Adrian’s expression softened. He reached out, pulled her gently into his arms. She didn’t speak, not right away. Just breathed. Just trembled. He pressed a kiss to her hair. Then, quietly— “Sometimes the body remembers what the mind forgets. Especially when it’s something you weren’t ready to carry.” His thumb brushed along the back of her hand, grounding her. “Sometimes the mind tucks things away until it’s ready,”Adrian said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.“Especially when you’re that young. Four years old…most people don’t remember much.” “But something in you held onto it,”he added, his voice quiet but certain.“And whatever it was—whoever they were—you weren’t alone then.” He leaned closer, pressing a steady kiss to her temple. “And you’re not alone now,”he whispered.“Whatever you remember, whenever it comes back—I’ll be here. You don’t have to carry it
The next morning, Emily was about to grab her purse and head out—the interior designer from E International had texted, asking her to come by and check out the preliminary renovation plans for her personal design studio. She picked up her car keys from the counter—but her fingers hesitated. A small tremble ran through them. Just as she was about to tell the driver she might need him to take her instead, the distant growl of an engine caught her ear. Emily turned—and froze. A bright yellow SUV pulled into the driveway. The window rolled down. Adrian. He smiled lazily at her from behind the wheel.“Come see your new ride. Tell me if you like it.” Emily stared for a second, stunned. The SUV was wild and beautiful—bold yellow with clean, muscular lines that somehow managed to look both untamed and sophisticated. Even the rims were touched with a subtle, eye-catching gleam of color. Before she could find words, Adrian cut the engine, got out, and walked over. He pr
Emily caught a glimpse of Adrian holding his phone up, filming something. She tilted her head curiously. “What are you doing?” He didn’t look away from the screen as he answered, voice low and steady. “Recording you,”he said.“So next time you’re scared, you can look back and remember this feeling—this moment when you chose courage. Then, little by little, we’ll stack up so many good memories that the fear won’t stand a chance.” Emily blinked, then smiled—a small, genuine smile that reached her eyes. He was right. Facing things, handling them one step at a time, was how real confidence was built. Not overnight. But piece by piece. Her heart felt lighter. When they finally headed back down the winding mountain roads, Emily kept her hands steady on the wheel, a quiet kind of pride blooming in her chest. They decided to stop for lunch on Lexford Boulevard again. Emily pulled into a spot near the restaurant. As she climbed out, a loose piece of gravel shifted under he
He reached the bed and lowered her carefully onto the mattress, his hands lingering a moment longer than necessary, as if reluctant to let her go. Emily looked up at him, her hair fanning out across the pillows, cheeks flushed, eyes wide and soft. Adrian stayed there for a beat, hovering above her, his gaze tracing every inch of her face like he was trying to memorize her all over again. Then, without a word, he leaned down and kissed her. Slowly. Deeply. The kind of kiss that didn’t rush, didn’t ask for anything—only gave. His mouth moved against hers with a tenderness that made her heart ache, like he was pouring everything he couldn’t say into that single touch. Adrian shifted, bracing one arm beside her head, the other sliding along her waist with a patience that made her tremble. His fingers brushed the hem of her pajama top, tracing small, reverent circles against her skin, as if asking permission without ever needing to speak. When Emily gasped softly against hi
With a low,ragged growl,he shifted,gripping her hips firmly as he drove into her with a sudden,deeper thrust. Emily gasped sharply,her back bowing off the bed,her nails digging into his skin as he filled her completely,claiming her in a way that left no room for thought. He caught her mouth in a fierce kiss,swallowing every broken sound she made,moving inside her with a raw,aching need that he no longer bothered to hold back. His control—so carefully maintained—was gone now,undone by the way she trembled for him,by the way she clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded. And he was. He always would be. Their bodies moved together in a wild,desperate rhythm,each thrust sending another tremor through her,each kiss deepening the way they unraveled into each other. In that moment,nothing else existed— just the burn of skin against skin, the frantic beating of two hearts colliding, and the unspoken vows stitched into every breathless touch. Emily’s
Adrian smiled against her hair, then shifted to the side, pulling the covers up over both of them. He gathered her into his arms, tucking her securely against him, her head nestled under his chin, his hand stroking soothing circles along her spine. Emily let out a tiny sigh, the last of her tension melting away. Wrapped up in his arms, with the steady thud of his heartbeat against her ear and his breath warm in her hair, she finally felt herself drift. Safe. Loved. Home. Adrian kissed the top of her head one last time and whispered, "Sleep, baby. I'm not going anywhere." And with that promise stitched into the night between them, they both surrendered to sleep—together. - The design studio was finally finished— polished marble floors, glass walls that caught the sunlight just right, sleek modern lines that spoke of ambition and elegance. It stood just a few blocks away from E International, nestled in the heart of the city’s thriving downtown core. When E
The space between them stretched thin, charged and brittle. People around them were starting to notice, glancing over with curious eyes. The gift box remained suspended awkwardly between them, Mike’s hand still waiting, expectant. Emily’s fingers curled into her side, rigid with the effort not to move, not to take it. A heartbeat later, a warm hand closed over the box. Another arm slid around her waist in a firm, unmistakable claim. Emily exhaled in a rush as Adrian pulled her gently against him, his presence a wall between her and everything else. He turned to Mike with a polished smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Mike,”Adrian said smoothly, his voice calm and cutting all at once. “Good to see you. Please, enjoy the evening. Have a seat.” Without waiting for a response, Adrian laced his fingers through Emily’s and steered her away with effortless possession. Emily followed, her heart hammering, the heat of his hand grounding her as they moved through the crow
Emily adjusted the delicate gold bracelet on her wrist as she passed the corner office. The low murmur of conversation from Mike’s colleagues reached her ears, pulling her to a halt when she heard her name.“Did you hear? That girl Mike had a crush on in high school is back from overseas,” one of them said, his voice low but intrigued. “Yeah, and I heard she’s stunning. If I were Mike, I’d be tempted too,” another replied with a quiet chuckle. “Things might get messy, especially since he and Emily are supposed to be engaged soon,” a third added. Emily froze. Her fingers tightened around the papers in her hand—design drafts for their engagement rings. The words swirled in her head like smoke, suffocating her thoughts. Engagement delayed? Tempted? Stunning?Then, another voice broke through the haze. “Oh, and get this—they left the bar together last night. Word is, they went straight to a hotel.” “Shh!” someone hissed, their voice urgent. “Keep it down. The boss doesn’t want thi
The space between them stretched thin, charged and brittle. People around them were starting to notice, glancing over with curious eyes. The gift box remained suspended awkwardly between them, Mike’s hand still waiting, expectant. Emily’s fingers curled into her side, rigid with the effort not to move, not to take it. A heartbeat later, a warm hand closed over the box. Another arm slid around her waist in a firm, unmistakable claim. Emily exhaled in a rush as Adrian pulled her gently against him, his presence a wall between her and everything else. He turned to Mike with a polished smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Mike,”Adrian said smoothly, his voice calm and cutting all at once. “Good to see you. Please, enjoy the evening. Have a seat.” Without waiting for a response, Adrian laced his fingers through Emily’s and steered her away with effortless possession. Emily followed, her heart hammering, the heat of his hand grounding her as they moved through the crow
Adrian smiled against her hair, then shifted to the side, pulling the covers up over both of them. He gathered her into his arms, tucking her securely against him, her head nestled under his chin, his hand stroking soothing circles along her spine. Emily let out a tiny sigh, the last of her tension melting away. Wrapped up in his arms, with the steady thud of his heartbeat against her ear and his breath warm in her hair, she finally felt herself drift. Safe. Loved. Home. Adrian kissed the top of her head one last time and whispered, "Sleep, baby. I'm not going anywhere." And with that promise stitched into the night between them, they both surrendered to sleep—together. - The design studio was finally finished— polished marble floors, glass walls that caught the sunlight just right, sleek modern lines that spoke of ambition and elegance. It stood just a few blocks away from E International, nestled in the heart of the city’s thriving downtown core. When E
With a low,ragged growl,he shifted,gripping her hips firmly as he drove into her with a sudden,deeper thrust. Emily gasped sharply,her back bowing off the bed,her nails digging into his skin as he filled her completely,claiming her in a way that left no room for thought. He caught her mouth in a fierce kiss,swallowing every broken sound she made,moving inside her with a raw,aching need that he no longer bothered to hold back. His control—so carefully maintained—was gone now,undone by the way she trembled for him,by the way she clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded. And he was. He always would be. Their bodies moved together in a wild,desperate rhythm,each thrust sending another tremor through her,each kiss deepening the way they unraveled into each other. In that moment,nothing else existed— just the burn of skin against skin, the frantic beating of two hearts colliding, and the unspoken vows stitched into every breathless touch. Emily’s
He reached the bed and lowered her carefully onto the mattress, his hands lingering a moment longer than necessary, as if reluctant to let her go. Emily looked up at him, her hair fanning out across the pillows, cheeks flushed, eyes wide and soft. Adrian stayed there for a beat, hovering above her, his gaze tracing every inch of her face like he was trying to memorize her all over again. Then, without a word, he leaned down and kissed her. Slowly. Deeply. The kind of kiss that didn’t rush, didn’t ask for anything—only gave. His mouth moved against hers with a tenderness that made her heart ache, like he was pouring everything he couldn’t say into that single touch. Adrian shifted, bracing one arm beside her head, the other sliding along her waist with a patience that made her tremble. His fingers brushed the hem of her pajama top, tracing small, reverent circles against her skin, as if asking permission without ever needing to speak. When Emily gasped softly against hi
Emily caught a glimpse of Adrian holding his phone up, filming something. She tilted her head curiously. “What are you doing?” He didn’t look away from the screen as he answered, voice low and steady. “Recording you,”he said.“So next time you’re scared, you can look back and remember this feeling—this moment when you chose courage. Then, little by little, we’ll stack up so many good memories that the fear won’t stand a chance.” Emily blinked, then smiled—a small, genuine smile that reached her eyes. He was right. Facing things, handling them one step at a time, was how real confidence was built. Not overnight. But piece by piece. Her heart felt lighter. When they finally headed back down the winding mountain roads, Emily kept her hands steady on the wheel, a quiet kind of pride blooming in her chest. They decided to stop for lunch on Lexford Boulevard again. Emily pulled into a spot near the restaurant. As she climbed out, a loose piece of gravel shifted under he
The next morning, Emily was about to grab her purse and head out—the interior designer from E International had texted, asking her to come by and check out the preliminary renovation plans for her personal design studio. She picked up her car keys from the counter—but her fingers hesitated. A small tremble ran through them. Just as she was about to tell the driver she might need him to take her instead, the distant growl of an engine caught her ear. Emily turned—and froze. A bright yellow SUV pulled into the driveway. The window rolled down. Adrian. He smiled lazily at her from behind the wheel.“Come see your new ride. Tell me if you like it.” Emily stared for a second, stunned. The SUV was wild and beautiful—bold yellow with clean, muscular lines that somehow managed to look both untamed and sophisticated. Even the rims were touched with a subtle, eye-catching gleam of color. Before she could find words, Adrian cut the engine, got out, and walked over. He pr
Adrian’s expression softened. He reached out, pulled her gently into his arms. She didn’t speak, not right away. Just breathed. Just trembled. He pressed a kiss to her hair. Then, quietly— “Sometimes the body remembers what the mind forgets. Especially when it’s something you weren’t ready to carry.” His thumb brushed along the back of her hand, grounding her. “Sometimes the mind tucks things away until it’s ready,”Adrian said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.“Especially when you’re that young. Four years old…most people don’t remember much.” “But something in you held onto it,”he added, his voice quiet but certain.“And whatever it was—whoever they were—you weren’t alone then.” He leaned closer, pressing a steady kiss to her temple. “And you’re not alone now,”he whispered.“Whatever you remember, whenever it comes back—I’ll be here. You don’t have to carry it
Emily blinked, then laughed softly.“I was going to wait until everything was ready to reach out. But yes, I am. And if any of you want in, I’d love to have you.” Word spread like a spark on dry kindling. Members from A group, B group—familiar faces with eager eyes—turned toward her, nodding, asking if it was true. Emily nodded.“It’s not fancy yet. We’re still laying the foundation. But if you’re willing to take a leap with me…” “You don’t even have to ask,”Lily said.“We’re in.” Emily smiled. It didn’t matter what she had left behind anymore. Because what she was building—was hers. - After wrapping things up at A Design, Emily headed out and got into her car. Emily had only been driving for about five minutes when it happened. A screech of tires. The sudden slam of metal against metal. A car veered sharply into hers, clipping the side mirror and jolting her vehicle with a force that sent her heart lurching into her throat. She froze. The world spun for a sec
Adrian didn’t speak right away. But when he did,his voice was colder than steel. “I see.” Someone near the table let out a shaky breath.Another man looked like he was considering crawling under the table. He had expected this. The moment someone—somewhere—would try to drag Emily’s name through the mud. Adrian voice still quiet—but with a sharpness that sliced through the air like a scalpel.“Let me make this clear.” Lila stayed silent.The others barely breathed. “It was me who pursued Emily.Me who asked her to marry me.She said yes.” A pause. “If anyone in that room still has questions about my wife,”Adrian continued,each word deliberate,“they’re welcome to bring them to my office at E International.Tomorrow.In person.” There was a click. Call ended. Lila set the phone down on the table—slow,deliberate.Like she was laying down a weapon. The room was dead silent. No one moved.No one spoke. Someone—somewhere—exhaled the breath they hadn’t realized they w