Group Chat: The Chaos HQ š„MadKat 𤯠(Katherine): I canāt believe it, guys! Massimo is back! Heās not just back but heās a freaking co-partner in our company. As in⦠right now, he's having a meeting in our boardroom. We literally bumped into each other when I tried running out of the office. We ended up threatening each other like we just came out of a Mafia movie š©.lThe moment Katherine got home, she immediately called for a group chat with her friends. In their little circle, everyone had a nickname that matched their personality. Katherine was Madkat, Arianna was the Iron Lady, Willow went by Silent Monkey, and Tyke, naturally, was the Chatterbox.Iron Lady āļø (Arianna):WHATTTT š±š±š±Silent Monkey š (Willow):No way⦠youāre kidding.Chatterbox š¤ (Tyke):Bruhhh ššš tell me you spat in his face at least.MadKat 𤯠(Katherine):If only. Thatās not even the worst part. The worst part is⦠he kissed me. And I slapped him.There was silence in the chat for 3 seconds untilāIron
āMassimo!ā Katherineās voice broke in a sharp gasp, her eyes widening as if sheād seen a ghost.āKatherineā¦ā Massimo muttered, almost under his breath.For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. It was a silent battle of stares, the kind that ripped open every buried memory. She had spent seven years running from this man, her ex-husband, the one who'd made he suffered and sheād betrayed. And he, for those same seven years, had hunted her shadow, chasing not just his runaway wife but the thief whoād stolen from him.Her pulse hammered as she realized his hand was still around her waist. Massimoās gaze dragged over her face. She looked different, sharper around the edges, but no less beautiful, especially with her shiny redhair. For a fleeting second, he was transfixed but then, her betrayal struck him like a blade. She stole from him. The warmth in his chest iced over instantly.Katherineās breath stuttered. āW-what⦠whatāre you doing here?ā Her voice was too loud and she instantly regr
Chapter Thirty-twoKatherine sat at her desk, fingers moving over her laptopās keyboard, but her mind wasnāt anywhere near her work. It was stuck on what had happened days ago with Myles. No matter how she tried to focus, all she could see was his unconscious body, pale against the hospital sheets, machines beeping steadily around him.The past few days had been hell. She found herself watching her family more closely than ever, even more than when theyād carried out their mission against Massimo. And speaking of Massimo, he was still in her head too. Damienās recent announcement that Massimo was now their biggest client and a part owner of the company meant he could walk into their offices any time he pleased. Sheād to be ready for that.Then there was the so-called Revenge Mission her team had been working on for the last three days. Nothing tangible had come from it yet, not even from the police investigation. Everything felt like it was spinning out of control.Her phone buzzed ag
Chapter Thirty oneRyan yanked down the top of Kassandra's dress, exposing her breasts. She wasnāt wearing a bra. He flicked his tongue over one nipple, then the other, sucking hard as she bucked on him faster.The chair creaked with their rhythm. Her moans echoed softly around the glass office.It didnāt last long. Ryan cursed under his breath and gripped her tighter as he came, thrusting up into her in short, hard strokes.Kassandra exhaled sharply, her pace slowing. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder, still breathing heavily.āā¦You always fucking finish too fast. Your dickās like a damn pencil, it barely even touches anywhere within me,ā she said flatly, pulling back to meet his eyes. āThatās why Iāll never leave Massimo. He fucks me in ways you couldnāt dream of. You might have my heart, Ryan, but he owns my pussy.āRyanās jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached. His fingers dug into her hips before he shoved her off his lap so abruptly she stumbled, nearly trippin
Chapter Thirty Katherine, Tyke, Willow, Arianna, and Jordan stood in a tight circle around the hospital bed, staring at the man who lay unconscious. The man whoād been declared dead less than an hour ago.Myles looked nothing like the broken, blistered body they were told had been found at a dumpsite. His skin was now cleaned, the wounds dressed, an oxygen mask over his face, and multiple machines monitoring his vitals. If not for the bandages and faint bruising on his arms and neck, you'd think he was only asleep.None of them spoke. They just watched the slow, mechanical rise and fall of his chest.The doctor had called it a miracle.The police had initially refused them entry, citing protocol. But Jordan had insisted that he was Mylesā brother, and when the others also refused to back down, the officers finally allowed them inside under supervision.Katherineās heart clenched as she looked at him. Whatever her history with Myles had been, seeing him like this helpless, unconscious
Chapter Twenty-nine Jordan looked down, gathering himself, before speaking.āMy brother and I werenāt that close⦠but about a week ago, he called me using a strange number. He sounded weak. and scared. He said some people were after him.ā Jordanās voice shook, but he kept going. āHe told me to stay away from Italy. That it wasnāt safe. And before he hung up, he said to find a woman named Katherine, a colleague of his with red hair and a mark on her finger, and to warn her too. He said the same people after him were after her.āKatherineās heart dropped.āI asked who they were,ā Jordan continued, ābut before he could answer I heard a gunshot. The call cut off. I came here, despite his warning, hoping maybe heād made it. Insteadā¦ā His voice broke. A single tear slipped down his cheek. āAll I got was a corpse.āWillow placed a comforting hand on Jordanās shoulder while Tyke quietly nodded and patted his back. The group stood in silence for a moment, trying to absorb the gravity of what