LOGINIn 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
“Like what?”“Being… warm to strangers.”Lydia chewed slowly before answering. “No. I’m selective.”“Then why me?”“I don’t know,” Lydia said lightly. “Maybe fate?”That answer left Naomi quiet.To shift the mood, Lydia began talking about small, ordinary things. About a woman named Althea who, in h
Vanessa’s face was a wreck. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but instead of sympathy, the reporters cheered at the sight, capturing every drop as proof of her downfall.Then, suddenly, the feed shifted again. Vanessa’s image vanished, replaced by the gleaming lobby of a grand building. The massive log
“Where’s Josh?” Chase asked, his brow lifting in mild surprise.“With your father in the back garden. He said there’s something he wants to show him.” Althea walked alongside Chase toward the lounge.“I’m guessing he’s showing him Leo.”“Who’s Leo?”“Not who, but what,” Chase said with a laugh. “Leo
“No!” Vanessa cut in quickly. “You’ve misunderstood, Daven.”She rushed toward him, desperate to close the space between them. She wanted—no, needed—to hold her husband. It had always worked before; if she acted sweet, maybe cried a little, Daven would usually soften.Vanessa truly believed he’d for
“And you can draw your own conclusions from what we’ve explained, can’t you?” Chris asked. The easy humor was gone from his eyes; there was nothing casual about him now. When it came to work—especially anything involving Harold—Chris could become an entirely different man.“This project is worth a g







