NOAH Three hours into the flight and I was already exhausted. I hated flying. Especially with him — my father.Just thinking about him left that familiar bitterness crawling up my throat, so I drained the rest of my wine and let my eyes wander... back to her.She sat directly opposite me. She was wearing a matching set of wide-leg pants and a soft long-sleeved top that hugged her figure subtly, her lips with nude lipstick, dark hair framed flushed cheeks, and for a second, I forgot where I was.I looked away. But every time I did, my eyes found hers again.She smiled. Soft. Small.I wasn’t supposed to think about her. She was just a one-night stand. That was it. That’s what I did.I usually didn't linger on women I slept with. But she was the exception. And I hated that.We stopped in Shannon, Ireland, to refuel. Dad arranged a lunch break at some secluded restaurant, fifteen or so minutes from the airport.“You seem uneasy,” Dianne said softly as we walked to the table.“Never been
“Fuck,” I groaned, balling up the seventh piece of paper and tossing it into the trash.I’d been glued to this chair for the past eight hours, staring at a blank page. Not a single usable word. It’d been two years since I released my last book, and my publisher had been breathing down my neck for months to get something started. But here I was—burnt out, uninspired, blocked.I turned my swivel chair toward my phone. 2:03 PM. I hadn’t even gone downstairs all morning. Then again, I couldn’t blame myself. The house was too big. Everything I needed was upstairs—except the main kitchen. There was a smaller kitchenette near my room, but the real pantry was downstairs.I continued brainstorming, I had already gotten an idea, I didn’t just know how to put it. I rubbed my hands on my face, looking down at myself. Married to a billionaire and I wore nothing but a baggy t-shirt with nothing under it. You need to up your night-wear game, Dianne. Just then I heard the door open and I saw Noah,
The darkness pressed against my skin as I lay alone on the wide bed, moonlight sneaking in through the tall windows.I couldn’t stop thinking about Noah. A part of me wished I’d stayed—waited to hear whatever else he had to say. But I’d been too angry then, too tangled up in the past to think clearly.I shut my eyes, desperate to push him out, to erase the ache sitting stubbornly in my chest.But the moment I did, another memory bled in—her.Davina.And suddenly it was all twisted together. I couldn’t think about one without the other.The betrayal.The confusion.The weight of everything I was pretending not to feel.Having enough of both, I tossed the covers stood up, and went for the only thing that called my name. Swim. I slipped into a black one-piece, grabbed a towel and a bottle of water, and padded barefoot down the quiet hallway. I didn’t bother with the lights—there was something comforting about the hush of the dark. Like I could vanish in it for a while.When I stepped
Here came my wedding day. I sat here in a room full of people working on my hair and makeup.“Do you like it, ma’am?” the makeup artist asked, spinning the chair toward the mirror, her smile wide and genuine.Were all makeup artists this cheerful? Somehow, her bright energy made the whole morning feel lighter.I smiled when I saw myself.I looked... surprisingly pretty.I never wore much makeup—I was always scared I’d end up looking like a clown, not to mention the breakouts. But now I barely recognize myself.I looked like one of those perfect Barbie dolls, and for a second, I couldn’t believe it was me.My long smooth black hair was neatly curled and I loved it.I always kept my hair straight so I looked different now.I nodded my head, “Yes.”She smiled back. “Perfect! Let's get you in your dress now, okay?”I gave a small nod before standing and stepping into the dress. I couldn’t believe it, but a little part of me felt excited. The white gown, the makeup—it all felt unreal. Alm
DIANNEHis son? He looked… good. Too good. Sharp jaw, hair slicked back, a navy suit tailored to his frame like it was stitched directly onto his skin. My stomach twisted. And then the guilt hit me, sharp. What are you doing, Dianne? You’re about to marry a man. You signed a damn contract this morning.Suddenly it seemed like the whole world went silent, I was standing in front of the guy I fucked senselessly last night. His face was a perfect storm of neutral indifference and something darker—like he was amused, maybe. There was the barest flicker of a smirk, there and gone too fast to be sure.Noticing the weirdness it was getting to be, he cleared his throat and extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Diana.”His voice still had that same low hum I remembered—lazy and rich like it was made to be whispered against my skin.I reached out. Our hands met. The touch of his warm soft hands sent shivers down my spine, the flash of last night's memory flickered in my head and I swea
DIANNEI didn’t mean to sleep with a stranger. Again. I meant to run. To escape. To save what little was left of my freedom before it was sold off in a marriage deal I didn’t agree to. But that kiss on the rooftop… His mouth on mine, the taste of tequila and something more dangerous- I didn't stop it. I couldn't. I was supposed to be getting away, putting miles between me and the life waiting to trap me.But instead, I got distracted..And now, I can’t stop replaying it. His hands. His voice. His body. The way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met, I couldn't deny him my body.And now we were here, tangled, sweaty, breathless, taking in the cool night breeze as we dried off eventually. I should’ve closed my eyes and let myself have this. Just this. A fleeting moment under someone else's skin before the world clawed me back.But my father’s voice cut through like a blade. "Your grandfather built this university brick by brick, Dianne. If it crumbles now,