LOGINLumi POVThe words are still hanging in the car when I realize I’ve said them out loud.I don’t know what made me say it. Maybe the way Briggs looked at me when I challenged him, like he could already see every weak spot I had and every one I was trying to hide. Maybe the way his voice dropped when he said good girls get punished, like he wasn’t threatening me so much as promising something I’d been too stubborn to ask for.Maybe I just wanted to see what he would do.The car felt smaller instantly, the leather seats creaking under my shifting weight as Briggs kept one hand on the wheel and stared straight ahead. Streetlights dragged gold across his sharp jawline, highlighting the faint scar that ran along his collarbone, the one he never talked about, the one that made him look like a man who'd survived worse things than me.My heart hammered against my ribs. I hadn't meant to say it. Or maybe I had. "Careful, Lumi," he says at last, voice low and rough, like gravel dragged over vel
Briggs’ POVThe words are still hanging between us when the music slams back in.She looks at me like she wants to argue, like she should. But she doesn’t.And the second she goes quiet, I made the decision for both of us. My hand closes around her wrist firmly, but not rough. But there’s no space for hesitation in it.“Come on.”“Briggs—”“Now.”I don’t raise my voice, I don’t need to. I turn and move, and she follows. Not willingly, but she doesn’t pull away either. That tells me everything I need to know.The club swallows us as we push through it, lights flashing, bodies pressing in, noise swallowing words that don’t matter anymore.Her fingers flex once in my grip, testing. I tighten just enough for her to feel it. A warning not to fight me. To stop pretending.By the time we hit the exit, the air changes, colder. She yanks her hand free the second we step outside.“What is wrong with you?” she snaps.I didn't answer, so I opened the passenger door.“Get in.”She laughs, not qu
Lumi POVMusic vibrates through my head the second we stepped inside. “I think this is a bad idea!” I yell over the noise.Brianna doesn’t even turn back. She just grabs my wrist and pulls me deeper into the club like she owns the place.“Relax!” she shouts. “You think too much!”I stumble slightly in the heels she got for me, catching myself as lights flash across the room—purple, blue, red—faces blending into shadows and movement.“I don’t even club like this!” I protest.“That’s exactly why you need it!” she throws back, finally turning to look at me.Her grin is wild, and somehow contagious. Before I can argue again, she shoves a drink into my hand.“Drink,” she says.“I just got here—”“Drink.”I sigh, then I drink. And immediately regret how easy that went down.Brianna watches me like she just proved a point.“See?” she says. “You’re alive.”“I was alive before,” I mutter.“Barely.”I roll my eyes, but I didn’t leave. Because the truth is i needed something. Something that did
Briggs’ POVDara doesn’t answer immediately. She studies me first, like she’s deciding whether I’m asking as Briggs, or something else.Then she leans back, slow, relaxed.“Mhmm,” she hums. “I do.”I don’t react, I wait for her to talk. She likes to be watched when she talks.“It’s an old company,” she continues. “Been running long before you disappeared.”“Doing what?”“Logistics. Quiet contracts. Import, distribution… the kind that doesn’t scream money but always has it.”Stable…clean on the surface.“Who runs it?” I ask.She smiles. “That’s the interesting part.”Of course it is.“They keep it layered,” she adds. “Ownership shifts, signatures rotate… you don’t really know who’s behind it unless you’re looking very closely.”My fingers tap once against the glass.“You’re recommending it?”“I’m saying,” she tilts her head slightly, “it’s worth your attention.”A beat.“And I don’t say that often.”No, she doesn’t. I nod once.“I’ll look into it.”Her gaze lingers.“Don’t take too lon
Briggs’ POVShe doesn’t answer, but she doesn’t agree either. That’s the problem.Her eyes stay on mine—stubborn, heated, still carrying the edge from a second ago.She’s not backing down, and I’m not letting her walk into that alone. The silence stretches, then her phone rings sharply. We both look at it, an Unknown number.She answers. “…Hello?”I don’t move, I watch her instead. The way her expression shifts slowly, like something is settling into place.“…What do you mean?” she says.Her voice drops, more tighter. My jaw tightens slightly. She turns her face away from me, like she doesn’t want me reading it.Too late.“Who is this?” she asks.A pause, then silence. She lowers the phone, and when she looks back at me, the anger is replaced by something else. “They said I shouldn’t stay here.”That’s it, that’s all it takes. Something in me stills.“Give me the phone,” I say.She hesitates, then hands it over. I don’t check call logs, I don’t scroll. I just hold it for a second, t
Lumi’s POV“Lumi?”Clover’s voice comes through fast. Like she’s been waiting for me to pick up.“I’m here,” I say.A pause, then she exhales. Clearly relieved. .“Are you okay?” she asks.I glance up.Briggs is across the room, leaning against the counter, watching me like he hasn’t stopped since that call came in.“I’m fine,” I say, it sounds steady, almost convincing.“Are you sure?” Clover presses. “Because the way you sounded—”“I said I’m fine,” I repeat, softer this time.I don’t want to lie to her. But I also don’t want to explain something I don’t fully understand yet.A small silence settles on the line.“Are you okay?” I ask instead.She huffs lightly.“Me? I’m not the one getting creepy anonymous calls,” she says. “I’m perfectly fine.”“Clover.”“Okay, okay,” she sighs. “I’m fine. No weird cars. No random men lurking in corners. Just me and my very boring, very normal life.”A small smile tugs at my lips despite everything.“Good.”Another pause, then her tone shifts again
Lumi’s POVA few minutes later, we finally got to Clover’s apartment. The moment we step inside, the world outside feels… quieter. But not enough to silence my thoughts.“I’m going to shower first,” Clover says, already kicking off her shoes and heading toward her room.“Go ahead,” I reply.She dis
Briggs’ POV“What do you think you’re doing?”Fedric’s voice comes out sharper than I expected, but not stronger. He’s already stepping backward. Already realizing this isn’t a conversation.The door shuts behind me with a quiet click.Riki moves in after me, casual, almost bored, but I know him we
Briggs’ POVDon’t get me wrong. I never knew I parked that long in front of them. If I had, I would’ve moved. I’m not that careless. I don’t do unnecessary inconvenience. At least, not without reason.When I first noticed them, I assumed they were waiting for someone. Two women standing by a car,
Lumi’s POV“We should drop by the nearest pharmacy and get a pregnancy test strip,” Clover says from behind me, her voice echoing through the silence that had settled between us after that last conversation.I keep my eyes on the road.“Yeah… we should,” I replied.The words feel heavier than they







