Camilla’s POV
The next morning, the calm of my day off was quickly replaced by the usual thrum of office life. I arrived work a little after 9 a.m., with Zane dropped off at school and my laptop already buzzing with unread emails. I took the elevator straight up to the executive floor and passed by Stacy’s desk without acknowledging her presence. I felt her eyes follow me, her stare sharp and assessing, but I didn’t flinch. She was still trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Let her try. When I stepped into my office, I was pleasantly surprised to find fresh lilies placed in a glass vase on my desk. A small card was tucked beneath the stem. “You said you liked these once. Thought I’d remind you of that. — R.” My heart stuttered. The handwriting was elegant and deliberate. A perfect match for the man who once whispered he would memorize every piece ofThe hallway was silent when I stepped out of the elevator. Almost too silent. Everyone else had already left for the day. A soft glow from the recessed ceiling lights lit the corridor leading to the executive lounge. I’d returned to grab the documents for tomorrow’s press conference… the last batch of press kits had just arrived, and I needed to review them personally. But when I turned the corner, I saw her. Stacy. Leaning casually against the wall outside my office, like she’d been waiting. Arms folded. Lipstick freshly reapplied. That calculating smile barely masked the storm in her eyes. “Late night?” she asked. “Working,” I replied. “Some of us do.” She smirked and pushed off the wall. “Still the perfect one, aren’t you?” I unlocked my office and stepped inside without another word, flipping on the lights. Stacy followed. Uninvited. I didn’t ask her to leave. Let her play her little game. Let her think she could rattle me. She closed the door behind her slow
Richard’s POV I didn’t need to shout. I didn’t even need to raise my voice. The silence in my office was already loud enough… the kind that settles just before a storm levels a city. The air was stiff, the weight of betrayal still sitting on my chest like a boulder that refused to move. I had already reviewed the surveillance footage five more times since the celebration. Watched every second of Stacy slipping into Camilla’s office. Caught the moment she removed a flash drive. Saw her tamper with the project folder and leave with that smug, unhurried confidence I had been too blind to see. Stupid. God, how stupid could I have been? The knock on the door was soft. Hesitant. A new assistant peeked in a second later. “She’s here, sir.” Of course she was. “
Richard's POV I was flipping through the structural renderings on my desk, scanning through elevations and floor loads that somehow felt less important now than they used to. My mind had been trailing behind all morning stuck somewhere between the sharp edges of Camilla’s smile and the distant coolness in her eyes lately. Then I heard them. The unmistakable sharp click of heels against marble tiles. Before the door even opened, I already knew who it was. It swung open uninvited, unannounced. Stacy. Her hair was pinned back perfectly, red lips curved into a smug smile like she belonged in that office. She walked in like it was her birthright. “I thought I’d stop by,” she said sweetly, her gaze skating briefly over the papers on my desk before locking onto mine. “Hope I’m not interrupting.” I didn’t bother hiding my irritation. “You always do.”
Richard’s POV I didn’t need to shout. I didn’t even need to raise my voice. The silence in my office was already loud enough… the kind that settles just before a storm levels a city. The air was stiff, the weight of betrayal still sitting on my chest like a boulder that refused to move. I had already reviewed the surveillance footage five more times since the celebration. Watched every second of Stacy slipping into Camilla’s office. Caught the moment she removed a flash drive. Saw her tamper with the project folder and leave with that smug, unhurried confidence I had been too blind to see. Stupid. God, how stupid could I have been? The knock on the door was soft. Hesitant. A new assistant peeked in a second later. “She’s here, sir.” Of course she was. “Send her in.” Stacy walked in like she had rehearsed it. Cream blouse. Black skirt. Her hair brushed into smooth waves like she still wanted to play the “polished girlfriend” role. But her eyes gave her away. She l
The hallway was silent when I stepped out of the elevator. Almost too silent. Everyone else had already left for the day. A soft glow from the recessed ceiling lights lit the corridor leading to the executive lounge. I’d returned to grab the documents for tomorrow’s press conference… the last batch of press kits had just arrived, and I needed to review them personally. But when I turned the corner, I saw her. Stacy. Leaning casually against the wall outside my office, like she’d been waiting. Arms folded. Lipstick freshly reapplied. That calculating smile barely masked the storm in her eyes. “Late night?” she asked. “Working,” I replied. “Some of us do.” She smirked and pushed off the wall. “Still the perfect one, aren’t you?” I unlocked my office and stepped inside without another word, flipping
Richard’s POV The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the sharp sting of daylight bleeding through partially drawn curtains. The second thing? The pounding in my head, like a jackhammer drilling straight into my skull. “Ugh…” I groaned, shielding my eyes with one hand while pushing myself into a seated position with the other. My throat was parched. My limbs were heavy. My mouth tasted like I’d gargled rust and regret. Where the hell was I? I blinked, forcing my eyes to adjust to the unfamiliar room. It didn’t take long to recognize the soft beige tones, the classic hotel carpeting, the tray of untouched water and Advil on the bedside table. I was in a hotel suite. Wearing… a robe? I looked down at myself… my shirt was gone. My pants, too. Hell, even my socks. I was neatly wrapped in a plush white robe I d