Xavy & Mom

Lyla Monroe (Nova Kingsley) Epilogue One Year Later “I swear to God, if you burn off my hair, I will sue,” I hissed as the curling iron sizzled a little too close to my ear. The stylist gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry! Sorry! Just a little frizz in the back—your hair’s thick!” “I know,” I muttered, blowing out a breath. “Thick, chaotic, and probably trying to escape right now.” “Nova,” Delilah warned, stepping into the bridal suite with a

Lyla Monroe (Nova Kingsley) I should’ve told him last night. I had every intention to. Right after dinner. Right after I played the piano. Right after the slow dance in the living room that made my heart beat in places it hadn’t in years. But then we laughed. Then we kissed. Then I ended up asleep next to him, head on his shoulder, breath tangled in his. And now… now Luca was standing in my bedroom. In my childhood room.

Luca Steele I hadn’t slept that well in a long time. The living room was still dim with morning light when I cracked my eyes open. My arm was bent awkwardly beneath me, and I could feel the edge of the carpet digging into my side. But I didn’t care. It was worth it. Nova had fallen asleep next to me after we danced, her head on my shoulder, her fingers laced with mine. But when I reached over, the

Lyla Monroe (Nova Kingsley) “What do I wear?” I groaned, tossing another dress onto the bed. Delilah’s voice called from the kitchen, “Everything you wear is cute. You’re beautiful.” “That doesn’t help!” I yelled back, still panicking as I scanned my closet like it held the answer to world peace. She ran upstairs, wiping her hands on her apron. “Miss, it’s dinner. Not the Met Gala.” “Yeah, dinner… with my ex-husband-who-might-not-be-an-ex-anymore and who also might want to start over,” I

Lyla Monroe (Nova Kingsley) “So…” I stirred the straw in my iced tea, still slightly stunned. “What brings you all the way to California, Mr. Steele?” I kept my tone light, casual—even though my heart hadn’t stopped racing since I saw him at the boardroom door like some dramatic movie scene. He stood there in that tailored navy suit, looking like sin and secrets, and I nearly forgot the words to my own presentation. Now we were sitting across from

Luca Steele My meeting was in the wrong building. Again. I stood in the lobby of someone else’s firm, holding a briefcase I didn’t even need, staring at a receptionist who looked at me like I was the problem. “Mr. Steele,” she said cautiously, “you’re not scheduled here until next week.” No shit. I clenched my jaw, nodded stiffly, and turned on my heel. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t trust myself to speak without snapping. This was the third

Lyla Monroe (Nova Kingsley) I had just arrived in California, and the sun was shining like it always does—warm, golden, familiar. The weather was definitely better than in New York. It always was. But for the first time ever… I wasn’t happy to be back. Usually, I’d step out of that plane, take a deep breath of fresh California air, and feel peace. Home. Safety. But this time, I just felt lost. The divorce was supposed to feel like freedom.

Luca Steele My ego was hurt. No—screw that. I was hurt. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t even think. I went straight to her room, expecting to see her curled under the blankets like always, hair messy, breathing soft. I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d crawl in beside her. Say something stupid like, “About yesterday…” and we’d talk it out. But her room was empty. The bed made. The air cold. She wasn’t there. So I went to

Lyla Monroe (Nova Kingsley) “I signed it.” The voice behind me was quiet. Cold. Final. I froze mid-stir at the kitchen counter, the spoon clinking against the mug in my hand. Slowly, I turned around. Luca stood in the doorway, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a thin white envelope. He walked in, calm as ever, and dropped the envelope onto the counter between us. It landed with a soft thud, but it might as well have been