LOGINJORDYN đšDeclan Hawthorne just kissed me.Even after he pulled away, I stood there, frozen. My fingertips brushed the place his mouth had been. My stomach twisted at the mischievous smirk still playing on his lips.âMr. H-HawthorneâŚââDeclan,â he corrected, turning to retrieve his glass. âWeâre dating now.âI stared at him. He spoke like he hadnât just kissed me out of the blue.âThat wasnât a part of the agreement.ââWhat wasnât?ââYou kissed me. And we werenât even outside.âHe shrugged and took a slow sip. My fingers tightened around my purse until the leather creaked.âYouâll meet my mother tomorrow night,â he muttered, reaching into his pocket. âGet everything you need.âA black card appeared between his fingers. His name was engraved across it in silver.âWhatâs this?ââA card.ââWhat card?ââTake the fucking card, Jordyn.ââWhy are you giving me your card?ââUse it.â He sat, swirling the remaining liquor in his glass. My mother is a perfectionist. Dress to impress.âI didnât w
â ď¸ DECLAN â ď¸Tyrique Sinclair.All it took was one call from Rook, and I left the gallery. Jordyn looked petrified when she saw me, and Tyrique seemed⌠possessive.Sheâd claimed there was nothing going on between them. But I knew what I saw. It was more intense than what Iâd seen outside the gallery.Their faces were only an inch from touching, and his fingers trailed against her chin as if he wanted to kiss her.Or heâd kissed her and wanted to do it again before I walked in. I looked at Tyrique, still holding her.âI suggest you let her go.âHe huffed, stepping forward. âYou should do the same thing.ââI was about to go home,â Jordyn said. âBoth of you need toâââââI wonât tell you again.âTyrique smirked, his eyes glinting with defiance. My jaw clenched, and I held Jordyn tighter before I could stop myself.âYou met me here, Declan. Get out.ââStop!âJordyn snapped and wriggled her hands free. She darted her eyes between us and hissed before storming out of the office.I followed h
JORDYN đšâWhat did you do, Jordyn?âMelissa reprimanded me over the phone. I paced around in my office, raking my hands through my hair.âIt happened so fast, Mel,â I said in frustration. âHe was going to tell Vanessa something that wasnât true.ââYouâre messing this up,â she said, the sound of horses neighing in the background. âI told you to be careful.ââI was,â I corrected myself immediately. âI am.ââBy pretending to date Declan for six months? You totally have no idea what youâre doing.âI groaned softly. I slammed my hand into my forehead and winced at the pain Iâd inflicted upon myself.âMelissa. Please donât make me regret this more than I already have.âShe didnât respond. I heard her talking to someone else in the background before murmuring to me seconds later.âWeâll talk about this when I get home.âMelissa hung up when the phone was still placed against my ear. I clutched it tightly, then tossed it back to my work table.Six months.That was a long time.How did I end
đšJORDYN đšI blinked my eyes at Declan to make sure I wasnât hallucinating. He wanted me to date him? For what? Six months?I sat upright in my chair, dropped the glass carefully on his table, and faced him with narrowed eyes.âIâm sorry, Mr. Hawthorne. But, I donât quite understand.âHe shrugged, took a sip from his glass and muttered nonchalantly. âI made myself very clear.ââYour girlfriend?â I scoffed in disbelief. âWhy? You donât even know me.âOr did he have a hidden motive behind it? Being the sneaky, two-faced person I was, I knew when people did something like that, it was probably for an agenda.A secret motive.And my gut feeling told me that Declan had one. Even when I wasnât sure what it was yet.He tutted, his eyes fixed intently on me in a way that left me⌠self aware.âYouâre a pretty woman, Stalkie.ââItâs Jordyn.ââDaring too,â he added, ignoring the correction. âResilient, persistent, and thatâs exactly what Iâm looking for.ââIf this is about the frequent meetin
đšJORDYN đš I didnât see Declan or Tyrique for the rest of the night. I called a cab that drove me back home, and reminisced about what had happened. My fingers brushed against Declanâs card, and a small smile crept over my lips. Finally, Iâd gotten through to him. And I didnât even do that with Tyâs help. When the car pulled up in front of my gates, I stepped out, and paid him before walking inside. Melissa wasnât in her room as usual, and I knew she was probably working overnight at the animal shelter. Taking off my wine-stained dress, I replayed every second with Declan. His hands had been on my waist. His eyes had held mine for only a heartbeat, yet my pulse refused to settle. I hated myself for remembering how it felt. Because that same man had stolen the only thing that had ever mattered to me. After what felt like hours of overthinking, I finally walked into the shower, had a warm bath, then retired to bed. * âJordyn Mercer,â I said quietly. âIâm here to
JORDYN đšI didnât wait to see what anyone else was doing.Not Ty. Not Vanessa. Not the eyes I could still feel lingering on me.I turned away, desperate to be anywhere but under those chandelier lights. The sting of wine on my skin had dried slightly, but the embarrassment lingered. My dress clung in places it shouldnât, and every step away from that spot sent my heart racing at a breakneck pace.I needed air... Or silence. Or both.Declan had ordered for the broken mess to be cleaned. And while the cleaners attended to it, he turned and walked away without another word.One of the women passed by me with a polite smile, but I only gave a brief nod in return.âIâm fine,â I muttered before she could even ask. I wasnât, but that wasnât the point.Iâd been thereâwith Declan. Weâd been close, his hand tightly wrapped around my waist, and his hot breath against my face.And it had done something to my insides.For a second, Iâd almost forgotten my words, and allowed myself to be captiva
đšJORDYN đšâWhereâs my husband?â Vanessa asked one of the housekeepers after weâd taken our spots at the table.I pretended not to pay attention to whatever she was saying, knowing fully well that Iâd barely escaped from his room.âI informed Don about twenty minutes ago, andâ" the housekeeper beg
đšJORDYN đšAt exactly three-thirty pm, I stood outside the gates of the Sinclairsâ estate. Vanessa wanted me over by three, but I didnât want to appear desperate by sticking to time.Even though Iâd been within the vicinity since two pm, sitting in the car and waiting patiently to show up late.Fo
JORDYNâMs. Jordyn?âVanessaâs voice wasnât enough to make me open my eyes, so she snapped her fingers in my face instead.Slowly, I blinked them open, and the first person I saw after inhaling the familiar scent of cedar wood was⌠Tyrique.He stood tall. He was dressed in a tailored tuxedo, lookin
JORDYNThe rain drizzled against the window, and my chest tightened instantly.I hated rain.It didnât just remind me of the pastâit dragged me back into it. Voices whispering⌠to run⌠hide⌠disappear.And right now, it felt like I was reliving the past all over again at the sight of the rain outsi







