and then she ran off crying to find Bowen Flores.

In the end, Bowen dragged Lina to apologize to Emma, gifts in hand, and admitted he'd been spoiling Lina rotten.

Emma had told Annika at the time, "Lina is so freaking lucky. How does she have all these people falling over themselves to spoil her? Most people can't even find one person like that in a lifetime, and she's got two—one of them being her own brother. It's just... enviable."

Years later, Annika finally understood how heavy those words were. Yeah, it was enviable. Somewhere along the line, she realized all she could ever do was look up and envy Lina Turner.

Annika James and Emma Sanchez hit the stores together, picking out sweaters, a jacket, and a cozy pajama set for Annika’s dad, Andrew. They loaded their shopping bags into Emma’s car.

On the drive back to Annika’s place, she suddenly blurted out, “Emma, it’s been ages since we hit up O'Malley's.”

O'Malley's was that charming little pub Annika used to haunt back in her college days, especially when finals stress had her climbing the walls. After Bowen Flores died, it became her go-to spot to drown her sorrows late into the night. She’d stopped going as much after marrying Xavier Parker, but this year she’d started drifting back to that old haunt.

Emma gave a nod and steered the car toward their beloved watering hole.

They slid into a snug booth and ordered their usual. O'Malley's—a small, unassuming joint with decent prices—was Annika’s escape from the snobby stares of Seattle’s elite.

As they chatted, Emma brought up Andrew. “Last time I saw your dad, he seemed way better. He’s not sleeping as much, and his memory’s been getting sharper. Annika, honestly, I think he’s gonna make a full recovery one day.”

Annika gave a half-hearted smile. “The Parkers made sure he got the best doctors. No surprise the results are good.”

Emma caught the edge in Annika’s voice. Studying her friend, she asked, “You still think your dad’s accident had something to do with Lina’s family?”

Annika kept her face smooth. “Molly Watkins might not like me, but she’s the one who stepped up when my dad had his accident. She lined up the doctors, found us a lawyer. Even stood by me through the drunk driver’s trial.”

Annika paused, then added, “But Xavier swears it had nothing to do with her family.”

Emma got it. Annika trusted Xavier, but she wasn’t about to let go of finding out the truth.

Just as Annika took another sip of wine, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and hit ignore.

Xavier kept calling, and by the sixth ring, Emma finally picked up.

“Hey, Xavier? It’s Emma.”

There was a pause on the line. “Where’s Annika?”

Emma shot a look at Annika, who was nursing her drink. “Oh, Annika’s had a little too much tonight. Didn’t hear her phone.”

Another beat of silence. “Where are you?” Xavier asked.

“At O'Malley's.”

Xavier didn’t say anything, so Emma added, “Don’t worry, I’ll get her home safe. I’m DD tonight, and she just wanted to blow off some steam.”

He hung up without another word.

Emma turned to Annika with a wink. “Go ahead and let loose. Tonight’s on me!”

Annika cracked a wry smile. “You really think he won’t show?”

“Come on, you trust me, right?” Emma teased. “Didn’t I promise to get you home safe?”

Annika sighed. “It’s not about trust—it’s about him steamrolling what I want. Even if I tell him, he won’t listen. Like what you just said, I wanted to stay out longer. He’ll just decide it’s late and time to head home.”

Emma paused, at a loss for words.

Sure enough, half an hour later, the door to their booth swung open.

Xavier stood there in a gray coat, his eyes zeroed in on Annika. Her cheeks were flushed, her skin glowing from the wine as she kept drinking. Xavier crossed the room in long strides, stopping right at her side.

She barely glanced his way.

Emma tried to smooth things over. “Xavier, I told you Annika wanted to stay for a few more drinks.”

Xavier turned to Annika. “It’s late. Let’s head home.”

Emma was stunned. His words echoed Annika’s prediction perfectly. For a second, she couldn’t tell if this couple was creepily in sync or just completely at odds.

Annika’s voice, tinged with laughter, cut through the tension.

“It’s only ten,” she shot back, lifting his coat sleeve to flash his watch, her eyes bright but glassy from the booze. “You roll in at two or three A.M. all the time. I never demand you come home early.”

Xavier replied, “I’m working.”

“Oh, right, because work is supposedly more important than relaxing?” Annika poured herself another drink. “Is that Molly’s high-society crap about putting work above everything?”

Xavier frowned slightly. “Annika, she’s not just Molly. She’s your mom.”

“She’s your mom,” Annika snapped, then hesitated, as if realizing how hard that might’ve hit. In a softer voice, she added, “She never treated me like a daughter.”

The memory of that slap at the Parker estate rose up. She hadn’t flinched then—the cold wind had numbed her face. But now, fueled by the alcohol, anger surged through her veins.

Xavier slid an arm around Annika. “Let’s go home. You smell like a brewery. I’ll run you a hot bath.”

He coaxed her gently, like calming a kitten.

But Annika was no kitten. She was Annika James.

Annika burst into tears. “I said I wanted to drink a little longer! Why do you make me leave? Go find Lina. I’ll stay here and drink, and we won’t bother each other.”

Xavier’s face darkened. “Why would I go looking for her in the middle of the night?”

“Like you’ve never done that before?”

Xavier realized she was still hung up on Lina. He rubbed his temples, trying to explain. “Stuff comes up.”

Emma cut in, “Seriously? Come on! If you skipped one visit, would the world end? Remember high school, when we had to get blood tests? Just a tiny needle, and she bawled her eyes out from the sports field all the way to the classroom. I thought someone was really hurt and ran over to check. But she showed me this itty-bitty needle mark—I barely got there before it healed.”

Annika remembered that. Back then, Emma and Lina hadn’t been at odds. Emma, an art student, had been training in another building and spotted Lina crying from a distance, rushing over worried. It seemed like Lina always made a big deal out of nothing, dragging everyone into her drama until she got what she wanted. Once, Bowen and Nash had to put up with her theatrics. After Bowen died, Xavier had taken on that burden.