Sophia’s POV“That's not the color I wanted, Sophia,” Morgana said, her voice sharp and dismissive as she pointed to the color swatch on the table. “How many times do I have to repeat myself?”I clenched my jaw and forced a smile, doing everything I could to remain calm. “You mentioned you wanted a muted earth tone, Morgana. This shade matches what we discussed earlier—”“Well, now I want something bolder. This is too bland, too safe. I need something that pops,” she interrupted, her manicured fingers tapping impatiently on the conference table.I nodded, pulling out a few alternative swatches. “Of course. Let’s look at some more vibrant options. How about this one? It’s a deep terracotta, and it could bring warmth to the space without being overwhelming.”Morgana barely glanced at it, her lips tightening into a thin line. “No, no, no. You’re not listening, Sophia. I need something with character, something that screams luxury and style. I don’t want my restaurants to look like every
Sophia's POVToday was no different. I walked into the office and saw the latest email from her, blinking in my inbox like a cruel taunt. She wanted a full redesign of the flagship restaurant. Again. Only this time, she wanted it done in a completely different theme. By the end of the week.I sighed, rubbing my temples as I tried to digest her latest demand. We had already gone through multiple iterations of the design—each one painstakingly crafted to meet her ever-changing vision. And now she wanted to scrap all of it and start over.I forwarded the email to the rest of the team and called a quick meeting. They arrived in the conference room, each of them looking as worn out as I felt. We had all been running ourselves ragged trying to keep up with Morgana’s impossible standards.“This is what she wants now,” I said, gesturing to the screen where her email was projected. “A full redesign. And she wants it done in three days.”Groans and frustrated sighs filled the room.“This is ins
Sophia’s POVIt was well past 10 p.m., and the office was eerily quiet. Everyone had gone home hours ago. My eyes stung from staring at the design for too long, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I was determined to perfect the revisions Morgana had demanded. She’d torn apart the last iteration, claiming it lacked “soul” — whatever that meant. I wasn’t going to give her any more reason to complain.My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I tweaked the placement of the lighting fixtures in the restaurant’s new blueprint. Every detail had to be flawless. Maybe if I nailed this, Morgana would finally be satisfied. Maybe I could stop feeling like the failure of a wife she deemed me to be before. Just as I leaned in to make another adjustment, my phone buzzed on the desk. I glanced at the screen, expecting to see another email or message from someone on the team, but it was Elijah.“Hey,” I answered, my voice coming out tired but relieved to hear from him.“Sophia,” he said, his voice
Emily’s POVI spotted Elijah and Sophia down the corridor, panic flooding through me. My heart raced as I rushed toward them, tears spilling down my cheeks the moment I reached Sophia.“Sophia! I can’t believe this happened to Chris!” I sobbed, throwing my arms around her. “He was coming to see me! I told him I wanted to talk about us—what if this is my fault?”I felt her pull back slightly, concern apparent on her face. “Emily, no! This isn’t your fault,” she insisted, her voice steady and soothing. “You couldn’t have known.”Elijah stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You need to breathe, Em. We’re going to figure this out, but you can’t blame yourself for what happened. Chris is strong; he’s going to get through this.”I took a shaky breath, but the guilt clung to me heavily. “Tell me the truth,” I said desperately. “Do you think Isabelle had something to do with this? Did you find out anything about the accident?”I looked from Sophia to Elijah, my heart poun
Emily’s POVChris grinned, a flicker of his usual humor shining through despite the hospital setting. “I didn’t know there was a party going on in here or I wouldn’t have slept so long,” he quipped, his voice still raspy but infused with that familiar charm that made my heart flutter.Relief washed over me, and without thinking, I rushed forward and enveloped him in a hug. “Thank God you’re alright,” I whispered, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. I held him tightly, soaking in the moment, the scent of his cologne and the beat of his heart beneath my ear. For those few seconds, it felt like everything would be okay.But as I pulled back, I suddenly remembered that Elijah and Sophia were still in the room. I stepped back, my face burning with embarrassment. “I—uh, I’m so glad you’re awake,” I stammered. Elijah moved forward, concern showing on his features. “How are you feeling, Chris?” he asked, studying him carefully.“Real bad,” Chris replied, attempting to chuckle despit
Elijah’s POV“Looks like I’m going to need a few more days of pampering in this hospital bed,” Chris quipped, his trademark grin lighting up his face despite the bruises and scratches that marred his skin.The doctor chuckled lightly, adjusting his glasses. “You’re lucky to be in here just for a couple of scrapes and bruises. No broken bones, and your brain scans came back clean. Just keep resting, and we’ll have you back on your feet in no time.”“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to ruin your perfect record, Doc,” Chris shot back, his humor infectious, easing the tension in the room. “But seriously, sorry for scaring you, Emily. I didn’t mean to make you panic like that.”Emily smiled, but the unease in her eyes lingered. “It’s just... I wasn’t expecting to see you like this. I’m so relieved you’re okay.”Sophia glanced at Emily, then back at Chris. “You really gave us all quite the scare. But I’m glad you’re here and recovering. We’re all just happy to see you awake and talking.”“Yeah,” I
Elijah’s POVHer blonde hair was a tangled mess, half-hiding her face, and she kept her gaze lowered, refusing to meet my eyes.She looked so familiar, and I felt like I knew her. But I couldn’t quite place her face. “What’s your name?” I asked sharply. She didn’t respond at first, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. The silence in the room stretched, tense and suffocating. I tried again. “Look at me.”Still, she refused, her shoulders curling inward as if to shield herself. My eyes drifted down to the file the officer had handed me on the way in. Her name was there, in bold print, along with a rap sheet that made my blood run cold. She’d been in and out of prison since her teenage years, her crimes escalating over time. Fights, theft, assault. She was known for causing trouble wherever she went.And there was more—her background. Born in France, she had connections to Les Ombres Écarlates—the Scarlet Shadows.My heart skipped a beat. The gang had been involved in cou
Elijah’s POV“I can’t,” she muttered. “You don’t get it. It’s not just Isabelle. There are people… dangerous people… people she’s tied up with.” Her voice broke, and she looked up at me for the first time, her eyes brimming with fear. “If I talk, they’ll come for me. For my family.”I studied her for a long moment, trying to figure out how much of that was true and how much was fear clouding her judgment. “You think staying silent will protect you?” I asked in a firm voice. “Isabelle isn’t going to stop. You know that. If you don’t speak up now, she’ll bury you along with anyone else who gets in her way.”She shook her head again, more desperately this time. “I don’t want to cooperate. You don’t understand… they’ll kill me before I even get the chance.”“Zoey, look at me,” I said, leaning forward, my voice commanding. “This is your chance. You can either be a pawn in Isabelle’s game, or you can help take her down. If you don’t, I’ll make sure you’re the one who gets blamed for all of