로그인Leo's pov“Do you think I should call him?”The question slipped out before I could stop it.Kiara, who had been scrolling through her phone again, probably rechecking those pictures for the hundredth time, paused and looked up at me.“Call who?” she asked, though I could already tell she knew.“Mark,” I said.Her expression changed immediately to disapproval.“No,” she said, firmly.I frowned slightly.“No?”“No,” she repeated, lowering her phone to her lap. “That’s exactly what you shouldn’t do right now.”I leaned back against the couch, exhaling slowly as I ran a hand through my hair.“I don’t know, Kiara. Maybe Miriam is trying to use him against me,” I said. “Or maybe there’s some misunderstanding. I should at least hear from him directly.”She shook her head.“And what are you going to say?” she asked. “Hey Mark, I saw you having lunch with the woman who just blackmailed me. Care to explain?”I didn’t respond immediately because when she put it like that, It sounded really bad
Miriam's pov “Pick this one.”“No.”“Susan—”“I said no.”I rolled my eyes dramatically and dropped my phone onto my lap, staring at her like she had just committed a crime.“You don’t even have taste,” I said flatly.Susan gasped, clutching her chest like I had stabbed her.“Excuse me? Me? No taste? Miriam, I literally helped you pick half your wardrobe.”“And half of it is questionable,” I shot back, picking up my phone again.She leaned closer, trying to snatch it from me.“Let me see that again.”I turned the screen away quickly.“No. You already rejected it.”“Because it’s ugly!”“It is not ugly!” I snapped, pulling the phone back toward me. “It’s elegant.”“It looks like a curtain.”I paused.“It does not look like a curtain.”“It does,” she insisted, nodding firmly. “If you wear that out, I’m pretending I don’t know you.”I scoffed and tapped the screen, zooming in on the dress again.It was gorgeous and perfect. She just didn’t get it.“You’re jealous,” I said finally.She b
Kiara's pov “Leo, I saw something today.”The words came out the moment I stepped into the living room. I didn’t even bother taking off my heels. My bag slipped from my shoulder onto the couch as I stood there, my phone still clutched tightly in my hand.Leo looked up immediately from where he was sitting, his brows pulling together at the tension in my voice.“What happened?” he asked, already getting to his feet.I walked toward him without another word and held out my phone.“Look at this.”He took it from me slowly, his eyes scanning my face first before dropping to the screen. I watched his expression closely as he swiped through the pictures.At first, nothing.Then I saw this look of recognition on his face. His jaw tightened slightly.“Where did you get this?” he asked, his tone lower now.“I took them,” I replied. “At lunch. They walked into the same restaurant I was at.”He looked up at me again.“You’re sure this is today?”“Yes.”Silence.I crossed my arms, my chest still
Kiara's pov“You’re zoning out again.”I blinked, pulling my attention back to the present as my assistant, Julie, stood in front of my desk with a file in her hand. Her brows were slightly furrowed, concern written all over her face.“I’m not,” I said automatically.She didn’t look convinced.“Ma’am, you’ve been staring at that screen for the past ten minutes and you haven’t typed a single thing.”I glanced at my laptop. She wasn’t wrong.A blank document stared back at me, cursor blinking like it was already screaming for me to type. II sighed and leaned back in my chair.“Okay, maybe I am zoning out.”Julie softened a little and stepped closer, placing the file gently on my desk.“Is everything okay?” she asked. “You’ve been off since you came in this morning.”I hesitated.How do you explain that your life had been turned upside down, that you paid off someone who might come back any moment, and now you’re supposed to just design interiors like nothing happened?“I’m fine,” I said
Kiara’s POV“Are you sure we should go back already?”My voice came out softer than I intended, almost swallowed by the quiet hum of the car engine. I kept my eyes on the gate ahead, fingers curled tightly around my bag resting on my lap.From the backseat, Sophia looked up from her tablet.“Back where?” she asked innocently.“To the house, baby,” I replied gently.“Oh.” She smiled brightly. “I missed my room.”I wish it was that easy for me.Leo didn’t answer my question immediately. He slowed the car near the gate, his eyes scanning the surroundings carefully like he expected danger to suddenly appear from nowhere.“It’s been handled,” he said finally, calm but firm. “There’s no reason to keep running, Kiara.”I let out a slow breath, not fully convinced.“You said that before,” I murmured.His jaw tightened slightly at my words, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he parked the car and turned slightly toward me.“This time is different.”There was something in his tone that made me want
Miriam’s POVI stared at my phone like it was a trophy. Then I screamed.“Sandra!”She rushed out of the room, almost tripping over herself.“What? What happened?!”I turned the phone to her, my grin wide and wild.“Girl… I am rich!”Her eyes widened.“No way.”“Oh yes way,” I said, flipping my hair back dramatically. “He paid.”She grabbed the phone from my hand, scrolling through the transaction alert.“Oh my God… Miriam!” she gasped. “This is real!”I snatched the phone back, holding it close to my chest like someone might steal it.“I told you,” I said proudly. “I told you I could pull this off.”Sandra stared at me like she was seeing me for the first time.“You’re actually insane,” she said, half laughing.I winked.“Insanely smart.”She dropped onto the couch, still shaking her head.“I can’t believe Leo actually paid you. Like… Leo.”I scoffed.“Please. That man doesn’t have a choice.”I stood up and started pacing, my excitement too much to sit down.“He thinks he can just le
Leo’s POV“I expected you to come as fast as possible,” Miriam said the moment we stepped outside the station. “What took you so long?”I stopped walking and turned to her slowly. She kept touching the swollen part of her face as if to remind me it existed.“What do you mean?” I asked flatly. “I ca
Kiara’s POVMy phone vibrated just as I was pacing the narrow corridor outside the interrogation rooms. Alex.I hesitated before answering, then swiped up. “Alex.”“Kiara,” his voice came through, tense. “What is this I’m hearing about Sandra?”I stopped pacing. “What do you mean?”“My phone has be
Leo’s POVThe moment I stepped into the warehouse Vincent had kept him, I didn’t waste time with words. I moved fast.He was tied to a chair, eyes widening in fear when he saw me. Before he could open his mouth, my fist connected with his nose so hard.He groaned loudly, his head snapping back as b
Kiara’s POVI couldn't sleep that night. No matter how many times I closed my eyes, the truth Leo revealed replayed itself in my head. So this is the extent Miriam can get to just to destroy me.I stared at the ceiling, my chest tight, my fingers clenched beneath the sheets. Hatred was one thing.







