登入"I got a restraining order against him this morning," I said into the phone as I pushed through the front doors of the building, my coffee cup sweating slightly against my palm."Good, you should have done that the second he showed up at your car," Amanda said as her voice came through sharp and certain. "I still can't believe he grabbed you like that.""Neither can I," I said as I shook my head, weaving toward the elevators. "I keep replaying it. The whole 'you belong to me' thing.""That man needs serious help," Amanda said as she huffed. "Did the judge give you any trouble?"I was about to answer when I caught the way two women near the reception desk went quiet and turned their heads, watching me cross the lobby like I was something they'd been discussing seconds before. I slowed, frowning, and felt my stomach tighten."Amanda, I'm at work, I have to go," I said as I lowered the phone slightly, scanning the room."Okay, but call me at lunch," Amanda said as her voice rushed to get
"You really look like you had a good time out there, Ralph," I said as I glanced up from my desk to find him already leaning against my doorframe, bag slung over one shoulder, grinning like he'd been waiting there for an hour."I did," Ralph said as he pushed off the frame and strolled in like he owned the place. "My mother cried four times. Four. I counted.""Happy tears, I hope," I said as I shut my laptop and started gathering papers into my bag."Mostly," Ralph said as he dropped into the chair across from my desk, watching me with an exaggerated patience he clearly didn't feel. "She kept grabbing Marcus's face and saying she finally got the son in law she always wanted. Marcus just stood there and took it like a champ.""I like Marcus already," I said as I laughed, zipping my bag shut."Everyone likes Marcus," Ralph said as he stood and stretched, rolling his shoulders. "He brought his own playlist for the reception. Curated. Labeled. My mother almost proposed to him a second tim
"Do you think we're all going to lose our jobs?" Amy asked as she wrapped both hands around her mug like it could anchor her to the table."I don't know," I said as I shook my head slowly, watching the steam curl off my coffee. "But Liam wouldn't let that happen. He's been working nonstop trying to contain this.""Easy for you to say," Amy said as she let out a short, humourless laugh. "You're sleeping with the guy who's supposed to fix it."I felt my face go warm and pressed my lips together to keep from smiling too wide. "That's not fair," I said as I nudged her foot under the table. "I'm just as scared as you are.""Are you, though?" Amy asked as she tilted her head, studying me in that way she did when she already suspected the answer. "Because right now you look like someone who just got good news, not someone worried about unemployment.""I'm not glowing," I said as I rolled my eyes, even though I could feel the heat creeping further up my neck. "I just think things will work ou
Nina's POVThe elevator doors opened and we stepped out together, his shoulder brushing mine in a way that still made my stomach flip even after everything that happened this weekend. We were laughing about something stupid, I don't even remember what anymore, when Amy's voice cut through the lobby."Good morning!" Amy called as she walked toward us with her usual too-bright smile.Liam and I both straightened at the same time, like two kids caught sneaking back into the house after curfew. I cleared my throat and put a careful foot of space between us."I'll see you later," Liam said as he turned to me, his voice suddenly all business. "For the meeting?""Yeah, yeah," I said as I nodded too quickly. "The meeting.""Morning, Amy," Liam said as he gave her a polite nod before heading off toward his office.Amy waited until he was out of earshot before she rounded on me, her eyebrows already halfway up her forehead."What meeting?" Amy asked as she crossed her arms, clearly not buying i
Liam stepped inside and shut the door behind him with a quiet click, like he was sealing the two of us into something fragile that might shatter if he moved too fast. I watched him glance around my living room as if he hadn't been in it before when I hated him. His eyes continued to linger on the couch, the blanket I'd just folded, the coffee mug still on the side table from the last time I had breakfast here."You can stop looking around like you've never seen this place," I said as I hung my jacket on the hook by the door, trying to settle the nervous flutter in my chest."I'm just trying to figure out what I agreed to," Liam said as he turned back to me, a slow grin spreading across his face. "A whole day with no meetings, no calls. I don't think I remember how that works.""You survive," I said as I walked past him into the kitchen, pulling open the fridge to see what I actually had. "Mostly by eating whatever's in here and complaining about it.""Sounds promising," Liam said as h
Amanda burst through the front door with Daniel trailing behind her, both of them dragging overnight bags and looking entirely too rested for two people who'd left in a panic the night before."We're back," Amanda announced as she dropped her bag by the stairs, scanning the living room like she might find evidence scattered across the floor."Well, well. How was your night at the hotel?" I asked as I stood up from the couch, smoothing down my shirt in a way I hoped didn't look as deliberate as it felt."Quiet," Daniel said as he set his keys on the counter, completely oblivious to the way Amanda's eyes were darting between Nina and Liam."Freaky and quiet," Amanda repeated as she raised an eyebrow at me, clearly not buying the word for a second. "And how was it here?""Fine," I said as I picked up the blanket from the couch and folded it a little too carefully. "Lily slept through the night.""That's not what I asked," Amanda said as she crossed her arms, a knowing smile creeping onto
I opened the door already exhausted.Elena stood in the hallway with loose curls falling over one shoulder and a soft beige coat wrapped around her as if she had stepped out of some expensive European perfume commercial. She smiled immediately when she saw me, warm and effortless in a way I had nev
Amanda was already on my couch by the time I came out of my bedroom in sweatpants and one of Elena’s old college hoodies I had somehow stolen years ago and never returned.She looked up immediately, eyes narrowing suspiciously.“Oh my God,” she said. “You look happy again.”“I look tired.”“You loo
"So,” Kevin said casually, rocking back slightly on his heels. “Your place isn’t that far from here, right?”I narrowed my eyes immediately. “That sounded suspicious.”He laughed. “It was a question.”“A suspicious question.”He grinned wider. “Fine. Let me rephrase it. Would you like to walk home
The knock came without warning, followed immediately by Amy pushing the door open like she owned the place. Ralph trailed behind her, coffee in hand, already looking like he had something to say.“Tell me you’re not buried in spreadsheets again,” Amy said, walking in without waiting for an answer.







