FAZER LOGIN“Let go of me!” she gasped, thrashing against him.
That familiar, suffocating floral scent filled her nose—sweet and cloying. Her stomach turned.
“Serena,” Matheo whispered, “just sleep.”
Her voice broke with fury and fear. “I don’t want to sleep! Don’t make me sleep again!”
But her protest was already fading. The scent and the drug worked together, clouding her mind, pulling her under. The world blurred into darkness.
As she went limp in his arms, Matheo’s lips curved into a faint smile. He carried her through a hidden passage into a secluded room at the back of the suite.
A woman in a lab coat stood waiting.
“Ease the effects of the drug in her system,” he ordered.
The woman nodded, but before she could turn away, Matheo added, his tone smooth and chilling, “And make sure she believes she slept with me.”
Her eyes widened in
The conference room was dimly lit, the heavy curtains drawn against the late afternoon light spilling in from the windows. The faint hum of the city outside was muted, replaced by the low murmur of men in tailored suits and the clinking of coffee cups against porcelain saucers.Alexander sat at the head of the long table, half-turned toward the window, his gaze distant. The sleek black phone in his hand spun slowly between his fingers—a quiet rhythm that betrayed the turmoil beneath his composed exterior.Colton was speaking with several members of the Adams family, their voices low but tense. They had flown in that morning, briefed and restless, ready to act. Yet despite all the resources and manpower at their disposal, the situation remained maddeningly opaque.Since Alexander’s last call with Serena, a storm had brewed behind his expression. Cornelius’s signal had appeared on their radar—faint, fleeting, and then gone. It was as if the
An hour later, Serena stirred awake. The first thing she saw was the soft cream-colored ceiling above her — familiar, safe. A faint breath escaped her lips, half in relief, half in disbelief. For a brief, blissful moment, she thought she was alone.Then came a voice. A voice she hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime.“Awake?”It was calm, deep — unmistakably Matheo’s.Serena’s body went rigid. Every nerve in her froze. Slowly, she turned her head toward the sound, and her heart nearly stopped.Matheo sat in the chair beside her bed, his expression unreadable under the dim light filtering through the curtains. The faint scent of rain still clung to his coat — and for an instant, the room felt suffocating.What is he doing here?Her instinct was to sit up, to demand answers, but before she could form a word, he reached forward and pressed his hand gently over her mouth.“D
Steam still lingered in the bathroom when Serena stepped out, a thin towel wrapped around her trembling frame. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders as she collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion pressing down on her chest like a weight.Just as her body touched the sheets, her phone began to ring.She turned her head toward the nightstand, blinking through the haze. The screen flashed a name she both longed for and dreaded—Alexander.Her stomach twisted. Then she noticed the time.She had been asleep—no, unconscious—for two days. From the moment she passed out until now, she had been with Matheo.The thought alone made her fingertips tremble violently.Still, she answered.“Serena,” Alexander’s voice came through, bright and teasing, tinged with the satisfaction of a man who believed everything was fine. “What are you up to? You’ve been… working out for two days straight. Aren’t
“Let go of me!” she gasped, thrashing against him.That familiar, suffocating floral scent filled her nose—sweet and cloying. Her stomach turned.“Serena,” Matheo whispered, “just sleep.”Her voice broke with fury and fear. “I don’t want to sleep! Don’t make me sleep again!”But her protest was already fading. The scent and the drug worked together, clouding her mind, pulling her under. The world blurred into darkness.As she went limp in his arms, Matheo’s lips curved into a faint smile. He carried her through a hidden passage into a secluded room at the back of the suite.A woman in a lab coat stood waiting.“Ease the effects of the drug in her system,” he ordered.The woman nodded, but before she could turn away, Matheo added, his tone smooth and chilling, “And make sure she believes she slept with me.”Her eyes widened in
Anita’s hands were slick with sweat by the time she received Chiara’s urgent message. Her heart pounded so loudly that it nearly drowned out the sound of traffic outside.The online scandal was still raging like wildfire—hashtags trending, gossip threads exploding, and vultures circling for the next bit of drama. Anita had already unleashed Beatrice the night before, giving her free rein to strike when the timing was right. Yet, to Anita’s irritation, Beatrice hadn’t made a single move.Now, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles blanched, Anita could barely contain her frustration. Her car hummed quietly in the shadows of a dimly lit parking garage as she scrolled through her phone, her pulse quickening when she found what she’d been looking for—Alexander had left town.Perfect.Taking a long, steady breath, Anita composed a message and fired it off to Beatrice. Now’s your chance. Go after
The morning light crept softly through the sheer curtains, brushing against the edges of the silk sheets tangled around Serena’s sleeping form. The air still carried traces of warmth and the faint scent of her perfume mingled with his cologne—a heady mix of tenderness and exhaustion.Alexander, already dressed in a crisp shirt and dark trousers, stood beside the bed for a moment, quietly studying her. The sunlight danced across her bare shoulder, the rhythm of her breathing calm and steady after the chaos of the night before.Leaning down, he brushed his fingertips over her cheek, his touch gentle yet possessive. “Serena,” he whispered, his voice low and velvety, “there’s a lead on Grandfather’s side. I need to head abroad.”She stirred faintly but didn’t wake. A small frown formed on her face, as though even in sleep she could sense his absence.Smiling faintly, Alexander reached out again and gave her a soft shake. Her lashes fluttered open, heavy with fatigue, revealing drowsy eyes







