LOGINShe only wanted one night. He was supposed to be a beautiful stranger she’d never see again. But fate has other plans. Three years ago, Emmaline Facer made a bold choice. She slept with the first man who made her heart race — and disappeared the next morning, leaving with stolen money, a stolen car, and leaving behind a man who never stopped looking for her. Now? She’s back. Working for one of New York’s biggest fashion companies. And her new boss? Ezra Queen — the man she abandoned. He hasn’t forgotten her. He hasn’t forgiven her. And what neither of them knows is that their lives are about to get far more complicated. Now, forced to work together, old sparks ignite, buried secrets rise, and a dangerous game begins — where love battles betrayal, and past mistakes threaten everything. And a little girl who isn’t who everyone thinks she is.
View MoreEmmaline Facer never planned to steal a boy's car—especially not the morning after losing her virginity to him in a one-night stand.
But as she stood in her dorm room at 6:45 a.m., clutching a stranger's car key and her bag stuffed with his money, she finally realized the enormity of what she'd done. There was no doubt he would come looking for her.
Emma dropped her bag onto the bed and hurried over to Phoebe's bed. She gently shook her friend, who was still curled under her blanket, asleep and exhausted from the graduation party.
"Phoebe, wake up," she whispered, her voice tight with worry.
Phoebe groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow, then turned her face to the other side. Her voice was thick with sleep. "Who is that?" she mumbled, squinting until her eyes finally landed on Emma. "Emma?" she called slowly, still half asleep.
"Yes, it's me," Emma said, gripping Phoebe's hand and helping her up.
"Oh my God, where were you last night? I looked everywhere! I even called you like fifteen times." Relief and annoyance warred in Phoebe's tone—the sound of a friend who'd been panicking all night. She had already made up her mind that if Emma didn't reach out by morning, she was going to the police to report her friend missing. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Wait—did you meet Scott?"
Emma's brows furrowed. "How do you expect me to meet Scott when I don't even know what he looks like? You were supposed to take me to him."
Phoebe rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Right... I didn't see you, so I thought you left. I ended up drinking a little more with Jones and his friends, and he drove me home. Scott didn't reach out to me either, so I thought he might have met you." She squinted at Emma. "Where did you even go last night?" She glanced at the clock beside the bed. "6:48 a.m.? Emma, this is too early for you to wake me up on a Saturday."
Emma flopped onto her bed and let out a long, shuddering sigh. Phoebe leaned in, scanning her face, immediately sensing something was off.
"Oh my God. I know that look. What did you get yourself into this time?"
Emma's hands twisted in her lap. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "They're after me. I think I'm going to end up in jail." Her voice shook.
Phoebe's eyes widened. "Jail? Did you hit someone at the party last night?"
Emma shook her head rapidly and ran a hand through her hair, tugging at a loose strand in frustration. "No. No, it's worse." She bit her lip. "I stole something... and I feel like he's going to come after me and destroy my life, and..."
Phoebe froze mid-motion, her forked expression of shock made Emma's stomach twist. "Stole? From who? Who did you even meet last night?"
Emma's throat tightened. She hesitated at first but Phoebe was the only one who could understand her. The only one who could help her. She remembered a few things from the night before. "I met this guy... we talked, had some drinks, and then..."
"And then what?" Phoebe leaned forward, impatience knitting her brow. When Emma stayed silent, her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh my God. You slept with him, didn't you?"
Emma swallowed hard and didn't answer.
"Wow." Phoebe's hands shot up with a loud clap, though Emma waved frantically to hush her. The walls were thin, and it was still early. "Who would have thought the Virgin Mary would lose her virginity to a total stranger?"
Emma scowled and crossed her arms defensively. "You wanted to give me to a total stranger too."
"Well, that was different. I knew Scott. People knew Scott Jones. You didn't know this man you slept with."
Emma's knees felt weak as she sank back against her bedframe. "Come on, Phoebe." Her voice trembled, and she rubbed her arms to ward off the shivers. "I never thought something like this would happen."
"Of course you did," Phoebe said, leaning back. "I know you. When you want something, you always go for it. Now talk! Who did you steal from?"Phoebe swung her legs off the bed, tiptoed to the cabinet, and rifled through a pack of cigarettes. She pulled one out, struck it, and inhaled deeply. The smoke curled around her and the burn in her throat calmed her. She extended it toward Emma. "Want one?"
Emma shook her head vigorously. "No."
"It will calm you. I bet you need it more than I do."
"No. I don't smoke, and you know it." She rubbed her hands together, fingers tapping nervously on her knees.
Phoebe dragged a chair close and plopped down with a soft thud. She raised the cigarette to her lips. "Okay. Start talking."
Emma inhaled, her chest was tight. "Honestly... he didn't look rich at all last night. I remember he was dressed so simple."
Phoebe wrinkled her nose and leaned back in the chair. "Ugh, I hate guys like that. They pretend to be broke so girls won't bother them." She drew another puff, then tilted her head. "But is he cute?"
Emma's sharp gaze met hers. "That is not the point."
"Oh, but it is," Phoebe pressed, shrugging. "Anyway, if you're scared about jail, maybe you should've thought about that before stealing. What did you take that's making you panic? If he's rich, he might not even notice."
Emma's fingers clutched the bag strap tightly. "He will notice, alright."
"Is it that bad?"
Emma exhaled shakily. "I didn't count it, but there was a lot of money. He stuffed everything in his wallet, and I just... I don't even know how my—"
"Enough! Stop rambling. Just show me the money."
Emma dug into her bag with trembling hands, pulling out neatly stacked bundles of $100 bills. Phoebe's eyes widened as she picked them up.
"Wow... Em, you're in serious trouble," she murmured, staring at the money now in her hand.
"That's not all."
Phoebe's head snapped toward her. "You are joking, right?"
Emma shook her head. She dug back in the bag and took out a car key. "I... I also took his car," she said slowly, letting the words sink.
"What? Are you crazy?" Phoebe nearly choked on her cigarette, coughing and waving a hand at her mouth.Her eyes remained wide, disbelief etched into every line of her face. She began to laugh loudly, the sound sharp in the quiet dorm. "You're so going to jail!"After her shower that night, Emma had dinner with Phoebe. Just the two of them. Since Phoebe arrived, Emma finally had the space to talk properly.“So,” She said as they ate, “what do you think of the place?”She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, then picked up her fork and knife, cutting her turkey into neat pieces. Earlier, she had asked Natie to prepare something special because of Phoebe’s arrival.Phoebe chewed slowly, then nodded. “It’s a very beautiful city. Every corner is filled with luxury shops and tall buildings. It must be incredibly expensive living here.”“Ugh, tell me about it.” Emma sighed. “If Ezra hadn’t bought this apartment for me, my bank account would’ve gone up in flames.” She shook her head lightly. “I even just sent money to my mum. She still refuses to leave that house.”Phoebe looked up, attentive.“My dad owned it,” Emma continued. “She says she doesn’t want to live anywhere else—too many memories. I tried convincing her I’d get her a bigger place, but she w
“You really did something sweet today. It made my heart melt when I got the mail,” Emma said. She had finished her food. Reaching for the glass of water, she took a slow sip, then placed it back on the table carefully. She looked up at him, smiling. “It really made me happy.”Ezra had invited her over for dinner, and Zoe sat at the table with them, focused on her own food. Earlier, when he’d come in, Zoe had run straight to him, jumping into his arms. He’d hugged her tightly, holding on a little longer than usual. He missed his daughter. He could have visited and saw her more, but if he wasn’t busy, he was coming home late—and by then, she would already be asleep. He never wanted to wake her. So that day, he made sure to leave early and let Milan finish the work. He wanted to see his daughter before she went to bed, before he missed the chance to talk to her or play with her before they left for Rome.“I thought about giving you a little break,” he said. His smile never left his lips
“What do you mean, Rome, sir? We have who we always send over there to inspect the textiles and meet with the supplier. Why do you want to go by yourself this time?” Milan asked as she stood in front of Ezra’s desk.Every year, they sent Susan to Rome to check on the new textiles to be chosen for the upcoming designs. She was talented, detailed, and someone Ezra trusted—but this time, he wanted to go himself. He wanted a break from work too, and this was the perfect opportunity. A weekend away.He inhaled sharply, his fingers drummed on the table, and spoke without hesitation. “Get my ticket. Get me a hotel. And tell Giovanni I will be meeting him personally. I need the weekend over there.” His gaze lingered on Milan, and she shifted uneasily under it.She nodded slowly. There was nothing she could say to her boss that would make him change his mind. “Are you going alone, sir?” she asked, tilting her head, her voice was edged with caution. “Shouldn’t I—shouldn’t someone—join you to re
Staring at Jones Lazarus, her heart quickened. She still thought it was a dream—a horrific one. She had searched for him for months. Nothing! And now he showed up at her door? How did he even know where she lived? She was on another street, far away from her former home.Jones’ hair was wrapped in a towel. His wet clothes had been changed into one of the spare outfits she had, and a hot cup of tea rested in his hands as he sipped. He had been in the rain and was drenched.When he appeared at her door, he looked cold and pale, like he had no life left in him.She wondered what had happened to him.“So, you are telling me that someone took you out of prison?” she asked, hugging herself, rocking slightly on her feet.Jones nodded.“I looked for you. Nothing came up! No one could find you!” Phoebe paced a few steps back, her fingers running through her hair. The man she had been searching for was sitting rigidly on her couch, his shoulders were tense, and it was 11 p.m.She should be in b
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