MasukTessa adjusted the strap of her work bag and glanced at her phone for the third time in two minutes.The address was right. She had checked it twice before leaving the apartment. She had checked it again on the train. And now she was standing outside Lockwood & Co., staring at the glass doors like they might suddenly move.Her phone buzzed.She smiled when she saw the name, then picked it up. "Hi, Dad.""I'm just checking that you actually found the place," Peter Quinn said, his voice warm but slightly wheezy. "You're not standing outside a random company hoping it's the right one?"Tessa laughed. "I'm standing outside the right building, Dad. I promise."Good. Because I already told Daniel you'd probably get lost on your first day.""Of course you did." Tessa shook her head. "I'll call you later. I have to go in soon.""Alright. Good luck, Teresa." He said."Thanks, Dad."She hung up and looked at her phone again.9:12 AM.She still had time. The email from HR said her orientation st
Roman stared at the screen, his jaw tight. His voice was dangerously low.“I don’t understand what you just said to me.” He frowned. “What do you mean you found her?”Davin swallowed. “We mean…we know where she is.”“And why the fuck would you know that?” Roman asked, voice slightly raised. “Come on Roman,” Davin said. “You were in a terrible place and we only wanted to help.”“Help?” He asked. “By having the woman who betrayed me then left without a trace come back to me, really?” He raised his brow.“In her defence…you chased her away,” Davin said.“In my defence, she cheated with my brother.” Roman scoffed. “But it seems like just because I chased after her at an airport, it means all is forgotten.”No one answered. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Roman rose from his chair.“Relax Roman,” Alec said. “You don’t need to get yourself worked up.”“I was doing just fine not knowing anything about Tessa or her whereabouts,” Roman said.“Were you though?” Alec asked.“Really Roman?”“Yes.
The city lights blurred past the tinted windows of the Rolls-Royce. Chicago at night was a different beast—quieter, colder, the streets emptied of the day's chaos.Roman sat in the back, one leg crossed over the other, his gaze fixed on the passing buildings. His tie was loosened. His sleeves were rolled up. The exhaustion of the day settled into his bones.Olivia sat across from him, a laptop on her lap, scrolling through the day's notes. She glanced up at him, then back down, then up again."The interviews," she said carefully. "How were they?"Roman didn't look at her. "They were all the same. A complete waste of my time."Olivia nodded slowly. "I see." She paused. "You did spend some time with Miss Mendel, though. How was that?"Roman didn't answer immediately.He thought of her. Sabrina had held his gaze, answered his questions without flinching. And the way she had called him out, pushed back, refused to grovel.She wasn't scared of him.That was rare.He exhaled through his nos
Sabrina sat slowly, placing the folder neatly on her lap.Her heart hammered against her ribs.She had been nervous before walking into the office.Now it was worse.The first candidate had walked out looking defeated and the second had left furious. The third had practically begged her to run.And yet, here she was.Sitting across from Roman Blackwood.The man who could either hand her the opportunity she’d been waiting for… or end it before it even began.Roman didn’t speak.He simply looked at her.His expression was unreadable. His dark eyes studied her with quiet intensity, as though he were trying to understand something that wasn’t written anywhere in the file resting on his desk.The silence stretched.One second. Two. Three.Sabrina shifted in her chair. Then again.Finally, unable to take it anymore, she cleared her throat.“Mr Blackwood,” she said carefully, forcing a polite smile. “Are you going to say something?”Roman leaned back in his chair, studying her. "I'm deciding
The alarm rang at exactly six thirty.Before it had the chance to ring a second time, a hand reached across the bedside table and silenced it.Sabrina Mendel stretched beneath the covers before slowly sitting up.The floor was cold against her bare feet, and the radiator in the corner coughed uselessly.She shuffled to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the hot water wake her up. Steam filled the small space. She stood under the spray longer than she should have, her mind already running through the day ahead.She stepped out, wrapped a towel around herself, and wiped the fog from the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her — tired eyes, damp hair, the faint shadows of someone who didn't sleep enough.She dressed quickly. Simple blazer, blouse, tailored trousers. Nothing too flashy.She checked herself one more time in the mirror. Adjusted her collar and straightened the sleeves.She headed for the kitchen, turned on the kettle, and pulled her phone from her pocket. Three
Roman sat alone in his office, thinking about his father’s final words.“You might not have someone like her to change you again.”He let out a deep breath. That was the least of his problems. He didn’t need someone like her. In fact, he didn’t need anyone.He hadn’t allowed himself to think about Tessa much over the past year, and he wasn’t about to start now. There was nothing to think of.She had left on her own terms. He had respected that. As much as every instinct had screamed at him to find her, he hadn’t used his influence, his money, or his connections.She was a grown woman.She had made a grown decision.And so had he.A firm knock interrupted his thoughts.“Come in,” Roman said sharply.The door opened and Olivia stepped inside, her hands clasped behind her back.“Olivia.” He said. “What is it?”“Mr Blackwood,” She kept her head high. “I apologise for what happened earlier. I had no idea Mr Thorne had—”“How could you let that happen?” Roman cut her off. His voice was lo







