Dwight’s POVShe hadn’t changed her perfume.That’s the first thing I noticed after Leah walked out of my office earlier. That same heady mix of vanilla and something softer—maybe jasmine—had lingered even after she was gone. I’d tried to stay cold. Professional. Detached. But the truth was, seeing her again had stirred something in my chest I hadn’t felt in a long time.It wasn’t love. Not quite. But it was close enough to sting.She hadn’t come back for me. She’d come back for the project. For herself. She had insisted on continuing—forced her way back in, even going through Felix to get it done. That kind of dedication? That kind of resolve? Damn it, I admired that.And Leah had always burned brighter than most.I rub my temple and sit straighter in my chair, the glow from my laptop casting shadows across the floor. The rest of the building is quiet, most of the remaining staff already gone for the night. Ever since the fire at the workshop, Glimmr had been running on reduced manpo
Ethan's POV The morning air bites through my shirt as I shove the door closed behind me. I haven’t changed clothes since yesterday—hell, maybe even the day before. The collar of my shirt is creased, and the cuffs are stiff with old sweat. The same slacks cling to me like a second skin, and I’m sure I smell like whiskey and unwashed dreams.But I don’t care.I just needed to get out of that damn house.The walls were closing in again. Same walls, same ceiling, same silence—broken only by the ticking of a clock I should’ve smashed weeks ago. The whiskey stain on the carpet had stared mockingly at me, reminding me of my loss of self-control. Reminding me of how I'd further messed up everything.When all this blew over, what was I going to do with Maria? I couldn't have her report me to the authorities. I couldn't bear seeing my name on the news. Being described as a creep. I wasn't a creep. I wasn't an assailant or whatever choice of words Maria would tell them. I had simply lost contro
Leah’s POVThe elevator dings softly, and I step out into the quiet hallway of my penthouse building, heels echoing against the marble as I move toward my door. I’m already unfastening the clasp on my bag, mentally sorting through everything I need to do before tomorrow’s pitch—until I see him.Ethan.Leaning against the wall opposite my door like he belongs there.There’s an immediate chill. My stomach knots before I even speak. His presence here, at my home, makes the air feel tighter.It’s like déjà vu—Greece. That morning I’d stepped out and found Dwight waiting, his expression unreadable, his eyes full of history. But this isn’t the same. Dwight’s presence had brought calm, uncertainty maybe, but not fear. Not this dread pulsing beneath my ribs.“What are you doing here?” I ask, keys frozen in my hand.Ethan straightens, and I get a better look at him. His shirt is wrinkled and half-untucked, the collar spotted with something dark—coffee maybe, or liquor. His hair is a mess, stic
DWIGHT POVShe’s not herself.I knew it the moment she walked into the conference room. Leah always carried herself with a kind of self-assured grace, even when she was fuming, even when her eyes flashed with the heat of an argument. But today… she looked like a version of herself that had been dimmed. Her blouse was slightly wrinkled—unlike her. Her makeup, though minimal, didn’t quite conceal the shadows under her eyes. And the way she kept staring at the same spot on the table like she could bore a hole through it? Yeah, something was off.I told myself not to care. Reminded myself of the promises I’d made in Greece—to keep my distance, to let her do her job, and to stop letting my feelings cloud my judgment. But logic only goes so far when emotion’s been given a seat at the table.She barely said a word throughout the meeting. Gave vague nods, offered clipped feedback, and didn’t catch even one of Jordan’s exaggerated eye rolls. That, more than anything, told me something was wron
Leah’s POVI grip the steering wheel tighter as the sun begins its descent behind the high-rises, casting long shadows over the glassy cityscape. The air conditioning hums softly in my Audi, a dull contrast to the static buzzing in my head. It’s been there all day—ever since I kicked Ethan out of my penthouse the night before. I should feel relieved. I should feel strong for finally standing up for myself. But I don’t. I feel haunted. Every part of me is still strung tight, like a violin wound too far past its pitch. I haven’t told anyone what happened. Not dad, not the driver who picks me up sometimes. Not even Dwight. Especially not Dwight. The memory of his hand brushing the loose strand of hair from my cheek keeps replaying in my head like a quiet whisper. I’d leaned into the touch—God help me, I’d wanted to. There’d been nothing romantic about it, not really, not in the way it should’ve been. But something about the softness, the moment of tenderness in an otherwise col
Dwight's POV The moment I hang up Leah’s call, I’m already halfway out the door.I don’t think. I just move.The city blurs past as I tear through the streets like a man possessed. I don't care how many traffic laws I break or how many horns blare at me in protest. Leah is scared—and for good reason. And I'm not going to waste another damn second.I should’ve pushed harder today at the office. I knew something was wrong. The way she sat through that meeting, eyes vacant, her usual fire smothered under whatever weight she was carrying. I told myself to keep my distance, told myself it wasn’t my place anymore after she insisted she was fine.Maybe I was just a stupid coward who was afraid of digging deeper.And now here I am, racing through the night because a car was parked too long outside her window and she’s scared out of her mind.The last time this happened, it was me being hunted. Stalked. Dragged into the dark.And now they’ve moved on to her.I clench my jaw so tight it aches.
Dwight's POVThe moment I hang up Leah’s call, I’m already halfway out the door.I don’t think. I just move.The city blurs past as I tear through the streets like a man possessed. I don't care how many traffic laws I break or how many horns blare at me in protest. Leah is scared—and for good reason. And I'm not going to waste another damn second.I should’ve pushed harder today at the office. I knew something was wrong. The way she sat through that meeting, eyes vacant, her usual fire smothered under whatever weight she was carrying. I told myself to keep my distance, told myself it wasn’t my place anymore after she insisted she was fine.Maybe I was just a stupid coward who was afraid of digging deeper.And now here I am, racing through the night because a car was parked too long outside her window and she’s scared out of her mind.The last time this happened, it was me being hunted. Stalked. Dragged into the dark.And now they’ve moved on to her.I clench my jaw so tight it aches.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN Leah’s POVI stood in the middle of the guest room, my fingers idly grazing the edge of the dresser, trying to take it all in. The place didn’t feel real—at least not in the sense that it belonged to someone I used to love. It was too modern, too polished. A sleek contrast to the chaotic mess my mind had become.Dwight had shown me around with the precision of someone trying not to linger too long. The kitchen, the alarm system, the espresso machine I’d probably never use, and then the guest room—with fresh linens and my favorite scent diffused lightly into the air like he’d somehow known I’d be here tonight.I was alone now. The soft sound of his retreating footsteps had long faded down the hall. But the space still felt charged, like something invisible tethered us together. I exhaled slowly and glanced around again. The room was beautiful. Minimalistic yet warm. Soft beiges and greys. A plush area rug. It felt like him. It also felt safe. And that al
EPILOGUE Leah's POV I sit quietly by Dwight’s hospital bed, my fingers gently wrapped around his, the steady beeping of the heart monitor grounding me. After two surgeries, he’s finally resting.When I’d been told that Dwight was shot, I had felt my entire world crashing down. I’d cried all the way to the hospital, and it’d taken three men to keep me out of the operating room.But miraculously, he’s alive. Still here. Still breathing. Still mine. And yet, it all feels surreal—the whirlwind of the past few days catching up in uneven bursts. Ethan’s arrest, Gerald’s disgrace, the truth about Glimmr being Dwight’s all along becoming public. But nothing compares to the ache that comes from the one betrayal I never saw coming—my uncle’s.I had trusted him. Loved him. Thought of him as a steady force in my life. But behind all the warmth and concern was a man plotting to control me—using my heartbreak, pushing me toward Ethan, and scheming to seize Veloura for himself. He’d sat there at t
Dwight's POVThe road coils like a serpent beneath my tires, black and endless. Trees lean in on either side like silent witnesses, their twisted branches clawing at the pale sky. Gerald’s directions run through my head again and again, carved into memory. The House of Silence—what a sick, ironic name. My grip tightens on the wheel as I push forward, heart hammering in a rhythm I haven’t known in years.I tap my earpiece.“Parker.”Static, then his clipped voice. “Sir.”“I have done it. Coordinates check out." I tap on my screen, sending a screenshot of the map Gerald had handed me.“Mr. Spencer, wait. I’m pulling in backup. Don’t go in alone. I mean it.”“I don’t have time. He could be doing God knows what to that young woman right now. He needs to be stopped.” I couldn't let them do to her what they'd done to me.“Dwight—”“There’s no time, Parker. You won’t make it before it’s too late.”He curses under his breath. “At least wait nearby. Don’t breach. I’ll be there in fifteen.”But
Ethan’s POVShe looked like porcelain under the low light.Pale, trembling, slick with sweat. Her chest heaved as she lay on the stained cot in the far corner, wrists bound to the headboard with nylon straps, ankles tied tight. Her hair—light brown, maybe even blonde in the right light—was matted against her temples, soaked. And those eyes. Translucent blue, darting like a cornered rabbit, searching for a way out that didn’t exist.“I don’t know what I did,” she sobbed. Her voice cracked like something brittle. “Please, please let me go…”I didn’t move. I just watched her from the shadows, still as a breath held underwater. She tried to sit up, trembling, her arms pulling at the restraints with a sound like Velcro peeling from skin.“I’ll give you everything,” she cried. “My paychecks—every single one. I swear. Just don’t hurt me. My boyfriend… he doesn’t have money. He can’t pay ransom. Please…”God. She was alive. Alive in the way most people forgot how to be. The kind of aliveness
Dwight's POV Gerald Carrington lived in a two-story villa tucked behind a quiet cul-de-sac on the city’s west end. The neighborhood had a curated calm about it — hedges trimmed to military precision, pavement scrubbed of all disorder. Unlike his brother Felix’s sprawling estate with its sweeping gates and Greek statues, Gerald’s home was the kind of place that whispered wealth rather than screamed it. Tasteful. Secluded. Expensive, but not decadent.I parked three blocks down and approached on foot, dressed in dark jeans and a charcoal sweater. No cologne. No jewelry. Nothing that caught the light.Judith had delivered the address an hour ago. She’d also found a layout of the house — a scanned blueprint buried in some renovation permits from two years back. I studied it on the ride over, memorizing the entry points, camera placements, the blind spots between hedges and roof angles.I wasn’t here for a polite conversation.I was here for answers.The backyard was mostly covered — two
DWIGHT'S POVThe office around me — my own private quarters at Glimmr — felt too big, too empty, too quiet. Every tick of the clock on the wall sounded like a drumbeat inside my skull.I couldn't sit still.Couldn't stop moving.Pacing back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows like a caged animal.My hands itched to do something — to tear something apart, to find Ava, to end whatever nightmare she was living through because of me.Ava had trusted me.Worked for me.Smiled at me, grateful for opportunities and promises.And I had failed her.Just like I had once failed myself, locked in that dark, cold hell three years ago.I dragged my fingers through my hair, jaw locked so tight it ached.Where was Parker?Where was the goddamn call?My phone buzzed sharply on the desk.I lunged for it like a drowning man reaching for a rope.“Talk to me,” I barked, not bothering with hellos.Parker’s voice crackled through, low and urgent.“We hit Ethan’s place. Just finished. He's not
Dwight's POV The tires screeched against the pavement as I pulled out of the driveway, my hand clenching the steering wheel so hard the leather groaned beneath my grip. The night sky stretched endless above me, but I barely saw it. All I could see was Ava's face. Bright, smiling Ava, who was now missing — God knew where — because somewhere, somehow, I'd let my guard down.Not again. I wouldn't lose another innocent to this madness. I swore it.I jabbed the button on the dashboard, calling Parker first.He answered on the first ring. "Boss?""I need you to move," I barked, weaving through traffic like a man possessed. "Ava's missing. Her fiancé called the office — she never showed up back there after leaving my house."A sharp intake of breath. "Shit. You think it's connected?""I know it is." My gut was screaming, every instinct sharpened to a fine, deadly edge. "I need you to pull every favor, use every contact you have. Track her phone, hack into traffic cams, do whatever it take
Dwight's POVIt was dark out. Leah lay half-sprawled across my chest, the silky strands of her hair tickling my skin. Our clothes were scattered haphazardly across the room, abandoned in our urgency. The heavy rug under us cushioned our bodies, still slick and languid from the intensity of our lovemaking. I still couldn't believe the feelings that coursed through me as I'd made love to her. It was better than all the times I had allowed myself to imagine... to fantasize.It had been pure magic. Messy, but perfect. And having her here in my arms filled me with the duty of contentment that had been missing for three years. I could have stayed like that forever. Her breath warm against my skin. Her heart beating in slow, contented rhythms against mine. Her fingers moved idly over my chest, tracing lazy patterns. Every touch sent aftershocks through my nerves, subtle reminders of how close we had just been, how perfect she felt wrapped around me...And then her fingers stilled. She brushe
Dwight's POV The clock on the wall ticked mockingly at me, but I barely noticed it anymore.I sat behind my desk, staring at the documents spread out before me, but none of the words made it past the thick wall of energy thrumming in my veins. It was all background noise. Filler. Nothing compared to the singular, burning thought anchoring me:Leah.Home. Waiting for me.The thought wrapped itself around every nerve ending, making it almost impossible to sit still. I knew it wouldn’t last—this arrangement was temporary. But even knowing that, I couldn't stop the anticipation that practically vibrated in my blood. The pull toward her was too strong, too fierce to deny.I remembered the kiss we shared. God, I remembered every detail. The tentative way I had brushed my mouth against hers. The way she had frozen for a breathless second before melting against me, kissing me back like it was the only thing keeping her alive. That kiss had shattered something inside me. It wasn
Leah’s POVAfter Ava left, the house felt much bigger.Much quieter.And somehow, even though I knew I was safe, the silence made me feel small.I sprawled on the plush sofa in the sunken living room, laptop abandoned beside me, staring out at the endless stretch of green beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The afternoon sun slanted in golden beams across the polished floors, painting everything in warm, sleepy light.I could still hear Ava’s cheerful goodbye ringing in my ears."Call me if you need anything, okay?"I had promised I would. But really, there was nothing Ava—or anyone—could do for me now.I needed time. Space.Maybe even forgiveness.The soft shuffle of footsteps pulled me out of my thoughts. I sat up just as the house chef—a kind-eyed woman named Marla—approached, wiping her hands on a white apron."Miss Carrington," she said with a polite nod, "would you like anything for lunch? I made a chicken and asparagus salad. Fresh bread too."My stomach gave an unexpe