LOGINShe was fire—and she knew I was the one already burning.Nico murmured something at her ear. She smiled, then laughed, tipping her head back. Her throat exposed. His hand too close to her spine.She flicked her gaze toward me—barely a glance. Then turned away.My jaw tightened.“Jesus,” Cooper mutte
WESLEY's POVI arrived fashionably late, as expected. A calculated move—enough to rattle Mona and remind the rest of them I only appeared when I damn well pleased. Cooper flanked me in silent formation, his eyes sweeping the grand marble entryway like a soldier entering enemy territory. Technically,
But it wasn’t until I felt the sudden presence at my side that I knew the temperature had dropped.Wesley.He didn’t say a word, but the silence around him roared. He was dressed in his usual sharp lines and shadowed intensity, but something about him now was coiled—tightly held fury barely hidden b
CARA's POVThe zipper hissed softly as I adjusted the back of my dress, smoothing the fabric over my hips. The satin clung like a second skin, emerald green and deliberate—just enough modesty to pass as elegant, just enough curve to command attention. I glanced at my reflection, tilting my chin slig
I stood, calm and controlled.“She’s neither.”Mona’s eyes gleamed as she closed the last of the space between us. She was close enough that I could see the scar near her collarbone—the one she kept visible on purpose.“She should be one or the other,” she whispered. “Soon. Because people are watchi
WESLEY's POVThe hum of the servers was the only sound that didn’t piss me off tonight.I leaned against the edge of the control desk, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the monitors. Grainy footage from every inch of the estate flickered across the wall—shadows passing through halls, staff rotations logge
My blood turned to ice.He let the words settle between us like poison, watching my face as they landed.I didn’t move. Couldn’t.I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. I just stared at him, wide-eyed, my lips trembling. My body had frozen—like it hadn’t realized yet that I wasn’t safe.His grip finall
CARA'S POBy the time I got home, I felt like I was dragging my soul behind me.The gallery, Wesley, the contract, Selina’s cutting words… it had all blended into one long stretch of noise in my head. I just wanted silence. Or peace. Or a minute to breathe without feeling like the walls were pressin
I stared at the tea, my reflection rippling in the surface. “It’s all such a mess.”Jenny reached over and grabbed my hand. “Then start cleaning it up. One decision at a time.”That night, I sat cross-legged on my bed, the manila envelope unopened beside me like a silent threat.The lights were off,
CARA's POVThe smell of lentil soup and bleach clung to the air as I stepped into the backroom of the food shelter where my friend, Jenny worked.She looked up from a stack of donated bread loaves, eyebrows shooting up as soon as she saw my face. “Oh, you’ve got that look.”“What look?” I muttered,







