LOGINAdrian gasped. āThereās a league?āDamian tapped his nose. āSecret one.āEmery laughed, the sound warm and bright, surprising even herself. Damian looked at her then really lookedāand something eased in his chest.She was smiling again.Not the tired, forced one from the past.A real one.And he knew he would spend the rest of his life protecting that smile.āMom!āEthanās voice approached from behind them.Ethan and Patricia walked toward the picnic blanket, carrying extra fruit and drinks. Patriciaās eyes softened the moment they landed on Emery.āYou look peaceful today,ā her mother said.āI feel peaceful,ā Emery admitted quietly.Patricia squeezed her hand with the kind of apology only a mother could giveāno words, but years of regret, guilt, and love pressing into a single touch.Ethan plopped down beside Adrian.āWant me to show you how REAL h
The mansion doors burst open.Uniformed officers stormed in, followed by two detectives. Their flashlights slashed through the dim hallway like blades.Clara froze at the doorway, her hair wild, makeup streaked, eyes darting like a trapped animal.Owen stood behind her, pale as chalkāhands trembling, sweat dripping down his forehead.Emery instinctively stepped backward, breath catching in her throat.Claraās gaze locked on her instantly.āYou,ā she hissed.Damian surged forward.āStay away from her.āClara laughed ā a high, broken, hysterical sound.āOh, look. The loving husband. The knight. How pathetic.āDamianās jaw clenched, but he didnāt react.He positioned himself protectively in front of Emery.Gabriel moved to her side, steady and quietly watchful.The lead detective lifted a file.āClara Bennett. Dr. Owen . You are both under a
Evening,The car was silent on the way.Too silent.Emery glanced at Gabriel once or twice.āAre you okay?ā she asked.He forced a smile.āFine. Just work.āBut his fingers tapped against the steering wheel ā nervous.His jaw was tense ā deliberate.Something felt off.But she pushed it aside.Until the car slowed⦠and Emery looked out the windowā¦Her breath left her body.Because she knew this road.She knew that curve.She knew that black iron gate.Damian Coleās mansion.She shot up in her seat.āGabrielāwhy are we here?āHe parked.Killed the engine.Then turned to her, eyes slightly pained.āBecause you deserve answers, Emery.āA beat.āAnd because you deserve peace.āHer heart pounded.āNo. No, Gabriel, take me home. Pleaseā¦ā
The hospital was too quiet. Gabriel lay still, his arm stitched and wrapped, a thin line of blood staining the gauze. Emery sat beside him, eyes red and sleepless. She hadnāt said a word since the fight. Every time she tried, her throat closed up because it wasnāt just fear anymore. It was guilt. āYou shouldnāt have come,ā Gabriel said, voice rough. Emery blinked. āYou really think Iād sit back and wait to hear you were dead?ā āIt was a trap,ā he muttered. āThey wanted to draw you out.ā āAnd you think I care about that?ā she snapped. āI care that you almost got yourself killed!ā He sighed, turning his face toward the ceiling. āClara knows how to use people. Sheās not doing this alone.ā Her pulse jumped. āThen who is she doing it with?ā He hesitated, eyes flicking toward her. āDr. Owen.ā Emery froze. āā¦Owen?ā
He stepped inside anyway. āAnd I told you I donāt listen well when Iām worried.āEmery sighed, closing the door behind him. āYou shouldnāt be here.āāThen explain why you ran out of a cafĆ© like someone was chasing you.ā He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. āBecause I checked, Emery. That man didnāt come there by accident.āShe stiffened. āWhat do you mean?āGabriel pulled out his phone, swiping to a picture ā a still from the cafĆ©ās security camera.The man. Sitting alone in the corner. His face clearer now.Emeryās breath hitched. āThatās him.āGabriel nodded grimly. āHis name is Rowan. Used to work for Cole Enterpriseās legal division.āHer eyes widened. āWhat!āāHe resigned three months after you left.ā His gaze sharpened. āAnd now heās in Paris, sitting in your favorite cafĆ©, watching you and your son.āHer knees nearly gave out. Gabriel caught her before she could stumble.āWhy would Damian...āāI donāt think itās him,ā Gabriel interrupted quietly. āRowan never moved directly fo
Itās been three weeks now,The faint jingle of the cafĆ© doorbell sliced through the morning calm.Emery froze, her teacup halfway to her lips.Something about that sound ā or maybe the heavy hush that followed it made her heart skip.She glanced up slowly.The man who entered was tall, sharply dressed, with the kind of aura that didnāt belong in a warm, friendly cafĆ© like Celesteās. His suit was immaculate, his posture rigid, and his eyes... searching. Celeste ā Calm, gentle and a generous womanEmery met her when she was moving in to the apartment and she has really been a supportive woman.ā¦ā¦ā¦He scanned the room once, then again, before settling at a table near the corner. The moment their gazes brushed, Emeryās stomach twisted.That face. That cold, assessing stare.Sheād seen it before.Not his ā but the kind of man who served someone powerful. Someone like Damian Cole.Her hands trembled as she set the cup down. The faint clink of porcelain drew Celesteās attention immediatel







