LOGINLiora stood in front of the mirror in her room, smoothing the front of her blouse one last time. Her bag sat open on the bed, camera body already packed, extra batteries and lenses arranged neatly beside it. She had finished getting ready twenty minutes ago, but she kept finding small things to adjust… but the truth was that her mind was not fully on the day ahead at Boom Verce.Mr Elias Thorne’s request had stayed with her since the previous day. She sat on the edge of the bed and opened her laptop. For a long moment she only stared at the blank compose window. Then she began to type, careful with every word.**Dear Mandy,I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to request a one-week extension on my official start date with SkyCrown. An unexpected but important commitment has come up with my current client that I feel obligated to complete properly. I understand this is an unusual request after already signing, and I am happy to adjust any preliminary schedules if needed.
Liora arrived at Boom Verce a little after nine the next morning.She had received the message late the previous evening that the shoot scheduled for the day after tomorrow had been moved up, and they needed her today. She had stared at the message for a long time and was grateful that she hadn't made plans… if not she wouldn't have been able to meet up with the urgency The building felt the same as always… with that faint trace of perfume in the air she always loved.She went straight to the dressing room where Finn and Julian were. The makeup artist, a woman named Rina, was finishing Julian’s foundation while Priya was adjusting Finn's hair when Liora stepped inside.“Almost done?” Liora asked.Rina glanced up and smiled. “Ten more minutes. They’re both good.”Liora walked over to Julian. She reached out and lightly touched the side of his hair, smoothing a strand that had fallen forward.“You look good, J,” she said softly.Julian gave her a small smile. “I ought to… Rina is tak
Rhys stepped out of the shower, heat still clinging to his skin. He pulled on a black robe and ran a white towel over his damp hair as he walked into the bedroom. He had only been home from the office thirty minutes ago and he was feeling exhausted.Just then the doorbell rang.He lowered the towel on the head of one of his couches and went to the door. When he opened it, Ethan stood there with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a bag of takeout in the other. Dominic, his friend, was behind him, holding a second bottle.“What are you doing here without telling me?” Rhys askedEthan stepped past him into the house. “I don’t need permission to come see my brother.”Dominic followed and gave a short nod. “Neither do I need permission to come see my friend”Rhys closed the door. “You could have called. We could have gone out to drink instead ”Dominic set his bottle on the table. “There is no point calling. You wouldn’t have agreed you were free”Ethan was already taking glasses from the
He broke the kiss only long enough to spin her around.In one very smooth movement her chest and cheek pressed against the cool mirrored wall of the elevator. His hard body followed instantly… sealing her against the wall. One hand slid up and closed around the front of her throat… firm enough to remind her exactly who was in control. While the other hand settled low on her stomachLiora made a small, protesting sound.He shushed her softly against her hair.Then she felt the slow, deliberate drag of his tongue from the curve of her shoulder blade all the way up the side of her neck. He reached her ear and took the lobe into his mouth, sucking gently, then biting down just enough to make her jolt. His tongue traced the shell of her ear while his hand on her stomach began to move. It slid lower, fingers spreading over the waistband of her trousers, before traveling back up again and cupping her breast through the thin cream blouse. He squeezed once, possessive and unhurried, his thum
Mandy cleared her throat. “Do you two know each other?”Liora kept her expression carefully blank as she took her sit yet again “No” she said clearly. “This is the first time I’m meeting Mr. Alden. He must have confused me with someone else”Mandy studied her for a second, then nodded slowly, accepting the answer even if she didn’t look fully convinced. “All right. If you’re comfortable with the terms, we can finalize.”Liora signed the contract. Mandy added her own signature, offered a professional smile, and walked her to the door with a few reminders that the contract they just signed was a draft and another copy would be sent to her to sign later on. Liora nodded and said her goodbye. The moment the meeting-room door shut behind her, her composure cracked.She walked only a few steps down the quiet hallway before her legs felt unsteady. She stopped and leaned hard against the wall, one hand clutching the front of her blouse as if she could slow the violent pounding of her heart.
Liora’s alarm went off at 6:10 a.m. She silenced it quickly and sat up. Today was the SkyCrown meeting.She pulled on leggings and a light running top, tied her blonde hair into a high ponytail, and stepped into the hallway at the same time as Sofia“You ready?” Sofia asked, still half-asleep but smiling.“Always.”They slipped out of the apartment and into the cool morning air. This was their ritual… three times a week. They fell into an easy pace along the quiet streets. Liora kept her breathing steady and tried not to let her thoughts race too far ahead…. Excitement will only make her tired before the days goal is completed When they returned, they walked the last stretch to cool down, then took turns in the shower. Sofia had already started breakfast by the time Liora came into the kitchen… scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee.They sat at the small counter. Liora picked at her food instead of eating itSofia watched her for a moment. “Calm down. You look very tense.”Liora let out







