MasukMichelle’s hand remained looped tightly around Ezra’s arm, refusing to let go. Her gaze followed Ava’s retreating figure until the woman disappeared beyond the glass doors of the lobby.Only then did she turn back, tugging gently at him with a honeyed smile. “Let’s go upstairs first. After that, you can show me the restaurant where you’ve been working.”Ezra’s jaw tightened. Watching the spot where Ava had vanished, he finally freed his arm from Michelle’s grasp. “How did you know I was working here?”Michelle’s chin lifted a little higher, pride softening her features. “Secret,” she said lightly, tapping a manicured finger to her lips.Ezra’s eyes darkened. He’d taken precautions, changed his name, and even avoided his usual circles — there was no reason she should have found him so easily.“Michelle,” he said evenly, “how exactly did you find me?”Her smile deepened, teasing. “Want to know?” She tilted her head toward the bellhop waiting with her luggage. “Take me to my room first,
For a few seconds, silence stretched between them.Ava waited, growing impatient. “Hey,” she said sharply, “are you done yet?”The man blinked, his wandering thoughts snapping back into focus. He released a quiet breath, finishing the last two stubborn strands caught in the hinge of her glasses. Then, almost absently, his fingers drifted upward.Click.The soft sound of the hair clip unlatching broke the stillness.Ava froze, startled. Her hair fell free — a dark, silken curtain cascading down her back like ink poured into sunlight.The morning light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows caught every strand, painting faint blue halos over the black sheen. As the smooth lengths brushed over his fingers — and against his cheek — Alexander stood there, momentarily robbed of speech.Her scent clung faintly to the air — warm skin and something clean, something hers.“What are you doing?” she demanded, frowning in irritation.He looked down at the strand of hair tangled around his
“Tastes different from yesterday,” Alexander murmured, his tone light yet deliberate. “Did you change your lipstick?”Any sensible person would’ve caught the insinuation — a casual dagger dressed in silk. He was still referring to the kiss.Before Ava could retort, Ezra’s smooth voice chimed in. “Oh, that reminds me…” He pressed a finger thoughtfully to his chin. “Ayvee, is my coat still with you?”The name rolled off his tongue lightly, deliberately.Ava blinked — his coat?Even though they were standing in her office when he’d left it there, Ezra’s words carried a hint of easy familiarity that was impossible to ignore.And judging by the faint arch of his brow and the knowing glance he sent toward Alexander, it was entirely intentional.The air between the two men changed — thin, sharp, electric.Ezra looked almost casual, but Ava knew him well enough to see the flicker of restrained anger in his eyes. He had been careful around her for months — cautious, measured, never crossing a
The sharp scent of coffee and polished silver lingered faintly in the air when the knock came at the door.Finn moved to open it — and in rolled two waiters pushing a gleaming breakfast cart. Behind them walked a tall man in a crisp white chef’s uniform, sleeves rolled just so, his movements confident and unhurried.Ava’s brows lifted the moment she saw him.Ezra?“Chef Rogan, at service number six,” Ezra announced with a courteous smile, stepping onto the terrace behind the waitstaff. His voice carried its usual warmth — polished and effortlessly charming. “I’m here to serve breakfast for Mr. Vanderbilt and Miss Vega.”He stood neatly beside the dining table, posture casual yet professional, his smile widening by a fraction. “May I know your preferences, Mr. Vanderbilt? How do you like your eggs done?”Ava blinked, momentarily thrown.In-room dining for the Presidential Suite was always handled by the head chef — never a sous-chef, and certainly not by Ezra Rogan himself. What on ear
The moment Ava stepped out of the lift, Finn Huntley was already waiting. The man’s polished smile and immaculate posture practically screamed assistant to a Vanderbilt.“Miss Vega,” he greeted, dipping his head politely. “Good morning.”Ava stopped mid-stride, tilting her head. “Mr. Huntley, what a surprise. You were looking for me?”“Yes,” he said pleasantly, though his eyes betrayed the faintest flicker of nerves. “Mr. Vanderbilt would like to see you in his suite. He’s prepared a gift for you.”Ava’s brows arched. A gift? From him?It was barely nine in the morning. What game was that man playing now?She glanced around — a few members of staff were watching from down the hall, whispering behind their hands. Maintaining her poise, Ava smiled thinly.“Please tell Mr. Vanderbilt,” she said lightly, “that I’m very busy with work and have no time for such… childish diversions.”She turned to walk away.“Miss Vega,” Finn called after her, still smiling though his tone had grown more ca
Back in her own room, Ava slipped through the open door onto the terrace, the cool air washing over her skin like a sigh from the night itself.Spring had settled over London — that uncertain season where the air was warm enough to breathe softly against the skin, yet still sharp enough to bite when the wind turned.She drew her arms around herself, her cotton shirt fluttering slightly as the breeze slipped down her collar, a chill whisper tracing along her neck — right where the bruise lay hidden.The city below was quiet. Streetlamps cast pale pools of amber light over the empty pavements, and somewhere in the distance, the Thames murmured under the bridges.For a few moments, she simply stood there, letting the silence soothe the storm still lingering in her chest.Then something caught her eye.A black sedan.Parked neatly at the edge of the road, just beneath her building. Its engine was off, headlights dark, but the faint metallic gleam of its body reflected the streetlight abov







