MasukShe turned a page. No emphasis. "They agreed." No one in the room needed more than that. "Rotterdam," George said. "Two families," Alicia said. "Both meetings ran long. Same underlying concern, different language. We answered it both times. Follow-up is scheduled." "Documentation," Catherine sa
Edward's POV The term sheet had been in my inbox since the previous night. Four pages. Clean. Volkov's committee had approved the access deal exactly as the projection had asked for. Southeast Asia. The Gulf. East Africa. The network layer intact. The timeline fixed. Nothing negotiated down. I se
Alicia's POV His arm was across my waist when I woke. The room was grey with early light, the city outside still quiet, the type of quiet that belongs to the hour before a place fully commits to its day. I lay still for a moment. The weight of his arm. The warmth of the room. The dress lying acros
Her hands moved from my shoulders to my face, her palms cupping my jaw, her thumbs stroking my cheeks. It was a gesture of such unexpected tenderness it nearly undid me. Her eyes, dark and dazed, locked onto mine. In them, I saw not the woman I had wronged, but the woman I was with, in this moment,
Her hand anchored hard against the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair, holding me exactly where she needed me. For a moment, I wasn't the man who had failed her. I was just a man giving her pleasure. She said my name once, twice, the third time broken completely, and her whole body arched
Edward's POV Her mouth was on mine when I got the door open. I walked her backward into the room, the city lights filtering through the window in thin strips that barely illuminated the space. Her hands were already at my collar, working open the buttons of my shirt with an urgency that sent a jol
Alicia's POV The apartment was dark when I heard the key in the lock. I didn't move from the couch. Didn't turn my head. Just sat there. Knees pulled up. Arms wrapped around them. Been like that for hours. The door opened. "Alicia?" Elena's voice. Sharp. Worried. Footsteps. Fast. Then she
Edward’s POV Leo stood by the window, tablet in hand, running through the afternoon's schedule. "Mitchell's assistant called again. Wants confirmation for the quarterly review." "Push it to next week." "Sir, they've already pushed twice." "Then they can push again." Leo made a note. Moved on.
Alicia's POV I don't remember the drive. One moment I was pulling out of the estate. Next, I was parked beside Elena's building. The engine was off. My hands still on the wheel. I looked down. They were shaking. I tried to make them stop. Couldn't. I got out. The folder sat on the passenge
Edward's POV I woke to silence. The estate felt hollow. Empty in a way that pressed against my chest. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, replaying last night. The call to Lily. Her voice had been cautious at first. Small. Surprised. "Mr. Valentine?" I'd kept my tone even. Asked







