LOGINLuca’s POVThe conference room still smelled faintly of espresso and expensive cologne when the clients finally stood to leave.Handshakes were exchanged firmly and confidently. Their smiles were wide and the compliments flowed easily, the kind that came when people were already imagining profit.“An impressive proposal,” one of them said, clasping my hand a second longer than necessary. “We’re willing to double the initial investment.”The words should have landed like a victory lap but they didn’t.I nodded, my lips curving into something polite and acceptable. “I’ll have my team draft the final terms.”More praise and nods followed, The satisfaction buzzing around the table couldn’t go unnoticedWhen the doors finally closed and the room emptied, the silence hit me like a weight.I sank back into my chair.The leather creaked under me as I loosened my tie, tugging at the knot until it gave me room to breathe. My shoulders slumped forward with my elbows resting on the table as I dra
Maya’s POVThe moment I saw Gabriella standing there, something sharp and instinctive rose inside me.My shoulders stiffened immediately and my spine straightened without permission, like my body already knew this was a confrontation I hadn’t asked for but could not avoid. My smile felt tight as I rose to my feet, smoothing my hands over my skirt in a gesture that was more about calming myself than politeness.“Good morning,” I said, keeping my voice even.Gabriella didn’t even look at me.Her attention slid right past me, settling on Nico like I wasn’t even there. She crouched slightly, lowering herself to his level, her tone changing instantly into a soft, coaxing, almost indulgent tone.“Nico,” she said brightly with her teeth all out. “I already spoke to your father this morning. He said it’s perfectly fine for me to take you to school today.”My breath caught, and my eyes widened as I snapped my head toward her direction.I looked at Nico, then back at her, sure I had misheard wh
Maya’s POVThe morning came too quickly.I lay awake long before the alarm went off, staring at the ceiling while the memory of Luca’s mouth on mine replayed with cruel clarity. It wasn’t just the kiss, it was the way it had happened. Anger turning into something dangerous. The way my body had responded before my mind could intervene. The way his voice still echoed in my head, rough and controlled and breaking all at once.I rolled onto my side, pressing my face into the pillow like that could erase it but it didn’t.When I finally got out of bed, my movements were careful and slow. I listened before stepping into the hallway. There were no voices, no footsteps. I let out a quiet breath of relief I hadn’t realized I was holding.I knew the only way I would get through this day was to avoid LucaI stayed in the kitchen only long enough to prepare Nico’s breakfast, keeping my back to the door, my senses were on high alert. Every sound made my pulse jump. When I heard movement upstairs,
Maya’s POVSilence followed me immediately he was out of sight. I stood there visibly shaken for a while then I managed to drag my feets into the house.I moved through the rest of the day on instinct alone, I tried my best to keep my attitude in check, I made my voice calm even when I spoke to Nico, my hands steady when they really weren’t. I cooked his dinner, reminded him to finish his vegetables, and helped him with homework which he barely touched. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t even look at me.And I didn’t push it, I had clearly overstepped and that might cost me my job, which I wasn’t ready to give up. Professional. That was the word I clung to.I answered his questions. I corrected his posture at the table. I tucked him into bed without the usual story, without the kiss on his forehead. He didn’t ask for it. When I turned off the light, the door clicked shut behind me like a verdict.The house felt too large after that.I sat on the edge of my bed, my bag still slung over m
Maya’s POVTanya went quiet for exactly half a second.Then she exploded.“That witch pulled your hair?” she shouted through the phone. “Maya, if I ever see her —”“It wasn’t that dramatic,” I said quickly, pressing the phone between my shoulder and ear as I shoved clothes into my bag. My scalp still ached in dull pulses, every tug of my hair reminded me of her fingers twisting, and also her warning. “She just ..… grabbed me.”“Just grabbed you?” Tanya scoffed. “Are you hearing yourself? That woman is insane. She thinks because she’s dating Luca, she owns everyone around him.”I winced, not because Tanya was wrong, but because something inside me twisted uncomfortably.I didn’t tell her that part.The part where guilt crept in anyway. The part where I wondered, just for a moment if Gabriella had a reason to feel threatened. Playing Nico’s mother for a day, laughing with Luca, standing beside him while parents stared ..… if all of that had crossed an invisible line I hadn’t meant to st
Maya’s POVThe dream kept coming back.It didn’t matter how many times I woke up, how many times I rolled over, or how many times I told myself to stop. It always found me again, slipping into my sleep like it belonged there.In the dream, I was standing in the kitchen. The same kitchen. The same dim light. The same quietness and Luca stood in front of me.Closer than he had been in real life.He said my name the way he always did low, steady, and careful. But instead of stepping back like he had that night, instead of pulling away and saying good night, he leaned in.In one version of the dream, he touched my face.In another, he said I was beautiful.And in every single one, he said something more than good night.I woke up flushed and breathless, my sheet was tangled around my legs, and my heart pounded rapidly like I’d run miles in my sleep. My body felt so warm, every nerve buzzing with something I didn’t want to name.I squeezed my eyes shut.“No,” I whispered into the quiet roo







