LOGINBy the time I got home, the quiet felt louder than the party.The hallway was dim, the kind of soft lighting that usually made everything feel calm, but tonight it just made the silence heavier. I shifted my bag on my shoulder, digging through it for my keys as I reached my door, my fingers brushing past random things before finally closing around the cold metal.Just as I brought the key up, my phone started buzzing.I paused, already annoyed.I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.Devil Sent.I let out a slow breath, my shoulders dropping slightly as irritation settled in. “What do you want now?” I muttered under my breath, staring at his name like it personally offended me.I didn’t pick up.I ended the call, shoved the phone back into my bag, and unlocked the door.The moment I stepped inside, I kicked the door shut behind me, the sound echoing lightly through the apartment. I dropped my bag onto the couch without care and started toward my bedroom, already reaching for my phone
The bell above the diner door chimed softly as I stepped in, shaking a few drops of rain from my sleeve. The air inside was warm, carrying the smell of fried food and something sweet, something familiar enough to make my shoulders loosen just a little. It was quieter than usual, a low hum of conversation tucked beneath the steady tapping of rain against the windows.I slid into a booth near the counter, brushing my fingers against the table like I needed to ground myself before I spoke. A woman approached a moment later, her smile easy, practised but not fake.“What can I get for you?” she asked.“Milkshake,” I said, barely glancing at the menu. “Vanilla.”She nodded. “Coming right up.”I hesitated, then added, “Is your boss around?”Her smile shifted slightly, amused. “Kevin? He stepped out, but he’ll be back in a moment.”I nodded. “Okay.”She left, and I leaned back slightly, watching the rain slide down the glass in uneven streaks. My fingers tapped lightly against the table, rest
The car came to a smooth stop, but I didn’t move immediately. I stared ahead through the windshield, the yacht glowing softly under white lights, its music drifting faintly across the water. Everything about it looked polished, controlled, expensive. Everything about it felt like a mistake.I reached for the handle anyway and pulled.Nothing.I frowned, trying again, a little harder this time. Still nothing.Slowly, I turned my head toward Liam.He was already looking at me.“Open the door,” I said.He didn’t move. “We’re not doing this tonight.”My brows pulled together. “Doing what?”“This,” he replied calmly, gesturing lightly between us. “Whatever this is. We walk in there, we’re civil. No one needs to know there’s tension.”I stared at him, incredulous. “You’re locking me in your car and giving me conditions?”“I’m setting expectations,” he corrected.I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “Open the door.”“Nina—”“If you don’t open this door right now,” I cut in, leaning slig
LIAMThere I was, standing outside Nina’s door for a long while, my hand hovering just short of knocking like I was debating something I didn’t want to name. I knocked anyway, the sound controlled and deliberate, sharp against the stillness.There was a pause on the other side. Just long enough to register.Then the door opened.And for a second, I didn’t move.I hadn’t expected her to look like that. I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but it wasn’t this. Something in my chest tightened, subtle but immediate, and I caught it too late to fully hide it. My gaze lingered a fraction longer than it should have before I forced it away, straightening slightly, resetting my expression.She noticed.Of course she did.Before either of us said anything, Amanda appeared behind her, leaning casually against the wall like she had been waiting for this moment. “Well,” she said lightly, her eyes flicking between us, sharp despite the relaxed tone. “This looks… intense.”“Nobody asked you,” Nina mutt
I stood in the middle of my bedroom surrounded by clothing I suddenly hated.Dresses were draped over the bed, one hanging half off the edge like it had personally offended me. Another was tossed over a chair. Shoes were scattered near the vanity. My room looked like a department store had exploded.“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, glaring at a cream-colored dress in my hands.Amanda, sitting cross-legged on my bed with entirely too much enjoyment on her face, looked up from her phone. “You’ve been saying that for the past forty minutes.”“Because it is ridiculous.”“You’re going to an exclusive yacht event hosted by one of the most powerful men in the world,” she replied. “How is that ridiculous?”“I’m going because my tyrant of a boss apparently thinks free will is optional.”Amanda snorted. “That part sounds accurate.”I threw the dress onto the bed. “And before you say anything, no, this has nothing to do with him.”“Interesting,” she said slowly.I narrowed my eyes. “What?”“I d
I had barely taken two bites of my breakfast before the door opened.No knock. No warning. Just the quiet turn of the handle and then him.Of course.I didn’t look up immediately. I knew it was him. I felt it before I saw him, the shift in the air, the way my shoulders tensed without permission. I forced myself to stay exactly where I was, seated behind my desk, fork in hand, posture straight, like nothing about his presence mattered.“What are you doing here?” I asked, finally lifting my gaze.Liam stood just inside the doorway, one hand still loosely on the handle like he hadn’t decided whether to stay or leave. His eyes moved over the room first, slow, observant, before settling on me. Then they dropped—into the container of food in front of me.“I work here,” he said calmly, closing the door behind him.I let out a short breath, setting my fork down with more force than necessary. “That’s funny,” I replied. “I could’ve sworn your job involved actually being in your office.”His br







