LOGINShayle's POVI shook my head hard, like that single action could knock the truth out of the air between us. My chest felt tight, my ears ringing, my thoughts crashing into each other.“No,” I breathed. “No, this can’t be true.”I turned to Kieran, my fingers trembling as I reached for his sleeve. My voice came out louder than I meant.“He’s lying. Tell me he’s lying. Lucien is not your brother; right?”Kieran did not answer right away. That alone felt like a punch.He looked at me, really looked at me, like he was seeing my face for the first time under a different light. His jaw tightened. Then his hand closed around mine, warm and firm, grounding and terrifying all at once.“Shayle,” he murmured, pulling me gently closer. “We need to step away from this. You have a lot of explaining to do to me.”A lot of explaining.The words echoed in my head as he guided me forward. My feet moved without my permission. My mind lagged behind my body, stuck somewhere between denial and dread.Then
ShayleI needed to get out of here real quick.My hands shook as I thanked the woman beside me, my voice barely holding. I turned and pushed through the restroom door with my heels clicking too loud in my ears. My heart was pounding like it wanted to rip free. The moment I was out of sight, I pulled my phone out with clumsy fingers and typed fast.Kieran something is up. I have to leave now. Please do not worry about me. I will explain everything when you get back.I stared at the screen for a second, thumb hovering. I knew I should have called him. I knew it. But if I did call him, it won't be easy for him to let go and he'll just end up keeping me here longer.I sent the text.My chest felt tight as I slipped the phone back into my clutch. I lifted my head and scanned the hall, already plotting an escape. I kept my chin down and moved fast, praying nobody would recognize me. I could already spot several colleagues laughing and talking close by.People I worked with. People who knew
Shayle I needed to get out of here real quick. My hands shook as I thanked the woman beside me, my voice barely holding. I turned and pushed through the restroom door with my heels clicking too loud in my ears. My heart was pounding like it wanted to rip free. The moment I was out of sight, I pulled my phone out with clumsy fingers and typed fast. Kieran something is up. I have to leave now. Please do not worry about me. I will explain everything when you get back. I stared at the screen for a second, thumb hovering. I knew I should have called him. I knew it. But if I did call him, it won't be easy for him to let go and he'll just end up keeping me here longer. I sent the text. My chest felt tight as I slipped the phone back into my clutch. I lifted my head and scanned the hall, already plotting an escape. I kept my chin down and moved fast, praying nobody would recognize me. I could already spot several colleagues laughing and talking close by.People I worked with. People wh
ShayleI needed to get out of here real quick.My hands shook as I thanked the woman beside me, my voice barely holding. I turned and pushed through the restroom door with my heels clicking too loud in my ears. My heart was pounding like it wanted to rip free. The moment I was out of sight, I pulled my phone out with clumsy fingers and typed fast.Kieran something is up. I have to leave now. Please do not worry about me. I will explain everything when you get back.I stared at the screen for a second, thumb hovering. I knew I should have called him. I knew it. But if I did call him, it won't be easy for him to let go and he'll just end up keeping me here longer.I sent the text.My chest felt tight as I slipped the phone back into my clutch. I lifted my head and scanned the hall, already plotting an escape. I kept my chin down and moved fast, praying nobody would recognize me. I could already spot several colleagues laughing and talking close by.People I worked with. People who knew
ShayleI needed to get out of here real quick.My hands shook as I thanked the woman beside me, my voice barely holding. I turned and pushed through the restroom door with my heels clicking too loud in my ears. My heart was pounding like it wanted to rip free. The moment I was out of sight, I pulled my phone out with clumsy fingers and typed fast.Kieran something is up. I have to leave now. Please do not worry about me. I will explain everything when you get back.I stared at the screen for a second, thumb hovering. I knew I should have called him. I knew it. But if I did call him, it won't be easy for him to let go and he'll just end up keeping me here longer.I sent the text.My chest felt tight as I slipped the phone back into my clutch. I lifted my head and scanned the hall, already plotting an escape. I kept my chin down and moved fast, praying nobody would recognize me. I could already spot several colleagues laughing and talking close by.People I worked with. People who knew
SHAYLE A few hours later, I was pacing around my apartment like a lunatic. I kept checking my phone, fixing my hair, rechecking my dress in the mirror, then sitting down, then standing up again. By the time the knock finally came, I nearly tripped running to the door. When I opened it, my breath caught. Kieran stood there in a black tailored suit that fit him so well my knees almost gave out. His hair looked longer than usual, falling slightly over his forehead in a way that made him look unfairly good. He held a bouquet of fresh flowers and smiled at me with so much warmth my chest tightened. “Wow,” he murmured, eyes sweeping over me slowly. “Shayle… you look beautiful.” I felt heat crawl up my neck. The gown he’d picked hugged my waist and flowed gracefully around my legs. It shimmered when I moved, and with my hair straightened and my bangs light and soft, I actually felt pretty. And different. “You look incredible too,” I whispered. “Seriously… I’ve never seen yo







