MADISON

I love watching him like this—he's in dork mode. He hasn't slept in hours, but I'm not worried this time. This isn't the kind of exhaustion that drains you, the kind that comes from stress or paranoia. This is pure energy. The aura buzzing off of him is unlimited. My Jacy baby sidelines the steering wheel, diving into my vision. He opens a new program on his computer, mapping out the F15′s frame, adjusting details with clicks of the keyboard. A life-sized hologram of the car appears in front of us.

I swear it's here in the flesh; I need to be pinched to make sure I'm awake! I'm mind tricked that I can actually pull open the doors and get in.

I adore how zoned in my husband is. It's so sexy how he blanks away from the world to be a wizard. The F15 was so special to him, a car he built to help save the world, eco transportation accessible to all. The world will wig out when they see the return of the evolutionary vehicle.

"What in the world??!" The sports car goes 2 dimensional, a cardboard cutout but with 3d lining. A hallucinative sketch. Optical illusion.

"That's Musou Black, the darkest tint in the world. Absorbs 99% of light, so everything appears flat. Similar to a 2D cutout!" The Poindexter level of geeking out from Jace is my favorite side of him. I don't think I'm as in love with his seductive playboy side anymore. "It's practically invisible at night. But I've got plans to fix that—neon headlights, light paths along the doors, under the car. It'll be state regulated with those accommodations."

"Yeah...I was thinking the cops might harass people." The black paint absorbs so much light it's like looking at a void, like the car doesn't even exist. The light sources add extra visibility to the curve detailing. Retractable fins on the sides—a sports car and fighter jet had a baby. The background around it blurs. Again, I wonder if I'm on LSD.

The motions effect he loops has the Stryger moving in place. "The fins will deploy based on speed, adjusting to stability when at high velocity."

The hologram shifts to the side, showing off the fins while mocking real life motion. "How are you doing this?!" I gawk, still denying the intense AI is fake.

"Oh, just...7 coding degrees. Nothing too fancy."

"Gloat much?" I poke.

"Life's too dull not to." He grins sideways. "The AI system inside predicts weather changes, adjust speed based on road conditions, even syncs with state-regulations for complete autonomy. The body is lightweight carbon fiber," he says, zooming in for visuals. "Stronger than titanium, suspension fully adaptable. Low heights at even terrain, then high for rough. Total versatility."

"Keep talking...you're only getting hotter." I sit in front of his keyboard to block his powerful fingers. "How's the vibration?"

His eyes spark sensually. "Perfectly calibrated...smooth, on all terrains." He stands to tower over me. I crave the loose strands of hair hanging past his face. "Wait until the motorcycle version...you'll feel minimal thrust."

"I love it when you talk dirty." My teeth pull his lower lip like taffy.

"Push it hard enough, you'll feel every climax." He taunts my mouth with a phantom kiss, so close yet unfelt.

"Are you sure you're talking about engines still?"

"How about a test drive?"

"Hmm..." I grumble out lust. "Let's evaluate the scratch damage." I think back to the nail claws from the orgy. I take instruction from Isabel. Although my lingerie isn't as daring, the fishnet tights and booty length skirt are bold enough. My bra is see through except the nipples. I chain him to the bed, slithering my talon fingers up his pants. I use one fingertip, trying to rip through the jeans, but they're too thick. Tough material. "Seems like you're well insured."

"Unfortunately, I have a bender."

My gaze pan down to his boner. "That you do." I apply a little more pressure, still unsure if I should go rougher.

"Do it."

"I don't want to hurt you, Mr. Hottie." I have the key to his body. I never knew guys could get so wrecked with butterflies. His fidgeting. The chest tightening, hand flexing, unsteady jaw clinching, fuels me to be the leader. "Don't get shy on me now." I slowly use each finger to shred the premium cashmere, thinly enough to slice his skin a bit. His body locks up, rattling the chains.

I relish the control, savoring the power switch. I toy with him good tearing through the jeans, paper shredding his jacket. He squirms beneath, aching for deeper skin penetration, but I go easy. This is new for me. Pain foreplay. No matter how much my hubby begs, I don't draw heavy blood.

Later in the morning, my girls and mom window shop at the mall for a property for HartShop. I reference Jess's CGI render in place of the empty store. The chic design, glittery black ceilings and floors, pale pink walls, it's better than my dream. She was able to capture a runway experience with raised platforms, not leveled floors.

She did this all on a tablet, using Blender. "Look at this," she says, pointing to her screen. "The layout of the store matches the dimensions perfectly. You chose a good one, Madi...with room to spare. I'll whip up an employee lounge for the extra footage."

"YAY." I happy dance. "I'll seal the deal with the realtor."

Jess's fingers pivot the view of the animated mockup towards the back. Passing shelves filled with the beauty products she and I created.

Mom is thoroughly impressed. "And you did all of this on a tablet??!"

"Yep." Jess soaks up the admiration.

"My little nerdy boo." Lil smooches her cheek.

I text Jace:

The property is a go 😄 I'm buying

I get a message from Vel:

The raffle is up, go live now. She sends a link too.

"I'm going live if y'all want to join."

"Hell yeah!" Lil exclaims.

"This should be fun, I never did one of these broadcasting programs."

"It's called live, mom." I correct.

Jess powers off the tablet. "We can't let anyone see the progress."

"Oh, yeah...right." I blanked on confidentiality. Nothing official has been released for HartShop, not even the logo.

We huddle together in front of my phone, ready for the live stream. The countdown flashes: "3... 2... 1!" We all scream like it's New Year's Eve, "Hey, HartStoppers!" Jess, Lil, and Mom greet with me.

"Sooooo, the raffle is up for new subjects!" I screen share the link Vel sent me, a fun raffle wheel my fans can spin. The comments fly in:

Spinning as we speak!

Waiting for it to stop

I like the wheel ideal!

This is gambling. I might do it more than once 😅

The usual ugly comments begin:

Just let your channel die already 🤡🤡🤡

You're boring asf 🥱🥱🥱🥱

Why are you still fat???

Umm...there's a thing called Botox 🙄

You got your tubes tied! How could you be anti-life!!! 😡

Gold digger 😒

Fugly slut 🤮

Stop cheating with Jace bodyguard 🤬

DIE!!!

Delete yourself hoe 👻

I shrug them off. "If you need support or someone to talk to," I focus on the people who really matter, "don't forget to try BetterHelp. If that's too pricy, there's the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Speak up, take care of yourselves. Peace out." I flash a two-finger sign before logging off.

The second I end the live, Mom is fuming. "You need to block the rude ones! Why do they even join if they're not fans?"

"That's the internet for you," I explain.

"Some people love to hate," Lil adds.

Before I can respond, my phone buzzes. It's an unknown caller. No name, no ID. I hesitate, wondering who it could be. As soon as I answer, I hear, "please, Madison, don't hang up!" It's Meredith. I glance at my crew, knowing full well that if I say Meredith's name in front of them, all hell will break loose.

I force a smile. "I'll be right back," I say, excusing myself to slip into the restroom. I take a deep breath before speaking. "I won't hang up. What do you need?"

Her voice cracks with desperation. "I've been trying to call Jace ever since the island accident, but he won't answer. I know I've made mistakes, but I need to be there for him. He's my son! Could you talk to him? Ask him to forgive us... to forgive me? I just want to be part of his life again."

I close my eyes, steadying my voice. "I understand, Meredith, but you know Jace. I can't guarantee anything. That's up to him."

"I know, I know... but please, just ask him."

I wonder if all the good business ventures we've had might soften his heart. Could he be ready to let some of that old hurt go? "I'll talk to him," I say gently, "but it's his choice."

Meredith lets out a shaky sigh. "Thank you, Madison. Thank you! I'm so sorry for what I've done. I was only being protective; I want the best for my son. But now I see that you are that. You have a big heart and strong forgiveness. It's God-like!"

"I try to be a great person, that's all."

"No, you're an amazing person, the best one I've ever met!"

Awww! That's the first time I ever heard that! She's being so nice...and it's not staged or manipulated. Mrs. Harrison is hurting for her son. That maternal bond is no joke. I'll have it one day with my child and wouldn't want bad karma returned. This niceness will be paid forward by the universe.

"Thank you." I smile. "I'll speak with Jace soon and keep you updated."

"Perfect! I'll forever owe you for this."

"Don't worry about it." I hear footsteps, so I dash to end the call. "Take care of yourself." I hang up.

My mom steps in, eyes narrowed with curiosity. "Who was that?"

I hesitate, the heat of the conversation with Meredith is still fresh in my mind. "Oh, just one of the employees from the country club," I lie, trying to sound casual. "Something about inventory."

She studies me for a moment, as if weighing the truth, but eventually nods. "You look a little off kilter."

I force a smile. "Just a lot on my plate."

"The horrible comments got to you, didn't they?"

I should go with this angle, although it's not a lie. "Only a little." There's no way I can let anyone in my family know about Meredith's call—not yet. If they knew, it'd be war. Jace has been so firm about keeping his distance. Convincing him to forgive her? That's going to take more than just a conversation.

If I want my family to accept Meredith again, Jace has to be fully on board.

JACE

I'm at my desk, halfway finished with the last bit of code on the Stryger, when Madi steps into the room. She's got that look, the "we have a situation" one—the kind that makes me drop everything. Something is up. I lean back in my chair, preparing. "What is it?"

"Let's go for a walk." she asks, her voice soft but serious. "We need to talk."

My stomach tightens. That's a dreaded phrase. Something happened. I follow her lead, leaving the syntax language on the computer. The last thing we talked about was the mall lot. Was there an issue purchasing? Or is this about the country club.

We head down to the shore, the waves gently lapping the sand. The air smells fresh, very cleansing, but the knot in my stomach doesn't loosen. We walk in silence for a few minutes, her hand in mine, I can tell she's outlining her words. I can't take the suspense anymore. "Okay...what's going on?"

She stops walking, turning to face me. She's biting her lip, debating how to say whatever it is. "I got a call today."

I tense. "From who?"

Her gaze shifts away for a second before locking back on me. "It was... Meredith."

The second she says her name, a switch hatred flips inside me. I drop my hand from hers, clenching my fists. "Why the hell did you answer? We agreed that the wedding was their last involvement!"

Madi flinches. "Jace, she sounded desperate. She's been trying to reach you over the island incident."

"I've been ignoring her for a reason!" I lash out. My pulse racing, I can't stop the flood of memories—her attempts to sabotage our wedding while playing sweet. The deceit, the manipulation, the abuse she inflicted on my wife. "You shouldn't have picked up!"

"I know how you feel, but she was... sincere. Your mom just wants to be part of your life again. She's sorry for everything—"

"SHE'S SORRY??!!!" I cut her off, the anger rising in my chest. "That's what she said? The same woman who tried to wreck our wedding?! Who tried to break you?!!"

"Trust me, I know what she's done. But Jace, people can change. She's hurting. Don't you think maybe it's time to at least talk to her?"

I take a step back, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "You don't get it, Madi. This is what my mother does. Mom's a good actor you know this! Then she goes right back to being... conniving!"

She reaches for my hand. "At least hear her out, you can't carry this hate with you forever. Since everything is going so well for us, I thought you might find it in your heart to—"

"Going well? What, you think because business is booming that I should let her in?!!"

Madi breathes out, shaking her head. "I mean, you're in a good mood, so why not ask?"

I massage my temples. "You're still letting her control you. Why are you believing her???"

"Because I try to see the good in people."

"That's the problem...you're being too nice; that will lead to another scheme. Sometimes you can be very naive. Everyone isn't good. It's not your duty to bend yourself backwards hoping for the same payback!"

She rubs her forehead. " I know everyone isn't good, but second chances are allowed!"

"That we disagree on...I'm not giving my mother a second chance. Block her number...and don't bring this up again!"

For a long moment, neither of us says anything. The waves crash the shore, filling the silence between us. My wife cross her arms. " I don't like how you're yelling at me when all I'm doing is trying to help." The emotional strain on her voice causes it to be hoarse.

"I didn't ask for your help." I level my voice to ease the hostility. "I'm asking you to stay out of it."

She gives a shaky nod. "Fine..."

"Thank you." I storm off, the sand crunching beneath my shoes, each step releases my surging resentment. The waves strengthen, matching the rhythm of my mind. I don't look back, not once, she pissed me off. Why would she pick up the call??? It's not about being kind. It's about self-preservation.

Protecting what we have from toxic people. I know my honey has a giant heart....that's not her fault. I shouldn't have snapped at her the way I did. She didn't deserve the brunt of this, I begin to regret how hard I came down on her. Madi's not the issue here. My mother is. My cruelty was aimed at her...not my baby. It was misdirected. But Madison needed to hear it. My wife has to understand my stance and be on my side.

I kick at a clump of seaweed, watching it sluggishly topple over the sand. I shouldn't have yelled. Damn it. I blew up at her...I'll have to apologize. The wind picks up, sweeping my face with the scent of saltwater. I slow my pace, my feet sinking into wet sand. The anger starts to fade, replaced by something heavier—regret.

I shouldn't have said she was naive. I named called. Oh...fuck. I made it a mission to not bring any more abuse to her....and look what I did? I hang my head back and sigh. I was a jerk and should have handled it better. I can't be so hotheaded.