

Phoebe, heiress of Caelon's wealthiest family, teaches in a mountain village. During a patriotic lesson, a video of the Jovian invasion terrifies Vivian Smith—her father's fiancée—and her son, born to a Jovian spy. Seeing him cry, Vivian, blinded by anger and guilt, humiliates Phoebe. Only when she realizes that Phoebe is Alfred Green's daughter does regret hit.

Heidi Zahn is abandoned by her husband of twenty years, John Judd, as he chases status with Hannah Lane. After her uncle dies, she unexpectedly becomes chairwoman of Byzon Group, backed by business titan Henry Walker. John tries to return, but she’s already far beyond his reach. When she and Zoe Walker are bullied while buying a home, Heidi buys the entire real estate group on the spot and gets rid of everyone involved. She goes on to build a warm, happy life with Henry and Zoe.

On the eve of her wedding to Vincent, heir to Chicago's most powerful crime family, Elena Costa is asked to give up everything — her title as godmother, her ceremony, her fiancé — to his first love, Sofia. She refuses. Sofia jumps into the sea. Vincent blames her for it, and spends the next thirty years freezing her out — until his dying breath, when he tells their children: "Don't bury me next to Elena." She wakes up. It's the night before the wedding again. This time, when Vincent asks her to step aside, Elena doesn't fight for him. She signs the papers, burns her wedding dress, and walks away from the family, the title, and the man who never once chose her — flying straight into the career she'd always denied herself. But letting go doesn't stop the truth from catching up to him. And when it does, Vincent will spend everything he has left trying to earn back a woman who's already stopped waiting.