MasukZOE’S POV I pressed my fingers to my temple trying to will away the headache that had built up over the last couple of hours. There was something I needed to do, but it required there be fewer or no other people in the office, so I was officially working late tonight. By the time the office started to empty, I was more agitated than I had been earlier. The conversation with my mother kept replaying in loops I couldn’t shut off, each word digging a little deeper than I wanted to admit. ‘You’re being emotional.’ ‘You’re being unreasonable.’ I scoffed under my breath, grabbing my bag and standing up abruptly ignoring the curious glance Mason threw my way as I walked past him. ** The cool evening air hit my face as I stepped outside, and for a second, I just stood there. Taking deep breaths while letting the noise in my head settle just a little.
ZOE’S POV I watched as Elijah Burke walked out of Julian’s office, the door clicking softly behind him. For a second, I thought he would walk straight past but he didn't. His gaze landed on me instead—bold and assessing. Not the kind of look you brushed off easily. It felt… intentional. Like he wasn’t just seeing me, but reading me. Something about it made my spine stiffen. He slowed, then stopped right in front of my desk. “Zoella,” he said. It wasn't a question but a statement. My fingers tightened slightly around the pen in my hand. “Yes… Mr Burke.” A faint smile touched his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes.“I watched your presentation yesterday.” I kept looking at him, because truthfully I didn't know what to say to that. “You handled yourself well.” It was a compliment that should have made me feel flattered but for some reason it didn't.. “Thank you,” I said, keeping my voice steady. His gaze lingered on me for a second longer than necessary. Then
JULIAN’S POV “Mr Hart. Elijah Burke is here to see you.” I looked up to see Maureen, my temporary assistant, standing at the door, her hand resting against the frame. I had been neck-deep in reports from the campaign launch—an undeniable success, despite the one complication the media refused to let go of. Parker. His very public dismissal had already begun to circulate, twisted into narratives I didn’t particularly care for: corporate ruthlessness, abuse of power, internal conflict. Pick your poison. It had taken two hours with my PR team to contain it and get the right story out. Two hours I wouldn’t be getting back. And now this. I leaned back in my chair slowly, pressing my thumb against my temple. Of all the people I didn’t have time for today, Elijah Burke with his political propositions topped the list. The man had a talent for showing up exactly where he wasn’t wanted—and a habit of pushing until he got what he came for. “I don’t remember scheduling a m
ZOE’S POV “And then, next thing I knew—Parker was being dragged off the stage, shouting, ‘This isn’t right!’ and ‘You made a mistake!’ like that was going to save him.” “What?!” Lani shrieked, nearly dropping the comb in her hand. A client sitting under the dryer turned to look at us, mildly alarmed. Lani didn’t care. “Oh my God—that is wild!” she continued, bursting into laughter as she bent forward, clutching her stomach. “No, wait—wait don’t tell me, was he crying too?” I laughed, shaking my head as I slid into the salon chair. “Not crying. But he was definitely panicking.” “Same thing,” she waved it off. “I would have paid real money to see his face in that moment. I know it must’ve been priceless.” I shook my head as I wiped the corner of my eyes. “You’re terrible.” “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it.” she chided. “I didn’t,” I said automatically—then paused. …Okay, maybe a little. A small smile tugged at my lips. “I was too
THE NEXT DAY — WOLFE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH ZOE’S POV The energy in the air was… overwhelming. That was the only word I could think of to describe it. The Wolfe campaign rally had drawn a massive crowd of supporters, media houses, investors, stakeholders—everyone packed into the open field, their voices rising in waves as they chanted Damian Wolfe’s name. “Wolfe! Wolfe! Wolfe!” I stood with the rest of the team near the front line, my hands clasped tightly in front of me, trying to look and feel composed but it wasn’t working. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since I got here. Every sound felt amplified and every movement caught my attention. I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax. You’re fine, Zoe. Nothing has happened. Yet. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Something was going to happen. I could feel it. Like a storm building under my skin. From the corner of my eye, I caught movement—and then I saw Parker. He was standing a few feet away with the
JULIAN’S POV Zoe stood just inside my office door, her phone still in her hand, her posture stiff. Her breathing was uneven, like she had been having a panic attack. She looked scared and nervous. And it pissed me off to see her that way. “What do you mean you’re the target?” The words came out with a hint of anger as I pushed the door open and stepped inside, shrugging off my jacket. She turned to me.“I—I overheard him,” she said quickly, folding her hands in front of her. “In the break room. He was on the phone and—” “Slow down.” I moved behind my desk and took a seat, forcing my tone into something more controlled.. She needed me to be calm even if I wasn’t feeling it. “Start from the beginning.” She swallowed, nodding. “I went to get coffee. I didn’t even mean to listen but… I heard his voice and I just—” she hesitated, then exhaled. “He said I didn’t know anything. That even if I suspected something, it wouldn’t matter.” My jaw tightened, my fingers mo
Zoe’s POV I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh — to tell me he was joking. But Julian didn’t move. He just leaned back against the seat, watching me with those dark, unflinching eyes that stripped away every last layer of composure I had left. “Don’t look so alarmed,” he m
ZOE’S POV By the time I got to the office, all the excitement I had felt while getting ready for work had turned into anger and despair. My head was a mess, my heart even worse, but I had to show up to work, pretend that I was fine and functioning. Because no matter how much of a shit day I w
JULIAN’S POVI watched as Zoe scrambled out of my office like she’d just seen a ghost.Seeing her flustered always amused me. The way she tried so damn hard to keep her composure, to act like my presence didn’t affect her, when her eyes and body said otherwise—it was addictive. Nothing turned me on
ZOE’S POV The drive home was quiet at first. The city lights shining against the windows, washing the car’s interior in soft gold. I kept sneaking glances at him, the way his hands gripped the steering wheel, the way his jaw flexed whenever we hit a red light. He looked calm. Really cal







