Asher’s POV

If you’ve been following Three’s a Charm on Kindle Vella, you already know it was my first attempt at writing a novel from a single point of view. Every episode in the Vella version is seen through Divya’s eyes, and it’s been such an exciting journey to bring her story to life that way.

But the deeper I got into editing, something interesting happened. Asher and Joely—two characters I’ve grown to love—kept tugging at me. They weren’t content staying in the background. They wanted to tell their sides of the story. The more I worked, the more they asked for their own voices. And, of course, I had to listen.

So, here we are. A sneak peek just for you! I’m thrilled to share the newly revised (and, I hope, much improved!) Chapter 2 of Three’s a Charm—now from Asher’s point of view. His perspective adds a whole new layer to the story, and I can’t wait for you to experience it. The full novel drops in November, and this is just a little taste of what’s to come.

Thank you for all your support as I continue to shape this world and these characters. I hope you love this peek into Asher’s mind as much as I’ve loved writing it. 💜

Chapter 2 - Asher

“Catch the bad guys,” my wife shouts, her voice light but serious. That’s her usual workday sendoff.

“Defend the good ones,” I call back. She does a hell of a lot more than that, though, and we both know it.

Divya’s a defense attorney, and I’m an assistant DA. You’d think that’d make us an odd match—two people on opposite sides of the courtroom. But it works. Honestly, it’s probably the least interesting thing about us.

The most interesting thing? That’d be the fact my wife’s psychic. Or something like that. Clairvoyant, she says. She calls it a curse. First time I saw it, I’d have agreed.

I remember the night clearly. We were twenty, camping on the beach in Glenorchy, near the northern end of Lake Wakatipu. It was Thanksgiving, and she’d managed to get a few days off. She flew sixteen hours just to see me. Then we drove another six hours to the lake, wanting to be near the trails heading into Fiordland. Only three days together, but it was worth every second.

The stars were out, the late spring breeze was fresh off the lake, and the waves made for a calming backdrop to our lovemaking. But my chest felt tight. I was still a constable back then—a beat cop, green as anything—and the things I’d seen that week weighed on me.

We were lying under the stars, and even though I had the woman of my dreams in my arms, I couldn’t shake the violence from a domestic call the day before. It felt too heavy, too close. I didn’t want to ruin our time, but I couldn’t keep it in, either. She was always my safe space, even back then. So I told her everything. The words tumbled out, heavy as bricks, but once they were out, I felt lighter. Selfish prick that I was.

But Divya... she didn’t take it like I thought she would. At first, her brow furrowed, like she was trying to piece something together. Then her whole body went stiff. Her eyelids fluttered, and her breathing stopped. It was like she wasn’t with me anymore.

“Divya!” I shouted, heart pounding. I tightened my hold on her, but it was like holding a ghost. She wasn’t there. She was somewhere else—somewhere darker. “Divya, stay with me!” I pleaded, but it was like shouting into the void.

I didn’t have a clue what was happening. I thought maybe she was having a seizure. Hell, we’ve never asked a doctor, so maybe she was. Panic kicked in, and I was ready to throw her in the ute and drive her to the nearest hospital. But then, just as quickly as it started, it stopped. She blinked and gasped like someone who’d just been pulled from the surf.

“That poor woman,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

“What woman?” I asked, though I already knew. Somehow, deep down, I knew exactly what had just happened. It scared the shit out of me. Still does.

“The woman you saved yesterday,” she said, locking her gaze with mine. “You saved her life.”

I froze. How could she know? There’d been no reports, no one knew what I’d seen. But she saw it—somehow, she’d been right there with me.

Later, she explained it to me. It had been happening to her since she was a kid. Every time someone told her about a violent act, she’d get pulled into it, see it all as if she was there. She told me how terrified she was, every time. “This is why I want to go to law school,” she said that night. “I want to use this horrible thing to help people.”

Even then, I could see how determined she was. She wanted to defend people no one else believed in. She got into UCLA Law not long after, and a few years later, I ended up in law school, too—studying at night after my shifts. Now, we face each other across the courtroom more often than not. But even on opposite sides, we’re always fighting for the same thing: justice.

It’s never about winning or losing for us. It’s about holding the right people accountable. I catch the bad guys, and she defends the good ones. The courtroom’s just another battlefield, and we both know what’s at stake. Despite everything—despite her gift, despite the horrors we deal with—she still amazes me. We’re two sides of the same coin, always fighting for the same cause. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, if this stunningly attractive redhead on the front step of my condo is the best person to help Divya—and by extension, me—fight for justice, then so be it. I’ll just beat down this ridiculous attraction to the former Marine.

“Third floor,” I say to Joely Sullivan. “She’s expecting you.” But really, not one of us was expecting this.