River POV I let out a harsh laugh. “Oh please, Jay. I’m not a fool.”In my room, I grabbed my box and stuffed my remaining clothes into it. He was still there, still talking.“I don’t think you’re a fool, River,” he said. “But she came in and tried to seduce me. Hell, I had no idea she was even in the house.”I ignored him, my heart pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.When I was done, I yanked the zippers closed on both boxes and rolled them out of the room. My feet carried me toward the stairs, but halfway down, I stopped and turned to face him.“You had her pressed to the wall, Jay. Your hands were wrapped around her neck. How’s that for seduction?”The hurt in my chest burned hotter. I didn’t wait for his answer. I just shook my head and kept going down the stairs.By the time I reached the bottom, Steven was in the living room, sitting cross-legged on the couch, eyes glued to the TV.“Steven, wear your shoes. We’re leaving.”His little head turned toward me, confusion wr
River’s POVI slammed the box onto the bed, the sound echoing through the room like the crack of a whip. My hands were already pulling hangers from the wardrobe, tossing clothes into the box with no care if they wrinkled.I was mad. No… I was livid.How could he do this to me? After everything? After all the love, care, and loyalty he swore he had for me?I yanked a dress from the hanger, folded it once, and shoved it in. My movements were sharp, almost violent.I should’ve known it was too good to be true. So much for finally finding the right man.But I didn’t cry. Not because I didn’t want to — the tears just wouldn’t come. Or maybe… maybe I wasn’t hurt the way I thought I would be. Maybe it was worse than that. Maybe all I felt was disappointment — disappointment that he’d let me down like everyone else… that he’d proven I would never find someone who could love me without betraying me in the end.I could already picture it — him walking in here any second with some pathetic excus
Jay’s POVAnd Goddess… she was completely naked underneath.For a split second, I forgot how to breathe.Charlotte stood there like she knew exactly what kind of effect she was having on me. Her skin was flawless, glowing softly in the light that streamed through the half-open blinds. Her breasts were full, high, and round, tipped with peaks that tightened under the cool air. My gaze trailed lower, over the smooth curve of her waist that dipped into a perfect hourglass, down to her hips, wide enough to make a man lose his mind. Her legs… long, silky, and toned, they looked like they’d been sculpted just to tempt.And Goddess help me… she was beautiful.Her eyes flicked down to the front of my jeans, catching exactly what she wanted to see. The corner of her mouth curled into a wicked, knowing smile.Yes, it was hard. Hard as stone.I knew it was wrong in every possible way, but right then, the part of me that knew better wasn’t in charge. My kind ran on instinct, and right now, insti
Jay’s POVI sat in the study, elbows resting on the desk, eyes skimming over the same set of papers for the third time in an hour. The land dispute between Darren and his cousin Lucas was turning into a bigger headache than I’d anticipated.On paper, the land clearly belonged to Lucas, passed down from his late father. But Darren claimed there’d been a verbal agreement years ago that he could build on part of it. No one had written anything down. No one had signed anything. And now, of course, there were “witnesses” on both sides, each swearing their version of the truth.My beta had gathered statements, maps, even an old survey report… but somehow, the evidence just made the whole thing even murkier. Either someone was lying, or someone had forgotten the truth. Or both.I rubbed the bridge of my nose and decided I needed a break before my brain completely fried. Standing, I walked over to the water dispenser in the corner, grabbed a cup, and let the cool stream fill it.That’s when
River POV“Now don’t go thinking this is going to be a regular thing,” I said as I steered the car toward home, the warm smell of fresh pizza filling the air. “I only got you pizza because I’m too tired to make anything for lunch… and you know Stella’s still on leave.”“Yes, yes! Thank you, mummy,” Steven said, flashing me a wide grin that made his dimples pop. “Oh man, I’m so happy it’s the weekend. I get to train with Uncle Jay tomorrow.”“Oh yeah?” I glanced at him with a smirk. “Then you better make sure you finish all your homework today.”“Aye aye, captain.” He gave me an exaggerated salute, showing off his toothy grin.We rolled to a stop in front of the house, and I immediately noticed Jay’s car parked outside. My brows pulled together. He was home early. I wondered what had happened… but at least it meant I might get to curl up in his arms while I slept. The thought alone made me feel a little lighter.Steven was out of the car before I could say a word, bolting for the front
River – POVThe smell of fresh toast and coffee filled the dining room as Hailey and I sat across from each other, breakfast plates between us. The clink of cutlery and the occasional sip of coffee were the only sounds for a moment—until she decided to drop a bomb.“So… just a heads-up,” she started, cutting into her pancake, “Charlotte will be staying here for two weeks. Plumbing issues at her place.”I froze, fork halfway to my mouth. “I mean, don’t get me wrong,” I said slowly, “but you do know Charlotte and I don’t get along, right? She’s a rude, bitter bitch who loves to belittle people, and honestly? I really don’t buy the idea of her staying here.”Hailey gave me that look—the one that said I was being “dramatic.” “Charlotte is a family friend, River. It won’t be nice if we refused to help her with something as little as this. Besides, it’s just two weeks and then she’s gone.”I rolled my eyes, stabbing at my scrambled eggs. “Yeah, right. Two weeks of hell. I think this is the