LOGINBack in Noah’s worldNoah was standing near the large windows of his office when the door opened.Zane stepped in quietly.Noah turned almost immediately. The question had been sitting on his tongue ever since Aurelia left the house that morning.“How is she?” he asked.Zane shrugged slightly. “I dropped her at the hospital like she asked.”“And?”“That’s it.”Noah frowned. “That’s it?”Zane nodded. “She told me to wait in the parking lot. She went inside alone. Stayed there for a while. When she came out, she didn’t say much. Just told me to take her home.”Noah studied his friend’s face carefully.“You didn’t ask what the hospital wanted?”“No!” Zane replied calmly. “I didn’t .”Noah didn’t push any further Noah walked back to his desk, his mind already racing.“Did she look sick?” he asked.Zane thought about it for a moment. “Not exactly sick. Just… distracted.”That word stayed in the room for a second.Distracted.Noah reached for his phone.For a moment he considered calling t
Most modern hotels ran almost everything through one internal system. Guest check-ins, key cards, security cameras, even room service requests were often connected to the same network.Aurelia had learned that weeks ago during the document-sharing scandal at Lumina Industries. While the IT department scrambled to contain the leak, she had spent hours sitting in meetings, listening more than she spoke. The technicians had complained constantly about systems that were connected when they shouldn’t be. About outdated software that companies refused to fix because “it still worked.”One name had stuck in her head.StaySecure 360.She remembered one of the engineers groaning about it during a late meeting. The system was widely used in hotels, but it had a reputation for weak configurations when companies didn’t update it properly.When Aurelia arrived at the hotel lobby that afternoon, she wasn’t carrying the desperation she had the previous day. She looked calm. Casual. Just another gues
I shook the thoughts hovering around my head like a cloud, as if trying to scatter them long enough to focus on reality.I needed to be fair with myself.This might not go as planned.For starters, there was no guarantee the security guard would even believe a word of the story I had just crafted in my head. The man looked like someone who had spent years listening to excuses, lies, and desperate explanations from strangers who thought they could outsmart hotel rules. My fake tears and dramatic story might not move him at all. He might simply stare at me the way he had earlier and tell me, calmly and firmly, to leave.And if he didn’t believe me, things could get worse.He could call the police.The thought alone made my stomach tighten. If that happened, I would have to explain why I was lying about a stolen family ring that didn’t exist. One wrong question, one detail I hadn’t thought through, and the entire act would fall apart right in front of them.Then there was the hotel itsel
Aurelia got home feeling exhausted and defeated.For days now she had gone back and forth to that hotel, trying every reasonable way she could think of to get access to the security footage. Each attempt ended the same way—with polite refusals or suspicious looks.She dropped her bag on the couch and sank into a chair.Her head felt heavy.She replayed every moment in her mind. The receptionist’s flat tone. The bellhop’s nervous expression when the head of security appeared. The way the man had simply stood there watching her until she left.They weren’t going to help her.Not unless she gave them a reason strong enough to break their rules.She leaned back and stared at the ceiling, trying to think.Minutes passed.Then suddenly, an idea formed in her mind.It was ridiculous.It was dishonest.And it might actually work.A slow smile crept onto her face.“Alright,” she muttered to herself. “Let’s try something different.”The next morning she’d return to the hotel.This time she woul
It became painfully clear how much my body had wanted him. And yet, the universe clearly hadn’t agreed Zane was waiting in the hospital parking lot when she stepped outside. She spotted the car right away. When he saw her, he straightened a little behind the wheel. Aurelia didn’t say anything. She simply gave him a small nod through the window. That was enough. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. The ride was quiet. Zane never asked questions, and today Aurelia was thankful for that. Her mind was already loud enough. Pregnant. The word kept repeating in her head. By the time they reached her building, her thoughts were all over the place. What was she going to tell Noah about the test results? How was he going to look at her when he found out? Would he be angry? Disappointed? Or worse… cold. She stepped out of the car. “Thank you, Zane,” she said. He nodded once and drove off. Aurelia stood there for a moment before heading inside. The quiet of her apa
I still remember the moment I realized whose room it was.,that day when I was being chased by those crazed high teenagers.I’d stumbled backward, barely catching myself, my lungs burning, my heart beating so hard it felt bruised. The door was already open. I’d seen it swing wider as I fell in, seen the shadow of Noah Wellington at the edge of my vision, seen him glance past me and catch sight of the teenagers disappearing down the corridor.My brain hadn’t caught up yet.“Stay here,” he said sharply, already moving.He stepped out into the hallway, barefoot, and for a split second I watched him from behind, watched him scan the empty passage like he might actually go after them. But they were gone. Whoever they were, whatever they’d been on, they’d vanished.He came back in, shut the door, and turned to me.That’s when it hit me.Noah.My boss.And I was standing in his room.I tried to explain. I swear I did. My mouth opened, but nothing sensible came out. My tongue felt thick, usele
Aurelia’s POVI felt my chest sting from the pain of betrayal. I never thought in a thousand fucking years that Noah would trust George over me, but here we were. And deep down, I knew he didn’t really trust me either. Not like I trusted him anyway.But still… this?This was all just a big fucking
NOAH'S POV If George was behind all this, then his goal wasn’t just to sabotage Aurelia. No, this shit went deeper. Whoever was pulling the strings wanted me tangled in this mess too. Targeting my company? That wasn’t random. It had a purpose. But what the hell was it?The picture of me and Aureli
AURELIA'S POV When I got to work the next day, the first thing I heard was that the boss had called for a board meeting with all the staff. Ms. Anderson was the one who broke the news, and honestly, her face looked like it could curdle milk. She was always serious, but today? That frown was somethin
It was very late when Aurelia walked in. I wasn’t expecting her. She was supposed to be at home, staying the hell out of this.But here she was, holding a folder and looking determined.“Noah,” she started, shutting the door behind her. “I found something.”I leaned back, crossing my arms. “You’re







