KILLIANI kept reminding myself that I was doing the right thing. I was keeping her safe. I kept her off the radar. So why did everything about that false breakup feel wrong?It felt even worse when I returned to my penthouse. This apartment had never felt more empty than now after she had left. Her scent weakened by the second, and my chest tightened at the thought she wouldn't be here for the next few weeks or more.My hands curled into tight fists. I hated this situation. I wished I could say my father and Yan Hao could go fuck themselves, but acting this way would have been utterly reckless. If my father had ordered to kill, or at least scare, Farid Talpur just because he had heard a part of his conversation with Yan Hao, I didn't want to think about what would have happened to Josie if someone had decided her presence threatened the merger. I would have never risked finding out.I knew that Josie didn't want this, I hated forcing her to pretend. Nothing about it seemed fair, and
“You are an idiot.” Tony glared at me as he refilled our whiskey glasses. “The Killian I know would have never done what you did.” He clicked his tongue before sitting on the sofa in my study.“And what did I do that is so unlike me?” I snatched my glass from the coffee table and took a decent drink.Tony frowned. “You are playing someone else's game! You're not attacking, you play in defense! Furthermore, you've taken a few steps back and given them the field!”My brows rose. “Seriously? You're the one talking about attack and defense?”“You know damn well what I mean,” he grunted, rolling his eyes. “You care about Josie, so why are you pushing her away… again?”I gave him a look. “I'm not pushing her away. I'm protecting her.”He gave me a thin-lipped smile. “I believe she sees breaking up differently.”“It's not a real breakup,” I argued.“But she had to move out, and you cannot see officially each other. That's pretty much like a REAL breakup,” he reasoned.I ground my teeth. “I k
JOSIEI crawled out of bed and stumbled toward the row of wall-to-ceiling windows overlooking the East River. The view from my bedroom was stunning, and so was my entire new apartment, but I couldn't find even a sliver of excitement within me.Sighing deeply, I pressed my hands to the window and blankly stared at the Manhattan skyscrapers. I instantly wished I could be on the other side of the river instead of here, where I felt as if I were exiled. A few months ago, if I'd been given such an apartment, it would have been like winning the lottery. Right now, I couldn't care less about where I lived. I only wanted Killian to be there with me.Letting out another sigh, I moved away from the window, grabbed a few clothes, and started preparing for work. I debated whether or not I should apply any makeup, but the dark circles under my eyes told me I should.“Don't crawl into your shell. Don't crawl into your shell. Don't crawl into your shell…” I kept repeating my mantra as I stared at my
A moment later, we were sitting in the shade of colorful tropical trees, listening to the gentle melodies sung by the birds flying by the glass dome high above our heads. “This place is beautiful,” I murmured, looking around in awe.Mrs. Rendall chuckled. “I'm glad you like it. I built this place because I wanted to have my own oasis, a place where I could recharge my batteries and get rid of bad energy.”My lips formed a wistful smile. “I wish I had a place like this sometimes.”“You should have,” she said before gesturing at a waiter, who nodded and disappeared somewhere behind the tall, flowery bushes. Not a minute passed, and the man returned carrying a tray with two coffee cups and some kind of dessert. “Espresso, no sugar, right?” Mrs. Rendall smiled as the waiter placed the cup in front of me.I blinked. “Right… but how did you know?”She chuckled and pulled the gray strand of her hair behind her ear. “I wouldn't have earned millions if I hadn't known how to gather information.
Veronica told me a little more about her life and her passion for art. Then she shared how she met her husband and how she was too naïve and in love to notice all the red flags before it was too late. In return, I told her about my studies, my unfortunate relationship with Dylan, and how it all ended. She was easy to talk to, and I only noticed time passing when the sun above our heads began to set.“So… Josephine Clairmont, tell me about your ambitions.” Veronica grinned, refilling my flute with more champagne.I smiled wryly. “I don't think I have any.”“I think you do,” she said, squinting her eyes at me. “You just never admitted you have them. Fortunately, you don't have to be shy in front of me. So take a deep breath, think for a minute, and then tell me, if you could do anything you desire, what would it be? Would you like to create apps and games for the rest of your life?” When I shook my head, she laughed. “Then what would you want to do?”I did as she said and drew a deep br
Kaiden's hazel eyes locked on mine, and his lips curved into a smug smirk. “Josie? Have you watched my fight?”“I…” All the words seemed to freeze in my throat.The eyes of the entire group landed on me, and a wave of soft giggles and muttering spread around the room. Kaiden stepped closer, his smile widening. My instincts told me to flee, but as soon as I inched back, I crashed against someone standing behind me. Before I could think of another way to escape, Kaiden grabbed my hand and dragged me away from the crowd.“What are you doing?!” I whisper-yelled as he pulled my hand, leading me to the other side of the gym room. I gasped as he opened the dressing room and pushed me inside. He joined me there before I regained my footing. Then he closed the door behind us.“Now we can talk.” He chuckled.My heart lurched. This place was the size of my walk-in closet, and I had a rather small walk-in closet in my apartment. Kaiden easily filled half of the space, forcing me against the wall
The car stopped in front of the two-story red-brick building. It took me a moment to notice a restaurant sign since it was nearly entirely covered by densely growing ivy. From the outside, this place seemed almost abandoned, but the inside greeted us with tasteful art deco.I peered over the crowded restaurant without a single empty table in sight. Then I looked at Kaiden, but he only smirked and grabbed my hand, leading me toward the stairs. I drew a deep breath as we climbed four flights. “I apologize for the inconvenience,” he said, glancing at my shoes, “but the view and privacy are worth it.”A moment later, we found ourselves on the roof, where a single table set for two awaited. The roof was filled with all kinds of plants and illuminated by delicate garlands, hanging a few feet above the table. I stepped toward the edge of the roof, surrounded by the glass fence, and gasped as I looked at the night sky. If it had been Killian who had taken me here, I would have called it a pla
“So? What did you say?” Ashley's voice boomed through the phone speaker. I called her as soon as I'd returned home from my odd dinner with Kaiden, and, apparently, I immediately became her source of entertainment.I huffed. “What do you think I said? I told him no.” I unzipped my dress and peeled it off of me.“His offer wasn't entirely stupid, though,” she mused. “As Kaiden Blair's girlfriend, you would become untouchable.”I considered her words and shook my head. “Killian doesn't trust Kaiden, and Killian would lose it if I told him his cousin would act as my boyfriend from now on.”“Then maybe he should reconsider his decisions because I think they can only put you in more danger,” she said dryly. “You could also tell Killian the truth about that girl who died in a so-called accident. What was her name?”“Ciara,” I answered. “And I can't tell Killian anything. I promised Kaiden I wouldn't.”Ashley groaned. “Men and their stupid egos!”I chuckled. “Right? Maybe if they just talked