LOGINDAVID
Leaning against the railing of my balcony, I let the cool night breeze brush against my skin as I stared at the pictures of Alina and Vincent that was released earlier.
I have already looked at them more times than I cared to admit.
In every picture, they looked happy. In one, Vincent had his arms wrapped around her waist as they kissed, neither of them seeming to care about the cameras around them. There wa
ALINAVincent appeared beside me, his hand sliding around my waist. He gave me a gentle squeeze before pulling me closer to him, putting enough distance between Jeremy and me to make his jealousy impossible to miss.Jeremy noticed it too. He slowly withdrew his hand, slipping his jacket back onto his body.“I didn’t mean any harm,” he muttered as he adjusted the sleeves. “I just came out here to take a call, and I saw her sitting here looking so alone. It was cold, so I offered her my jacket.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like she’s a stranger to me.”Vincent’s expression hardened. “Am I supposed to thank you for offering her your jacket?” he asked flatly.Jeremy chuckled under his breath and shook his head. “I’m not expecting a thank-you from you, Vincent.” His lips curv
ALINAAt that point, I seriously considered giving up on everything and walking away.Why the hell are these people so determined to destroy my mental health?It felt like every time I managed to find a moment of peace, someone appeared just to drag me back into the chaos. I was exhausted. I didn’t want another confrontation, another explanation, or another person demanding something from me.Vincent stared at me, his expression immediately changing when he noticed the tension in my face. The men we were speaking with also turned their attention toward me, clearly wondering what was going on.Without thinking, I reached for Vincent’s hand and gripped it tightly. “I don’t want them here,” I whispered.His eyes moved toward Jonah, who stood a short distance away, and Vincent gave him a single nod.
ALINA Vincent held tightly onto my hand as he led me through the crowd, completely ignoring the glares coming from his grandfather and Elena.At this point, I honestly don’t understand why the old man hates me so much.It’s not like I am some poor girl who crawled out of the gutters and showed up at his family’s event hoping to steal a piece of their fortune. I lied about my background, yes, but I made sure the lie sounded impressive enough to fit into their world. My business was successful. I had money of my own.So what exactly was his problem with me?“Don’t let him get to you,” Vincent whispered close to my ear.I blinked, only then realizing that I had been squeezing his hand far too tightly.“He’s not.” I forced a small smile and loosened my grip.
JEREMYWE NEED TO TALK! CALL ME!Glancing at Vera sleeping peacefully beside me, I carefully slipped out of bed. I made sure not to disturb her before quietly leaving the bedroom and walking down the hallway to our study room.Once inside, I shut the door behind me and pulled out my phone. I immediately dialed Joyce’s number.She answered on the first ring.“You told me she would be rattled!” she hissed the moment the call connected, her voice filled with frustration. “Well, for your information, she wasn’t! She even threatened to throw me and my father in jail if we failed to leave New York by the weekend!”I leaned back in my chair, completely unsurprised.The kind of boldness and fire the new Alina carried was unlike anything I had expected from her.“She is just trying to scare yo
DAVIDLeaning against the railing of my balcony, I let the cool night breeze brush against my skin as I stared at the pictures of Alina and Vincent that was released earlier.I have already looked at them more times than I cared to admit.In every picture, they looked happy. In one, Vincent had his arms wrapped around her waist as they kissed, neither of them seeming to care about the cameras around them. There was something intimate about the way she held onto him, something that made my jaw tighten.They looked like two people who were deeply in love.And I hated it.My eyes lingered on Alina’s face.At this point, I think Alina is only playing herself.She kept insisting that she had no real feelings for Vincent, but I knew better. I saw the way she looked at him. I saw the softness in her eyes whe
ALINA“Alina!”I turned around at the sound of my name, my eyes widening in shock when I saw Joyce walking toward us with a bright smile plastered across her face. She lifted a hand and waved at me.My head slowly turned toward David, who looked just as perplexed as I felt. His brows were drawn together, his eyes moving between Joyce and me as though he was trying to figure out what was going on.“Do you know her?” Vincent asked, his attention shifting to me while his security immediately stepped forward, blocking Joyce from getting any closer.Denying her wasn’t exactly an option. She had already called my name in front of everyone, and pretending I had no idea who she was would only make me look suspicious.So, I reluctantly nodded. “Yes, I know her.”Vincent studied me for a moment before asking, “A friend or a foe?”







