INICIAR SESIÓN**Leylie’s POV**I sat in the car Hayes had left outside my apartment incase I needed to be on the move, for a long time after leaving the restaurant, my hands still gripping the steering wheel. The silver flash drive sat on the passenger seat, catching the afternoon light.I couldn't stop thinking about the look on Matthew’s face. He looked pathetic. This was the same man who had cornered me months ago, his eyes full of malice, telling me that if I didn't sleep with him, he would go straight to Hayes and tell him I was a red. He had tried to use my past and my secrets to force me into his bed, all while pretending to be Hayes’s loyal best friend.But Hayes had found out, and the fallout between them had been explosive. Watching Hayes realize that his brother, his closest confidant, was a predator who had threatened the woman he loved... it had nearly broken him.Now Matthew wanted me to be his bridge to settle them.I grabbed the drive and finally started the car, driving straight to
**Leylie’s POV**I arrived at Ocean Star fifteen minutes past noon. I had never been here before; the restaurant was perched right on the edge of the water, its glass walls reflecting the harsh midday sun. I stood outside the doors, my fingers gripping the strap of my bag, contemplating whether to go inside or just turn around and go back home. I kept thinking about Hayes. I had promised him I wouldn’t do anything reckless. I had promised to stay safe, but here I was already breaking the promise. "Leylie."I heard my name from the front door and jumped slightly, turning my head to see Matthew standing by the door frame. He was staring at me with a quizzical look, probably wondering why I was standing there staring at the wall like a crazy person."Ain't you coming in?" he asked, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He didn't move away from the door, just watched me.I stared at him for what felt like five minutes, though it probably wasn't even sixty seconds, weighing my options,
**Leylie’s POV**"Did you hear that?" I whispered, my voice trembling as I raised my eyes to stare at Hayes.He hadn't spoken a word. He just looked... stunned, his face pale and unmoving. He had been like that ever since we listened to the recording of Finnian’s voice, detailing every step of his plan to destroy his reputation.He sat on the edge of my small sofa, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped tightly together, staring at the floor as if he could see the ground opening up beneath him."I can’t believe this," he finally said. It was the only sentence that had come out of his mouth in twenty minutes.Hayes hadn't gone back to his house after the fight with Finnian the previous night. He couldn't leave me, and I didn't want him to go either. We had spent the night together, and now we were in my living room, the coffee table between us cluttered with mugs of cold coffee and my phone. We had been listening to everything happening in Finnian’s office through the ti
**Finnian’s POV**I poured myself a glass of expensive scotch, the amber liquid catching the light as I swirled it around. My mouth still throbbed where Hayes had hit me, and my nose still hurt. Every time I caught a glimpse of my bruised face in the mirror, my hatred for Hayes Doyle grew until it felt like it would burst out of my chest.But today, I didn't care about the pain. I was too excited."Mother, I have finally found a way to destroy Hayes Doyle," I said, leaning back in my leather chair.Jacqueline Thorne sat across from me. She looked as sharp and cold as ever, her eyes narrowed and her face hard. She didn't look impressed. She never was."What do you mean, Finn?" she asked, her voice flat.I smiled widely. I couldn't help it. This was the moment I had been waiting for. For years, Hayes had been the golden boy of the industry. Everyone loved him. Everyone trusted his brand. He acted like he was so much better than me, looking down at me from his high tower."I’m going to
**Hayes’ POV**I stood there in the middle of Leylie’s apartment, chest still heaving, my knuckles split open and slick with Finnian’s blood. My jaw ached from how hard I’d been clenching it, and every muscle in my body felt locked tight, ready to snap again if that bastard even thought about coming back. I couldn’t stop picturing it—him on top of her, his hands grabbing at her clothes, touching her. The image kept flashing behind my eyes, making my stomach twist and my blood run hot all over again. What if I hadn’t turned around? What if I’d stayed home nursing my stupid anger instead of coming back to apologize? The thought made me feel sick.Leylie hadn’t moved. She stood frozen a few feet away, looking smaller than I’d ever seen her. Her hands shook as she tried to pull her torn blouse closed over her bra, but the fabric kept slipping. Tears ran down her cheeks in shiny tracks, and her breathing came in short, broken gasps. She wouldn’t look at me directly.I crossed the room in
**Leylie’s POV**I pushed open the door to my apartment building, my legs feeling heavy and exhausted. Every step up to my floor felt like it took all the strength I had left. The fight with Hayes kept replaying in my head, his cold eyes, the way he walked away without looking back. My chest ached from it all. I just wanted to lock myself inside, crawl under the blankets, and pretend it didn’t happen.But the second I stepped onto my floor, my stomach dropped. Finnian was there, leaning against the wall right by my door, arms crossed. Shit! Not tonight. Please, not tonight.He spotted me right away. “Ley,” he said, pushing off the wall and coming straight for me with his arms open wide. “Hey, baby.”I made myself smile back, even though it was an extremely difficult thing to do. “Hi, Finn. How long have you been waiting?”“Not long,” he answered, but he was already pulling me into a tight hug before I could step away. His arms locked around me, burying his face in my hair, breathing
**Leylie’s POV** The morning of Valentine’s Day broke soft and golden through the curtains, the kind of light that should have felt romantic and hopeful, like the start of something beautiful. Instead, it felt cruel, as if the world were mocking me with its promise of love. I hadn’t slept. My bod
**Leylie’s POV**“You have got me all wrong,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the low hum of the Ferrari’s engine.Matthew gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the dark road ahead as we sped away from Hayes' house. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, not sparing a single glance in m
**Hayes’ POV**I've been in a horrible mood since my encounter with Red last night. I felt foolish and angry at myself for letting a stripper get under my skin like that. She was the first woman in four years to make me feel anything real since Melissa died. That’s why it hurt so much. I hate that
**Leylie’s POV**I didn’t think. The second I saw her small body jerking in that tub, everything else, the mission, Finnian’s threats, the weight of Maya’s future hanging over me, simply vanished. It was as if someone had flipped a switch in my brain, and the only thing left was this terrified litt







