ANMELDENI step forward, launching myself directly into his embrace. The second my arms wrap around his shoulders, Tobias’s entire imposing, billionaire frame completely relaxes. He wraps his powerful arms around me, pulling me flat against his chest and hugging me so tight, burying his face into my hair, as
I am staring at the grand, sweeping marble staircase of the Moore mansion, desperately wishing I possessed the magical ability to combust into a cloud of harmless dust. Owen and I are standing side-by-side at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Tobias to make his grand re-entry. It has been exactl
I don't know how to feel. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do with my hands. The sheer, overwhelming weight of the truth crashes down on my central nervous system all at once. A massive wave of intense, trembling heat rushes up my chest, and my stomach violently convulses. My nerves a
At the far end of the gallery, Tobias Moore is standing completely still. His back is turned to us, his tall, imposing frame draped in a casual designer shirt as he stares intensely at a massive, heavily gilded family oil painting hanging on the center wall. "Tobias?" I call out softly, my steps sl
My smartphone is currently screaming at me from the nightstand, and I am actively attempting to suffocate it with a fluffy pillow. I am still tangled up in Owen’s ridiculously soft designer bedsheets, feeling like a human burrito. My head is pounding from yesterday's massive red wine intake, and th
I pick up my fork, taking a bite of the salmon. "Alright, fine. You win." As the quiet clinking of silver against porcelain fills the air, Tobias takes a slow sip of his black coffee, his expression entirely unreadable. "You’ve been remarkably quiet these past few days, Owen. No updates, no phone
Nicholas looks like he’s been through a blender. His usually perfectly coiffed hair is a nest of dark tangles, and he’s wearing his sunglasses indoors, which is never a good sign. He sheepishly reaches out to take the keys, his hand trembling just enough for the metal to jingle. "God, Sydney," he g
Nicholas is leaning heavily against the wall, looking entirely bewildered, while Owen is standing a few feet away, swaying slightly with his hands shoved in his pockets. "It... it attacked me," Nicholas mutters, pointing a shaky finger at the debris. "The vase. It moved. I’m certain of it." "You’r
"He froze every single one of my personal accounts, leaving me with zero access to the money I earned long before I met him," I say, looking at the judge. "And when I didn't crawl back, the threats started. He told me he’d ruin my reputation with every studio in the city. He said I’d never work in t
"I said take them inside," he repeats. He doesn't let me touch them; instead, he snaps his fingers, signaling for one of the groundskeepers. "When I say 'take them inside,' I mean call someone to do it for you. You’ve barely recovered from a fever, and you’re out here hauling luggage in the sun? Use







