เข้าสู่ระบบ**Leylie’s POV**I didn’t sleep at all last night. I just lay there, turning from one side of the bed to the other until the sheets twisted around my legs like they were trying to trap me. My phone stayed dark on the nightstand the whole time. Hayes never answered any of my calls. He didn’t reply to a single message. Every time I checked, the screen showed nothing, and that silence hurt worse than any words could.I kept telling myself he would understand. We had talked about this. I explained why I needed to get close to Finnian again, to get the proof I needed. Why couldn’t he see that? Every second I spent near Finnian made my stomach turn. It felt wrong. Dirty. But Hayes was acting like I had betrayed him on purpose.I finally gave up around dawn, dragged myself into the shower, and got dressed fast. I pulled on my favorite blue jeans and a soft white chiffon blouse, then slipped into black loafers. Nothing fancy. I just wanted to look like I had it together, even though everythin
**Finnian’s POV**I woke up smiling for the first time in months. The kind of smile that pulls at the corners of your mouth before your eyes even open. Sunlight slipped through the heavy curtains in my bedroom, but today it didn’t feel like another weight pressing down on me. No crushing list of meetings, no sour taste of my sham marriage. Just her.Leylie.Yesterday kept replaying in my head like a loop I didn’t want to stop. Her walking into my office in that soft pink dress, looking so damn beautiful it actually hurt to breathe. Then later, in her apartment, the way her body fit against mine again, warm and real. The taste of her lips, the little sound she made when I kissed her harder. God, I’d missed that. I’d missed her so much it felt like a hole in my chest had finally started to close.I wanted her back. All of her. And this time I wasn’t going to screw it up. I’d give her everything she deserved. I’d prove I was different now.I swung my legs out of bed, still riding that hi
**Leylie’s POV**I needed to talk to Hayes so badly my chest actually hurt. I had to remind him of my plan—the one where I acted like the dumb, desperate ex-wife so I could get close enough to destroy Finnian. He had to understand why I had asked him to leave instead of Finn.I crawled across the floor to the coffee table because my legs felt too weak to stand. My hand shook as I grabbed my phone, scrolled until I saw his name, pressed call, and held it to my ear, whispering, please, please, please, under my breath.It rang, and rang again, and again.No response.I stared at the screen, my face twisting into a frown so deep it made my forehead ache. Was he driving? Or was he sitting somewhere, looking at my name flashing on his phone and choosing not to answer because the sight of me in Finnian’s arms had finally broken something in him? I prayed it was the first. Hayes wasn’t the type to play games, but I’d seen the look in his eyes. That kind of hurt could change anybody.The whole
**Leylie’s POV**The silence pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t shake off. Hayes stood there in my doorway, staring at Finnian’s hand resting on my waist, and I swear I felt every second of it carving into him. Hayes looked at me, and I felt like I was being sliced open. I knew he was hurting. I knew that seeing Finnian’s hand on my waist was like a knife to his heart, but I was trapped. If I pushed Finnian away now, all the work I had done—the bug, the flash drive, the fake forgiveness—would be for nothing.“Tell him to leave, Ley,” Finnian murmured close to my ear, his voice slick and sure, like he already owned me. His fingers pressed a little harder into my side, pulling me against him just enough to make his point.I looked at Hayes. His eyes were dark, almost black, with a mix of fury and heartbreak. He wasn't just mad at Finnian; he was mad at me. He had rushed here to see me, only to find me standing in the arms of the man who had abused me.“Is this what you want, L
**Leylie’s POV**I was still in my pink silk dress, the fabric feeling tight and suffocating against my skin. I sat on the couch, my mind spinning from everything I had heard in Finnian’s office. The confession about the tax fraud was still echoing in my ears, a weapon I finally held in my hands.Then, the doorbell rang.I jerked my head toward the clock. 7:15 PM. My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t expecting anyone.My pulse kicked up hard. I snatched the flash drive I hadn’t checked yet from the coffee table, shoved it deep into the side pocket of my purse, and zipped it shut. Then I stood, smoothing my hands down the dress even though it didn’t help.I walked to the door on legs that didn’t feel steady, pressed my eye to the peephole, and froze."What the—"I pulled the door open, my mouth parting in extreme shock."Hello, Ley."Finnian leaned against the frame like he owned the hallway, one shoulder relaxed, the other angled toward me. His eyes dragged down the length of my dress an
**Hayes’ POV**The drive to Matthew’s house was a blur. I wasn't just angry; I felt sick. How could my best friend, the man I called a brother, threaten Leylie like that? He knew I liked her. He knew I was looking for her. And he tried to use her secret to get her into bed.I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. My heart was thumping against my ribs from pure rage. I drove into his compound and parked the car roughly, not even caring if I hit the curb as I stormed into his house. The living room was empty and quiet."Matt!" I shouted, my voice loud and sharp.There was no answer."Matt!" I called out again, even louder this time.I heard a light footstep behind me and turned around. A young woman with red hair stood there, wearing very little clothing and staring at me with a frown."Where’s Matt?" I snapped."He’s in the shower." She looked me up and down. "And who are you exactly?"I didn't answer her. I didn't have the patience for small talk. I pushed past
**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 ran out of the room, my vision blurred by tears that kept falling no matter how fast I blinked them away. I couldn’t breathe properly; my chest felt like someone was sitting on it, and I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate. In a panic, I reached up and ripped the mask of
**Leylie’s POV**I rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me, fumbling to lock it with fingers that wouldn’t stop shaking. I pressed my back against the cold wood, chest heaving like I’d run miles, heart pounding so hard it hurt."What have I done?" I whispered into the empty room. "W







