LOGINTHALIAAdrian remained beside me for a few moments after Brandon disappeared into the darkness, his eyes following the same path mine had unconsciously settled on. Neither of us spoke immediately, and I was grateful for that because I wasn't entirely sure what I was feeling. "Are you okay?" Adrian asked quietly, turning to look at me.I met his eyes and offered him a small smile."I'm okay."He studied my face for another second, almost as though he was trying to decide whether he believed me."You don't have to pretend with me.""I'm not pretending." I rested my forearms against the wooden railing and looked out across the lake, where the lights from the party shimmered on the water. "I really am okay."He nodded slowly, but I could tell there was still a question sitting at the back of his mind."What is it?" I asked.He hesitated for a moment before speaking."Would it be wrong if I asked how you felt talking to Brandon just now?"I let out a quiet breath and smiled to myself."N
BRANDON I glanced over my shoulder and watched as she stepped onto the porch, quietly closing the door behind her before wrapping her arms around herself as the cool night breeze swept through the camp. She hadn’t seen me.Good.I then turned to leave through the other side.“Brandon.”My feet stopped before my mind had a chance to tell them to keep moving.Slowly, I looked back.She was watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.“You don’t have to leave.”I frowned slightly.“What?”A faint smile touched her lips.“You don’t have to make it look like I’m chasing you away.”I blinked.“If you came out here for fresh air,” she continued, gesturing toward the lake, “then stay and get some fresh air. Don’t walk off just because I happened to come outside too.”I let out a quiet breath, almost embarrassed that she’d seen right through me.“I wasn’t trying to make you look bad.”“I know.”“Then…”She shrugged lightly.“I just don’t want anyone thinking I own the outside.”Desp
BRANDONI had already spent the better part of the afternoon sitting through meetings with the club executives, discussing sponsorships, facility upgrades, and a dozen other things that normally would’ve held my attention. And yes, I was invited because I’ve been Ravens Elite's biggest sponsor.I held on to sponsoring them even after they refused to partner with Langford pharmaceuticals just so I could have an excuse to see Thalia once in a while.Seeing her again after everything that had happened between us had unsettled me far more than I cared to admit.She’d looked… different.Not because she’d changed physically, although she looked healthier than the last time I’d seen her in the hospital. The bruises were gone, the exhaustion that had once shadowed her face had faded, and there was a quiet confidence about the way she carried herself that hadn’t been there before.She looked lighter.As though she’d finally laid down a burden she’d been carrying for years.The realization sh
THALIA“What the hell are you doing here?”Olivia’s voice rang out before I even had the chance to react, making everyone standing nearby glance in our direction.I looked at her and almost smiled. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, and the glare she was directing at Brandon could have frightened just about anyone. If looks alone were enough to chase people away, he would’ve turned around and driven straight back out of the camp.Instead, Brandon remained exactly where he was.For a brief moment, our eyes met across the parking lot, and I caught the slightest flicker of pain on his face. It disappeared almost as quickly as it came, replaced by an expression I couldn’t quite read. He simply gave the three of us a polite nod.It was the kind of acknowledgment you gave strangers you happened to recognize.Nothing more.Nothing less.Without saying a single word, he shifted his attention to a man walking toward him from the direction of the main lodge. The man looked to be i
THALIAIf someone had told me two weeks ago that I’d be completely out of the hospital, cleared by my doctor, and on my way to spend a week at the hockey team’s annual camp, I probably would’ve laughed in their face and told them to stop making jokes.Back then, walking across a room without feeling exhausted had seemed impossible, and there were days when I genuinely believed my life had come to a standstill. Funny enough, the divorce seemed to have done what weeks of medication couldn’t.It gave me peace.But with the constant tension gone, with no more arguments, disappointments, or endless hope that Brandon would one day choose me the way I’d always chosen him, I found myself healing in ways I hadn’t expected.Maybe peace really was the best medicine.Or maybe finally letting go of someone who had spent years letting me down had made room for me to find myself again.Either way, I wasn’t complaining.“I am so excited for this,” Olivia squealed from the passenger seat as Adrian tu
BRANDON"What did you find?""Mr. Langord," he said calmly, "I'd rather explain everything in person. There are a few things that are easier to show than to say over the phone."I pushed myself to my feet so quickly that the chair behind me scraped loudly across the floor. I didn’t even know when I sat on the chair."What did you find?" I repeated, this time forcing myself to speak more evenly. "If this is about Thalia, don't keep me in suspense.""I understand your frustration, but trust me when I say this conversation shouldn't happen over the phone."I clenched my jaw."Where are you?"He gave me the name of a small café on the other side of town, explaining that he'd been working from there for most of the afternoon."I'll be there in twenty minutes."I ended the call before he could respond.My stomach twisted as I grabbed my keys from the dresser, hurried downstairs, and was out of the house before I even realized I'd forgotten to lock the front door.By the time I pulled into t
THALIAI stopped walking just before we got to the hall.“Infact…”I opened my purse and pulled out a folded document I had deliberately brought with me tonight. I unfolded it and held it out in front of him.“I brought the agreement for you to sign, Mr. Langford.You promised me a 50% discount on m
THALIABy the time I got to work the next morning, I was still irritated from Brandon showing up at my apartment the night before like he had lost every remaining ounce of sense he possessed.The nerve of that man still annoyed me.I walked into the lab with my coffee in one hand and my laptop bag
THALIABy the time the car rolled through the iron gates of the estate, the tightness in my chest had already become hard to ignore.Thomas stopped in front of the entrance and stepped out to open my door.“Welcome home, ma’am.”I nodded faintly and walked inside.The house was quiet. Too quiet.Wi
THALIAShopping for sexy nightwear alone should have felt embarrassing.Instead, I found myself smiling.My fingers drifted over rows of silk and lace as I moved slowly through the boutique. Black lace sets, satin slips, delicate babydolls—each piece more daring than the last.Tonight was special.J







