Se connecterWhat was happening right now?Anna stared at the man in front of her as though he'd grown two heads. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact he was standing in front of her right now, refrigerator open, asking what she wanted to eat. Not just that—planning to cook for her.It felt like ages since he'd done that. It felt like decades had passed since he'd stocked her kitchen and made dinner for her. Before everything went to hell. Before he'd said those words.You're dead to me.Let's end this cursed fate between us.Jason raised an eyebrow when she just continued to stare at him.Was he serious?"Are you planning to just stare at me?"Anna's lips parted, her eyes dropping from his. She looked up when Jason sighed."What do you want to eat?" He asked again."Um... anything is fine.""What's anything?""I don't know.""Then think."Anna gave him an exasperated look, crossing her arms again. Jason straightened and faced her fully, one shoulder resting against the refrigerator."Let's
He hated this house.It was driving him insane. Or maybe it had nothing at all to do with the house but a certain pregnant woman who wouldn't stop ruining his sanity.His resolve.He was going insane because they were living together. Because their history was complicated. Because he promised there would be boundaries.Because he shouldn't want her.Yet, he wouldn't stop noticing things about her. The way she talked to the staff. Laughed with Elena. The way she walked downstairs for her morning run, half-awake most times. The way she touched her stomach while running without realizing she was doing it.The east side of the estate was usually quiet at the wee hour of the morning. Jason knew because he'd been using the running path beyond the backyard since he moved in. And on his way back, he'd noticed the faint glow from one of the upstairs windows.Her window.One morning it was on. The next morning, it wasn't. One morning he saw her silhouette. Another morning, there was nothing. He
The first thing Anna noticed on Monday morning was that she was hungry.It was such a simple thing, but after several days of waking up nauseous, she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or suspicious. She sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, waiting to see if the familiar wave of nausea would follow.She exhaled softly when it didn't. "Thank goodness."She got dressed and headed downstairs. The house was quieter than it had been over the weekend. The buzz of Jason moving in had already settled into a new routine. Most of the staff were already moving around, preparing breakfast and getting the household ready for the day. Elena was nowhere in sight, which meant she was probably still asleep—or already downstairs somewhere, fussing over the staff.Anna smiled to herself. She entered the dining room and stopped when she saw a familiar figure sitting at the table. Julian looked up from his tablet."Morning.""Morning."His eyes immediately went to her stomach before returning to her f
Jason 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 stiffened as his gaze locked onto Anna standing in the middle of his office. Her scent already hung in the air—the sterile bite of antiseptic softened by jasmine and a faint trace of lavender he knew too well. Dark glossy tendrils framed her delicate face, and the hand that rose to tuck them
The conference room smelled faintly of disinfectant and burnt coffee. Sterile floors, tired faces, institutional air. The blinds were half drawn, muting the afternoon light. Anna took the chair she’d been assigned, back straight, hands folded in her lap. It was her first time being a doctor under
The car's engine was long cold, time stretching since Jason had parked in front of Anna's apartment building. His leg bounced beneath the steering wheel, sharp and unforgiving, as if punishing him for still being there. He told himself to stop but it didn't. If anything, his heel thudded faster on
Jason leaned against the wall near the seating area, phone pressed to his ear. From there, he could see part of the nurses station, enough to catch movement and hear faint chatter, but most of it was obscured by counters and passing staff.“…The competitor is trying to fast-track their prototype. I







