LOGINOlivia I didn’t run. I walked. Through the east wing, past the rooms that smelled like dust and old money, out into the morning air that was too crisp for how sick I felt. I made it to the main house before my legs gave out. Not dramatically. I just sat down on the bottom step of the staircase and put my head between my knees. Breathe. In. Out. It didn’t help. I’d been prepared for a lot of things. For him to be gone. For him to be with Cici, murmuring about “security protocols.” For him to use his boardroom voice and tell me to stop asking about Cassie. I wasn’t prepared for ...him with another woman. and not one that young. I wasn't prepared for the way she looked at me. Not guilty, not smug, just knowing. She knew who I was. She had to have known. The way her eyes went from me to him. That wasn’t confusion. That was calculation. That look spoke volumes...it said, "so you’re Olivia." God. How long? How long had she been here, in the part of the house I never went to,
Melanie We both watched the now-empty doorway where his wife had stood not so long ago. The door was wide open, of course it was. Why would it be closed? Privacy was for people who got to leave the house. I didn’t move. Couldn’t. Leo’s jacket still clung to my chest, and it smelled like him. Like last night. Like a mistake. Leo was awake now. Sitting up. Hand dragging through his hair, eyes on the door as if he stared hard enough he could undo the last 30 seconds of his life. We’d never said her name in this room. That was the rule. I knew he was married. Married, not separated, not “it’s complicated.” It was the reason I went to Paris.And after I came to the mansion, and he didn’t even deny it. He just looked at me with those stupid, wrecked eyes and I thought, Well, at least he’s honest about who he was. Even after being imprisoned and told to stay in this wing, I got accustomed to my new life and stayed. Because he looked at me like I was a person, not a problem. Be
Olivia I woke up warm. That was the first surprise. The second was the blanket. Tucked. Corners tight, as if someone had taken time. Like I was something worth keeping from the cold. My mouth tasted like the bottom of a vineyard, and my head was staging a revolt, but I wasn’t in my heels. Wasn’t on the bathroom tile. Wasn’t alone in the back of the car and, most importantly, I was not at the camp. Last night had been a wild ride. Leonardo's mom was a no-show, and it was Leonardo who had joined me for dinner. After dinner, he carried me. He covered me and even brushed the hair out of my face, and guess what, I was too drunk to tell him not to. God. When was the last time he had touched me like that? Just once since things took a turn for the worse . I sat up too fast. The room spun and my stomach lodged a complaint. Great. My pride told me to forget all about Leonardo's sweetness last night, continue on my pursuit in searching for Cassie, and just pretend that
Leonardo As I opened the front door to the east wing. Light spilled into the hall like an invitation I hadn’t asked for, maybe one of the maids had accidentally left them on. These are not things I shouldn't even be noticing. I should have kept walking. Out of this side of the building and into my study. Or better yet, back to my wife who by now must be snoring gently from the effects of alcohol. Instead, like a fool, I walked towards to the staircase and followed a slightly fading jasmine scent. Melanie was not in her bedroom. A perfect excuse for me to leave, but with my heart pounding I went in search of her and found her in the small library that served as a study. She was on the chaise by the window. laying down, A book face-down on her chest and my jacket thrown over her knees like she’d just grabbed whatever was warm. What surprised me was not that she had my jacket but the fact that I had forgotten it the last time I was here. That meant I was getting slop
LeonardoThe night moved better than I had hoped with Olivia. Although she was a whole lot tipsier than I would like, but the rough edge to her was gone.“I’ll have water,” I said to the waiter.“And please take the wine bottle away; my wife has had enough. " I finished, and I didn't miss the raised eyebrow look that Olivia threw my way.I had a taut reply sitting on the tip of my tongue, but luckily for the both of us, she didn't utter a word, and it died there.“Very good, sir," the waiter said and went to take the bottle but faltered. It was the slightest misstep. I wouldn’t have seen it if I wasn’t looking, but I was looking and waiting to see what Olivia would do or say.Once the waiter had cleared the table, I got up and extended my hand to her. "I can manage," she slurred her words."I'm sure you can." I said before taking her hand and putting a stop to any protests she might have about not wanting to go or about me holding her hand.We got inside the car, and she slumped agai
Olivia A half an hour passed and Leo's mother was nowhere to be seen. I ordered entrées and a glass of red wine just to have something in front of me. I kept on scanning the restaurant and my phone hoping that she had left something for me but nothing. There was no text, no missed call. As the minutes ticked by, it became clear that she was not coming. A wave of disappointment washed over me, leaving me feeling deflated. I had been counting on this meeting, hoping to get some answers about Leonardo and maybe, just maybe, find a way to move forward. I felt a lump form in my throat, and I swallowed hard. Not only that, I wanted to cry but not here, not now. I tried to shake off the feeling by taking a deep breath and a long sip from my drink...when I felt a presence beside me. I looked up, and there he was – Leonardo, standing beside the table next to me, his eyes boring into mine. My heart sank, but I tried to keep it together. “Leonardo," I said, my voice neutral. He smiled, t
Leonardo I sat back in the car waiting to hear from Nikolai. Cici sat beside me. After the time I had with Melanie, I felt a sense of ease wash over me. I hadnt been this relaxed in a long time. The deal with the station commander to release our men was as good as a done deal. "So, what's the
Leonardo Melanie's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I thought she was gonna try and play dumb again. But the tremble in her voice gave her away."Leo, I...I didn't mean to take it," she stammered, her words tumbling out. "I was in a rush, and I packed everything that was in the safe. I di
Melanie I found the little town out of Paris a little strange when I compared it to the London town I had known all my life, but Paris had been the closest place I could fly to with my limited budget in at such a short notice. I had always wanted to be in Paris doing fashion but here I was in
Melanie A woman about forty something with striking ginger hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen stood on my door step. She was as thin as the models I usually saw on runaway. She cleared her throat and I remembered my manners. I tried to sound casual, "Bonjour." I said trying to look







