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2026-01-31 07:51:17
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My Boss, My Nextdoor Neighbor And Me EPILOGUE
Six months laterThe wedding had been small, intimate, exactly what we wanted despite his mother's initial protests. A garden ceremony with close friends and family, vows that made me cry, and a reception that ended with us sneaking away early because neither of us wanted to share the night with anyone else.Now, sitting in our apartment on a lazy Sunday morning, I still caught myself staring at the wedding band that had joined my engagement ring. Mrs. Shayle Aurelian-Dorne. The name felt foreign and right all at once."You are doing it again," Lucien called from the kitchen."Doing what?""Staring at your hand like it might disappear."I laughed, pulling my gaze away. "It is still surreal."He appeared in the doorway, coffee mug in hand, wearing nothing but pajama pants and bedhead. Married life looked good on him. Softer somehow. More relaxed."Get used to it," he teased, crossing to press a kiss to my temple before settling beside me on the couch. "You are stuck with me now.""Poor
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Shayle's POV Three months passed like water through open fingers, quick and inevitable. Work became routine in the best way possible, my mother guiding me through decisions that felt too big until they did not anymore. I learned names, strategies, the rhythm of power that hummed beneath everything.Lucien and I fell into a pattern that felt natural. Dinners when we could manage, stolen mornings before the day swallowed us whole, late-night calls when distance felt too heavy. It was not perfect, but it was ours.Tonight, he texted me to dress nice. No explanation. Just an address and a time.I stared at my closet for longer than necessary before settling on a deep blue dress that hugged in the right places. Hair down. Minimal jewelry. When I checked the mirror, someone confident stared back.The driver he sent arrived exactly on time, whisking me through the city toward the outskirts where buildings gave way to open space. We pulled up to a venue I did not recognize, elegant and glowi
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Shayle's POV Kieran's birthday fell on a Saturday, which meant no excuses to avoid it. Lucien picked me up early, looking amused when I spent ten minutes fussing over the gift I had wrapped myself."It is fine," he assured me."It is crooked.""He will not care.""I care."He laughed, tugging me toward the door. "Come on. We are going to be late."The party was small, just close friends gathered at Kieran's apartment. Music hummed low in the background, laughter spilling from the kitchen where someone was already half drunk and telling terrible jokes.Kieran spotted us immediately, his grin wide and genuine. "You came.""Of course we did," I replied, handing him the gift. "Happy birthday."He hugged me quickly, then shook Lucien's hand with only mild tension. Progress."Make yourselves comfortable," he urged. "Food is in the kitchen, drinks are everywhere."We mingled easily, me more than Lucien, who kept one hand on my lower back like an anchor. I talked to people I barely knew, lau
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Shayle's POV The plane touched down just after noon, jarring me awake from the half-sleep I had fallen into somewhere over the clouds. My mother squeezed my hand gently before gathering her things, her smile tired but genuine."Home," she murmured.I nodded, though the word felt strange. Home used to mean a cramped apartment and cold shoulders. Now it meant marble floors and expectations I was still learning to carry.The driver met us at arrivals, whisking our luggage away with practiced efficiency. My mother chatted easily during the ride, pointing out landmarks I had never paid attention to before, telling stories about streets I thought I knew. Everything looked different now. Brighter. Like someone had adjusted the contrast on my entire life."You will start tomorrow," she mentioned as we pulled through the gates. "Just observations. No pressure.""That is what you keep saying."She laughed. "Because it is true. You do not need to prove anything, Shayle. You belong there."Belon
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Shayle's POV The kiss did not end quickly.It lingered in that soft, suspended space where neither of us felt the need to rush or prove anything. Lucien’s lips stayed warm against mine, unhurried, like he was memorizing instead of taking. I felt his breath shift, felt the quiet smile curve against my mouth before he finally pulled back.We did not step apart.Our foreheads rested together, noses brushing, breaths mixing in uneven laughter that came out of nowhere.“This is ridiculous,” I murmured, smiling despite myself.He laughed under his breath. “You are smiling like someone who just won a war.”“I feel like someone who survived one.”His thumb brushed my cheek, gentle. “You did more than survive.”We stood like that for a moment, just breathing, until the noise of the event crept back in. Music. Voices. Glasses clinking. Reality knocking politely.“Come with me,” he urged quietly.“Where?”“Somewhere quieter. Before someone interrupts this moment and ruins it.”I laughed again.
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Shayle's POV The music hovered between us like a held breath.Lucien’s hand stayed extended, steady, patient. Kieran’s was the same, rougher, honest in a way that made my chest ache. For a moment, the room did not exist. No eyes. No whispers. Just the three of us standing in a choice that felt heavier than blood or titles.I looked at Kieran first.He noticed. Of course he did. His mouth curved into something small and real, not bitter, not forced. Just understanding.“So,” he muttered, voice low enough that only we could hear, “this is where I pretend I do not give a damn.”I let out a breath that trembled. “Kieran…”He shook his head. “Do not make it harder than it already is. You deserve something gentle for once.”My throat tightened. “You were gentle with me in your own way.”He chuckled quietly. “Yeah. I guess I was.” His eyes softened. “I do not regret knowing you. Not for a single second. Even if this is where my part ends.”That hit harder than anger ever could.He stepped b
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