LOGINZOE’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 walked into the office building on Monday morning, fully ready for the new week. Or at least that’s what I told myself. My body still ached in places I didn't know could ache and my mind kept flashing back to all the filthy, nasty things Julian had done to me over the weekend. We had awoken hours later and then he had proceeded to fuck me again till I was too weak to walk. He had to carry me out to the car cradled in his arms while Aaron gave us a knowing smirk. I shook my head as if that would dispel the memories but it didn’t , it only made it worse. A small, involuntary smile tugged at my lips before I forced it away, straightening my shoulders as I approached the elevator. Focus, Zoe. Work. Normalcy. “Morning, Zoe. Looking good today.” I looked up to see Mason leaning casually against the wall beside the elevator, his usual easy smile already in place. Oh. Mason. Predictable, safe, and normal Mason.Everything Julian wasn’t. He had been
ZOE’S POV The elevator hummed softly as it began its slow ascent. The walls were mirrored on three sides, polished to a shine that reflected us from every angle. The ride was charged with unspoken words. I stood next to him with my overnight bag at my feet, trying very hard not to stare.
JULIAN’S POV Without hesitation, she stood on her tiptoes and reached for me. When her lips met mine, it was like a light switch flipped, and everything in the room became hot…. She didn’t stop for breath, her hands kept fisting the front of my shirt and yanking me closer, like she’d been holdi
ZOE’S POV I didn’t go back to my desk after the meeting, I took a walk down to the parking lot to clear my head. I pulled out my phone while in my car and opened a new message thread with ChatGPT. ‘Hi Chat. What do I do when my laptop suddenly goes blank without any prior issues?’ It brou
ZOE’S POV I sat by my desk using the company backup laptop whilst I waited anxiously. The wait was unbearable, Cassandra had gone into Julian’s office over twenty minutes ago. I tried to work, but my hands trembled too much to type. Every time footsteps passed my desk, my heart jumped. Whispe







