I forgot to publish last Friday. :') Here you go. I'm sorry! It was already done, but I just forgot to hit publish.
It was almost evening when we finally made it to the boutique.One of Joaquin’s, of course. Because apparently, the man has a secret lair of luxurious shops across the city like a stylish Batman. This one was sleek, modern, and smelled like money and jasmine.Jessy gasped the moment we walked in. “Oh my god. This place is gorgeous. It smells expensive. Does it smell expensive to you? Because it does to me.”Ethan, calm as ever, had already spoken with the saleslady at the front. “We’ll need a private fitting room for both ladies. And please extend the shop hours. We’ll compensate everyone for their time.”The saleslady blinked, startled—but nodded with a respectful, “Yes, sir.”Jessy nudged me, eyes wide. “Okay, when he goes all authoritative like that, it’s kind of…”“Hot?” I offered, teasing.She shot me a grin. “I was gonna say intimidating, but sure, let’s go with hot.”Ethan turned to us and blinked. “What are you two whispering about?”“Nothing!” we said in chorus.Soon, we were
Jessy flopped dramatically into the seat across from my desk, legs crossed like she owned the place. "Soooo... shall we go dress shopping later for the gala? And maybe grab some dinner after? Girl date night?"I grinned, already nodding. "Yes, please. That sounds like a dream."She beamed and immediately pulled out her phone. "Perfect. Let me start checking for places. Should I book a table, too?"I quickly texted Joaquin to let him know and, in under five seconds, got a reply."He said yes," I reported. "As long as Ethan goes with us."Jessy blinked. "Wait, what? Ethan?"Right on cue, Ethan walked in holding a report, and I caught him up. "He wants you to come with us."Ethan's brows furrowed. "Why me? Mark's the usual driver."Joaquin popped his head out of his office like he had sonar. "Because Mark's with me today. I need someone competent to keep Haven from breaking the rules."I scowled. "I don't break the rules."Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You got drunk the other night, remember
I returned to my desk after a short meeting, only to find my annotated drafts were missing. My heart lurched. They weren’t just any notes—those were the raw edits from the other night, the ones Joaquin asked me to revise. Where the lines blurred. Where it felt… too honest.“Looking for these?” Joaquin’s voice broke through my spiral.I turned, and there he was—leaning against the glass wall of his office, casually flipping through my notes like he was reading a breakfast menu.Panic surged. “Y-you weren’t supposed to—don’t read that!”He didn’t respond right away. Just looked at me with a gaze that unnerved me far more than it should’ve. His fingers hovered over a page I remembered vividly—because I’d basically poured my soul into it by accident.“I thought you said these were edits,” he said softly. “But this… this feels personal.”My mouth went dry. “It’s… fictional. You’re the author. I was just echoing the tone.”“You’re too good at it,” he murmured, eyes unreadable.I forced a sh
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and I stepped into the bustling floor of Greyson Publishing. The office looked the same, but the air felt different—tenser, heavier. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe everyone was still shaken from what happened with Regina."Welcome back, Miss Thorne," one of the receptionists greeted me with a soft smile.I gave her a polite nod and offered a quick, "Good morning."Beside me, Joaquin walked forward, all sharp edges and cool confidence, his tailored suit somehow making everyone else look underdressed. As soon as he stepped into the open area, conversations fell into murmurs and keyboards paused mid-click. He raised a hand."Everyone," he called. "If I could have a moment."Silence settled."First of all, welcome back. I know these past few weeks have been strange, and for some of you, frightening. I want you to know your safety is—and will always be—my top priority."I glanced around the office. Familiar faces wore a mix of curiosity, relief, a
The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was that I was very warm. And I wasn't in my usual comfy pajamas.I slowly sat up and blinked at myself.What in the actual hell?I was wearing one of those silky, lacy nightgowns Jessy made me buy in a fit of "treat yourself" energy weeks ago. The kind that screamed boudoir photoshoot and not "recovering from a night of questionable decisions."It barely covered my thighs, and the straps were hanging off my shoulder like even the fabric was ashamed of me.My head throbbed. I pressed my palms to my temples.“Am I.. forgetting something? Let me backtrack a little…”Karaoke. Yes, there definitely was karaoke. Javier. Yes, he was there. He rescued me from a gang. Tequila. Yup. I drank it with him when we were singing Karaoke.A game of ketchup. Hmm… I had a dream playing it with Joaquin this time. But did we really play it? How does he know that? I only played it with Javier. Was I dreaming?A kiss?Wait.KISS?I groaned and collapsed back o
My head lolled to the side as Joaquin pushed open the bedroom door with one arm, still holding me bridal style like I was some drunk damsel in distress. Except the damsel was slurring, and very much trying to wriggle out of his hold.“I can walk, y’know,” I grumbled, voice muffled against his chest. “Put me down.”“I did that earlier,” he muttered. “You fell. On your face.”“That’s a lie,” I said, poking his collarbone. “You just like touching me.”He groaned under his breath. “You’re impossible when drunk.”He gently set me down on my feet, but I immediately staggered to the side and bumped into the nightstand. “See?” he said flatly.“Shut up.”I waddled to the drawer and pulled out the first nightgown I could find. It was the plain black night gown. I think it was one of the revealing ones Jessy and I bought before, but whatever. My head is spinning enough for me to even think about this.Joaquin stood awkwardly by the door, facing away like I was some virgin bride about to be unveil