Author's POV
Anne sat amidst a battlefield of chip crumbs, the half-empty bag a testament to her losing war against job-hunting despair. The television blared a soundtrack to her misery, but her focus was a tight knot of frustration and rejection. Each job listing felt like another punch to the gut – underqualified, overqualified, or simply swallowed by the digital void.Her gaze drifted towards the silent hallway, a stark reminder of Eric's two-day absence. A strange quiet had settled over the apartment in his wake. No more off-key morning serenades that grated on her nerves, no more rogue cow-patterned socks appearing in the most unexpected places, no more ridiculous wrestling matches that shook the floorboards, no more annoying tugs on her leg when she dared to claim she was busy.Her eyes flickered back to her phone, lying innocently on the blanket.She shouldn't.Every rational fiber of her being screamed against it.Yet, hAuthor's POVAnne sat amidst a battlefield of chip crumbs, the half-empty bag a testament to her losing war against job-hunting despair. The television blared a soundtrack to her misery, but her focus was a tight knot of frustration and rejection. Each job listing felt like another punch to the gut – underqualified, overqualified, or simply swallowed by the digital void. Her gaze drifted towards the silent hallway, a stark reminder of Eric's two-day absence. A strange quiet had settled over the apartment in his wake. No more off-key morning serenades that grated on her nerves, no more rogue cow-patterned socks appearing in the most unexpected places, no more ridiculous wrestling matches that shook the floorboards, no more annoying tugs on her leg when she dared to claim she was busy.Her eyes flickered back to her phone, lying innocently on the blanket.She shouldn't.Every rational fiber of her being screamed against it.Yet, h
just like that—he brought it out.The chip.Held between his fingers like it was nothing. Like it wasn't the most dangerous little object I'd ever laid eyes on. But his gaze wasn't on the chip. It was on me.Fixed. Sharp. Piercing.Like he was wondering why the hell I wasn't glued to him like he'd told me to be. And the moment I caught that look, my instincts kicked in. I rushed to his side like a damn trained dog.But fuck. Damnit!I swear to God...it was a mistake.My shoulder brushed too close. Too fast. In my stupid panic to get to him, I stumbled, and my elbow slightly—barely—shoved him.Han stumbled.And the chip...the goddamn chip..wobbled in his hand, catching the air like it was about to tumble straight to hell.I swear, if that thing had hit the floor and shattered?I would've shot myself.Right there.No hesitation.Or maybe I wouldn't even need to. Han would've done it for me. Or worse left me alive and handed me over to the kind of men that feed people to wild dogs for sp
We were split like this was all rehearsed and I was the idiot who missed the memo. Old men in dark coats approached Han like they'd known him for years. Russian. Thick accents, hard faces, those eyes that looked through you. They started speaking to him fluently, too fast for me to keep up.One of them, the one with a scar running down his cheek, And then they blended Russian and English so seamlessly it felt like they were cooking up secrets right in front of me. I stood there like a ghost, completely invisible, while Han kept nodding, speaking back with that sharp precision like he wasn't just fluent he belonged.Then Han gestured toward Elvin, who was suddenly Mr. Sunshine with that plastic smile of his. Han introduced him in Russian, and Elvin bowed slightly like he was the damn Prince of Monaco. I almost gagged.And me? I was just there, nodding along like, Sure, yeah, I totally understand five languages in twenty seconds. No one looked at me. No one cared.Then Han leaned over
As the jet lifted, the nausea hit me harder than expected.It was different this time private jets felt more confined, quieter, and with less distraction. There were no strangers chatting, no crying babies, no ambient buzz to drown out my thoughts. Just me. My stomach. And whatever the hell was going on between Han and Elvin.I barely made it to the bathroom in time.Everything from the night before came up in violent waves, liquor, cake, greasy comfort, the forced laughter. It all poured out of me, like my body was rejecting the entire experience, physically and emotionally.I rinsed my mouth, splashed water on my face, and leaned on the edge of the sink, breathing heavily, trying to find my center again.That's when I heard it.Not clearly at first. Just a shift in the silence, like a whisper through the door. Then louder. Clearer.A low moan.A voice I recognized.Elvin.And then Han's.
Tyler. That's me. I had my exclusive day off yesterday multiple drinks, multiple meals, multiple everything. It felt just like the first time I got here. Except now, I knew how things were done. I knew what to expect, how to enjoy it, and I lived my day to the fullest. It wasn't until I was about to sleep that a letter arrived. I was to pack my bags. I'd be flying to Russia. Just like that? No warning? No processing time? No "Hey, drop your personal information so we can get your flight details sorted"? The brown-haired guy delivering the message simply said, "We're taking a private jet." Of course. What was I even thinking? A man who spends thousands of dollars on a golden mug obviously isn't flying commercial. So I stood up. Then stood up again. I don't know why I guess it took a second to process. It was still night. I hadn't even slept yet. The next morning, I packed my bag. Slipped into on
Author POVEric was still waiting in the car, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. He hadn't planned to wait this long, but he'd promised Anne he wouldn't let her go to the interview alone not with the company being so far out of town. It was the least he could do. When she had insisted she'd go on her own, he'd simply shaken his head and said, "I'll wait in the car."So he waited.Then the door flew open and Anne burst inside, her eyes red, face streaked with tears. She didn't say a word. He didn't ask. The silence was loud, pulsing with unspoken things. The drive home was long and tense. When they finally got back to the house, she stormed off without looking back, straight to her room, locking the door behind her.Eric stayed behind in the car, jaw tight, just breathing.Two hours passed. Eric came in quietly with a bag of chicken nuggets and her favorite drink. He knocked gently before walking in. Anne sat on the bed, her k