LOGINMitchelle I opened my mouth to say of course not immediately, to laugh off the suggestion like it was the most absurd thing I had ever heard. But the words caught in my throat and refused to come out naturally so I had to force them."No," I stated as firmly as I could manage."Then that's even more reason you need to focus on the mission," Danika replied while standing up and pulling me toward her kitchen. "He isn't worth your tears, Mitchelle. If Dorian turns out to be anything like Jason, then you absolutely cannot afford to lose yourself in emotions again. Stay guarded. Stay focused on what this marriage is actually for."She wiped the remaining tears from my face and started pulling ingredients from her refrigerator."Now I'm making you my famous grilled cheese and tomato soup," she announced. "The same comfort food we've been eating together since law school when boys were stupid and life was complicated."I smiled despite everything and helped her in the kitchen while we fell
MitchelleI stood outside Mallory's office staring at the locked door and dark windows behind the glass. I had spent the last thirty minutes trying to calm myself down enough to have a professional conversation, but apparently Mallory wasn't even here for me to confront.I turned to a young woman passing by with a stack of folders."Excuse me, do you know where Mallory went?" I questioned.The woman glanced at Mallory's dark office and then back at me with an uncomfortable expression."She left about an hour ago with the boss," she replied quickly.My stomach dropped like I had just stepped off a cliff."What boss?" I demanded even though I already knew the answer."Your husband, Mr. Roth," she stated before hurrying away down the hall like she didn't want to be part of whatever drama was clearly brewing.I walked back to my small office feeling like I couldn't breathe properly and grabbed my purse with shaking hands. I needed to get out of this building immediately before I did somet
JasonMy phone buzzed in the cup holder and I glanced down at the notification while keeping one hand on the steering wheel.DEBIT ALERT: $100,000.00What the hell? I grabbed the phone and unlocked it with my thumb just as another notification appeared on the screen.DEBIT ALERT: $250,000.00My stomach dropped and I swerved the Mercedes to the side of the road as a third alert came through before I could process the first two.DEBIT ALERT: $300,000.00Six hundred and fifty thousand dollars in less than ten minutes. I scrolled through my banking app with shaking hands and saw transaction after transaction from luxury boutiques, designer stores, and high end jewelry shops all over the city.All charged to Chloe's supplementary card.What was she doing? What could she possibly be buying that cost this much money? I had told her to go shopping, not to purchase half of Rodeo Drive. Did she not understand that we were on the verge of financial collapse or did she simply not care?I pulled b
MitchelleI stood frozen outside Mallory's office door with my hand still raised from where I had been about to knock. The voices inside had gone quiet and I realized I didn't want to walk into that room and pretend I hadn't heard every venomous word Mallory had just spoken about me.I turned around and walked back to my small glass office with my heart pounding against my ribs. I closed the door behind me and pulled out my phone with shaking hands.Danika answered on the second ring with her usual cheerful energy."Hey girl! How was the wedding?" she questioned immediately. "I'm so sorry I haven't called since yesterday, I've been absolutely buried in case files and depositions.""It's completely fine," I replied while sinking into my desk chair and staring at the mountain of proposals still waiting for me. "We announced our marriage and you needed to see the look on Chloe and Jason's faces. Even Diana couldn't handle it, she looked like she was going to have a stroke right there in
JasonThe silence in the car was heavy enough to suffocate, but Chloe’s profile remained stone-cold as she stared out the passenger window. I pulled the Mercedes into the driveway and barely had the engine off before she was out of the door and marching toward the house without a single word."Chloe, please just talk to me," I called out as I scrambled to catch up with her in the foyer.She didn't stop until she reached the master suite, where she began pulling off her jewelry with jerky, agitated movements. I stood in the doorway watching her and felt the familiar weight of failure settling in my gut."I am so sorry about the way today went, I never intended for us to spend our first day as a married couple arguing," I stated while stepping toward her.My phone vibrated in my pocket and the caller ID showed Vincent’s name for the third time in an hour. I reached for the end call button immediately, but Chloe’s eyes caught the screen before I could hide it."Our honeymoon is already a
MitchelleAfter our bath and breakfast, I got dressed to begin my internship at my husband’s company.I smoothed down my navy blazer for the third time as Dorian's car pulled into the underground parking lot of Roth Empire headquarters. I had faced Jason's cruelty for three years, attended his wedding in front of hundreds of people, and stolen half a million dollars from his safe, but somehow walking into this glass tower as an intern made my palms sweat."You'll be fine," Dorian stated as he turned off the engine. "You're brilliant and you know how to handle proposals better than half the people in that building.""I've never worked in a corporate environment like this," I replied while gathering my leather portfolio. "Writing proposals from home is completely different from being part of an actual team."What if I failed? What if everyone saw me as just the boss's wife playing at having a career? What if Dorian regretted bringing me here?"Stop overthinking," Dorian ordered as he op
DanikaThe doctor took a breath and looked directly at me with the kind of expression that made my stomach drop."I'm afraid your friend had an overdose of laxatives in her system," he stated calmly. "Which caused severe diarrhea and extreme dehydration that put significant stress on her organs.""
MitchelleI stood in front of the full length mirror and smoothed my hands down the red dress that hugged every curve of my body, and the fabric stopped just above my knees in a way that was elegant but daring. I twisted my hair into a sleek bun that showed off my neck and collarbones, and I applie
DorianI sat in the hospital waiting room with my hands clasped together as I tried to control the rage building inside me. Every instinct I had screamed at me to pull out my phone and call my contact at the police department to report this as attempted murder, but I forced myself to think strategi
DanikaThe ambulance was already pulling away from the Hunt estate when I screeched into the driveway, and I slammed my car into park before jumping out and running toward the flashing lights disappearing down the street."Wait!" I screamed but they were already too far gone to hear me.One of the







