LOGINAmeliaEverything becomes a steady blur from the second Conrad briskly leads us to his car and growls an order to Zayne to drive to a penthouse uptown.We willingly abandon everything—the Tech Gala, the business partners, and all our reservations—running away into the starry night like naughty teenagers, knowing what we both need.Leaning back against the car seat, Conrad keeps one hand clasped on my knee, his gaze pinned on the windshield, and his heels bouncing on the floor mat eagerly. We avoid each other’s eyes.The tension between us is so palpable that one brief eye contact would be enough to shatter the composure we’ve struggled to maintain so far.But I sneak peeks in between, glancing when he isn’t watching, and pondering over how he is more beautiful than I remember. From the faint stubble against his chiselled jawline, that silently begs my fingers to run over, to the full bow of his lips that were made to be kissed.By me.I shiver at the memory of his lips on mine, unc
Conrad It's been two days since the rumors of Amelia and me dating started flying around. Despite her efforts to control the media, the blogs are still going crazy and anticipating what event we’ll turn up to together and if we’re truly secretly dating.A smile plays on my lips. She can deny it all she wants, but the number of fans cheering us on is all the evidence we wouldn’t make a bad couple, especially not now that I would give everything for her and Sage.Turning off my phone screen, I slump into the backseat of my SUV, meeting Zayne’s eyes in the rearview mirror.“Is there a reason I have to go to this thing?” I ask. “I could just skip it. There’s always some event or another.”Zayne chuckles and rakes a hand through his hair before settling both hands back on the wheel. “But this gala is important. The best of the best tech sector will be here. Voss Tech’s representation is crucial.”I open the backseat door and begin to step into the open air. “If I don’t get going now, you’
ConradI don’t make it chaste or polite.She’s mine, and the entire world has to know that I’m intentional about her. I want her. Not Selah and certainly no one else.My mouth claims hers with a roughness and passion capable of burning away every doubt clinging to her. Gasps echo all around us, but I don’t care.Anchoring her, I cradle the back of her skull, holding her steady, feeling her breath mix with mine. Nothing and no one else matters but her and me in this moment. It’s priceless, and I wish I could stay here with her, trapped in this bubble where just the two of us exist.And then there’s Sage, sleeping alone in the office.The thought of Amelia’s daughter is enough to force my eyes open.When I finally pull back, I trail her pink lips with my thumb, wishing I could have them again. Instead, I keep her against me, my arm firm around her as I meet her eyes.Amelia’s pulse jumps under my touch, and she looks at me softly when my thumb sweeps her cheek. Then, in a flash, the w
AmeliaStaff gather around us, murmuring.I cross my arms over my chest and knit my brows. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Selah?”Her heels clink on the marble floors as she inches towards and scrutinizes me with a smug smile. “The mating bond must’ve almost killed you if your hair turned white. Sad to see you survived it.”I’m not here to exchange words with her, so I ignore her jab and get straight to the point. “I don’t care why you’re here, but I don’t want a scene in my office. Get out before I have security throw you out.”“Ooohh.” The shriek of her laughter echoes in the hallway. “Look who’s finally grown claws.”“And I intend to dig them as far into you as they can go.” I’m the one taking a step towards her, holding my ground like I wish I had four years ago. “I won’t repeat myself.”I’m almost certain I see a flicker of fear in her eyes, but it vanished too quickly. “Sure, but first you have to agree to stay away from my fiancé.”My brow arches. “I don’t know who y
Amelia For hours, I work tirelessly to push down the posts about my false relationship with Conrad, pausing only to tend to Sage and to respond to Sapphira’s messages.Even now, I take a glimpse at my daughter’s sleeping form on the makeshift bed I prepared for her on the sofa, and a soft smile touches my lips when she breathes softly, somehow finding a way to stick her thumb into her mouth.I resume my work, communicating with the PR team to get an update on our progress report, and a soft knock on the door distracts me.“Come in,” I urge, and tilt my head slightly to the side, expecting to see my secretary.But it’s Conrad, looking as handsome as ever, his perfect face and broad shoulders standing out in his tailored black suit. My heart does an unnecessary skip at the sight of him.But I glare instead, severely agitated and irritated by everything happening. “If I remember correctly, we don’t have any meeting scheduled for today. What are you doing here?”The scent of cedar and ex
Amelia One minute, I’m frantically moving around the kitchen island like an overstressed supermom–juggling toasts, fruit packs, and a toddler who thinks breakfast time is playtime.Sage’s nanny called in sick this morning, and since I don’t trust anyone else to look after my daughter, I have no choice but to take her to work with me today.“Mama, look! It’s you on TV!” she squeals, gurgling gleefully, and clapping her hands.I frown deeply, trying to understand why I would be on TV when I haven’t granted any interviews recently, and the partnership between Lunaris and Voss Tech is not due to reach the press until next week.After fixing the last slice of diced mangos in the butterfly plate, I brush it off, believing Sage mistook someone else for me. That is, until she says it again with more excitement.“See! Mama, it’s you!”Before I turn around, Sapphira bursts in, looking really…crazy. Her hair is halfway blown out, her shirt is misbuttoned, and her pants are missing a belt.Eyes
Conrad Growling viciously, Zayne bares his teeth, ready to step in between us, but maintains his position in response to my raised finger.“Stop trying to protect the little traitor.” His grin flattens. “Amelia made her choice, and some choices come with consequences. Remember that.”He turns on h
AmeliaI crunch the apple between my teeth, but before I can swallow, a wave of nausea hits me. I fly to my feet and hurry to the kitchen.Sapphira follows me. “Amelia, are you okay?”I empty the apple into the trash, then I move to the sink and start to rinse my mouth. “I can’t keep anything down.
Amelia I should be dead. I don’t deserve to be alive. My nightmares make sense now. All I do is bring chaos to the people around me. “You shouldn’t have saved me.” Sapphira’s brow quirks. “What?” “You shouldn’t have saved me,” I repeat, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip until the taste of copp
Amelia“No one will ever love you, Amelia.”My eyes snap open, and a ragged breath escapes my lips before I can stop it. The nightmare clings to me like a second skin, and for a moment after I wake up. It’s so vivid that it’s hard to tell what is real and what is not.But reality slowly creeps in—f







