LOGINLORETTA The office fell silent. Not quiet, silentThe kind of silence in spooky graveyards at night, I was pretty sure that if an office pin dropped to the floor, we all would be able to hear itMy eyes swept over the spacious expanses of the office, past the four men seated behind the large hardwood desk, dressed in clean, pressed expensive suits, and landed in Elion's murderous gazeMy lips curled upwards into a satisfied smile. He was angry, Good. Let him be angry, so am I!For three seconds, no one spoke. I wasn't even sure if anyone breathed, and three seconds could be a very long time depending on the circumstances For three long seconds, I didn't look away from his coal black eyes, eyes so dark and dangerous it felt like I was being sucked up into a black holeMy hand was still wrapped around the door handle behind me, I let it go and stepped into the office, the sound of my heels loud in the silence Elion's jaw tightened to the point where it could and would snap, his expre
LORETTABy the time I arrived at Fitzpatrick Holdings, my anger was hot enough to melt iron, steel, and diamond all at onceWaiting for Elion to come around hadn't worked.Apologizing or at least trying to apologize didn't work either. Playing nice, sweet fiancée has been a waste of my timeWhat did that get me? Silence, Distance, and cold shoulders. He wouldn't talk to me? Fine. He skipped breakfast? Also fineBut last night was where I drew the line. I was not going to be one of those miserable women who lost themselves in their marriages. Hell, Elion and I weren't even officially married, yet I was waiting all night for him to show up only to have Mrs Parks inform me that my fiancé, I mean the man I was getting married to in less than two months has decided that his office was a better place to stay inSo it was time to bring out my big guns of insanity and do something so reckless that Elion would have no option but to sit down with me and discuss our problems like adults The e
LORETTAThe penthouse was quiet tonight. So quiet that I could hear the clock on the wall tick by I sat, waiting. That was all I had been doing for hours now...waiting.After Zoe and I practically buried ourselves under a mountain of work, I managed to clear most of the emails that had piled up during my time away. By the end of the day, my eyes ached, my head throbbed, and my heart was just as heavy as it had been that morning.I already knew there was no point waiting for Elion when we closed up. He had made himself painfully clear that he didn't want to see me.So I reluctantly came home instead.After a long shower, I changed into a simple cream camisole and a pair of loose cotton pants before wandering downstairs. I didn't even bother going to bed, There was no point.How could I sleep knowing there was this ugly distance separating Elion and me? We have always had our issues. We've argued, fought, pushed each other's buttons, and driven each other to our wits' end, but never t
LORETTA I came downstairs as early as I could.The penthouse was silent, even the air felt heavier than usual. Outside, the dark sky was slowly giving way to the rising sun.A spark of hope ignited inside me.It was a new day—a new day to make things better than yesterday.I had decided to give Elion the space he needed. He was angry, and talking to him immediately would only make things worse.Inside, the lights were dimmed low. I walked carefully down the staircase in my work heels. This was usually the exact time Elion left for the company, and I had made sure to wake up early enough to see him before he went.Not that I had slept anywayEvery time I tried to close my eyes, my mind dragged me back to his bedroom, back to the look on his face when he told me he never wanted to see me in there again A short, pained breath rushed out of me. It hurt more than I wanted to admit., It hurt so bad that every second since yesterday was torture. Every time I tossed in bed at night, my gaze
LORETTA“Elion” I repeated weakly.He..he was here. He wasn't supposed to be here but he was, dressed in his expensive black suit and black shirt that only made him look more dangerous Those coal black eyes zeroed in on me and the air in my lungs turned to stone. If I weren't already kneeling, I might have collapsedElion's scrutinizing gaze dropped to the floor, he took in the rug I folded back and the open safe in the floor then slowly back to me My stomach feels straight to the floor. “It's...it's not what it looks like” I scrambled to my feet so quickly I nearly lost my balance.One dark eyebrow rose, “No?”His expression and tone remained perfectly calm, the kind of calm that sent chills all over my body. ”What exactly does it look like, Rea?”My mouth opened and closed. My heart was practically begging to be set free from my chest. My brain shut down on me when I needed her the most because I couldn't think of any sensible lie to cover myself with “Why...why are you here?” I
LORETTAMy palms were clammy when I first keyed in the code to the penthouse.The keypad flashed red: Incorrect code.I wiped my damp hands against the sides of my sundress and tried it again, This time, the lock clicked and the heavy front door swung openTemporary relief flooded my veins. For a second there I thought Elion had changed the house entrance code, but it was just my nerves getting the best of meI passed through the second entrance, keyed in the second code which gave me access to the foyer and the masterpiece of a penthouse Afternoon sunlight spilled through the windows, turning the polished marble floors into gold, Everything in this house screamed luxury and money. Silence echoed through it allIt was the staff's off days and Elion was undoubtedly at work, so I was alone. I walked past the foyer and into the spacious, grand living room. The familiar scent of sandalwood and expensive cologne lingered in the air, wrapping around me instantlyIt felt good on my skin. It







