LOGINI stayed in my room for a little while after Anna left, taking my time to unpack.I hung up my clothes, put my toiletries in the bathroom, and tried to slow my breathing down. Being back in this house made my chest feel tight, but Anna’s quiet kindness made it somewhat bearable. I was genuinely curious about what she meant by a surprise.Once I was done, I opened my bedroom door and walked down the quiet hallway and made my way down the grand staircase. As I reached the bottom, I heard soft laughter coming from the formal sitting room near the front of the house.I walked toward the doorway and peeked inside.Sitting on the armchair near the window was my mother.My breath caught in my throat. I hadn't seen her in months, and seeing her sitting right there in her warm sweater, sipping coffee, felt almost surreal."Mom?"She turned her head, her face lighting up the second her eyes landed on me. "Jenna!"Before I could even think, I rushed into the room. She stood up, and I threw my ar
JENNA’S POVThe shrill buzz of my alarm made me groan, the sound piercing right through my skull. I blindly reached out across the nightstand, grabbed my phone without opening my eyes, and hit snooze.I dragged myself into the bathroom and splashed cold water over my face to force myself awake. After running through my morning routine, I grabbed my phone and headed out down the hallway.As I neared the living room, the low rumble of two male voices stopped me in my tracks.I knew Roman would be there, but the other one…?Did Alec not leave?I walked into the living room and stopped when I saw my dad seated on my couch.Roman was sitting on the other couch opposite him.“Dad?”He turned his head and flashed me a wide, warm smile—a look so entirely out of character for him that my stomach flipped in suspicion.“Good, you’re awake. We were just talking about you.”I shot Roman a bombastic side-eye but he just gave a helpless shrug, keeping his mouth shut.“Talking about me why?” I asked,
ALEC’S POVI led her around to the back entrance of the apartment building, pushing the door open so we could slip inside together.We didn't even make it past the utility hallway before a shadow stepped out from the dim lighting.Roman was standing right there, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the wall like he'd been waiting for us. His eyes dragged from me to Jenna, taking in her messy hair and the flush on her skin.“Seriously? You’re bringing her in by 9pm,” Roman said, his voice tight.“Sorry,” Jenna muttered, looking down.“Jenna, go to your room,” I said, keeping my gaze locked on my best friend.“Okay. Goodnight,” Jenna said. She turned on her heel and disappeared down the hall toward her bedroom, her door clicking shut a second later.“Bro, I told you—” Roman started, pushing off the wall.“I know. I’m sorry,” I cut in, keeping my tone grounded.“And don’t ever take her somewhere without telling me again,” he warned, stepping closer, his jaw set. “What if her fath
ALEC’S POVWhen I bought this building five months ago, I had no clue what I wanted to do with it. Even now, I still don’t. But having a property to my name felt... responsible.I felt like my father would be proud of me. He was an excellent businessman who took risks, investing in things people thought were dead ends, and he always made them work.I wanted to be like that. I wanted to be like him. But how?How do I do that when I can’t even figure out my own future? I’m twenty-one and confused as hell. At my age, my old man was already a billionaire, while I’m just... here.Before he died, I had it all figured out. All I ever wanted was to be a professional racer. But now, as his only child, I felt like I had to be more. I had to keep his legacy alive and not just sit back while my uncle handled everything.This place was once a big, luxury hotel until the company owning it went bankrupt and couldn’t manage it anymore. It cost a fortune, but it wasn't something I couldn't afford. All
His tongue invaded my mouth, claiming me while his hands dropped to the hem of my shirt, yanking it up. The cool wind hit my bare skin, making my nipples pebble, but Alec’s warm hands were immediately there, cupping my breasts and squeezing until a gasp broke from my lips."You're fucking shivering," he muttered against my mouth, his thumb rubbing over one hard nipple. "Let me warm you up."Before he could take it any further, I reached down and pressed both palms firmly against his chest, holding him back just an inch.“This is crazy, Alec, and you are even crazier for suggesting this.”I loved when sex came with pain, but this? Danger and sex? This wasn’t me. It was all him, and he wasn't admitting it.“You like crazy, and you like me,” he said, his voice smooth and cocky.“You’re pushing. It’s looking like you want me to fall for you so bad.”“Aren’t you already falling, though?” He smirked down at me.“Dream fucking on, asshole!”Alec pulled back to look me in the eye. He didn't l
JENNA’S POV"Get her off me! She's fucking crazy!" Reign choked out, curling into a tight ball as blood dripped from his shattered nose onto his white jersey."Shut the fuck up, Reign!" Ashton growled, his thick arms still locked like steel bands around my ribs. He dragged me backward a few paces until there was clear space between me and the pathetic wreck on the grass.I was breathing hard, my chest heaving, adrenaline burning hot through my veins. The skin over my knuckles was split and stinging, coated in Reign’s blood, but it felt good. "You good?" Ashton muttered against the back of my head, his grip loosening just a fraction when he felt me stop thrashing. "Or are you gonna jump him again the second I let go?""I'm fine," I spat, yanking myself free from his hold the second he gave me room. I smoothed down my top, glaring daggers at the two linebackers who were currently hauling Reign to his feet by his shoulder pads.Reign couldn't stand up straight. He was clutching his nose
A knock on my dragged me out of my dream.“Jenna?” Anna’s voice floated through the door, soft and overly excited for 7 a.m. “Sweetheart, it’s your first day. You have to get up!”Right, First day of school in these new town.I shot up from bed with a burst of energy I definitely didn’t have last n
If my mother lectured me any harder, the entire steering wheel would melt from the heat of her disappointment. “Jenna, I am begging you, please behave yourself this time.” She said. For the tenth time. In twenty minutes. I slouched deeper into the passenger seat, pushing one earbud in. Not bot
JENNA’S POVTell me why I had been trying to start this stupid car for almost thirty minutes and it still wouldn’t budge.Did Dad seriously give me one of his beat-down cars just to get me to shut up and leave him alone?I groaned and leaned back in the seat before grabbing my phone from my purse.
The next morning, I woke up feeling strangely light, a feeling I hadn’t experienced in weeks. For the first time since I arrived in this town, there was a quiet excitement humming beneath my skin, the kind that made the air itself feel different. I dressed quickly in a simple T-shirt and jeans befor







