Distance

Pinakabagong kabanata

• GUILTY DEVOTION   A Mess

  |Cassie|The salty breeze hit my face before my toes even touched the sand, and for a second, I considered turning back. I just wasn’t feeling the outing but Mia and Chloe insisted so I had no choice. The last thing I wanted was to pretend I was okay. But Mia and Chloe had practically dragged me out of the house after I ghosted them for two days.“Cassie, come on! You need this. You need some fresh air,” Mia had said.“Yeah,” Chloe had added. “We’re not taking no for an answer so grab your bag and prepare to hit the beach, you moody bitch!”Always aggressive but that was her way of loving me and looking out for me.Now here we were, walking the beach just as the sun stretched high and lazy over the huge waters. Mia was already pulling off her sandals, and Chloe carried a small cooler full of iced tea and snacks. I tried to force a smile as they picked a spot near the rocks and set up a blanket.“God, this is perfect! I am glad we came today.” Chloe said as she plopped down and stretch

• GUILTY DEVOTION   Cleared

  |Nicholas|I didn’t even remember how I got to the office after the call from Cassie. Her voice had cracked through me like lightning splitting the sky. “The payment trail… the one we traced to Zara? It wasn’t her.”Then her words landed like a punch: “It turned out that we were mistaken. It came from your cousin. Charles Calloway.”I didn’t argue. I didn’t breathe. I just moved.Charles? No way!There had to be a mistake. Charles was my cousin. He was family. He’d sat in boardrooms with me, defended my decisions when the members circled me like sharks. He’d taken my side when I went through my divorce. He brought wine to my mother’s birthday last year, for God’s sake and we went fishing together.And now what? Betrayal? A huge nonsense!I walked through the office with long, deliberate strides. Since it was the end of work, I didn’t meet anyone on the way until I entered Cassie’s office and closed the door behind me.She looked up, paper trembling slightly in her hand.“You’re sure?”

• GUILTY DEVOTION   Snakes

  That night, when the office finally emptied and the walls stopped humming with usual quiet judgment, Nicholas didn’t say a word.He just walked into my office, his eyes looking tired and heavy, and held out his hand.I didn’t ask questions. I simply stood, slid my fingers into his, and followed him quietly.We didn’t speak during the elevator ride or on the way to the parking garage. His grip was firm but not forceful; it felt like he needed to keep touching me just to stay grounded.Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up to a narrow side street in West Hollywood, where a wine bar sat discreetly between two indie bookstores. There was no flashing sign, no sidewalk crowd; the only thing visible there was just a small wooden door with golden letters that read “Thom & Rue.”Inside, the air was warm and hushed. Jazz curled through invisible speakers as everyone settled at their table. The place smelled like red wine, aged oak, and lavender candles that burned low on each table. A hostess gre

• GUILTY DEVOTION   Sabotage

  I clicked to add a timestamp note. “We need John to trace any access or file transfers from that port between 2:32 and 2:35 PM. If it lines up, that’s our breach window.”A firm knock echoed across the room.Nicholas tensed. “Come in.”The door opened, and in walked Deborah Mason, head of HR, followed by a woman I hadn’t seen before. She was in her early 40s, sleek navy pantsuit, blunt-cut hair, and a face that had no time for nonsense.“Evening,” Deborah said tersely. “Sorry to interrupt.”Nicholas straightened. “I assume this isn’t a courtesy call.”“It isn’t,” said the new woman. She extended a card. “Marian Cordell. I represent the company’s legal interest in internal misconduct investigations.”I took the card without a word. Cordell turned to Deborah. “Shut the door.”Once it clicked shut again, Cordell stepped forward, glancing at the screens. “We’ve reviewed the preliminary materials you submitted. The footage. The employee access logs and the complaint files.”“And?” Nicholas

• GUILTY DEVOTION   Larger Scheme

  Later that night, Nicholas drove her to a hidden rooftop restaurant in the city. There were no signs, no crowd, just a steel elevator that opened into candlelight and skyline.A breeze carried soft jazz as they sat in a secluded booth, wine glasses clinking, plates of grilled lamb and herbed risotto spread between them."This place is unreal," Cassie said, sipping her wine.Nicholas smiled. "I figured after the week you had, you deserved something… quieter.""And here I thought you were taking me up here to bribe me for something.""Only your Netflix password. The one you won’t give up."She laughed, the tension leaving her shoulders for the first time in days."I told Mia and Chloe," she said softly, picking at a piece of bread.He looked up, curious. "Yeah? How’d that go?""They screamed. Mia said she’s saving it for her wedding speech opener. Chloe just kept asking if you have a brother she can latch on to."Nicholas chuckled. "I don’t but I’m flattered.""I told them maybe, just m

• GUILTY DEVOTION   Tension

  The elevator was already halfway down when it stopped on the fifth floor. The doors slid open, and Zara stepped in with a practiced smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She wore a crisp blazer in poison green and heels that clacked sharply against the tile as she turned to face the front.I didn’t even look at her. I kept my eyes forward, arms folded across my chest, the silence between us as thick as wet cement.Zara broke it first.“Well, well,” she drawled, “if it isn’t Miss ‘HR Can’t Touch Me.’ How does it feel being untouchable?”My mouth twitched, but I didn’t speak.She continued, her voice falsely sweet. “You know, I actually expected you to crack or cry maybe. I even thought you would run back to your little admin cave, but look at you. Strutting around like you’re royalty now, just because he made some public announcement.”I didn’t blink. "Keep my name out of your filthy mouth, Zara, before I bash your head in. Two-faced witch."I finally turned to face her. “Jealousy is