LOGINI ordered wine. The work wasn't finished. The room was quieter. She took the glass without comment. Drank. Set it down and kept writing. She spoke about the eastern corridor communities directly, without framing or adjustment, as if they existed in the room with us. Her hand moved as she talked, m
Edward's POV The door opened behind me. No knock. She came in already talking. "I need your numbers from Rotterdam before we fix anything else," she said. "The version you gave him assumes—" She stopped. I didn't turn immediately. Just reached for the towel, dragged it once over my face, then
The auctioneer's cadence moved through the wall. I had built something without him. That was still true. It would stay true. Whatever I said next didn't touch it. "I don't know," I said. "That's the honest answer. Not the managed version." I met his gaze. "I don't know if what's left is enough to
Alicia's POV The older man was still talking. "Seven years," he said. "Four jurisdictions. We moved water infrastructure across borders that hadn't spoken to each other in a generation." His hands traced corridors in the air between us. "The archive is the proof it happened. That it worked." He tu
“You entered without cause,” I said. “You stayed without one.” “I don’t know what this is between you two but—” “My wife.” No variation in tone. No additional weight needed. Alicia’s hand lifted a little, then halted mid-motion and settled again without completing the gesture. The woman exhaled
Edward’s POV “Forty thousand. Do I have forty-five?” The paddle was already raised. Alicia’s hand remained under mine, unchanged in position, as though neither of us had adjusted to its presence since it settled there. “Forty-five.” I raised. “Fifty. Fifty-five.” On the left, a man leaned forw
Alicia's POV I woke slowly, the way people do when their body is more tired than their mind. Light filtered through Elena’s half-drawn curtains, soft, pale, nothing like the harsh brightness of Edward's estate. My muscles felt sluggish but not painful, just used… overused. The blanket carried a h
Leo returned at nine fifteen with a stack of printed reports. "Media breakdown, sir. Forty-three mentions across major outlets since Friday. Eighteen are speculating on marital issues. Twelve medical crises are suggested. Seven are calling it a publicity stunt. The rest are neutral coverage." I sca
The video started. Sound on. No warning. No mercy. Moans. His voice. Her voice. Skin on skin. The rustle of sheets. A laugh—hers, breathless and satisfied. My throat closed. My pulse hammered so hard I thought my ribs would crack. "You see?" Lucy's voice cut through, soft and venomous. She leaned
Alicia's POV I didn't remember most of the drive to Elena's. Just pieces of it. A red light I almost ran. A turn that came too fast and made the steering wheel slip through my hands. The way my vision kept blurring at the edges. By the time I pulled into the small lot beside her building, my hand







