LOGINZOEâS 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 couldnât shut off, each word digging a little deeper than I wanted to admit. âYouâre being emotional.â âYouâre being unreasonable.â 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.
ZOEâS POV I watched as Elijah Burke walked out of Julianâs 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 insteadâbold and assessing. Not the kind of look you brushed off easily. It felt⌠intentional. Like he wasnât just seeing me, but reading me. Something about it made my spine stiffen. He slowed, then stopped right in front of my desk. âZoella,â he said. It wasn't a question but a statement. My fingers tightened slightly around the pen in my hand. âYes⌠Mr Burke.â A faint smile touched his lips, but it didnât reach his eyes.âI watched your presentation yesterday.â I kept looking at him, because truthfully I didn't know what to say to that. âYou handled yourself well.â It was a compliment that should have made me feel flattered but for some reason it didn't.. âThank you,â I said, keeping my voice steady. His gaze lingered on me for a second longer than necessary. Then
JULIANâS POV âMr Hart. Elijah Burke is here to see you.â 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 launchâan 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 didnât 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 wouldnât be getting back. And now this. I leaned back in my chair slowly, pressing my thumb against my temple. Of all the people I didnât have time for today, Elijah Burke with his political propositions topped the list. The man had a talent for showing up exactly where he wasnât wantedâand a habit of pushing until he got what he came for. âI donât remember scheduling a m
ZOEâS POV âAnd then, next thing I knewâParker was being dragged off the stage, shouting, âThis isnât right!â and âYou made a mistake!â like that was going to save him.â âWhat?!â Lani shrieked, nearly dropping the comb in her hand. A client sitting under the dryer turned to look at us, mildly alarmed. Lani didnât care. âOh my Godâthat is wild!â she continued, bursting into laughter as she bent forward, clutching her stomach. âNo, waitâwait donât tell me, was he crying too?â I laughed, shaking my head as I slid into the salon chair. âNot crying. But he was definitely panicking.â âSame thing,â she waved it off. âI would have paid real money to see his face in that moment. I know it mustâve been priceless.â I shook my head as I wiped the corner of my eyes. âYouâre terrible.â âDonât act like you didnât enjoy it.â she chided. âI didnât,â I said automaticallyâthen paused. âŚOkay, maybe a little. A small smile tugged at my lips. âI was too
THE NEXT DAY â WOLFE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH ZOEâS 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, stakeholdersâeveryone packed into the open field, their voices rising in waves as they chanted Damian Wolfeâs name. âWolfe! Wolfe! Wolfe!â 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 wasnât working. My heart hadnât stopped racing since I got here. Every sound felt amplified and every movement caught my attention. I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax. Youâre fine, Zoe. Nothing has happened. Yet. But that was the problem, wasnât 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 movementâand then I saw Parker. He was standing a few feet away with the
JULIANâS 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. âWhat do you mean youâre the target?â 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.âIâI overheard him,â she said quickly, folding her hands in front of her. âIn the break room. He was on the phone andââ âSlow down.â 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 wasnât feeling it. âStart from the beginning.â She swallowed, nodding. âI went to get coffee. I didnât even mean to listen but⌠I heard his voice and I justââ she hesitated, then exhaled. âHe said I didnât know anything. That even if I suspected something, it wouldnât matter.â My jaw tightened, my fingers mo
ZOEâS 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.
JULIANâS 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 hotâŚ. She didnât stop for breath, her hands kept fisting the front of my shirt and yanking me closer, like sheâd been holdi
JULIANâS POV I couldnât remember the last time Iâd apologized to anyone. It was a humbling realization that settled on me as I drove away from Zoeâs house, the city sliding past my windshield in streaks of gray and gold. It wasnât that I thought I was always right. It was that Iâd learned
ZOEâS POV I didnât 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. âHi Chat. What do I do when my laptop suddenly goes blank without any prior issues?â It brou







