LOGIN~YVONNE'S POV~The executive floor was quiet when I stepped off the elevator, early morning—most people wouldn't arrive for another hour.But I could hear voices coming from Arthur's office, murmuring, soft laughter.My stomach dropped.I walked slowly down the hallway, my heels clicking on the shiny floor. I passed my desk—exactly as I had left it two weeks ago, past the conference room, past the break room.Toward Arthur's office.The door was closed but not latched, slightly ajar. I could hear them more clearly now, a woman's voice, breathy and giggling.And Arthur, that low murmur he used when he was—No.I stood outside the door, one hand on my stomach, the other gripping my bag.'You're just doing your job, reporting for duty. It doesn't matter what's happening in there.' But it did matter, because even though I hated him, even though I knew exactly who he was, some small part of me had still hoped—I grabbed the door handle."Good morning, sir," I said, pushing it open. "Sorry,
~YVONNE'S POV~I woke up at 5 AM, too anxious to sleep.I was going back today.I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, my hand resting on my flat stomach out of habit. The emptiness still shocked me sometimes.Two weeks and my body had adjusted, but my mind kept forgetting. No more baby, no more future with Arthur, no more pretending, just revenge.At 5:30, I heard movement from Liam's room and the shower running. I should have stayed in bed. I should have given him privacy.Instead, I got up, pulled on a robe, and padded down the hallway toward the kitchen for coffee.Liam's door was slightly ajar.I paused.'Don't look. Just keep walking. This is a terrible idea.' But my feet stopped moving, and my eyes...traitor that they were...looked.Through the crack in the door, I could see into his bathroom, the glass shower was frosted but not unclear. I could see his silhouett—broad shoulders, narrow waist, the movement of his arms as he washed his hair.I should leave. I should d
~YVONNE'S POV~Day twelve was a Friday.I spent most of it going through Arthur's calendar, his meeting schedules, every email, and every file I had saved from my time as his assistant.Two weeks I had been gone. Fourteen days of absence.And he hadn't called, hadn't texted, hadn't checked to see if I was alive.I had told myself I didn't care, that I had expected it, that Arthur Klein had never given a damn about me and this just confirmed it.But it still hurt.Three years I had organized his life, made his coffee, managed his schedule, covered for his mistakes, and smiled when he belittled me.I stayed late when he demanded it, gave him everything, and he hadn't even noticed I was gone."You okay?"I looked up, Liam was standing in the doorway, two mugs of coffee in his hands.We had been careful around each other since the study conversation, polite and distant, like strangers living in the same house."Yeah. Just..." I gestured at the laptop. "Going through Arthur's meeting reque
~YVONNE'S POV~Two weeks.That's how long I had been hiding at Liam's lake house, fourteen days of watching the water, eating meals Liam made, sleeping in a bed that wasn't mine, and trying to convince myself I was healing.I wasn't healing. I was surviving, there's a difference.The cramping had stopped, the bleeding had stopped. My body had moved on like nothing had happened, like I hadn't lost a baby two weeks ago.But my mind hadn't caught up yet.I still woke up reaching for my stomach, expecting to feel the small curve that had been growing there. Still felt ghost movements—little flutters that weren't real. I still cried in the shower where Liam couldn't hear me.And Liam—Liam was trying.He made breakfast every morning, left it on the counter with a glass of orange juice and my prenatal vitamins even though there was no baby to take them for anymore. He worked from his study during the day, taking calls and video meetings while I sat in the living room pretending to read bo
~LIAM'S POV~Friday arrived too fast.I sat in my car outside the Klein estate at 6:45 PM, engine idling, staring at the house I had grown up in and hated with every fiber of my being.My phone rang, It was Aiden."You sitting outside your dad's place right now?" he asked."How'd you know?""Because you always call me before you do something stupid. And I haven't heard from you. So I figured you're about to walk into a family dinner and need someone to talk you down."Despite everything, I smiled. "When did you get so smart?""Law school. They teach reading comprehension." He paused. "Seriously though....you okay?""No.""You going in anyway?""Yeah.""Want to tell me why?""Vanessa needs to know I know what she did. And I need to see Arthur's face when I show up to his celebration dinner after everything.""That's petty.""I'm aware."Aiden sighed. "How's Yvonne?"The name made my chest tight. "Alive. Healing. Planning revenge.""Sounds healthy.""It's the only thing keeping her upri
~LIAM'S POV~She looked smaller in sleep.I stood in the doorway of her bedroom, coffee cooling in my hand, watching Yvonne curl around the bedsheet like she was afraid of letting go. She had lost weight—I could see it in the hollows of her cheeks, the sharp edge of her collarbone visible above the blanket.Four days and she was already fading.Last night's conversation played on repeat in my head. 'I want to make them pay. Myself.'The naive girl who had cried on Arthur's shoulder was gone, something harder had taken her place, something that wanted blood.'Use me, Yvonne.'I had said it without thinking. Just opened my mouth and offered her everything....my money, my resources, my connections, my rage. Offered to let her wield me like a weapon against everyone who had hurt her.Because I was in love with her.No—that was too soft, too simple.I was obsessed with her, consumed by her. She had gotten under my skin like a virus I couldn't cure and didn't want to, every breath she took
~LIAM POV~She began to wipe away the blood, starting at my wrist and working her way up. The towel was warm, the clash soothing against the raw skin.I watched her work, enchanted. She was detailed. She cleaned the dried red spots from my fingers, working around the split knuckles with a gentlenes
~LIAM'S POV~The elevator ride to the penthouse was nauseating.My stomach stirred with every mechanical lurch, and I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or the fact that I could still smell her on my clothes from earlier.Vanilla and something floral. It stuck to my shirt like a blame.I looked do
LIAM (Third Person POV)The amber liquid burned on the way down, a scorch mark against the back of his throat that he welcomed. It was the only thing real right now.The only thing that wasn't her.Liam sat in the darkest corner of Rush & Division, a club in River North where the elite came to pret
~YVONNE POV~He didn't wait to see if I obeyed. He just walked toward a set of double doors on the far side of the room.I took my bag and ran after him, my shoes making noise on the smooth floors.We entered a library. It was the only room I had seen so far that felt like it had a pulse.The walls







