Ever sat by the window, her fingers tracing the edge of the glass. Her children stood beside her, eagerly trying to capture her attention.
"Mommy, look!" her son called out, waving a drawing in front of her face. "I drew us! See?"
Ever blinked, her mind miles away. She didn't even notice the drawing. "Hmm? That's nice, sweetie," she murmured, her eyes still distant.
Her daughter tugged on her sleeve, her small voice laced with concern. "Mommy, are you okay?"
Ever nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, honey. Just... thinking."
The boy waved his drawing again. "We're happy, see? You're smiling, and I'm smiling. We're all happy!"
Ever glanced at it briefly, her smile barely there. "It's perfect, darling."
"Are you sure you're okay?" her daughter asked, her little face full of worry. "You don't look okay."
"I'm just tired, that's all," Ever said, her voice flat. "Just a lot on my mind."
Her son skipped over, completely unfazed, as if he hadn't even noticed the change. "I made this for you! It's for your desk, so you can see it when you're at work!"
Ever glanced at him, her eyes softening. "Thank you, sweetie. I'll keep it right there."
Her daughter continued to watch her, eyes searching, trying to understand. "Mommy, you're not happy. You're... sad."
Ever's heart stung. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I'm okay, baby. Just thinking about grown-up stuff."
The son tilted his head, puzzled. "Like what?"
Ever hesitated. "Like... things that don't matter to you."
"But they matter to us, right?" her daughter insisted. "Because we're your family."
Ever looking down at her, and the weight of the rest of the world settling into her chest. "Yes. You're the most important thing," she said.
For just a moment, it felt like everything was going to be fine. But as the chatter went on, her thoughts drifted again, far from the present, back to the boutique gala.
"Time for your bath, kids!" "From the hallway, Dorothy called out," with warmth but firmness. The children, eager to avoid bedtime, groaned in protest, but they slowly trotted toward the bathroom.
"Do we have to, Aunt Dorothy?" The boy whined, looking back at Ever.
"Yes, you do," Dorothy replied with a gentle smile. "Come on now, let's get you all freshened up."
The door closed softly behind them, leaving Ever in the quiet of the room, her mind still clouded. Dorothy stepped into the living room, her shoes clicking lightly on the floor as she made her way toward Ever, her expression unreadable.
"You're still here, huh?" Dorothy's voice was gentle, but there was an edge of concern behind it. "How long are you going to keep pushing this down, Ever?"
Ever didn't look up, her gaze fixed on the empty space ahead. "I'm fine," she said, her voice distant, as though she was trying to convince herself more than Dorothy.
Dorothy didn't buy it. "Ever..." She sat down beside her, her hand resting lightly on her shoulder. "You can't keep pretending everything's okay. Not after what happened."
Ever's throat tightened, and she clenched her fists in her lap, trying to swallow the wave of emotions threatening to spill over. "I just... I can't deal with it right now."
"You have to," Dorothy said softly but firmly. "You have kids who need you. You can't lose yourself in this mess. They can see it, Ever."
Ever sighed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "I know. They know. I'm failing them."
"You're not failing anyone," Dorothy replied quickly. "You're just... not dealing with things right now. You've been through a lot. But that doesn't mean you can shut everyone out, especially not your kids."
Ever's eyes welled with tears, but she blinked them away before they could fall. "I don't know how to fix this. I'm not sure I even can."
Dorothy squeezed her shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "You don't have to fix everything at once. But you have to start somewhere. For them."
Ever nodded silently, her heart aching as she thought about her children. They didn't deserve a mother so lost in her own grief. "I know," she whispered. "I just... don't know where to begin."
"We'll figure it out," Dorothy said with quiet conviction. "But first, you need to take care of yourself. Let's get through tonight, and then we'll talk. Together."
Ever nodded again, her chest tight, but for the first time in days, she felt a faint glimmer of hope.
The tension in the Wales household is palpable, thick, and suffocating. Allesandro's eyes were burning with rage as he stormed toward Natalia, who stood smirking, seemingly unbothered by his fury.
"You think you can just waltz in here and destroy everything I've built?" he spat, his voice low, dangerous.
She crossed her arms, her lips curling into a sneer. "Built? Is that what you call it? An empire built on lies, manipulation, and broken promises? You think I don't see through you?"
Alessandro took a step forward, his fists clenching at his sides. "You're a fucking joke. I built this with blood, sweat, and tears, and you want to come in here and burn it down because your pathetic little ego can't handle losing?"
Natalia's laugh was sharp, venomous. "You think you're the first man to ever tell me that? Fuck you, Allesandro. You're not special. You're just another arrogant piece of shit who thinks he can control everything. But look at you now. You're losing, and I'm loving every second of it."
He stepped closer, their faces inches apart. "You really want to go there?" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "You're nothing but a whiny little bitch who couldn't handle being second to me.
Her eyes flashed with fury. "You're fucking deluded if you think I'm doing this because I didn't get my way. You ruined me. You fucked me over at every turn.
Alessandro sneered. "You think you've won? You've only dug your own grave. You've always been too fucking stupid to see it."
Natalia stepped back and spoke with malice. "I have always been ten steps ahead of you, you arrogant bastard. You were never in control. You were never untouchable.
Allesandro hurled himself forward, seizing her by the throat, his grip restrained yet sufficient to prevent her from choking. "You think you're smart, huh? You think you're making all the moves? I will make you regret every fucking move you've made, Natalia."
Her eyes opened wide, but she didn't flinch. "You can't frighten me, Allesandro. You're only a little boy playing a king." And I'm the one who will take you down."
Then, with a push, he shoved her back, but his speech was with pure venom. "Keep talking, Natalia. Keep running that mouth.
Her tone was frigid, unbroken. "You're too late. It's already over."
A door creaked open behind them..