Three hearts. One Destiny.

       •    𓆩 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙖 𓆪 's POV:

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The city never seemed to know when to sleep.

It only changed costumes.

By day, it wore polished smiles and pressed suits. By night, it traded them for rain-slicked streets, glowing neon signs, and the quiet hum of strangers carrying stories they would never tell.

I knew both versions by heart.

My camera hung heavily against my shoulder, the strap digging into my skin after a twelve-hour shift that had felt twice as long. My notebook was crammed with rushed scribbles, unanswered questions, and a half-finished interview that had gone spectacularly wrong. Somewhere between chasing a politician through a courthouse and getting caught in an unexpected downpour, i'd decided today officially deserved a place on my list of "Days I'd Like to Forget."

I adjusted my glasses with a tired sigh and tucked a loose strand of my not so silky blonde hair behind my ear as my apartment building came into view.

Home.

The single word softened every knot of frustration i'd been carrying.

Because home wasn't just four walls and a tiny kitchen that somehow always smelled like coffee.

Home was Isabella.

Home was Evangeline. 

My Girls. 

The three of us had somehow found each other in a city too large to care, and turned an ordinary apartment into the safest place any of us had ever known.

A smile tugged at my lips.

Tonight was movie night.

Which meant Isabella had almost certainly bought enough snacks to feed an army despite insisting she was "just grabbing a few things."

It meant Eve would spend twenty minutes pretending she didn't care what they watched before somehow choosing the movie herself.

And it meant the three of us would curl up on our worn-out couch, wrapped in mismatched blankets, talking over every important scene until none of us remembered the plot.

It was a tradition.

One they protected fiercely, no matter how chaotic life became.

I slipped my keys from my pocket as i climbed the final flight of stairs, exhaustion slowly giving way to anticipation.

Whatever disasters the day had thrown at me could wait until tomorrow. Life was tough but I'm tougher. At least that's what I convinced myself when things got hard. 

Tonight belonged to me and my girls.

I unlocked the apartment door, already preparing myself for the familiar chaos waiting on the other side.

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The apartment was exactly as loud as I expected.

"So..." Isabella grinned, balancing three bowls of popcorn in her arms. "Rom-com or horror?"

"Horror," I answered instantly.

"Rom-com," Evangeline said at the exact same time.

I threw my hands up. "Traitor."

Eve shrugged, completely unbothered. "You cry during horror movies."

"I do not."

"You apologized to the ghost in the last one."

"It looked misunderstood."

The two of them burst into laughter while I stole a handful of popcorn from Bella's bowl.

"Hey!" She snorted.

"Journalists investigate," I said, chewing innocently. "I was inspecting the quality."

"You're impossible."

"And yet, you both adore me."

"Debatable," they replied in perfect unison.

By the time the movie reached its cheesy confession scene, our arguments had faded into quiet giggles.

Evangeline had long since drifted off, her head resting peacefully on Isabella's shoulder, one hand still clutching a half-empty popcorn bowl.

Bella looked down at her and smiled.

"She never survives the ending."

"She never survives the first hour," I whispered.

Silence settled between us, warm and familiar.

"I thought life would've looked different by now," I admitted, my eyes fixed on the television. "Better, maybe. Easier."

Bella sighed softly.

"We're still waiting for our people, aren't we?"

I laughed under my breath.

"Looks like it."

She nudged my shoulder gently.

"Maybe they're just taking the scenic route."

"And if they never show up?"

Bella smiled—that quiet, reassuring smile she always had whenever life felt too heavy.

"Then we still have this."

I looked at the two girls beside me.

One fast asleep.

One smiling like everything would eventually be okay.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe, for now...

the three of us were enough. No, we were more than enough. 

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By eleven, the apartment had finally fallen silent.

Bella disappeared into her room after carrying a still half-asleep Evangeline to hers, muttering something about how Eve was "lighter than a pillow but twice as dramatic."

I laughed to myself as I changed into my comfy pajamas and tied my hair into a messy bun.

For the first time all day, my shoulders finally relaxed.

I was just about to switch off my bedside lamp when my phone lit up.

**Margaret Collins.**

My boss.

At this hour?

A knot tightened in my stomach.

I answered immediately.

"Good evening, ma'am."

"Samantha, I hope I didn't wake you up."

"You didn't."

There was a brief pause before she spoke again.

"I have an assignment for you. First thing tomorrow morning."

I reached for my notebook out of habit.

"Go on."

"I want you to investigate Adrian De Luca."

The name sounded familiar.

"The son of Lorenzo De Luca? "

"Yes."

I frowned.

"The underground racer?"

"Exactly."

I sat upright.

"Ma'am... no one knows anything about him."

"That's precisely why I want you on this."

There were only rumors.

A billionaire heir.

A racer who appeared under different aliases.

Someone photographers could never catch clearly.

Every article written about him ended with more questions than answers. As curious as I am it's best to not involve myself with the CEO of one of the country's largest fuel and energy companies or his son. 

"I don't know if I'm the right person for this," I admitted quietly.

Margaret sighed.

"Our magazine has been struggling for months, Samantha. We need a story people can't ignore."

I closed my eyes.

"If anyone can uncover the truth behind Adrian De Luca, it's you."

The weight of her words settled over me.

This wasn't just another assignment.

It was a chance to keep our publication alive.

"...I'll do it."

"I knew you would."

The call ended, leaving my room quieter than before.

I stared at the blank page of my notebook before slowly writing a single name across the top.

ADRIAN DE LUCA.

Something told me this story was going to change my life.

I just didn't know how. But i would figure it out because I'm Samantha Carter.

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