Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask

Amy Hawkes barely heard the front door click shut behind her, her mind very much distracted by the noisy and crazy circular flow of thoughts that kept hammering at her. The smell of rain clung to her coat as she tossed it onto the chair by the door, the fabric heavy with the weight of the afternoon storm. She had barely stepped into the apartment when she saw it.. a small, neatly folded envelope on the kitchen counter. It looked out of place, resting in the center of the black marble like a symbol of something that didn't belong. She frowned, setting her bag down with a sense of predicting something bad. Her eyes scanned the quiet room, the silence pressing in, heavy and stubborn. The once-a-year dinner.. their first wedding anniversary.. that had been planned for tonight.. the meal she'd spent weeks organizing.. seemed a world away from the chilled emptiness that now filled the apartment. Liam hadn't been home when she arrived. Not that it was unusual. He'd been distant

Amy's eyes opened slowly, her heart racing like a drum in her mind.She felt confused, the surrounding conditions surrounding her whirling in very big loops.The scent of germ-killing and the medicine-based brightness of a hospital room surrounded her.She blinked quickly, trying to drive away the haze from her thoughts, but everything seemed serious... far too serious to understand all at once.The first thing she became aware of was Liam's expression.He sat at the bedside, his hand gently placed on the edge of her mattress, his look locked onto her with an expression that was unclear to her.It was a blend of worry and another feeling... maybe a hint of guilt, but she was uncertain.The sudden rush of memories overloaded her at the same time, crashing into her like a tidal wave.The note. The will of her father. The act of betrayal. The extreme anger. Celine. Her closest friend. Liam in his bed.All of it... it came rushing back in a storm, and the intense pain of it almost took he

Two days had gone by since Amy awoke in Bruce’s apartment, and during that time, she had wept until her eyes felt sore, yelled until her throat hurt, and attempted to understand a reality that had flipped completely upside down. Yet, amidst everything, there was Bruce.. dependable, serene, and present for her in ways she never realized she required, but now couldn’t envision life without. She was assigned a guest room, nestled in the corner of Bruce’s minimalist apartment.. a tranquil area that resembled the stillness before the chaos. She had always been aware that Bruce would support her, but she didn’t foresee the extent to which he would rise to the occasion when her life was in chaos. Her phone vibrated on the nightstand, showing an incoming call from Liam. This time, she didn’t trouble herself to glance at the screen, her finger brushing it aside without a second thought. She wasn't interested in hearing his voice. Bruce’s presence enabled her to build barriers, regain so