Chapter: 93. Always PredictableTalia found her footing and stared at me as though she couldn’t believe I was serious. Whatever she saw on my face wiped the confidence from hers.“Um… uh, okay. Okay, what do you want to know?” she stuttered, looking everywhere but my eyes.When she didn’t get a response, she heaved a breath and walked to the couch, picking up the shirt—my shirt—and shrugged into it, holding it tight as she tried to make herself look small.“Can we sit and talk?” She sank into the couch and fluttered her lashes at me.I smirked coldly as I watched her. It was commendable how much effort she put into being manipulative. It always worked—on everybody else but me. That was the advantage of knowing someone for years. In our case, over two years was enough for me to tell when she was bullshitting, which she was right now.“You have only five minutes to tell me everything—and leave.” I didn’t move.She blinked, utterly taken aback. “Leave? You’re sending me away?” A crease formed on her forehead. “You can’
Last Updated: 2026-09-15
Chapter: 92. Stay in your limits.~Lucien:“Looks like Ms. Bennett doesn’t fancy your knack for hectic exercises,” Red said after we’d watched Scarlett step inside the elevator across the lobby.“We did only five miles,” I told him as I took off my running jacket. Moving to one of the available couches, I perched onto it.“Looks like that did quite a number on her,” he said lazily, taking the chair across from me. “Why didn’t you take Natalia instead?”“She was asleep. Had too much to drink last night,” I said simply.Red scoffed and leaned back in the chair, placing his hands behind his head. “If you told her, you know she’d jump at the opportunity.”My gaze sharpened. I knew where this was going, and I wasn’t going to let it. “Alfred, are you here to piss me off? Because it’s working.”“Ah.” A grin played on his lips, and my eyes narrowed. There was nothing good about Red smiling, and especially not a whole grin. To prove my point, he continued. “Did Ms. Bennett question you too?”My jaw ticked, but I didn’t speak i
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
Chapter: 91. Running Circles.-Two miles in and I was already hyperventilating, whereas Lucien still looked perfectly fine a few meters ahead of me.If he hadn’t dragged me out of bed and put the running clothes Hera had unfortunately packed on me, I’d still be in bed. Horny, but still. I wouldn’t be getting tortured because Lucien thought putting me through this was exciting.I felt a rush of relief when I spotted a bench up ahead. As my pace slowed, two female runners breezed past, their ponytails bouncing against their shoulders, their laughter almost infectious.I sighed as I dropped onto the bench. Lucien was still running, completely unaware that I’d been trailing behind him for the past five minutes. So much for going on a run together. The man was out to annoy me today.“Hey, I’m taking a break,” I called out begrudgingly.Lucien glanced over his shoulder and stopped when he noticed I’d sat down. I looked away as he started jogging back, keeping my face ahead as I watched the sun rise beyond the clouds. I
Last Updated: 2026-09-10
Chapter: 90. Wide AwakeLucien was leaning back on the couch, an empty glass in hand, watching me beyond the warm lighting of the room like some god-damned freak.It startled me at first.Who the fuck does that?I blinked, clearing the remnants of sleep, but I stayed on my side on the bed, not making any attempt to move. I was still sleepy and tired and not interested in entertaining him at all. But a part of me—much bigger than I’d have liked—was elated to see him here.He slowly set the glass down and leaned forward. “Good morning.” His voice was deeper than usual and raspy. It made my lower belly tingle treacherously.“What are you doing here?” I murmured, rubbing my hand on the bed in search for my phone. I found it and winced when the brightness of the screen hit my eyes. I squinted at the time. “It’s five in the morning.”I dropped the device and took him in properly. On the coffee table before him was a bottle of what I suspected was whiskey and next to it was his laptop. My eyes narrowed. He worked t
Last Updated: 2026-09-03
Chapter: 89. A little irritation.Talia had noticed me watching them, and her smile widened by a fraction. I hated that my eyes shifted a second too late and gave her that opportunity.I looked away, staring down at the horses getting geared for the race.My shoulders tensed when they stopped on our row. Honestly, I hoped they’d seat somewhere else, but the universe had other plans.“What did we miss?” Talia’s honey voice made my stomach drop with irritation.Cassian shifted beside me. “Nothing that would interest you. Enjoy your reunion?”“Very much.” Talia looked at me as she said that, as though she was trying to make a statement. A statement which was very clearly received.My gaze stayed fixed ahead even as they took the seats on my end. Lucien sat right beside me, while Talia at the edge beside him, cuddling against his chest like she belonged there. I mean, he let her so, of course she did.I shifted slightly, folding my arms across my chest, doing everything I could not to look sideways even as I felt his gaze
Last Updated: 2026-09-03
Chapter: 88. Quite the Asshole“Keep your elbow down.”I lowered my arm.“Not that far.”“Then stop telling me to lower it.”Cassian laughed behind me. “You’re remarkably argumentative for someone holding a loaded weapon.”We were at the shooting range. Of course a place this huge had one. Cassian had shown me the polo lounge, the equestrian center, and then we ended up here. Somehow, I was now awkwardly holding a loaded pistol while he’d been expecting me to take a shot for the past ten minutes.The thing was, I wasn’t cut out for this. But Cassian wouldn’t give up on me, which was quite touching and funny at the same time.PAWW!Shots echoed through the room as the other shooters fired at their targets.I flinched at the sound and immediately lost my stance again. I sighed, dropping my hands, and turned to look at Cassian, who kept a straight face.“Earmuffs. Shouldn’t I have those?”He snapped his fingers like I’d just given him the brightest idea. “Ah, yes. You know, I was wondering what was missing.”I chuckle
Last Updated: 2026-09-01
Chapter: 36. Long Way UpAriana-Several minutes of the drive pass in unbearable silence before Calvin speaks. “Your father... He’s a remarkable man.”I turn from the window, and my eyes immediately fall on the way his biceps flex as his hands remain on the wheel. The reason I’d been looking out the window in the first place.“He is,” I agree. “It’s where I get my charming personality from.”He keeps his eyes on the road, but I can tell he’s amused. “Very charming, indeed.”Oh, please!I turn away, then remember something and twist around in my seat.“So...” I trail off, noticing that my shorts have hiked up and my thighs are basically bare now. Shit. “What did you and him talk about out there? At the course? He wasn’t just telling you stories, I’m sure.”I try shifting to fix my shorts situation, but they’ve ridden up so much that there’s nothing I can do that wouldn’t call to his atten—Oh, my God. He’s already looking.A glance. A long one. Then his eyes return to my face, his expression unreadable. Gooseb
Last Updated: 2026-10-18
Chapter: 35. Old Stories, New CompanyAriana--“In ’94, I think. No, that’s not quite right...” Dad tips his head back, trying to remember. “’94? It was in March, ’94 or ’95. My memory’s getting rusty.”He continues. “The office in Milan shut down. Too many losses, too many debts. That’s when Matteo and I realized we weren’t compatible partners.”“What happened to him?” Calvin asks.“Oh, he was fine. He always landed on his feet, that one.” Dad chuckles, turning his wineglass between his fingers. “He went back to his family in Florence. I stayed in Milan for a while, trying to salvage what I could. We didn’t speak much after that.”He pauses, looking vaguely amused by the memory.“It’s funny, really. At the time, I thought I’d lost everything. The business, most of my savings, a friend I’d known for years. I was convinced I’d never recover from it.” He takes a sip. “I did recover, eventually. Made a few good deals, took a few risks. Turns out, some of the best decisions of my life were the ones that scared me half to dea
Last Updated: 2026-10-17
Chapter: 34. The Wrong Kind of Swing.—Ariana—Grey clouds stretch across the sky, muting the morning light over the resort. A cool breeze sweeps across the golf course, stirring the leaves of the trees lining the fairway. Somewhere farther down the course, a golf cart hums over the paved path.It's a beautiful Saturday morning.It's also an excellent morning for my father and Ivy to gang up on me.“That's three in a row!” Ivy announces as her ball sails across the green, landing a respectable distance from the hole.Dad lets out an appreciative whistle. “You're getting good at this, Ivy.”She turns to me with a grin that makes me regret inviting her.I glance toward the clubhouse. I could be inside enjoying a perfectly good cup of coffee. Instead, I'm on a golf course, being publicly humiliated by my best friend.“Your turn, Sunshine.” Dad holds out a club. I stare at it, then at the ball resting on the grass.I've had at least ten shots this morning, and not one has been worth repeating. Dad, however, remains determined
Last Updated: 2026-10-16
Chapter: 33. Not a big deal.-Ariana--I don’t look up from the manuscript I’m flipping through even when the waitress returns with the order. My eyes narrow with each page, and I can feel my stomach tightening with every line I skim.Blowing out a breath, I drop the book and look at Susan, who sits across from me, nursing her coffee. “This is a completely different book.”Susan lowers her cup. Her blond hair falls around her shoulders, the ends dry from what looks like an overly aggressive blowout. Her weary blue eyes are framed by neatly shaped brows, and she’s wearing more makeup than I’m used to seeing on her.Outside our occasional Zoom meetings, I’ve looked through her social media enough times to know the makeup is unusual.I turn my attention back to the manuscript. “When you said you made changes, I didn’t think it was this drastic. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”We’ve been talking for nearly twenty minutes without fighting over every other point. She mentioned making some changes. I just hadn’t reali
Last Updated: 2026-10-14
Chapter: 32. Growing Stakes.-Calvin-Marcus Wagner is in my kitchen when I get home.With GreyArc taking its sharpest hit this evening, it’s hardly surprising that a senior partner would show up—or spend the evening blowing up my phone.Everyone else but Wagner.I’ve known him long enough to know he’d have preferred a good night’s rest to being here this late.Perhaps to compensate for the effort, he’s having dinner at the island, already halfway through, a glass of wine beside his plate.Grace, my longtime housekeeper, appears from the hallway before I can say anything. Her little Pomeranian trails behind her, its tiny paws clicking against the floor before it retreats toward the living room.“Mr. Grey.”“Evening, Grace.”She takes my coat as I shrug out of it.“Mr. Wagner arrived not long ago. I hope you don’t mind.”“Not at all.”She gives me the smallest smile and walks away with the coat, leaving me alone with him.“Long day?” Marcus asks without looking away from his plate as he cuts into his steak.“Hm.”
Last Updated: 2026-10-06
Chapter: 31. Derailment.-Calvin doesn’t kiss me back.For a few seconds, he simply lets me press my mouth to his, lets my fingers tighten in his shirt, lets me make an absolute fool of myself while he stands there doing precisely nothing to encourage me.My confidence begins to crumble.Shit.What if I’ve read this entire situation wrong? What if his little games have been nothing more than games, and I’ve just handed him the most humiliating victory of his life?I start to pull away, but then his hand closes around my waist, and he kisses me.The change is so sudden that I barely have time to register it. One moment, I’m withdrawing with what remains of my dignity. The next, he’s pulling me back against him, his mouth moving against mine with an urgency that knocks every coherent thought out of my head.My lips part and his tongue slips easily inside to find mine. A whimper spills from me as soon as they meet, like I’ve been waiting my whole life to feel this particular invasion. Aching for it, my whole bo
Last Updated: 2026-10-03
LOGIN
