ANMELDENKaty"The client booked for today cancelled his appointment and demanded a refund."Those words kept ringing in my mind for thirty minutes after Nova reported it.It's been two months since we opened for business and everything was going well until we started getting bad reviews online. We even had an issue with one of our engine oils being swapped which led to a client's car being damaged.I stood in my office, staring at the computer screen showing our online reviews. One star or two stars coming from accounts created just days ago, all posting within hours of each other."Worst service ever. They damaged my car.""Unprofessional staff. Don't waste your money.""Terrible work. I would give zero stars if I could."None of it was true. I knew it wasn't true because I personally oversaw every single job that came through this garage.But the damage was done and our rating had dropped from 4.8 stars to 3.2 in less than two weeks.A knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts."Ka
Nova povElias doesn't leave until Aria's fever goes down and she is finally asleep. During my moment of panic, he even called Katy and informed her that the baby is sick and I won't be making it back to the garage. I honestly don't know what to make of his attentiveness towards me. I hate to think about it but every time he acts so considerate, I am left wondering how long I can put up with it. It's been six months after I laid my husband and mate and having someone else hover around me now feels... weird. My mom has been silently observing Elias throughout his little stay here and I know she already has an opinion about him... One that I will hear once Elias is gone. " Nova, you have been awfully quiet." Elias notes as I escort him to the parking lot. I wouldn't have realised it if he didn't say it loud. " I was just thinking about Aria." I lie.The second I say that I know that he has seen through my lies. I can see it in the way his eyes narrow ever so slightly." You are a
Elias POVI knew I was going too far, that Nova might reject me but at this point, I didn't care. I have always been a man who stands by his decisions and o wasn't going to let fear take the best of me. "There's a place just down the street. It's my treat as a thank you for letting me wait here." I added, trying to convince her. "You helped me," Nova pointed out. "I should be buying you lunch.""Then we'll call it even," I said with a smile. "What do you say?"I watched as Nova hesitated. I could see her weighing it.Finally, she nodded. "Okay. But just lunch. I need to be back by three when Marcus needs me to sign off on some orders." She agreed and I smiled, fighting the urge to bump my fist in the air. "Just lunch it is," I agreed, even though my heart was doing something complicated in my chest.Since the place was not far away and I wanted to spend some time with nova, we opted to walk. The restaurant was a small Italian place two blocks away. It was nothing fancy, but
Elias POVI parked my car outside Katy's garage and for some reason, I felt anxious.I have never been one to be scared or not be confident with myself.Today, I was experiencing both.What if she blatantly rejected me or saw me as a nuisance? From what I learned, she was still recovering from her dead mate.What if I came too early? What if...I pushed those thoughts away, took a deep breath and squared my shoulders.This was it. The moment that determined whether I had a future with her or not.I'd been thinking about Nova constantly since the day I saw her during Katy’s garage opening.It was instant attraction when I laid my eyes on her.To me, I would say it was love at first sight which sounded really ridiculous and unique at the same time. Love? I was starting to question the real meaning of that word. I was attracted to Elena, Katy too but what I felt for Nova somehow felt different: like I'd suffocate if she ended up choosing someone else like Elena and Katy did. For days
KatyI came to visit Robert again today. Despite everything he did to me, I couldn't bring myself to abandon him.After all, he did raise me. It wasn't the best way a parent raises a child, but... at least I didn't starve in the streets or die of cold.The visit had been awkward but surprisingly peaceful. Robert asked about Lucian, about my businesses, about my life as Luna. There was genuine interest in his voice, genuine pride that I'd never heard before.It was strange but also... healing, in a way."You've done well for yourself, Katy," he'd said as I was leaving. "Better than I ever gave you credit for.""Thank you," I'd replied, not knowing what else to say.Now, walking out of the hospital, I felt the weight of someone's gaze on me.It wasn't the protective surveillance of Lucian's guards.I'd grown accustomed to that feeling, the way they watched from a distance to keep me safe.This was different.This gaze was heavy and hateful.I kept walking toward the parking lot, my sen
Jessica POV"Katy just opened a garage and a tattoo shop," I said. "New businesses are vulnerable.We can plan something and none of it is directly traceable to us." I offered. "Lucian would still know," Celeste said."Knowing and proving are two different things," I countered. "If we're careful, if we work through intermediaries, if we make it look like natural problems, he can't prove anything."Celeste was silent for a long moment.“ What if he figures it out anyway?" she finally asked. "Because he will for sure know someone tampered with Katy's business.” She continued to probe. "Then we make sure we are not directly involved. We hired people who hired people. By the time it traces back to us, if it even does, the damage is already done.""This is insane," Celeste said, but I could hear the wavering in her voice."This is justice," I corrected. "She destroyed our lives. Why should she get to be happy while we suffer?"Celeste stared at me, and I could see the war playing out on
Katy povLucian noticed. Of course noticed.The way his eyes had gone dark when walked in, the way his hands had tightened on that bottle…he definitely noticed.Good, because it was the plan… the goal for the whole dressing thing. I was done waiting, done with this weird dance we had been doing.
My breath caught as Lucian pushed his jeans and boxers down in one motion, and… "Oh my God," I breathed. He was magnificent. Long, thick, and already straining toward me. I'd felt him through his clothes, but seeing him like this…completely bare, completely aroused, completely mine…made my mouth
Katy POV"Because you're my wife. Taking care of what's mine is what I do."The words settled over me warmly and dangerously. Lucian called me his Wife. Not a contract wife, not a business arrangement.Just... wife.Did that mean… ? Or was I just overthinking? I watched as he continued washing me
Katy POVToday was Jerald and Celeste's wedding and I was attending. It wasn't to honor my parents demand to be there but because I wanted to remind myself that love was a big scam. The man I loved for years, my mate, was marrying someone else while I was stuck in a contract marriage that was beg







