LOGIN“Chloe, have a seat,” I said, offering her the available chair next to me. “Mr. Woods and I were just discussing work.” I tried my best to ease the sudden tension vibrating between them.Sebastian retracted his hand after Chloe pointedly refused to shake it. She didn't even look at him; she just turned to me with a frozen expression. “Uncle was looking for you,” she uttered coldly.“Well, I am here. Tell him I am seated right here,” I told her. She gave a nod before walking off. I watched her back disappear into the crowd, my mind racing. What was that about?“Did you do something to her?” I asked Sebastian as soon as I faced him again.“No, this is my first time meeting Miss Kingston,” he said with a shrug, his blue eyes unreadable. “Now, back to your theories,” he said, steering the conversation away from the awkwardness.“The involvement of technology is still a slow process, with people still labeling it as destructive,” I said, picking up the thread. “Rightfully so, after all tho
"Are you ready?” I heard Eric say.I was seated at the vanity, finishing up the final touches of my makeup. My hands were slightly shaking, but I kept my voice steady. “Yes,” I answered him. I carefully arranged a few items into my clutch, clicking it shut. I stood up to smooth the wrinkles on my dress, but before I could move away, I felt his presence behind me.I felt his hands wrap firmly around my waist before his head rested on my shoulder. The heat radiating from him was overwhelming.“You look exquisite, my sweet,” he said, pressing a lingering kiss on my exposed collarbone. “It has been so long since we had sex,” he whispered into my ear. I let out a shudder, but it wasn’t one of desire. He nipped at my earlobe, his grip tightening. “It has been so long since I felt your tightness,” he said, pressing himself into me. I could feel him through his pants; he was already semi-hard.“Eric, the baby,” I said, trying to reason with him. I looked at our reflection in the mirror—he loo
The elevator dinged, a clinical sound that pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. The doors slid open to the third floor, revealing a quiet, high-end hallway that smelled of expensive cleaning products. Gabriel led the way, his stride professional.We passed an open office space where a few employees were hunched over dual monitors, their typing creating a rhythmic white noise. Finally, we reached a heavy, soundproofed door. Gabriel opened it, ushering me into an office space.It was exquisite.The minimalist style screamed Eric’s influence—everything was a monochrome palette of black, charcoal grey, and deep walnut browns. It felt like stepping into a black-and-white movie.“You stay here, ma’am. Sir is in a meeting right now,” Gabriel said, his voice softening. I think he saw the tension in my shoulders. “I’ll leave you to it.”I thanked him as the door clicked shut, leaving me in the silence of Eric’s world. I set the insulated lunch bag on the coffee table—a sleek piece of marble
The kitchen was quiet, save for the hum of the refrigerator and the rhythmic sound of my knife against the cutting board. I was meticulously arranging a bento-style lunch for Eric. Since Fin had started school, the silence in the house had become suffocatingly lonely, pressing against my chest. I needed to do something. I needed to feel useful.The surprise was meant to be a bridge—a way to cross the sudden chasm that had opened between us.I still couldn't shake the memory of this morning. I had watched him dress in a charcoal suit, his movements precise and mechanical. It was the first time I’d seen him "suit up" since the funeral, and it sent a jolt of shock through me.“Where are you heading off to?” I had asked, leaning against the doorframe of the dressing room.“Work,” he replied. His voice was curt, lacking the usual warmth that usually he reserved for me.“Work? But you don’t have a job,” I said, trying to inject a bit of our usual playfulness into the air. “Aren’t you techni
Eleanor’s PovEleanor sank into the plush leather of the executive chair—a brand new suite she’d ordered the moment she’d moved into Eric’s old office. She had spent the first forty-eight hours purging every single trace of her brother from these four walls. She’d replaced his minimalist art with gilded frames and swapped his mahogany desk for something more "regal." She didn't know how she would maintain her composure if she were constantly reminded of the humiliation she had suffered at his hands.It had been two weeks since her father had taken his last breath, and one week since the cold, hard reality had set in: she was getting absolutely nothing from the Kingston estate.The memory of her meeting with the estate attorney still left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had stormed into his office, clutching the copy of the will like a weapon.“So, is there a way to contest it?” she had asked, leaning over his desk before she’d even sat down.The lawyer, a man who charged more per hou
“You wench!” Eleanor spat, spinning around to face me with a look of pure, unadulterated disdain. The refined mask she usually wore was slipping, revealing the jagged edges of her greed. “You mannerless girl. Were you never taught that it’s remarkably rude to eavesdrop on people’s private conversations?”I didn't flinch. I stood my ground, leaning casually against the doorframe of the living room. I raised my hand, slowly inspecting my nails as if I’d found a speck of imaginary dust that was far more interesting than her tantrum.“Well, Eleanor, when said conversations are taking place at a volume that shakes the chandeliers in a house I happen to own... it becomes my business,” I said, my voice smooth and calm.“You!” she hissed, pointing a trembling, manicured finger at me. “You couldn't even wait twenty-four hours to show your true colors, could you? Now that you’ve schemed and manipulated your way into my father’s will, you think you’re the queen of this estate.”I took a slow ste
It had been a few days since the incident at the bistro, and a heavy, suffocating silence had settled between Eric and me. We moved around the estate like two planets in a dangerous orbit—close enough to feel the pull of gravity, but terrified of a collision. I had managed to sneak a text to Marco
The light from the morning sun blinded my eyes, forcing me to squint as I woke up in an unfamiliar room. For a split second, I panicked, my heart racing as I tried to remember where I was. Then, the events of last night crashed into my mind. I buried my face in the silk pillows, blushing at the mem
The ride back to the hotel was quiet, but the air was different. The tension had shifted from anger to something much more potent. When we stepped into the hotel room, the city lights of Milan were sparkling through the windows, but all I could see was Eric.He closed the door behind us, locking it
We had finally returned home after spending three grueling days at the hospital. The sterile smell of antiseptic seemed to have seeped into my skin, and the constant beep of monitors still echoed in my ears. Finn was much better, his laughter returning as we walked through the front doors of the es







