LOGINI looked around the first listing with a displeased frown on my face.It fit the brief, technically. The house was beautifully furnished, the kitchen was spacious, and the neighborhood was quiet enough to make me consider moving there just for the peace. But there was something about it that felt off.Maybe it was the overly polished furniture or the way every room looked as though nobody had ever actually lived in it. I couldn’t imagine coming home after a long day and feeling comfortable enough to kick off my heels.I turned to Maya and shook my head, much to the dismay of the agent who had been giving us the tour.“I don’t like it,” I said.The woman’s smile faltered. “May I ask what you don’t like about it?”I glanced around once more. “It’s lovely. It just doesn’t feel like me.”She pressed her lips together, and I caught the slight frown forming on her face.I was a paying customer. She had no right to have an attitude over my choices. If she liked the house so much, she could k
It was finally the day for us to meet with the board in person.I dressed to kill.My custom-made plaid suit fit like it had been designed with one purpose in mind: reminding everyone in that room exactly who I was. The makeup artist I’d hired had done an excellent job, giving me a polished look without making me appear as though I’d spent the entire morning in front of a mirror. My hair fell neatly around my shoulders, and my heels clicked against the marble floor as I walked into Reed Industries.I was back.And I had no intention of letting anyone mistake my return for a change of heart.Maya met me outside the conference room, ipad tucked beneath her arm.“You look incredible,” she said, giving me an approving once-over.“I know.”She laughed. “There she is.”I smiled faintly. “Did you get everything ready?”“Every document, every proposal, every point we discussed. The lawyers are here too.” Her expression turned more serious. “Zane arrived about ten minutes ago.”Of course he ha
She avoided my eyes as she concentrated fully on Chloe.I felt out of place and decided it was best to leave them to bond.So I headed back to work.The drive to the office felt longer than usual. I kept thinking about the way Sloane had looked at me earlier, the distance in her eyes, and how easily she had dismissed my attempt to spend time with her.I knew I had no right to expect anything different.Still, it hurt.By the time I arrived at Della-Ross Holdings, I was determined to put my personal life aside. There was enough going on with the company without me allowing my problems to interfere with the work that needed to be done.I had a meeting with the finance team regarding the quarterly projections, followed by a review of the ongoing development project in Portland. The construction timeline had fallen behind, and the contractors were requesting an extension that I wasn't prepared to approve without a proper explanation.I spent most of the morning going through reports, ques
“What the hell was that about?” I yelled at Rebecca as soon as I was sure Chloe was asleep and nowhere within earshot.She stood near the dining room, looking at me with an expression that was almost convincing.“What are you talking about?”I rubbed my face in frustration. “Don’t do that. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”She folded her arms. “There was no need to make such a scene.”“A scene?” I repeated, letting out a disbelieving laugh. “You walked into a dinner I was having with my wife and announced that we slept together. What the hell did you expect?”Her expression softened, and she stepped closer.“I just didn’t want her getting any ideas about you two being back together. That ship has sailed, Zane.”I felt the regret of that night seep into my bloodstream until it became rage. I had made a mistake. A terrible one. And now Rebecca was using it to hurt Sloane.“Stay the fuck away from me.”She stopped, her hand hovering near my arm.“Or what?”I looked at her, my jaw
By the time I got back to the hotel, I was too angry to cry.I dropped my handbag on the couch and stood there for a moment, staring at nothing. Rebecca’s words kept replaying in my head, along with the image of Zane sitting across from me, unable to say a single thing.We slept together.I had been prepared for a lot of things when I returned to Seattle. An awkward conversation. A difficult board meeting. Maybe even another attempt from Zane to convince me that our marriage was worth saving.But I hadn’t expected him to let Rebecca humiliate me in front of Chloe.I pulled off my shoes and walked toward the window. The city stretched out below me, busy and indifferent. I pressed my palms against the glass and took a slow breath.I wasn’t going to fall apart over him again.I had spent months trying to put myself back together. I had left because I couldn’t keep living in a marriage where I was always the last person to know the truth. And now, after everything, Zane had given me anoth
My hands started shaking the moment I stepped foot in Seattle airport.The flight had been long, but the comfort of the airline had somehow managed to distract me from the dreaded thing I was about to do. I had watched a few movies, slept for a couple of hours, and even enjoyed the meals. But the moment I stepped into the airport, the reality of being back in America hit me.I was going to see Zane.I had spent months trying to get used to a life without him. London had given me the space I needed to breathe, to grieve, and to figure out what I wanted for myself. Coming back felt like stepping into a part of my life I had tried so hard to leave behind.I was familiar with one of Zane’s drivers, whom he had sent to pick me up even after I told him I could find my own way.I wanted to keep my hotel from Zane. I didn’t want him knowing where I was staying, and I certainly didn’t want him showing up to convince me to reconsider our decision to end things.But he had insisted on sending a
"You can't just move me into your house without asking."Zane didn't even glance at me as the car pulled up to the gates. The estate sprawled beyond them like something out of a fever dream. It had sharp angles, floor-to-ceiling glass. And it was perched on a cliff that overlooked the city like it
We are getting married tomorrow.Two days. That was all it had taken from the signed contract to the scheduled wedding. I had expected Sloane Reed to take the full three days, maybe longer. Instead she had called Patrick from the café, confirmed the date before she even stood up from the table, and
He walked in and every head in the café turned. I had already been seated for ten minutes, black coffee in front of me that I hadn't touched, the file on the table within reach. I had chosen the corner table deliberately. Away from the windows, away from anyone who might recognize either of us and
I woke up to my head pounding like someone was taking a hammer to it from the inside.My phone on the nightstand was lit up and buzzing in a way that communicated something had gone very wrong overnight, which I already knew, but seeing thirty seven missed calls from my secretary at eight in the mo







