Novels by J-Noiré

The cold night air nipped at my skin as I exited the building. My heels clicked softly against the pavement, a rhythm to the chaos of my thoughts. Today has been a whirlwind. From the accusations at work to Drew's unexpected defense, my mind hadn’t stopped spinning since the meeting ended. All I wanted now was to crawl into bed and shut the world out.But as I neared the entrance, a familiar figure leaning casually against the railing caught my attention.“Max?” I said, my voice tinged with surprise.He straightened immediately, his hands slipping into his pockets as he turned to face me. His expression was a mixture of concern and relief.“There you are. I was starting to think I’d camp out here all night,” he said, his tone light but his eyes searching mine.“What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling my coat tighter around me.He shrugged, trying to play it cool, but the way his brows furrowed gave him away. “You left the café in such a hurry earlier, and I... I don’t know, I just

The meeting room was as cold as the tension that hung in the air. Drew stood at the head of the table, his arms folded, his jaw tight. His usual commanding presence felt heavier today, and his silence was deafening.I could feel the unease radiating from everyone in the room. Papers shuffled, chairs creaked, but no one dared speak. Drew’s sharp gaze swept across the table, his presence demanding attention. A wave of unease rippled through the team. Papers shuffled, chairs creaked, but no one dared to say anything. I froze in my seat, my pulse quickening. The air felt thick, suffocating.“What do you mean compromised?” someone asked, their voice hesitant.Drew’s sharp gaze swept across the table. “Leaked,” he said bluntly. “Information about our launch strategy was leaked.”Murmurs broke out instantly. Some people exchanged glances, while others leaned forward, whispering among themselves.“We don’t know the extent of the leak yet,” Drew continued, his tone even but cold, “but we’re f

Lila’s POVThe sun had barely risen when I stepped into the office that morning. The hum of early morning activity buzzed around me, with colleagues chatting over coffee and shuffling through papers. Normally, the rhythm of the office helped me find my own focus, but today, everything felt off.I dropped my bag onto my desk and flipped open my laptop. The screen blurred in front of me as I tried to organize my tasks for the day. The slight nausea I had felt earlier hadn't subsided, and the persistent headache at my temples made it hard to think.The strategy meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m and I dreaded it not just because Drew would be there, but because I knew I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. My thoughts were scattered, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to pull myself together.When the meeting finally began, I took a seat near the middle of the table, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Drew. He was seated at the head, his usual commanding presence impossible

I blinked, shaking my head to clear the sudden cloud of emotions. Drew’s retreating form was still there in the back of my mind, but I forced myself to focus on the man standing next to me.“Yeah,” I muttered, though I didn’t feel it. “Just… caught off guard.”Max looked between Drew and me, sensing the tension. “I’ve never seen a man so indifferent,” he said, his tone carefully casual. “What’s going on there?”I didn’t know how to answer that. What was going on with Drew? Did he even care about what he was doing to me?“He’s complicated,” I said, offering a half-hearted shrug. I wasn’t going to open up about it especially not to Max. We weren’t there yet. And anyway, I wasn’t even sure I knew how to explain it.Max frowned, clearly not buying it, but he didn’t press. “Right. Well, how about we finally get out of here before you go back to thinking about that guy?”I smiled at the attempt to lighten the mood, though the tightness in my chest made it hard to genuinely enjoy the gesture

Drew’s grip on the note tightened, his expression hardening as he shoved it back into my hands. There was no mistaking the way he practically threw it at me, like it was something dirty. He didn’t say a word as he turned on his heel and walked away, his broad shoulders stiff with irritation. My heart pounded in my chest, confusion swirling in my mind like a storm. What had just happened? What was all that about? I stared at his retreating figure, watching him disappear into the corridor, my fingers trembling around the note. His reaction didn’t make sense, not after the tension we’d shared earlier. Was it because of the flowers? Was he jealous? I shook my head, trying to clear the thought before it could take root. It was ridiculous. Drew Sinclair didn’t get jealous. He barely even seemed capable of feeling anything, much less something as messy as jealousy. But something about the way he’d looked at me… something had changed. I forced myself to focus. It wasn’t Drew I needed to b

The rest of the day passed in a haze, but my mind was stuck in a loop, replaying Drew’s piercing gaze as he walked away. His eyes had spoken volumes, even if his lips stayed sealed. I could still feel the chill of his unspoken accusation, as though my mere interaction with Max was some kind of betrayal.Max, ever observant, had noticed my distraction. He insisted on walking me to my car after work, claiming it was “just to catch up,” but I suspected he had picked up on the lingering tension from Drew’s appearance.“So,” Max started, leaning casually against my car, “is it always that intense between you two, or was today just special?”I hesitated, fumbling with my keys as I avoided his gaze. “Drew’s just... complicated,” I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “He’s not really the kind of person who lets people in.”Max tilted his head, his expression softening. “And yet, you’re working for him.”“It’s complicated,” I repeated, but the words felt hollow. Was it really complica