LOGINThe soft hum of the engine filled the narrow space like a distant echo from a dream that had not fully released her yet. Naomi stirred slowly beneath the soft blanket covering her body. Her head still felt heavy, her throat dry, and every breath felt like waking after a long illness. It took several
In the end, Lydia gave a faint smile. “No. Of course not.”“Let’s move,” Cale said flatly.They left the suite at a brisk pace. The hotel corridor looked calm, too calm, with thick carpet swallowing the sound of footsteps and warm yellow lights making everything appear normal. Yet that very stillnes
Three knocks sounded at the suite door, soft but clear enough to cut through the tension hanging in the air. No one moved for a fraction of a second. It was as if the entire room had stopped breathing together.Lydia, standing near the table, instinctively turned toward the door. Her fingers were gr
Don Falcon’s office occupied the highest floor of the mansion, overlooking a stretch of city that seemed small beneath the vast glass windows. But that morning, no one in the room dared appreciate the view. The air felt heavy, dense with pressure that came entirely from the man seated behind the gle
“Not if it’s treated immediately.” The doctor looked at Cale calmly. “But she needs complete rest. No stress, no fear, and she must not be left alone.”Lydia raised a brow. “That last part sounds important.”Dr. Weber took out fever medication and wrote an additional prescription. “I’ll give her an
The hotel room door flew open harder than usual. Fast footsteps entered the main suite, followed by a rush of cold air from the hallway before the door could close again.Cale came in first, still wearing the same suit he had left in that morning. His face was unreadable, but the tight line of his j
“You should see this,” Lydia said as she turned on the flat-screen TV in the family room. Riana and Nathan looked startled by her words.“What’s going on?” one of them asked.Lydia let out a long breath. “Before that, I’ve already asked Josh and Grace to stay in the right-wing pavilion. Their privat
“I asked someone to keep an eye on Selena. You knew that, right?”Ah—right. One of Erick’s trusted people had been assigned to monitor Selena and her movements closely. “So what did he find?”“There was absolutely no change in her usual routine. Selena never met anyone else. All she did was shop, ta
“Why would I be?” Josh asked calmly. “We’re both under pressure, just in different ways.”Eli let out a long breath. “I… I never wanted to force things like this. But—” She trailed off, lowering her head again.Josh nodded in understanding. “I get it. How about we change the subject?”Eli finally la
Eli had no choice but to nod, even though the weight in her chest felt unbearable.They kept walking toward the crowd—toward the towering glass-fronted building—where cameras were already raised, microphones lined up, and bright lights blazing, ready to capture whatever was about to happen.This cle







