Novel-novel oleh Omachi

Chapter Five Piper’s POVThe dress fit like armor.The charcoal silk hugged my curves, the high slit daring but necessary—I needed freedom to move tonight. Not just in the literal sense, but in the emotional one too. If I had to wear a mask of elegance while playing chess with monsters, I’d at least do it on my terms.I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the necklace Cameron insisted I wear. A single diamond teardrop. I was simple, understated and dangerous, because tucked into the clasp was a micro-transmitter barely the size of a fingernail.“Everything’s working,” Cameron’s voice crackled through the earpiece hidden behind a lock of hair. “Stay near the center of the gala floor. We lose signal if you go deeper into the wings.”“Got it,” I murmured, swiping on a final layer of lipstick— it was wine red.The gala was a benefit hosted by the Ashcroft Foundation—one of Ethan’s many foundations. The kind of event designed to launder reputations under chandeliers and charity smiles

Chapter FourEthan’s POVI slammed the glass of scotch onto the bar cart harder than I meant to. Liquid splashed over the rim, but I didn’t care. The bitter burn in my throat did little to dull the ache in my temples or the acid coil of rage in my gut.She was there.Piper.I could feel it the moment I stepped into the office, the scent of her perfume still lingering in the air like a ghost. That soft, floral note she always wore—lavender and vanilla—embedded itself in my memory years ago. It clung to the corners of the room, cloying and suffocating.She’d been snooping…..In my office.“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair as I stalked toward the window, staring down at the city like it might offer me answers.I should’ve changed the locks but I had underestimated her, again.She used to be so easy to manage. She would cry a little, scream a little, then fall into bed with me like nothing ever happened but this Piper? She wasn’t melting into my arms any

Chapter Three Piper’s POVMy heart seized in my chest as Ethan’s voice echoed faintly from the hallway.No, shit, he wasn’t supposed to be here. He had a dinner meeting, in the up part of town and Cameron confirmed it. I double-checked it myself.So why—Why was he here?I froze, standing in the middle of his office like a thief caught red-handed. The only sound was my own ragged breathing, the quiet hum of the laptop still open behind me, and the unmistakable cadence of Ethan Miller’s voice growing closer.I had seconds or even maybe less.I yanked the flash drive free, shoved it into my pocket, and scanned the office in a blur of panic. There was no time to backtrack and no way I’d make it down the executive elevator without crossing him in the hall, I had only one option.The adjoining door leads to his private conference room. I bolted for it and slipped inside, closing the door gently but firmly behind me just as the main office door creaked open.My back was pressed to the cool

Chapter TwoPiper’s POVThe slam of the door echoed in my ears like a gunshot. My hands trembled at my sides, the phantom imprint of his grip still burning into my skin. I stood in the hallway, numb, staring at the closed door as if it might open again and everything would reverse—the betrayal, the humiliation, the cold look in his eyes.But it didn’t…..nothing happened. I turned slowly, one hand brushing the wall for balance. The marble floors of Ethan’s empire gleamed beneath the sterile lights, mocking me with their perfection. Everything in this building was crafted for control, power, illusion. It was just like him.Selena’s laugh still rang in my ears.I walked out of the building in a haze, not stopping at the elevator but taking the stairs down all fifteen floors and each step was a descent into reality, into the kind of pain you don’t cry about—you survive it.I came out of the company and the city air hit me like a slap, cold and damp, but at least it was real.I didn’t go

Piper’s POVThe sound of clinking champagne glasses echoed through the grand ballroom, mixing with the subtle jazz music humming in the background. Glittering chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting soft golden light on perfectly polished floors and people dressed in designer tuxedos and dresses worth more than my monthly allowance and I stood there, like a mannequin in a glass case—beautiful, untouchable, and completely hollow inside.Everyone looked at me like I had it all….. Ethan Miller’s wife, the queen of this castle but what they didn’t know was that my crown was made of thorns and my throne, cold marble.I adjusted the thin strap of my silver dress, the sequins scratching against my skin. I hated this dress. Ethan picked it out, he said it made me look “presentable.” That was the word he used for me these days. Presentable, like a vase or an antique or something expensive, dusted occasionally, and placed on display when needed.A waiter passed by with a tray of flutes. I grabb