Chapter: Chapter 23Suzan’s POVThe apartment smelled of coffee before I even opened my eyes.Not the bitter, utilitarian scent of the instant coffee Edward settled for whenever he was too absorbed in research to care about flavor.This was rich. Freshly ground. Expensive.I frowned slightly, my mind still clearing the fog of sleep. Sarah usually brewed tea this early, insisting coffee made children "unnecessarily adventurous."A sleepy smile tugged at my lips. Unless... Emerald had somehow convinced her that caffeine was the secret ingredient behind Nobel Prize winners. The thought almost made me laugh.I stretched beneath the duvet before reaching for my phone on the bedside table.6:18 AM.Too early. Beyond my bedroom windows, Manhattan was wrapped in the soft blue luminescence of dawn, the city only just beginning to wake.For a brief moment, I lay still, listening to the ambient sounds of the apartment coming alive. Cabinet doors opened and closed in the kitchen. Someone laughed softly. Tiny feet p
Last Updated: 2026-08-06
Chapter: Chapter 22Suzan’s POVEmerald leaned over the table, resting her chin in her hands as she looked up at Draven. "Mr. Sterling?""Yes, Emerald?""Why don't you have a little girl like me?"My breath locked in my throat. Every nerve in my body went taut as iron. I froze, my heart hammering violently against my ribs as I waited for his answer, praying my face wouldn't betray the sudden, terrifying panic surging through my veins.Draven didn't pull away from her. His expression grew tender, shadowed by a quiet, lingering grief."I used to think..." he began slowly, his voice raspy with emotion, "...that I wasn't built to be a father. I thought I had too many responsibilities."He reached out, his broad fingers gently brushing a stray lock of dark hair away from Emerald's forehead, a gesture so natural, so instinctually paternal, that it brought an agonizing sting to the back of my eyes."But standing in this room today..." Draven whispered, his gray eyes lingering on her face, "...I realize I was ju
Last Updated: 2026-08-05
Chapter: Chapter 21Draven's POVThe soft click of the apartment door echoed through the quiet hallway behind me.For a second that felt like a long moment, I didn't move. My hand remained wrapped around the brass doorknob, as though some invisible force was asking me to stay just a little longer.It had been years since I had experience of a home that felt... alive.Not the sterile perfection of my penthouse, nor the imposing silence of Sterling Manor. This place had been different. It smelled faintly of roasted garlic, fresh bread, and the lavender detergent Sarah apparently preferred. There had been laughter around the table, chairs scraping against hardwood floors, Edward's dry humor, Sarah's gentle scolding, and Emerald's endless stream of questions.It wasn't extravagant. It wasn't carefully orchestrated. It was simply home.I released the doorknob and turned toward the private elevator. Just as the doors slid open, a tiny voice cut through the hall."Mr. Sterling!"I stopped immediately. Small foo
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: Chapter 2020Draven's POV I had negotiated multi-billion-dollar acquisitions. I had stared down hostile boards and argued before congressional oversight committees without my pulse quickening by a single beat.None of it had prepared me for being led down a hallway by a five-year-old girl whose entire hand barely wrapped around two of my fingers."Come on," Emerald urged, tugging impatiently with surprising force. "You walk too slowly."A low laugh escaped me before I could catch it. "I've generally been accused of the opposite.""Well, those people were wrong," she stated with absolute authority.I allowed her to pull me toward the last door on the left. The moment I stepped over the threshold, the air caught in my throat.Seeing the room through her eyes made every phone call with the design team worth it. When they had presented four generic concepts early yesterday morning, I had rejected every single one.‘She’s curious,’ I had told the head designer. ‘Don't paint it pink just because she
Last Updated: 2026-08-02
Chapter: Chapter 19Suzan's POV The elevator climbed in complete, humming silence. Above the polished steel doors, the digital floor indicator flashed in rapid succession.Numbers displayed.Emerald bounced on her toes beside me, her small hand tucked securely inside Sarah's. "Are we almost there?"Sarah chuckled softly. "For the tenth time, sweetie, yes.""You asked the exact same question thirty seconds ago.""I wanted to make sure the answer didn't change!"Edward let out a low laugh behind us, balancing two garment bags over his arm while the concierge followed with the last of our luggage. "I admire scientific consistency," he murmured. "Always repeat the experiment to verify results."Emerald beamed up at him. "Exactly!"I couldn't stop the faint, genuine smile that touched my lips. After the blinding flashes of the press conference and the heavy confrontation in the backstage corridor, this moment felt quiet. Normal. Almost like breathing again.PING.The elevator chimed softly, and the brass-tri
Last Updated: 2026-08-01
Chapter: Chapter 18Draven's POV I didn't move.Not when she stepped past me.Not when the faint, haunting scent of jasmine and bergamot lingering in the quiet air began to fade.Not even when the crisp, rhythmic click of her heels vanished into the grand marble hallway."It didn't."‘It simply stopped making my decisions.’The words echoed down the empty corridor like the slow, resonant toll of a cathedral bell.Five years ago, that sentence would have gone right past me. I would have dismissed it as melodramatic, defensive, or spiteful.Today, it shattered me into pieces.I closed my eyes, letting my forehead rest against the cool stone pillar beside me. For five long years, I had comforted my bruised ego with a convenient lie, that Suzan had simply fallen out of love with me. That she had grown distant, tired, or indifferent. That she had eventually realized we were too different.It had been so much easier to digest that fiction than to accept the horrifying truth.She hadn't stopped loving me.She
Last Updated: 2026-07-30
BEAUTIFULLY UNFAITHFULLY
Blurb:
For two years, Professor Laurel Cruz Leonard has lived in a beautifully constructed cage. To her university students and the public, she is the epitome of elegance, poise, and academic excellence.
But behind the closed doors of her pristine home, she is starving. Ever since a devastating miscarriage, her husband, Leonard, has weaponized his grief, blaming her for their loss and freezing her out of his bed.
Desperate to feel alive and clinging to the hope that her marriage can be saved, Laurel copes in secret with an unmet passion.
Until him!!
Julian Vance. He is twenty-five, fiercely intelligent, and entirely untamed. He sits in the back of her lecture hall, watching her with a dangerous hunger that mirrors her own.
He knows she’s forbidden. He knows she’s his professor, and the wife of a powerful businessman.
He doesn't care.
When boundaries blur and a moment of weakness sparks an intoxicating affair, Laurel is thrust into a high-stakes game of obsession and betrayal. But in a world where her reputation is everything, the ultimate lesson might be how much she’s willing to lose to finally be touched.
Read
Chapter: Chapter 21Julian's POVI didn't open my notebook. I didn't click my pen.Around me, forty upper-level students were frantically scribbling down every word that left her mouth, treating her slides like holy scripture. In the rows behind me, I could hear the quiet, intimidated whispers of the regulars. “Did you see how Vance handled her the last time?” “He’s terrifyingly smart.” “I heard the upstate department tried to fast-track his thesis.”I ignored them entirely. I didn't care about their assessment of my intelligence. My intellect was a tool, a weapon engineered for a single, devastating purpose, and right now, the only validation I required was the frantic rhythm of the vein pulsing at the base of Laurel’s throat.While the rest of the room stared blindly at the projection screen, I just watched her eyes.I knew exactly what I was doing to her. Every time I shifted my weight in the tiered desk, every time I let my dark, gold-flecked gaze slow-burn across her mouth, I was intentionally pu
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: Chapter 20Laurel’s POVBy Friday afternoon, the relentless Manhattan rain had finally given way to a crisp, brilliant autumn sunshine that flooded the campus with long, amber shadows. I stood before the small mirror in my office vanity, smoothing down the lapels of my charcoal-gray blazer and ensuring not a single strand of hair had escaped my flawless, tightly pinned low bun.I looked exactly as the head of the Behavioral Psychology Department should, composed, untouchable, and firmly in control.But as I gathered my lecture notes for the 2:00 PM seminar, my fingers were laced with a fine, persistent tension. The memory of Wednesday’s encounter in the hallway, the effortless, flirty audacity Julian had displayed right in front of Amanda, had left a humming electricity beneath my skin that I hadn't been able to shake for forty-eight hours.I took a deep, steadying breath, picked up my briefcase, and walked down the corridor toward the Lecture Hall.When I pushed the double doors open, the roo
Last Updated: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Chapter 19Julian's POVThe glowing blue text on my laptop screen blurred into an illegible smear of numbers and offshore routing codes.I slammed the screen shut, the sharp plastic snap echoing like a gunshot in the cramped silence of my apartment. I threw myself back against the mattress, staring up at the water-stained ceiling, my hands clenched into tight fists at my sides.I couldn't focus. For the first time in my life, my brain, the one tool I had always trusted to remain cold, analytical, and entirely under my control, was completely hijacked.Every time I closed my eyes, I didn't see the financial algorithms or the evidence boards. I saw the flash of the projector screen. ‘I see you, Laurel.’ I saw the sharp, ragged intake of her breath, the helpless flutter in her chest, and the way her lips had softened into that subtle, beautiful smile before her clinical defenses snapped back into place. And the hallway... the way she had looked at me when I handed her that article, her skin flushin
Last Updated: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Chapter 18Laurel’s POVMy heels clicked a frantic, defensive rhythm against the linoleum as I practically fled the lecture hall. The atmospheric pressure in that room had become entirely unbreathable. Julian’s smooth, deep baritone delivery of ‘reaction formation’ still echoed in my ears like a direct indictment. He had dismantled my clinical shield in front of students without breaking a sweat, exposing the raw panic humming beneath my skin.I hurried down the corridor toward the department wing, desperate for the sanctuary of my office. But as I rounded the final corner, the sight of a familiar figure leaning against the wall pulled me up short."Amanda?" I blinked, the sudden shift in reality catching me off guard."The one and only, darling," Amanda beamed, straightening up. She looked effortlessly chic in a tailored trench coat, holding a heavy boutique paper bag. "My gig wrapped up earlier than expected, so I caught the red-eye back. I knew you’d be drowning in midterms and department non
Last Updated: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Chapter 1717Laurel’s POVBy Wednesday morning, the weather hadn't broken. A relentless gray fog rolled off the Hudson River University, blanketing the campus in a dense, damp chill. I walked into the building with my coat collar turned up, clutching my leather briefcase like a shield. I had spent the last forty-eight hours analyzing every syllable of my phone call with Amanda, trying to anchor myself to the safe, predictable reality of my marriage, my career, and my social standing.But the moment I unlocked the double doors to the lecture hall, my carefully constructed equilibrium shattered.The tiered rows were only a quarter full as the students slowly trickled in from the morning fog, shaking out their umbrellas and shedding their damp layers. I kept my head down, navigating the small wooden steps down to the stage, and approached the heavy mahogany podium.I stopped dead in my tracks.Resting directly on top of the polished wood, precisely where I always placed my tablet, was a single, pr
Last Updated: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Chapter 16Julian's POVMonday morning arrived with the crisp, unforgiving bite of mid-March.I was in the Lecture hall twenty minutes before the class was scheduled to start. I chose a seat in the second row, dead center. It was close enough to force her to acknowledge my existence, but far enough back that she couldn't accuse me of crowding her. I laid out my notebook, a sleek black pen, and waited.When she finally walked through the double doors, the air in the room instantly thinned.She was magnificent. In her well tailored charcoal-grey pantsuit, her five-foot-eleven frame moving with a rigid, calculated grace. Her dark hair was swept up in a flawless, professional twist, and her jaw was set in a line of absolute, unyielding determination. She looked every bit the formidable Prof. Laurel Cruz Leonard. There was no trace of the trembling, desperate woman who had clung to my shoulders in the dark.Except for the slight, almost imperceptible tremor in her fingers as she set her leather brie
Last Updated: 2026-07-26
Chapter: Chapter 80Jacqueline’s POVAbout a month later, the door swung open and Allison walked in, luggage in one hand and sunglasses perched dramatically on her head like some Hollywood diva. Only Allison could pull off airport chic with that level of arrogance and charm.“My God, Jac,” she said, dropping her bag and striding toward me. “I leave you for two weeks and you don’t even look like a heartbroken woman anymore. What did I miss?”I laughed, standing to hug her, inhaling the faint trace of her perfume mixed with airplane scent. God, I missed her. She’d been gone for what felt like forever, off being the face of a luxury brand campaign in Milan while my life flipped upside down in the best way possible.“You missed… everything,” I said with a grin, tugging her into the living room. “Sit. We need to talk.”She raised a brow and flopped on the couch like a queen returning to her throne. “Well, spill. Judging by the smile on your face, I’m guessing this has something to do with a certain broody jud
Last Updated: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 79Jacqueline’s POVAs I walked to my office, my legs felt weak, my heels barely making a sound over the pounding in my ears. Whispers rippled through the hallway like wildfire, fragments of disbelief and awe clinging to every word.Blackwood. The president. All along.“You know, I always suspected,” someone murmured as I passed.I shut my office door and leaned against it, trying to steady my breath. My mind spun in circles. The president of Phoenix Group. He’s been sitting behind the curtain this entire time… and I never saw it.First, the son Allison mentioned, the nursery, the eight-month-old boy he never told me about, and now this? How many versions of Henson Blackwood exist that I’ve never met? How much more is buried beneath that perfect suit and calm, commanding tone?Clara. Of course. She wasn’t just some intern with charm and wit. That confidence, that subtle edge of authority… She was always in on it. Playing her role. Helping me. Watching me.My stomach twisted as the softer
Last Updated: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 78Jacqueline's POV Allison raised an eyebrow, reading the flicker of determination on my face. “You’re going back to work?”“Yes,” I said, grabbing the phone and scrolling through the email like it was a lifeline. “I have to. This… this changes everything.”“Jac,” Allison said, her tone heavy with caution, “don’t use work as a way to avoid dealing with this.”I paused, fingers trembling over the glass screen. She wasn’t wrong, but what choice did I have? Sitting here drowning in questions about Blackwood wouldn’t give me answers. Facing Monday, facing the Phoenix president, at least that was something I could control.“I’m not avoiding it,” I lied, forcing a tight smile. “I just… I need a distraction.”Her gaze softened with sympathy, but she didn’t push further. Instead, she glanced toward the untouched mug of coffee on my table, then back at me. “Fine. But promise me you’ll think about what I said.”I nodded, though the weight of her words sat heavy on my chest. Eight months. A baby
Last Updated: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 77Blackwood’s POV I stared at my phone for the third time in an hour, her name glowing on the screen like an accusation. Jacqueline.I had typed and deleted half a dozen messages already. Everything sounded wrong. Too formal. Too desperate. Too… heavy.Finally, I settled on:We need to talk. Please.Simple. Direct. No pressure.I hit send. Then waited.Nothing.Minutes dragged into an hour. Then two. I called once, twice, letting it ring long enough for hope to flicker before voicemail cut through like cold steel.Her voice on the recording was calm, warm, how it had sounded just days ago when she was here, in this house, in my arms. That memory was now a blade.I tried again the next day. This time, I softened it.Jacqueline… I owe you an explanation. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll come to you.Read. No reply.The silence was worse than anger. Anger, I could work with. Silence meant walls were being built brick by brick, higher every hour I didn’t reach her.I found myself pacing the stu
Last Updated: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 76Jacqueline's POVThe drive to Allison’s place was quiet. I let the city blur past the windshield, each red light and honking horn echoing the chaos in my chest. By the time I pulled up in front of her building, my emotions had settled into a tense, simmering mix. I wasn’t crying, not yet, but I felt fragile, like a vase just narrowly held together by thin threads.Allison opened the door before I even knocked, a knowing look on her face. “Hey,” she said softly, pulling me inside. “Coffee? You look like you need it.”I nodded, handing her my bag. “Yeah… thanks.” My voice sounded foreign even to me, hushed and uncertain.We settled into the kitchen, steaming mugs in hand. The aroma of roasted coffee beans and the quiet hum of her apartment were grounding. I wanted to tell her everything, to spill out the whirlwind of emotions, but even as I started, the words felt heavy. I finally exhaled, leaning back in my chair.“Alli… Blackwood…” I began, swallowing hard. “He… he has a son.”Her eye
Last Updated: 2026-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 75Jacqueline’s POV Sunlight filtered gently through the curtains, painting the room in soft golds and warm shadows. I stirred beneath the sheets, stretching lazily, still wrapped in the lingering warmth of Blackwood’s arms. The apartment was quiet, too quiet, except for the subtle sound of his steady breathing.I shifted slightly, careful not to wake him, but he stirred anyway, pressing his forehead lightly against mine. “Morning,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.“Morning,” I whispered back, a soft smile tugging at my lips. The events of last night felt both surreal and grounding at once. We had reclaimed a piece of ourselves, of us, that the chaos of the past weeks had tried to take away.He pressed a gentle kiss to my temple, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along my arm. “Sleep well?” he asked.“I did,” I admitted, letting my hand find his. “Better than I expected.”We lay there for a while, wrapped in the safety of one another, letting the quiet intimacy speak. No words were
Last Updated: 2026-06-12
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