Four Years LaterYan Hao, Estelle, and Isabelle had become nothing more than a bad memory. Lou Zichen had been quickly convicted and sent to prison. Estelle and Isabelle landed behind bars six months later. The remains of Yan Hao's army and all his collaborators had been caught one by one. Special Agent Brooks made sure they all ended where they belonged. As if sensing there was no more danger around us, Aria, our beautiful daughter, was born a day after the final trial ended.My once filled with dread and nightmares life had become nearly blissful. Certainly, large areas had needed to be rebuilt, but Killian and I had pieced it back together. I had never returned to Blair Digital. After a year, Blair Digital merged with Tony's company, becoming Blair & Melton Interactive. Killian and Kaiden had recreated the Blair Consortium, making it twice as profitable as before. Of course, they both had wanted me to work for the consortium, assuring me I would find a place there. I'd refused. Inst
“This has got to be a nightmare,” I murmured under my breath as I entered the reception hall through the revolving doors.More than a dozen of my work colleagues stood in a half-circle, smiling at my ex-boyfriend who happily paraded handing out invitations to his wedding. Everyone congratulated him, boosting his already overgrown ego. He was dressed up in a gray tailor-made suit way above his pay grade. His face was perfectly shaved, his ash-blond hair combed up, and even his nails were perfectly polished. Certainly, this change of façade was courtesy of his awfully rich fiancée. If I had loathed that man before, now my disgust had increased by a thousand percent.Cursing under my breath, I slowly moved to the right side of the hall, trying to sneak out of the well-lit spot before that bastard noticed me. The last thing I wanted was for him to gloat—“Josie!” he drawled my name as if he were announcing another round of a boxing match. Well, that wasn't far from the truth. We had been d
No, no, no, no, no! This couldn't be happening! I had no savings! I was still trying to pay off my father's debt, and this job was all I had!Panic bubbled inside me, threatening to erupt in the ugliest way possible, but I forced myself to breathe. I needed to focus. There had to be a way out of this situation. This couldn't be the end for us… could it?Mancy took off her red-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. “They expect us to clean up our desks and return the passes and company equipment by noon,” she said, her voice shaking.Martin jerked up from his seat, his hands fisting. “This new CEO can't do this to us! We've done nothing wrong!”“Actually, he can, and he did.” Kei stepped toward him, a dry smile twisting his lips. “The new CEO decided we're not needed here. That's it. We should just… pack.”I wished I could argue with what he said, but we all knew the truth. Our work in that department was almost completely useless, and our reports had been rarely taken into
“What a fucking jerk!” Ashley growled, grabbing one of the colorful vodka shots from the table and pouring it down her throat.I had no strength left to support her rage. We were sitting by the kitchen table in her apartment, more than a dozen little glasses prepared to soothe our nerves in one of the least healthy ways possible. My fingers slid around the rim of the glass as I numbly stared down at my liquor. I wished the alcohol could solve my problems or at least dull my restlessness. It didn't. I had rarely drunk strong liquor, and by now, I should have been hiccupping and laughing like a happy idiot, but after emptying six shots, I remained irritatingly sober.Our team had bravely accepted the CEO's challenge. We had tried, we truly had, and we failed… miserably. This was an impossible task, and we had known it from the beginning. The CEO must have known that too. He had never wanted to give us a chance. He taunted us… “Arrogant bastard!” Ashley continued, reaching for another g
“So, where is your highly irresponsible boyfriend?” Killian's gaze was intense enough to drill inside my head.I sucked in a sharp breath. “He couldn't make it.”“Such a shame.” Amusement danced on his lips as he stepped closer. “But are we truly talking about your boyfriend? Or a meaningless date?”What kind of a game was that? And what was he trying to achieve? I ground my teeth. “Does it matter?”He breathed out a chuckle. “I suppose it doesn't as long as he's not here.” I forced myself still as he studied me. “May I know your name?”Air escaped my lungs, but my mind warned me I shouldn't feel relieved. This might have been a trick. Still, just in case, it was safer to lie.“My name is—”“Josephine!”I cursed under my breath hearing Ashley's voice behind me.“There you are!”Shit. She must have noticed me but didn't realize who I was talking to. If I let her come here, things could only turn from bad to worse!“My friend is looking for me.” I gave Killian a nervous smile. “I need to
Two hours later, I still tried to process what had happened. Restlessness held me tightly in its clutches, and I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder as if expecting Killian to jump out and reveal his true, entirely wicked reason for helping me. His whispered words kept ringing in my mind, triggering icy shivers. What did he want from me? Did he know who I was?I shook my head, chasing away the horror-like scenarios my mind eagerly provided. I couldn't let myself drown in an unreasonable fear. I was sitting with my friends, sipping expensive wine, and enjoying delicious food. I could only taste these luxuries until the end of the cruise, and I promised myself not to spoil my time thinking about the nightmares from my past. Fortunately, Dylan decided to keep his distance from me just in case I truly turned out to be somehow involved with Killian Blair. Of course, he wouldn't be the only one wondering. From the moment Killian called me his “date,” I had been watched by count
I barely remember how I got through the day. A thick layer of anxiety coated every inch of my body as my mind eagerly provided thriller-movie-worthy scenarios. I was on the freaking tabloid cover. Fine, my face was barely recognizable, and my identity was still unknown to the reporters… but what if someone found out?“Why would anyone care about a nobody like me?” I laughed, trying to mock my restlessness. Unfortunately, my nerves didn't disappear even as the night came, forcing me to toss and turn for long hours before I finally drifted into blissful unawareness.The doorbell sound pierced through my sleep. I groaned and rolled to the other side of the bed, determined to ignore it, but it rang again and again, forcing me awake. Cursing under my breath, I willed my eyes open and dragged myself out of bed.“Someone's at the door!” I called out, hoping that one of the twins would open it.The bell rang again, and the banging on the door followed. Groaning, I stumbled out of my bedroom an
KILLIAN“It's open!” I called out through the corridor before entering my study.I heard the faint squeak as the door opened and closed, and I didn't have to look over my shoulder to know that Tony followed me, a bottle of scotch in hand. It was nearly our ritual to drink in my penthouse whenever things went bad, and tonight I had a perfect reason to drink.I stopped in front of my three-piece suite and gestured at him to sit on the sofa while I grabbed two glasses from the cabinet. When I returned, Tony had the bottle opened and ready to fill the glasses with amber liquor. I slumped onto the chair in front of him and pinched the bridge of my nose.“That bad?” Tony chuckled, handing me my glass.“My father is planning my slow and painful death as we speak,” I muttered before drawing a sip. “I promised him no more scandals.”Tony's lips formed a crooked smile. “Hugging a girl can hardly be called a scandal. I'd say it's your most decent picture I've seen in tabloids.”I gave him a look.