LOGINADRIANI arrived at the Knight estate with my jaw clenched so tightly that my teeth ached, the gates opening automatically as my car rolled up the long driveway that I had driven down a thousand times before but that felt foreign today in a way I couldn't explain. I parked near the back lawn because I already knew where she would be, and sure enough my mother was out there in crisp white pants and a fitted polo, lining up a golf shot like the world had not just collapsed on itself overnight.She didn't even look at me when I stepped onto the grass, and the sound of the club striking the ball cleanly echoed across the yard as she followed through smoothly, watching it land with obvious satisfaction before she finally turned her head slightly in my direction.“Adrian,” she said in a muted tone. “I’m surprised to see you here.”“Hello mother,” I replied. “I half expected you to be out.”“Oh, I have a meeting to attend in a few hours,” she said. “I’m meeting with Senator Barnes to discuss
ADRIANI woke up on the floor with my head pounding and my mouth tasting like blood, and for a few long seconds I had no idea where I was or why my back hurt the way it did. The first thing I noticed was the blanket half draped over me, which felt scratchy and unfamiliar. The second thing was the ache in my ribs from sleeping twisted on cold hardwood all night like I deserved it.The hallway ceiling swam above me as I blinked, and the memories slowly came back in ugly chunks. I remembered the boardroom, Aiden's face when the vote flipped, and the sound of my name being stripped from the board like it was nothing. Then I remembered the bar, how I drank too much whiskey, and my phone buzzing with numerous phone calls from Serena and a few from Maria. Then I remembered Serena's apartment, her couch and the warmth of her hands, and my head on her chest.But I couldn’t remember anything else after that. And that blank space scared me more than the headache did.I pushed myself up slowly, g
(The following chapter contains some sensitive scenes, so please be warned)SERENAI woke up slowly with an unbearable dryness in my throat, and my neck throbbing from the wrong angle on the couch. I felt like my mind was lagging behind my senses, and I was confused about why I was still dressed, why the lights were off, and why there was a warm solid weight pressed against me that was not a blanket.Slowly, everything came back in fragments, and I remembered what happened with Adrian in the boardroom, the drinking, and him falling asleep with his head on my chest like that was the most natural place in the world for him to be.I blinked into the dim room where the only light came from the city outside slipping in through the half open blinds, and his breathing was deep and steady against me, his arm still wrapped around my waist in the same careless way it had been when we drifted off. I shifted slightly to ease the ache in my back, moving carefully so I would not wake him, and that
SERENABy the time Rafael pulled up in front of my apartment building, my head was still buzzing. I had barely said a word during the drive, and I just stared out the window with my arms wrapped around myself while the city slid past in a blur. Everything felt louder inside my chest than it should have, like my thoughts were tripping over each other and refusing to line up properly.Rafael cut the engine and turned to look at me, then he asked, “You okay?”“I don’t know,” I said honestly, unbuckling my seatbelt slowly. “I don’t even know what that was back there.”“Yeah,” he muttered. “That was ugly.”We took the elevator up in silence, and once we were inside my apartment, I kicked off my shoes and sank onto the couch like my legs had finally given up on me. Rafael didn’t ask if he could sit. He just dropped down across from me, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.“I keep replaying it in my head,” I said quietly. “I’ve never seen a vote like that before. The way everyone ju
SERENAThe boardroom felt colder than usual that morning, and I could not tell if it was the temperature or the tension sitting heavy in the air. I took my seat quietly, smoothing my skirt over my knees and placing my notebook neatly in front of me like that might somehow keep my nerves under control. Adrian sat at the head of the table, looking composed and professional with his expression seeming carefully neutral. Meanwhile Aiden was leaning back in his chair a few seats down with one arm draped casually over the armrest, and looking like he had nowhere else he would rather be than right there.If he was worried, he hid it well. I tried to figure out if it was pretense, or if he was actually serious. I’d never seen someone look so nonchalant when their ass was on the line before. It was obvious that this meeting was about him, from the frosty looks that everyone was giving him before they sat down. Adrian didn’t even look at him once, and I could tell that he was just trying to ke
SERENAThe first few days in my new apartment were weird. I kept forgetting that I was in a new place, and I would always wake up very confused because I couldn’t remember where I was. It would take me several seconds before I would realize where exactly I was. Getting to work was another hassle. Now that I was much closer to the office, I was faced with another problem. The office was much too close to drive to, and much too far from my home to walk to. It was only two blocks away, and I felt stupid driving a Ferrari that short distance because it seemed like a waste of gas. I was left with the only option of getting an Uber, and having to ignore their judgmental looks over the short distance. The only upside was that things at work were much easier now. Ever since Ms. Stanton realized I was pregnant, she went out of her way to be extra nice to me. She started coming over to my desk to talk to me instead of summoning me to her to her office. She even started inviting me to her offi







