Novels by Mary Ebinum

Emma's povIf there is one thing I’ve learned working at Sterling Enterprise, it’s that the walls have ears, and the hallways have eyes. This place is like a living, breathing gossip machine no matter where you walk, someone is whispering. And today, it felt like the whispers were about me.Not that I’m paranoid or anything… okay, maybe a little paranoid. But when you catch three people in a row glancing your way and then suddenly pretending to be fascinated by the coffee machine, you know something’s up.The thing is, I’m not here for gossip. I’m here for my job, my paycheck, and maybe a little harmless flirting to keep life interesting. Which brings me to Marcus.Marcus the tall, broad-shouldered, annoyingly kind project manager who somehow manages to make every single person in the office like him. Including me. Which I hate. Because I swore to myself that I wouldn’t get tangled with anyone here. I told myself that mixing work and feelings is a one-way ticket to career disaster. Bu

Celeste’s POVIf there’s one thing I hate more than bad coffee, it’s being told how to do my job especially when I’ve been in the events game for years. Okay, maybe not “decades” level of years, but still. I’ve planned weddings where the bride’s mother tried to set the groom on fire with a candelabra (long story), and somehow I came out with applause. So yeah, I know my stuff.But Julian Sterling? The man thinks because his name is stamped across the glass doors of Sterling Enterprise, his every word is gospel. Spoiler alert: it’s not.“Move the entire layout to the east wall,” he said, not even looking at me but at his stupidly sleek tablet.My pen paused midair over the seating chart. “The east wall?” I repeated slowly, because maybe he just misread the blueprint.“Yes,” he said, still not looking at me. “The lighting there is better.”I stared at the floor plan again. The east wall is where we’ve got the buffet setup, the floral arch, and oh, right a massive load-bearing column in

Julian’s POVThe day had been long, but not unusually so for me. Sterling Enterprise didn’t run itself, and I didn’t have the luxury of fatigue. Still, there was something different in the air when I walked into the boardroom that morning. An undercurrent. A subtle shift in the way people moved, like a storm was about to break.And I knew exactly where it was coming from.Elias.He was leaning casually against the far wall, his arms crossed, that faint smirk on his face that had always made me want to break his jaw. Elias Moretti, Senior Vice President of International Operations, was good at his job annoyingly good, but he was better at politics. The man could spin a rumor faster than anyone I knew, and right now, I could feel the heat of his game.“Sterling,” he greeted, his tone oily. “Heard you’ve been… involved in the events planning department lately.”My eyes narrowed. He didn’t need to name Celeste for me to know where he was going.“Keeping tabs on everyone, Moretti?” I asked

Celeste povThe office felt different at night. The constant hum of the air conditioning seemed louder, the city lights streaming in through the tall windows casting an amber glow across the glass conference table. Most of the staff had already left hours ago, leaving Sterling Enterprise eerily quiet.I glanced at the clock 9:42 PM. My eyes burned from staring at the same event proposal for hours. My laptop screen glowed accusingly, the blinking cursor reminding me I wasn’t done yet.Across from me, Julian Sterling sat perfectly still, his sleeves rolled up, cufflinks neatly placed beside his laptop. His tie was gone, and for the first time, I could see the veins along his forearms flex whenever he typed. It was ridiculous how someone could look so… composed at this hour.He didn’t look tired. He didn’t look irritated. He didn’t look anything, and that in itself was infuriating.“Slide five needs restructuring,” he said without looking up. His voice was low but sharp, like it cut thro

(Celeste POV)The soft hum of the office copier filled the silence of the break room as I stood there, holding my mug like it was the only thing keeping me from unraveling. The steam curled upward, fogging my vision for a moment before disappearing into the air. My hands still trembled slightly, a side effect of the adrenaline that had pumped through me all morning. Yesterday’s incident at the meeting was still replaying in my head like a bad home video me tripping in front of everyone, papers scattering like leaves, my cheeks burning while every pair of eyes tracked my humiliation. And then Julian Sterling, with that unreadable, too-sharp gaze, just… staring.Not saying anything. Not helping. Just watching.I told myself I didn’t care. I told myself his opinion didn’t matter. But it did.I was halfway through my first sip of coffee when Marcus stepped into the room. He wasn’t dressed as sharply as Julian, but his navy suit looked comfortable, like he knew he didn’t have to overcompen

(Celeste’s POV)If there’s one thing I promised myself on my second week at Sterling Enterprise, it’s that I would never embarrass myself in front of Julian Sterling. And yet, here I am, staring at the sleek glass conference table like it just betrayed me.The morning had started fine. Too fine, actually. My hair was smooth, my black pencil skirt was crisp, and my notes were neatly organized in the leather portfolio I bought just to look more “corporate.” I walked into the conference room ready to present my updates on the venue arrangements for the Sterling Foundation Gala. My mind was on floral centerpieces and budget proposals, not… humiliation.The boardroom was already filling up when I arrived. Executives in sharp suits, assistants tapping away on tablets, and Julian sitting at the head of the table, as if he was born there. His suit was charcoal gray today, tailored to perfection. The way he sat, one arm resting lazily on the chair’s armrest, screamed authority without even tr