MasukJason woke with a dull ache behind his eyes. He reached blindly toward the nightstand. His fingers met polished wood... and nothing else.Groaning softly, his hand swept across the surface again—there was still nothing. No crystal carafe. No glass.What the hell—He opened his eyes, sitting up as he did. For several seconds, he simply stared at his unfamiliar surroundings. A few boxes still lay around. The curtains were too light and let in too much daylight.Daylight?He looked toward the nightstand again, expecting to find his phone where it always was...He looked around the room, his eyes stopping on the window sill. His phone sat there—exactly where he'd left it last night. He got out of bed and picked it up.7:12 a.m.Jason's eyes narrowed on the screen. Then he noticed the missed calls from Ethan and his jaw tightened.He had woken ridiculously late. He had missed his morning run. Missed the quiet hours in which he normally checked reports and missed his morning briefing with E
Anna walked past the heavy-duty double gates at the entrance to the driveway without stopping. By now, she was familiar enough to the castles security personnel that they no longer needed to screen her or call the house before letting her through.The brown moving box she carried was heavier than it looked—packed with three of her medical textbooks, a stack of annotated research papers, a couple of folders containing work documents she wanted nearby, three notebooks, extra scrubs, framed photographs, and a small box of things she couldn't quite bring herself to leave behind.They were the last things she felt she needed for her stay at Elena's home. She'd stayed back after bringing the cohabitation up at dinner the other day, and Julian—after his initial hesistation—had agreed. Over the past three days, Elena, Leah and Gideon—bless their souls—had helped her move some of her things from her apartment.After work today, she'd gone to her apartment to make sure she hadn't forgotten anyt
"Jason proposed a cohabitation because of the pregnancy, which I agreed to. But I told him it would need to happen here.""Girl, you told him? When?"Elena's voice was softer, tinged with confusion. "Here?""Yes." Anna's hands tightened around Elena's. "In your home, Lena. Is-is that okay?"Anna held her breath as Elena blinked up at her. Leah sat just as still beside her, watching them. Elena's gaze shifted to the kitchen once again."Uh, that's okay... I guess. Once I've spoken to Juls about it."Anna released the breath she'd been holding, a tiny smile lifting her lips. "You're sure?"Elena nodded absentmindedly. "There's so much room. I don't think Julian would mind either. But... Why can't you stay at Jason's though?" She asked, frowning. "He has a secluded villa and a couple of penthouse suites around the city."That was exactly the problem—secluded. It would be just her and him. And maybe a handful of staff members. It didn't help that the memory of the last time she'd been the
Jason Knight Backs New Energy-Tech Start-Up, Hayes Predictive Grid.Anna slowly walked up the cobblestone pathway, too lost in thought to appreciate its serenity. Apparently, he had acquired some Swiss technology company on his trip to Zürich, and now.... Hayes tiny start-up, as the media had called it? She vividly remembered the look on Jason's face when he'd glanced around the hall of their class reunion and declared:No one here is innocent.And now, the same Jason was putting money, credibility, and his name behind Travis?He was magnanimous enough to put aside his grudges for business but not enough to protect what they'd shared?Anna finally snapped out of her head when her foot caught on the first step of the stone stairs. She stumbled, righting herself before she could hit the steps.You should be more careful, Vegas. You're pregnant.Anna scowled at the stairs like they had personally offended her. "You're pregnant. My child. My baby. That arrogant, infuriating man."She walk
Jason eased the Porsche to a stop beneath the covered executive entrance, slamming on the brakes harder than necessary. He hadn't even fully stopped before the scene outside registered.There were journalists behind the security barriers. Financial correspondents. Local TV crews. Microphones. Reporters calling his name and photographers firing off shots.The sight of them deepened the scowl on his face. Before he'd even killed the engine, one of the valet attendants was already approaching, two security officers behind him. They created a buffer between the car and the press.“Morning, Mr. Knight."Jason tossed the keys to the valet, not bothering with his usual response. “Garage.”“Yes, sir.” The attendant slipped behind the wheel as Jason stepped out.A security officer immediately positioned himself between Jason and the press while the other held the line. Ethan walked out from the lobby then, a frown etched onto his face."There's a tiny problem, boss," Ethan said the moment he g
Why was everyone staring at her?It all felt like a chilling repeat of the past few weeks. Reporting to work and feeling like a specimen on a slide, held in place by stage clips and prodded from all angles. Except there was something different this time.The lights weren't as harsh."The lady of the hour," Abigail beamed the second she got to the station. Anna's brows pulled tighter."What's going on, Abby?"Abigail leaned in, her voice lowering. "Does Knight Innovations have an internship program? Because sign me up.""What?""Anna! You're here."Anna turned toward the voice to find Sierra, charts in hand."What's going on, Sierra?"Sierra leaned in and whispered. "Your brother-in-law is here."Anna froze. But, Sierra wasn't done."I think he's in the director's office. Apparently, people have been suspicious of your relationship since he insisted on being treated by you.”"Our relationship?" Anna managed to choke out.Sierra nodded. "The rumor going around is that he's here to deman
Anna had taken a few hours away from the crushing weight of her responsibilities—back-to-back trauma consults, ICU follow-ups, and paperwork she’d been postponing for days—and spent more than half of it just staring at Jason's name, fingers hovering. Knightmare. His number was still saved as that,
Helen was already outside when Anna found her, bundled in a hospital blanket, breathing in the night air like it was something she needed.Olivia sat behind her on a bench, one hand on Helen's wheelchair, the other holding her phone. They talked and laughed, eyes on the screen—happy in their own wo
Anna knew—if she said it out loud, all of it, there would be no going back. It was easier to pretend when you were only lying to yourself; once you brought someone else into the lie, it shatters around you. But Leah wasn't someone else—if there was anyone she could bring into this, it was her. Bes
Anna hummed low in her throat as she switched on the light, shuffling to her wardrobe. She pulled the door open, reaching for the neatly folded stack of nightwear on the wardrobe shelf. She paused as her eyes caught a vase on the bottom shelf. She sank to her knees, dragging in a breath at the si







