Novels by Irelyn V.

Nora’s POVFor a few wonderful seconds after I woke up, everything felt normal. Then my brain decided to ruin my life.I yanked my pillow over my face. “Oh, fantastic.” My voice came out muffled, but the sarcasm was still there. “This again.”I stayed buried under the pillow for another minute, hoping sleep would return out of pity. It didn’t. Eventually I accepted defeat, dragged myself out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom like someone being forced to attend their own execution.The toothbrush was halfway to my mouth before I realized I wasn’t actually brushing my teeth anymore. I was just standing there, staring at myself in the mirror, the toothbrush hanging uselessly in my hand.“No.” I pointed it at my reflection. “We’re going to work today.” The girl in the mirror looked unconvinced. “We’re going to be normal.” Silence. “Nothing happened.”I stopped. “…A lot happened.”I groaned. “Professional.” That was the goal. Professional. No running, no panicking, no embarrassing m

Nora’s POV By some miracle, I survived the rest of the workday. Barely. I didn’t know how, but I did—mostly because I avoided one particular office like my life depended on it. Every time I needed to walk past that hallway, I’d suddenly remember something on the other side of the floor. Need a file? Another route. Need to speak to finance? Another route. Need coffee? Definitely another route. I wasn’t hiding. I was… strategically relocating. There was a difference... at lleast that was what I kept telling myself. Around noon, Claire caught me making what she later described as “the longest possible journey to the printer.” She folded her arms. “Nora.” I looked up innocently. “Yes?” “The printer is behind you.” I blinked. “…I know.” “You walked around three departments.” I laughed. “I like walking.” Ryan looked up from his desk. “Inside the office?” “Well... it helps me think.” Jeremy laughed. “Think about what?” “Life.” Jenny shook her head. “She’s officially stres

Cael’s POV The office felt strangely quiet after she left. I stood where she’d pushed past me, staring at the open door for several long seconds before I finally reached over and closed it. The click echoed through the room. I let out a slow breath and rubbed the back of my neck. “Well…” That could have gone better. Much better. I walked back to my desk but didn’t sit immediately. Instead, I stood by the window overlooking the city, my hands in my pockets. The image replayed before I could stop it—her eyes, the surprise on her face, the way she’d looked at me after I kissed her, then the panic. She hadn’t even argued properly. Nora always argued. She complained, rolled her eyes, called me arrogant more often than anyone else dared. She didn’t run. Today she had. I closed my eyes briefly. “I scared her.” The words came out quietly. I wasn’t proud of that. I had promised myself I’d take things slowly. She deserved that much. Nora had already been through enough because of one man w

Nora's POV I didn't stop running until I reached the restroom. I pushed the door open so fast it nearly slammed against the wall behind it and walked straight into the nearest stall before locking it. Then I just stood there, breathing, or trying to, because suddenly breathing felt harder than it should. My hand stayed pressed against my stomach while my chest kept rising too quickly. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God! What just happened??? I closed my eyes tightly. No. Absolutely not. My brain refused to catch up, like everything had happened too fast. The office, his hand at my waist, the way he looked at me, the way he said— I pressed both hands over my face. "No." My voice came out weak. "Nope." I shook my head like I could physically throw the memory away, because what in the world had just happened? Cael kissed me. Cael. Cael Draven. My boss. The same man who spent most of his time annoying me and smirking at me and making my life harder for absolutely no reason. And th

Nora's POVFor a second I genuinely forgot how to do anything.Not just breathe. Everything. Think, blink, move, exist. All of it just stopped, I couldn't explain how.His tongue traced the seam of my lips, soft but sure, and I opened for him before my brain could even catch up. The kiss got deeper right away—warm and a little messy. A rush of heat flooded my chest and spilled down my spine, making my knees feel weirdly unsteady.I stood there staring at him, and he stood there looking back at me while kissing me. The room was completely silent, and my brain was offering me absolutely nothing useful.Then everything came back at once.My eyes went wide and I pushed against his chest and took two steps back so fast I nearly lost my balance."What the hell?!"My voice came out louder than I meant it to. Cael didn't flinch, didn't move, didn't even look particularly surprised, which somehow made everything worse.I pointed at him."You—"Nothing came out.I tried again."You—"Still not

I woke up already annoyed. Not because something was wrong exactly, just because my head was too loud and sleep had felt less like rest and more like drifting in and out of thoughts I hadn't asked for.Leon, the house, the silence. Sixteen-year-old me standing in a hallway holding a watch nobody wanted.I turned on my side and muttered, "Stop it," to absolutely no one. "It was years ago. It's nothing now."I waited for my brain to agree.It didn't.And then, as if one problem wasn't enough, another face slipped in without permission.Cael.I groaned into my pillow."Fantastic," I said out loud. "One man I don't understand and one man I don't want to see again. Great combination, Nora. Very healthy."What was wrong with me??I sat up, rubbed my face, and decided that today was going to be a professional day. Strictly professional. No replaying last night's dinner, no thinking about the way he'd looked at me across that table, and absolutely no thinking about him stepping close outside