LOGIN(Three weeks later)VioletThe glow of my screen painted everything in the same pale shade, turning sketches into shadows, turning numbers into something colder, something easier to focus on than the mess inside my head.I leaned back in my chair for a brief second, rolling my shoulders before bending over the tablet again, stylus moving in sharp, controlled strokes. The design in front of me was already my fourth iteration, and I could feel the frustration building in the tight set of my jaw.Dane had graciously let me off for a month just after joining and I wanted to pay it back by doing my best for the upcoming Lunar Gala collection.He had been very clear about wanting people to forget Deveraux Enterprises even existed for one night. He had said it casually, almost with a smile, but I had seen the tension underneath, the rivalry that ran deeper than business.Deveraux.Even the name felt like a splinter under my skin.My grip tightened on the stylus and the line I was drawing we
ElijahI was already pushing past Tyler, heading for one of the fastest cars, a sleek black Audi that could go from zero to a hundred in under four seconds. It was fast enough to outrun thoughts, to make everything blur."Fuck it," I heard Tyler mutter to Gavin. "Backseat. Now."Footsteps followed me as I climbed into the driver's seat. The door slammed and the engine roared to life. Tyler and Gavin scrambled into the back just as I threw the car into gear and punched the accelerator.Gravel sprayed as I tore out of the garage, the car fishtailing before I corrected. The manor disappeared in my rearview mirror in seconds.I drove, letting everything else turn to a blur because standing still meant thinking and thinking meant seeing Violet's face break over and over.The speedometer kept climbing and it was already crossing eighty on the small, uneven roads."Elijah, slow down," Tyler said from the backseat, his voice tight with concern.I didn't slow down. Took a turn too fast, felt
ElijahThe bottle was already half empty when Tyler found me.I'd made it to the garage, to the old storage room at the back where the man who fathered me kept his vintage collection. Rows of expensive whiskey and scotch lined the shelves, bottles worth thousands gathering dust because Alpha Alaric preferred to hoard rather than drink.He wouldn't miss one bottle.Or five.I took another swig, the liquid burning down my throat. The burn was good. It helped drown out the memory of Violet's face as it shattered, helped muffle the echo of her footsteps as she ran.I raised the bottle to my lips again which was nearly empty now. It was pathetic how quickly I could drain it."Elijah."Tyler's voice came from the doorway. It was cautious and concerned like he was approaching a wounded animal that might lash out.I didn't acknowledge him and simply finished the bottle and reached for another, my fingers fumbling with the seal."Maybe you should slow down," Tyler suggested, stepping into the
NicoleI started after him, my wedding dress hampering my movement, but Madison and Veronica appeared on either side of me, grabbing my arms."Nicole, stop," Madison said urgently. "Everyone's watching. What's left of the guests are all staring. You need to…""I don't care!" I shrieked, trying to pull away from them. "Let me go! I need to talk to him! I need to explain!"Madison and Veronica exchanged glances, something that looked like concern or maybe pity passing between them."Nicole," Madison said carefully, like she was talking to someone unstable. "Elijah doesn't want you. You still have Nate.""Nate?" I laughed, the sound harsh and borderline hysterical. "You think I care about Nate? You think any of this was ever about Nate?"I looked around the ballroom. The decorations I'd spent months planning looked garish now. Everything I'd worked for, everything I'd planned, reduced to ruins."Nicole—" Veronica started, but I was already walking away, heading toward the exit.I made i
NicolePerfect.The word sang through my mind as I watched Violet's face crumble, as I saw the exact moment my carefully crafted revelation shattered whatever pathetic fantasy she'd built in her head.I could see it in the way her eyes widened with horror, in the way her mouth opened in a silent gasp, in the way every drop of color drained from her face until she looked like a ghost standing there in her pretty lavender dress.She looked exactly how I'd felt when Elijah had told me it was over. When he'd said he didn't want me anymore, that we weren't right for each other, that he needed to leave.Now she knew. Now she understood what it felt like to have your heart ripped out while everyone watched.And Goddess, it felt good.I watched her turn and run, her heels clicking frantically on the marble floor as she fled from the ballroom teary eyed.The irritating little bitch who I had grossly underestimated and had her hooks into Elijah was erased from the picture.Now it could be just
VioletMeanwhile, the video continued to play. In it, I was busy talking to the restaurant manager and then sitting nervously on the table while Nate walked in, typing something on his phone.Elijah looked at me again. “Violet, please…”But I shot my hand up to signal him to stop talking.“She also has a boyfriend it seems. Nah, hard pass.” The Elijah who was on the screen said, shaking his head but Nicole challenged him.“Are you going back on your words, Elijah Deveraux?”That made him narrow his eyes at her. “Don’t you dare say that”But that only made her bolder.“Prove that you don’t want me, that you can make even a committed girl fall for you,” Nicole egged him on, folding her hands on her chest.Elijah sighed, looking from her to me and shrugged again. “Fine. But don’t interfere in any way. And until she falls for me, you and I don't know each other. It will hardly take a few minutes” He said but Nicole was already smiling wickedly.Minutes? He was sure that I would fall for
VioletHe carried me to the bed and set me gently on the bed. I immediately curled into myself, trying to contain the need, but it was useless. Every breath brought his scent of pine and rain and something darkly masculine that made my mouth water.He reached for a towel as another moan cut me off
VioletI met his gaze and looked into those dark, intense eyes that saw through every defense I'd ever built.“Don’t leave,” I pleaded.He was already shrugging out of his shirt, his movements swift and economical. The sight of his broad chest, corded with muscle, sent a fresh wave of heat through
VioletI wasn't paying much attention to what Gavin and Tyler were saying or when Cassie had joined in the conversation.They were busy trying to come up with ideas to put Nate and Nicole in their place. Meanwhile, my phone rang and I saw mom’s name flash on my screen.I walked out of the room to t
VioletCassie spent almost the entire day convincing me to keep thinking of scenarios where I would appear the damsel in distress, especially in front of Elijah so that he would automatically come to my rescue.Her plan was that it had to look authentic and not an act because her stoic brother was







