로그인Quinn's POVThree reactions.That was all it took.The silence had barely lasted two seconds before I noticed them.First, her eyes widened. Then her lips pressed together into a thin, rigid line. Finally, her shoulders stiffened just enough that someone else might have missed it.I didn't.I had spent years working beside Elena. I knew every expression she wore. Or at least, I thought I did."I asked you a question, Elena," I said calmly. "I'd like an answer."She swallowed hard before replying. "Sir... I don't think this is a professional conversation.""I asked you a question, Elena," I repeated, my voice firmer this time. "And I expect an answer."She looked at me.Then away.Then toward the window.Finally, her gaze settled on her shoes.I'd never seen her nervous before. Not once. Not during billion-naira negotiations. Not during shareholder meetings. Not while cleaning up disasters that would've made lesser assistants resign on the spot.But now...She couldn't even look me in
Quinn's POVI stood in the alleyway, speechless.Devon had been gone for nearly a minute, yet I hadn't moved an inch.The afternoon breeze drifted between the narrow buildings, rustling the loose papers that had gathered near the dumpster beside me. Somewhere in the distance, a car horn blared, followed by the muffled laughter of employees leaving Cardiff Studios for the day.I barely heard any of it.My mind was elsewhere.There was only one question echoing inside my head.What now?For weeks, I'd wanted nothing more than to find whoever had been trying to hurt Laura.Now, for the first time, it felt as though the pieces were beginning to fit together.But that was exactly why I couldn't afford to act recklessly.One wrong move.One careless accusation.One emotional decision.Everything could fall apart.Justice wasn't served by acting on anger.It was served by patience.By facts.By making sure there was nowhere left for the truth to hide.I let out a slow breath.The first thing
Quinn's POVI had barely taken three steps out of my office with laura. when my phone buzzed inside my pocket.Devon: I need to speak to you. Now.My brows pulled together.That wasn't like him.If Devon wanted to talk, he usually knocked on my office door or called. A text that short, especially with the word now, meant one thing.He had found something.Laura looked up from where she stood beside the elevator."Everything okay?"I slipped my phone back into my pocket and forced a small smile."I have to handle something with Devon."Concern and disappointment flickered across her face.Damn it. We were supposed to spend the day together.Guilt clwed on my insides. “I'm really sorry, but I really have to go" "Will it take long?" She asked.I stepped closer, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear before placing a soft kiss on her forehead."Less than two hours."She searched my face as though trying to decide whether she believed me."Promise?""I promise."She smiled faintl
Devon's POVI had expected Elena's apartment to be nice.I hadn't expected it to be... Elena.She unlocked the front door with practiced efficiency before stepping aside to let me in.The first time I'd come here had been for our date, but I'd only waited outside while she grabbed her purse. This was the first time I'd actually crossed the threshold.The apartment was spotless.Not the kind of spotless that came from a cleaner visiting every week. The kind that came from someone who put everything exactly where it belonged and never left it anywhere else.White walls.Dark hardwood floors.A charcoal-gray couch that looked like it had never known the existence of a wrinkle.There were only two framed paintings hanging on the walls. Both were clean, geometric landscapes in muted colors. Beautiful, but practical.No colorful decorations.No random souvenirs.No stacks of magazines.Nothing unnecessary.It suited her perfectly.Business first.Everything else later."You can sit," Elena
Laura's POVThe trip back home had been surprisingly quick.Maybe it was because my head still wasn't completely right after everything that had happened at my father's estate. Or maybe it was because I knew what was waiting for me the moment we got back to the city.Work.Lots and lots of work.Quinn had practically forbidden me from throwing myself back into my schedule immediately. For the first three days after we returned, he insisted I rest, eat properly, take my medication, and avoid anything remotely stressful."You have to take things slow" he had muttered more than once whenever he caught me reaching for my laptop.As much as I appreciated the concern, staying in bed all day was torture.I wasn't built for doing absolutely nothing.Eventually, after a few days of rest and countless lectures from Quinn, I felt normal enough to ease back into a regular routine.Which was exactly how I found myself seated inside one of titan's media conference rooms a week later with star shot
Laura’s POVWhen I woke up, the ceiling was spinning.Not metaphorically. Not in the poetic, dramatic way people described when they were dizzy.Actually spinning.I blinked several times, hoping my vision would settle, but that only seemed to make things worse. The ceiling swayed above me, the edges of the room blurring into one another until I had to squeeze my eyes shut.My head hurt.God, my head hurt.What happened?I slowly opened my eyes again and immediately regretted it.The guest room.My father’s estate.I pushed myself upright, only for the entire room to tilt violently to the left.“Whoa.”I grabbed the edge of the mattress before I could fall over.Why was I still here?I remembered the wedding. The reception. My father laughing at that disgusting comment about my weight. I remembered walking away from him, my head pounding, my body feeling strange.Then nothing.I swallowed.I was supposed to be leaving.Quinn and I were supposed to leave last night.I tried standing.B
LauraThe second I stepped onto the set of The Last Ember, every single person turned to look at me.My stomach immediately tightened.The massive soundstage buzzed with controlled chaos. Crew members rushed around carrying lighting equipment. Makeup artists stood near the trailers holding coffee c
Laura Seven months.Seven months of sweating out my old life in Quinn’s private gym. Seven months of speech therapy to find the voice Hemsworth had spent years trying to silence. Seven months of learning the dark, jagged secrets of the entertainment industry from the man who sat at the very top of
LauraThe first thing I felt was the scent. It didn't smell like the sterile, bleach-heavy air of a hospital. It smelled like expensive oud, aged whiskey, and something dangerously masculine.I blinked my eyes open. The ceiling was charcoal grey, accented with soft, recessed LED lighting."You're a
LauraThe beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the sterile VIP suite.I stared at the white ceiling, my side burning with a dull, throbbing ache. It had been three days. Three days since the surgeons took a piece of my liver and put it into my husband’s body.The door clicked open. I







