Mag-log inEvelyn POVVincent appeared in the doorway with an easy smile that almost — almost — hid the tension behind his eyes."Sorry about that," he said, crossing to me. "Building management. Something about a water pipe on the floor below. Absolutely riveting stuff."A water pipe. At this hour. With a man carrying a tablet and talking about Porto Vecchio."Must have been serious if it took that long," I said lightly."You know how building managers are. Give them an audience, and they'll talk for an hour." He stopped in front of the chair, looking down at me with that warm, slightly lopsided smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Now — where were we?"He extended his hand to me.I looked up at him — this man who'd just learned someone was stealing millions from his company and had walked back in here wearing a smile so I wouldn't worry. My chest ached with something I couldn't quite name. It w
Evelyn POVVincent set me on my feet with a look that promised murder toward whoever was on the other side of that door, then crossed the room, buttoning his shirt as he went.I sank into the warm chair he'd just left, my pulse still hammering, my lips still tingling. The air felt cold without him. I pressed my fingers to my mouth, trying to gather whatever scraps of composure I had left, and listened.The front door opened, and I heard a male voice. It sounded urgent, but apologetic cut through the quiet of the apartment."Mr Hayes, I'm so sorry to bother you this late. I tried calling, but your phone was off, and this couldn't wait until morning.""Cyril." Vincent's voice had already shifted, the warmth stripped out, replaced by the clipped tone of a businessman. "What happened?""It's the Seravino shipment, sir. The one scheduled for Tuesday."A pause. Then Vincent: "What about it?""It's gone."Silence.I sat up straighter in the chair, my curiosity sharpening. I knew pieces of Vi
Adrian POVThe hot water pounded against my back as I pulled Isabella closer. Her skin was slick under my palms, warm and pliant, and she melted into me with a soft hum of satisfaction that vibrated against my collarbone.I pressed my mouth to the curve of her neck, tasting water and the faint sweetness of her body wash. My hands moved with practised ease — one sliding up the dip of her waist, the other resting flat against her stomach, holding her back against my chest. She responded immediately, one arm reaching back to thread her fingers into my wet hair, arching into me."I knew you'd come around," she breathed, tilting her head to give me better access.I didn't answer. My mouth traced along her shoulder while the water cascaded over both of us. I turned her slowly to face me, and her dark eyes found mine through the steam — half-lidded, hungry. She looped both arms around my neck and pulled me down into a kiss.It was deeper this time. Urgent. Her mouth opened under mine, and I
Adrian POVThe penthouse was dark when I walked in, save for the warm glow spilling from the living room. The faint scent of jasmine and vanilla hit me before I'd even set down my keys. It was Isabella's signature candles, the ones she lit whenever she wanted to set a mood.She was curled on the leather sectional in one of my dress shirts, the hem skimming her thighs, her dark hair falling loose around her shoulders. A glass of red wine sat on the coffee table beside her, barely touched. She looked up when I entered, her doe eyes softening into a smile that most men would cross oceans for."You're late," she said, unfolding herself from the couch with a catlike grace that used to stop me in my tracks. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me.""Long day," I said, loosening my tie as I crossed to the bar cart. I poured two fingers of whiskey without looking at her.I heard the soft padding of her bare feet on the marble before I felt her. She came up behind me, her arms slidin
Evelyn POVI came awake slowly to warm sheets, the faint scent of cedarwood, clean linen and a pillow that was softer than anything I owned. For a few blissful seconds, I just lay there with my eyes closed, letting the comfort soak into my bones.Then I opened my eyes and remembered — this wasn't my bed.The room was bathed in the amber glow of a single lamp on the nightstand. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined one wall, stuffed with paperbacks and vinyl records crammed sideways into every gap. A half-empty mug of tea sat on the coffee table beside an open laptop, its screen long gone dark. Vincent's apartment — tasteful but lived-in, warm in a way that expensive places rarely were.And there, in the easy chair beside the bed, was Vincent Hayes.He was asleep.His head was tilted to one side, his honey-brown hair falling across his forehead in soft, messy waves. One arm hung over the armrest, his long fingers loosely curled. His tie was gone, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeve
Adrian POVI sat in my office staring at the verdict on my screen, unable to feel anything but a hollow sense of wrongness.Isabella walks free due to insufficient evidence.I should have been relieved. The verdict protected her—protected us both, really. It means there would be no public scandal or drawn-out trial. No messy details were exposed in the media about what Isabella had supposedly done.But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong.My phone buzzed. It was a message from Isabella: "We won! I told you everything would work out."I didn't respond because as I stared at those words, all I could think about was Evelyn—sitting in that courtroom, watching the judge rule against her, understanding that the people who'd orchestrated her kidnapping and sale to human traffickers were going to face no real consequences.Someone had tried to kill her.The fact of it kept hitting me like a blow, even though I'd known it for weeks now. Intellectually, I understood wha
Evelyn POVThe conference room was filled with energy and anticipation.Vincent sat across from me at the long mahogany table, flanked by his legal team. I was surrounded by my own lawyers, all of us with documents spread out before us.This was it. The moment that would either save or destroy Benn
Gabriel POV"We got this from the CCTV footage at the Imperial Auction Hall," Rowan said, handing me a tablet with a video playing on it. "Just like you predicted. We were taken to the auction venue. And Miss Bennett was tailed too."I watched the footage in silence. Two sets of men, different grou
Evelyn POVI stared at it for a moment, debating whether or not to answer. I hadn’t spoken to him for the longest time.These days, we hardly cross each other at home either. I came in late and left early before anyone was out of bed. Victoria these days seemed quiet. Often, I’ll say I’ll pop into
Adrian POVI sat at my desk, going through documents for our investment in Bangria. The numbers were impressive. The potential was huge. But everything depended on one thing—whether Gabriel Ross and I could come to an agreement.This morning, I received a call from Rowan, Gabriel's subordinate. He'







