ログインLia’s POVI didn’t know what I expected wedding preparations to feel like, but this wasn’t it.Julian didn’t take me anywhere soft or celebratory. No boutique, no family discussions, no warmth at all. He simply called me into his office like it was part of his normal routine, and when I walked in, I immediately felt it—something heavy in the air, something final.He was already seated behind his desk. Papers were arranged neatly in front of him, too neat, too precise, like everything in his world had already been decided long before I arrived. He didn’t look up right away, just tapped his pen once against the desk, slow and steady, like he had all the time in the world.“Close the door,” he said.I hesitated for a second, then did it. The sound of it clicking shut felt louder than it should have.“Sit,” he added.I stayed standing for a moment longer than necessary, but the way he looked at me made it clear I didn’t really have a choice. So I sat across from him, my hands resting awkw
Kade’s POVI couldn’t get Lia’s face out of my head.Even after I left Julian’s house and came back to my office, even after I sat down in front of work that needed my attention, my mind kept drifting back to her. It wasn’t just that she looked scared. I had seen fear in people before, and it never stayed with me like this.What stayed with me was the way she looked like she was trying too hard to survive something she couldn’t escape. Like she had already accepted something she didn’t agree with.And Julian had been right there beside her.That alone didn’t sit well with me.I leaned back in my chair and stared at nothing for a moment, letting the silence of my office settle around me. Everything in here was clean and controlled, just how I liked it. Nothing out of place. Nothing unpredictable.But Lia didn’t fit into anything clean or controlled.A knock came at the door.“Come in,” I said.The door opened and Damien stepped in. He didn’t waste time talking. He never did. He walked
Lia’s POVThe moment the study door closed behind Kade, the air in the room changed. Julian didn’t speak immediately. He didn’t need to. I could feel it already—his attention had fully turned back to me.I stayed where I was near the desk, my fingers still slightly curled from how tense I’d been moments earlier, trying to steady my breathing. I told myself to stay calm, to act normal, but that thought didn’t last long.Julian moved.One second he was across the room, the next he was right in front of me, and before I could even step back, his hand had already closed around my wrist.He turned me sharply and pushed me back against the wall.The impact knocked the air out of my lungs.“Julian—” I started, but my voice broke as his grip tightened and both my wrists were pinned above my head.He didn’t look angry at first. That was the worst part. His expression was too calm, too controlled, like whatever he was feeling had already been decided and contained.But his grip told a different
Kade’s POVI didn’t rush when I arrived at Julian’s house.There was no reason to.People like Julian always expected urgency, as if the world were supposed to bend to their command. I had learned a long time ago that the best way to deal with men like him was to never mirror their energy. If he wanted tension, I gave him calm. If he wanted control, I gave him distance.Still, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was off the moment I stepped inside.The house was exactly how I remembered it—clean, expensive, and carefully maintained in a way that made everything feel almost staged. But tonight, it didn’t feel peaceful. It felt tight. Like the silence had weight in it. as something had already happened before I got there, and whatever remained was just the aftermath settling into place.The housekeeper didn’t say much when she led me down the corridor. She only opened the study door and stepped aside.That was when I saw him.Julian stood near his desk like he owned the entire
Lia’s POVThe moment Julian’s voice cut through the silence—calm, controlled, but sharp enough to freeze my blood—I knew there was no hiding anymore.“I know you’re in here. Come out now.”For a second, I stayed where I was behind the curtains, my body pressed so tightly against the wall it felt like I was trying to disappear into it. My heart was beating so fast I was sure he could hear it. Every thought in my head collided at once, none of them making sense, all of them screaming at me to run even though there was nowhere left to go.Slowly, I stepped out.The curtain slid behind me with a soft rustle that felt louder than it should have. The study suddenly looked different from this angle—smaller, tighter, like the walls had moved closer while I was hiding.Julian stood near the desk, not moving, just watching me.His expression wasn’t loud or dramatic. That was what scared me most. It was controlled. Too controlled. Like he had already decided what the truth was and was waiting fo
Lia’s POVI had been discharged from the hospital earlier that morning with strict instructions from the doctor to rest, avoid stress, and keep ice pressed against my bruised cheek. Julian had taken every word seriously, standing beside my bed like he intended to personally enforce the recovery plan. Even after we got home, he barely let me move without asking if I needed something.I tried to play along for a few hours. I stayed in bed, took the medicine, and kept the ice pack against my face while pretending I could relax. But the recording wouldn’t leave my mind.It was somewhere in this house.Somewhere inside Julian’s study.And as long as he had it, I wasn't safe.The moment he left for an emergency meeting, reminding me one last time to rest, I knew I wasn’t staying in that room another minute.The ache in my face flared the second I sat up. The swelling had gone down slightly, but the bruise still pulsed with a deep, stubborn pain that medicine hadn’t fully touched. I pressed
Kade’s POVGuests left the ballroom one by one, their murmurs fading like dying echoes when they walked out. But I could still feel their glare burning into my skin as I stood there with my jaws clenched tightly.All I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat—and Selene’s cries somewhere in the
Lia’s POVFor a moment everything stopped between us—the noise, the music, and the world itself.All I could feel was his breath on my lips and the wild pounding of our heartbeats against each other.I didn’t even think it through before coming here. One moment, I was standing in front of my house—
Lia’s POVJulian’s touch had vanished. The warmth of his body on me that had been fire a second ago felt like nothing now. I blinked, trying to understand what had changed in him as his body grew tense; his chest rose and fell too fast.“Julian?” My voice came out quieter than it should have. “What
Kade’s POVThe ballroom shines under the lights of the golden chandeliers, the sound of clinking glasses and laughter filled the air as cameras flashed from every corner, journalists whispering different things to themselves, socialites draped in wealth and power.Engagement party of the year, they







