MasukI didn’t sleep.Not properly.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it again.That room.That moment.That image I couldn’t unsee no matter how much I tried to reason with it.So I stopped trying.I lay there instead, staring at the ceiling, my body still but my mind running in circles that never quite closed.Susan had checked on me twice.Kate once.Neither of them pushed.
Downstairs, Cheryl stood exactly where he expected her to be.Composed.Untouched.Like the night had gone exactly the way she wanted.He walked straight toward her.Didn’t stop.Didn’t slow.“Where is she?” he asked.Her gaze lifted slowly.“Who?”His expression didn’t change.“Celeste,” he said.A small pause.
The first thing he felt was the weight.Heavy.Pressing down on his chest like something had settled there and refused to move.Then the noise came.Muted at first.Distant.Voices blending together in a low hum that didn’t quite make sense.Flavian forced his eyes open.The room tilted before settling.Too bright.Too quiet.Wrong.He pushed himself up slowly, his head throbbing.His gaze moved across the room.The bed.The sheets.Disheveled.ThenMemory hit.Not clearly.Fragments.Celeste.Her voice.The way his body refused to cooperate.The way the room spun just slightly out of control.And then-Fiona.At the door.The look on her face.Cold.Final.His chest tightened sharply.“Fiona.”He was on his feet before the dizziness fully passed.The room swayed.He steadied himself against the wall.Think.Focus.Drink.He had a drink.That was the last clear thing.After thatNothing made sense.His jaw tightened.“Sir?”Amara’s voice pulled him back.“Come in.”She stepped in caref
The ride back felt longer than it should have.Not because of traffic.But because something in my chest refused to settle.I held the garment bag across my lap, my fingers gripping it tighter than necessary.You’re overthinking.That’s what I told myself.That’s what I kept telling myself.But the feeling didn’t go away.It sat there.Heavy.Persistent.Like a warning I couldn’t quite understand yet.The car slowed as we approached the house.Lights glowed from inside.Warm. Inviting.Normal.I stepped out, smoothing my hand over my dress instinctively.Ground yourself.You’re fine.Everything is fine.I walked in through the front door.Voices filled the space immediately.Laughter. Conversation. Music low in the background.The dinner had already started.Good.That meant I wasn’t late.That meant nothing had gone wrong.Amara approached me almost immediately.“Ma’am, you’re back.”“Yes,” I said, handing her the garment bag. “Can you—”“Of course.”She took it quickly.But something
The boutique was quieter than I expected.Soft lighting. Neutral tones. Everything curated to feel effortless and expensive.I moved quickly anyway.Time mattered.Not because of the dinner.But because I didn’t want to be away from the house longer than necessary.Something about leaving like that hadn’t sat right with me.Like I had stepped out of something mid-motion.And whatever was waiting for me there?Wasn’t done yet.“Good evening, ma’am,” the attendant said, approaching with a polite smile. “Looking for something specific?”“Yes,” I said. “Something simple. Elegant. I don’t have time to browse.”She nodded immediately, already scanning me.“Of course.”Within minutes, she returned with options.Black. Ivory. Deep emerald.Clean cuts. Structured lines.No drama.I picked one almost instantly.Black. Fitted. Minimal.It wasn’t what I originally planned.But it didn’t need to be.“I’ll take this,” I said.“Perfect choice,” she replied.I didn’t respond.My attention had already
The morning of the dinner started quietly.Too quietly.I woke before Flavian, slipping out of bed carefully so I wouldn’t disturb him. For a moment, I stood there, watching him.Peaceful.Unaware.It felt strange how quickly things could shift. How easily something fragile could feel stable again, even when you knew better.I turned away before I could overthink it and moved into the bathroom to get ready.Today mattered.Not because of the dinner itself.But because of what it represented.Showing up.Standing my ground.Not letting everything that had been happening push me out of a life I had every right to be in.When I came back into the room, the dress was still there.Exactly where I left it.Folded neatly across the bed.Simple. Elegant. Mine.I ran my fingers over the fabric again, smoothing it out, already picturing how it would look once I put it on.For the first time in days, I felt ready.Not defensive.Not reactive.Just… steady.“I was starting to think you’d changed
FionaThe kiss still lingered between us when we finally pulled apart.Flavian didn’t move away immediately. His hand was still at my waist, like he wasn’t ready to let go just yet.Neither was I.But then he exhaled softly, like he was forcing himself back into control.“I should walk you to your
Everything after the yard felt unreal.Police lights. Statements. Questions I could barely process.Hands touching my shoulder. Voices telling me it was over.But the only thing that mattered was the small weight asleep against me.Flavian hadn’t let go of me the entire time.Not once.Even now, as
FLAVIANThe location came three hours later.Not from the police.From a man who owed me a favor he could never repay.“Got him,” the voice said. “Old mechanic yard by the eastern bypass. Quiet place. No cameras. Your type of problem.”I ended the call without replying.Good.That meant Sean still
Flavian’s POVThe moment I saw the text on Fiona’s phone, my jaw tightened. Sean. Again. Threatening .Fiona’s hand was trembling as she clutched the device. I stepped closer, letting my presence anchor her. She wasn’t weak , never had been but fear was a mother’s instinct, and right now, it was a







