LOGINDamian’s POVShe stood there watching me, her eyes clouded with an anxious fear I couldn't quite break through. When I tried to take her hand to calm her, she pushed it away, taking a few steps back. The distance hurt me. After five years of missing her, any moment where I couldn't protect her felt like a failure.“Kath..” I called softly.“Can you start explaining already, please?" she said, staring into my eyes as she waved the document in my face. “What is this about?”“Hey..” I walked closer to her gently, and thankfully she didn't move away this time. I held her by her shoulders, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed. “Relax, babe. I will tell you everything.”“Babe?” she raised her brow. She was clearly running out of patience, and I could see it clearly.“I had to make the changes because of Adrian.”She flinched softly, but not softly enough for me to miss it. And it had me wondering if something was wrong, or if something had happened to her.“What about Adrian?” she brea
Adrian’s POVI drove urgently to the location where I was meeting Jim. It was one of Gary’s properties that I had managed to take. The familiar scent and air around the small but luxurious duplex hit me as soon as I got out of the car, my memories vivid as I recalled the last time Gary and I had visited the small building. At that time, it was still at the stage of the final finishes and touches, and Gary had teased me about having it as a gift anytime I decided to finally get married. I remembered laughing it off because there was no way I would be thinking about a wife with everything that had happened to me.I shut the car door, tapping my pocket to make sure my phone was with me. Before I could walk up the staircase, Jim was already standing at the building entrance. He had probably seen me from the CCTV cameras mounted in secret spots all around the property.“Boss,” he greeted.“I told you to stop calling me that,” I said through my teeth.“Sorry, sir,” he said, leading the way t
Lily’s POVWhile I ran toward the road, my phone was pressed tightly against my ear. “Charles?”He gasped. “Ma'am, I've been so worried all night.”I tried to respond, but he cut in immediately. "What happened to you?"“Charles, we can talk about this later, but right now I need you to do something urgently.”I paused, the accident flashing back to me. “Fuck, forgive my manners. The doctor told me what happened. How are you?”“No need to fuss, ma'am. I'm better,” he responded. “Tell me, what do you need urgently?”I let out a sigh of relief, finally spotting a cab. I needed to leave immediately, I didn't know if Adrian was following behind me. I waved at the driver, hoping it wasn't already booked for someone else.“Jim Palombo,” I said, as the cab pulled up in front of me.“Give me a second,” I told Charles, the phone still against my ear.“Wellington Estate,” I told the driver, who nodded and unlocked the door for me.I put the seatbelt on, uneasiness washing over me. The memory of t
Adrian’s POVI woke a little earlier than Lily did. My eyes rested on her, lying beside me. She was asleep, her face turned slightly toward the other side of the bed. Her hair spread across the pillow, one hand resting close to her face. She looked peaceful in a way I hadn't seen since I met her, and for some reason, that gave me a small, quiet sense of ease.But that ease came to a stop the moment yesterday’s evening came crashing back into my mind. The way she'd looked at me. The way she'd pulled me closer and asked me to hold her. I had tried to stop. I genuinely had tried. But I had also known exactly what I was doing the moment I stopped trying.I looked away from her and rubbed a hand over my face.This was far more than what had happened between us on that first night. It was gentler. Deeper. Wanted, in a way that made it worse, not better. All shades of wrong, and we shouldn't have wanted it in the first place.Lily was sixteen years younger than me, and my employee. On top of
Lily’s POVThe steady, rhythmic beep... beep... beep... of a heart monitor was the first thing that anchored me back to reality. I forced my eyes open, the chandelier hanging from the stark white ceiling blurry at first, before the terrifying memory of the crash rushed back into my mind.Beside my bed, a man in a lab coat adjusted a drip. It was Dr. Evans, the chief physician from the hospital partnered with Adrian Atelier.“Ah, you're awake,” Dr. Evans said softly, checking my vitals. “You're a very lucky woman, Miss Lily.”Lucky? It didn't feel like luck, not with the clots of blood I could see on my hands and clothes.I looked at him in disbelief, almost annoyed at how relaxed he seemed.He continued anyway. “I hope you don't mind that your call was picked up on your behalf. You were deep in sleep.”I didn't say a word. I only let my eyes drift around the room. I could come back to that question later, but right now, the room itself looked too familiar to ignore. Like it belonged t
Damian’s POV“You can speak now,” I said, my voice tightening. He had almost gotten me into trouble, and that was nothing to overlook.“I have…”“Do I need to have your brains hit hard before it lets you figure out what to do right now?” I gritted my teeth, opening the car door and getting into the back seat.“Black & White Entertainment and Co. Limited, please,” I told the driver, adjusting the tie around my neck. He nodded before setting the car in motion immediately.“I’m so sorry, sir,” he responded. “I will be careful next time.”“There might be no next time because it looks like you would mess things up before then.”He didn’t say a word.“What’s the update with the order I gave you?” I asked.“Everything is set. You can start acting on it now.”I ended the call, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I couldn’t wait. I literally couldn’t wait to see her face afterward.I ran my fingers through my hair, reminding myself that I needed to do this. Because somehow, I had been f
Lily’s POVI woke up to beeping sounds I could not make out. My eyes felt too heavy to open all at once, but I forced them apart slowly and looked around. Strange faces I had never seen moved to and fro at every corner of the room. The air smelled of antiseptic and medicine. That smell gave me a sm
Lily’s POV“You missed work today, ma’am?” Charles asked as he shut the door behind him. He walked into my room, holding the file I had requested earlier.“I called in sick,” I replied, grabbing the file from his hands and opening it quickly. It contained detailed information about Adrian’s whereab
Lily’s POV Three Weeks Later “Are you sure about this, ma’am?” Charles asked for what felt like the millionth time today. I walked out of my room, heading downstairs in my red pump heels that matched my fitted black corporate dress that showed off my figures. My fingers brushed through my long
Lily’s POV“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Calderm City. The local time is 9:45 a.m. Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign is switched off.”The hostess’s voice came through the speakers, and everyone around me started moving, unbuckling seatbelts and reaching for their bags. I sat still f







