LOGINSUMMER'S POV.
I hurried down the service stairwell and ducked into a vacant rest area near the back exit. It was deserted and quiet—a safe spot to monitor the comms. Tapping my earpiece, I listened in on the main feed."Is Roberts there?" I asked Victor Lang. i heard his low voice cut through the static."Talk about the son of the devil," Victor muttered a second later. I took that as my cue that Roberts had finally shown his face."I was wondering who hadKINGSLEY'S POV"Tomorrow" never came, because right now, Summer and I are rehearsing for the impromptu Orientation Showcase happening tonight."We will start with this one, right?" Summer asked for the umpteenth time, panic lacing every of her word."Summer..." I pulled my chair closer and took her hands in mine. Her fingers were ice-cold. "Just eathe."She took in a shuddering breath, her pulse racing right where my thumbs rested against her wrists."Trust me, nothing is going to go wrong," I said softly. "Just believe.""But—""No buts. Absolutely none." I cut her off with gentle firmness, squeezing her hands slightly tighter. "If you’re scared, shift your focus." I paused, watching the rhythm of her breathing slow down, before adding, "Focus on me."Her eyes flickered, locking onto mine with an intensity that made my own chest to tighten."I just really want to do a good job," she whispered, her gaze dipping down to our joined hands before rising back up. "I need to prove myself. E
KINGSLEY'S POV"Tomorrow" never came, because right now, Summer and I are rehearsing for the impromptu Orientation Showcase happening tonight."We will start with this one, right?" Summer asked for the umpteenth time, panic lacing every of her word."Summer..." I pulled my chair closer and took her hands in mine. Her fingers were ice-cold. "Just eathe."She took in a shuddering breath, her pulse racing right where my thumbs rested against her wrists."Trust me, nothing is going to go wrong," I said softly. "Just believe.""But—""No buts. Absolutely none." I cut her off with gentle firmness, squeezing her hands slightly tighter. "If you’re scared, shift your focus." I paused, watching the rhythm of her breathing slow down, before adding, "Focus on me."Her eyes flickered, locking onto mine with an intensity that made my own chest to tighten."I just really want to do a good job," she whispered, her gaze dipping down to our joined hands before rising back up. "I need to prove myself. E
KINGSLEY'S POVIt took a few seconds standing there in the rain, Summer's heartbeat hammering against my chest, before I managed to pull myself back together enough to function."Okay." I eased back just enough to look at her properly, wiping the mix of rain and the tears off my face. "Okay. We need to get everyone out of here.""Good, you're back," George said, already herding the group toward the cars. "We can debrief once we're not standing in the middle of a parking lot."Victor caught up to me as we walked, still catching his breath from whatever had gone down inside. "You look like you saw a ghost.""Close enough." I glanced at him. "What exactly happened in there? Start from the beginning."He exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. "Roberts showed up right on schedule. I called him out about the men he's had following Summer — figured a threat of exposure might buy us some breathing room.""And?""A
SUMMER'S POV.I hurried down the service stairwell and ducked into a vacant rest area near the back exit. It was deserted and quiet—a safe spot to monitor the comms. Tapping my earpiece, I listened in on the main feed."Is Roberts there?" I asked Victor Lang. i heard his low voice cut through the static."Talk about the son of the devil," Victor muttered a second later. I took that as my cue that Roberts had finally shown his face."I was wondering who had the guts to call me out tonight. So it was you," Roberts' harsh voice rasped through the line.Victor chuckled softly. "Is that any way to greet a long-time friend?""Long-time friend, my foot. You know the feeling isn't mutual," Roberts spat back. "I heard you took down some of my men down in the east wing. Why?""You know damn well why," Victor's tone instantly flattened into something cold and dangerous. "Leave the kids out of this. They do not know anything about y
SUMMER'S POVI sat on the edge of the plush bed, waiting for the so-called high-profile client Noel had assigned to me for the night. My thumb continuously swiped across my phone screen, checking for any missed calls or messages from Kingsley. Nothing. The silence from him was deafening, a heavy lump settling in my stomach.I hadn’t been included in the active boots-on-the-ground operation tonight. It was strictly the guys and Kingsley’s uncle, Victor Lang. My directive was simple and non-negotiable: stay back, observe from the shadows, and keep out of harm's way. George had insisted it was strictly for my safety, and for once.Felix hadn't offered a single sarcastic remark to back me up through my whining. He had just kept his head down, meticulously calibrating the tracking devices and signal boosters. We were all linked through encrypted earpieces, the low static buzzing in my ear serving as a constant, subtle reminder of the chaos unfolding nearby.
KINGSLEY'S POVI drove recklessly down the slick, rain-soaked streets. Night had already fallen, and the sky was heavy with water. My phone buzzed continuously on the passenger seat. Clyde’s name flashing on the screen over and over. But I didn't have time to answer. I had only one goal tonight: stop the operation before it was too late.By the time I pulled into the driveway, the house was completely dark."Summer!" I yelled, slamming the front door shut behind me. There was no response, instead the eerie silence hit my face."Summer!" I shouted again, pacing deeper into the hallway and searching the shadowy rooms."Kingsley... no one is here. They all left."My mother’s voice stopped me cold. I turned to see her standing near the kitchen entrance, still wearing her apron."They left?" I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. "How long ago?""Maybe an hour." She frowned, thinking it over. "I'm not entirely sure, but it's been a while. They tried calling you first, to let yo
SUMMER'S POV I slowly woke up, also trying to fight the throbbing headache I was feeling. "Where the hell am I?" I thought. The place smelt like woods mixed with cigarettes, and another thing that smelt like lavender. "What a weird combination." I thought. I woke up fully, and observed where I w
SUMMER'S POV I arrived at the club very late. I knew I was going to be scolded by Mr Noel, the club manager, but I cared less. Life was already hard enough for me. I clutched my bag, so tightly like my depended on it. Because my life really depended on it. I walked in, slowly. The club reeked
SUMMER'S POV The rest of the week went by so fast. I had to give George a detailed explanation of how I ended up in a stranger's bed. He would not stop budging me until I had explained myself. We promised to keep it a secret from Clyde. He would go overboard about it.George has been my best frien
SUMMER'S POV I gradually woke up, but yet again in a strange but comforting apartment. I stood up slowly, trying not to a make a sound-my head still throbbing seriously. The air felt so fresh, as I sighed in relief.I began to feed to my eyes. The house was magnificent: high ceilings, soft recesse







