LOGINSerena’s POVI knocked once on the door of Killian's office before pushing it open.He was standing behind his massive desk, his suit jacket discarded over the back of his chair, the sleeves of his crisp white shirt rolled up to his forearms. The surface of the desk was covered with different layers of paper and he was leaning forward, one hand resting against the papers as his eyes moved over every detail.Hearing the door, he didn’t look up immediately.“Come in,” he muttered, his voice rough from exhaustion.Then his eyes lifted, and his expression changed when he saw me. “Elena. Welcome. Could you please come here for a second? I need your insight on what you think about the changes they’re suggesting for the side of this property.”I paused at the edge of the room, my purse clutched against my side. Looking at him now, with the informant's message still burning a hole in my pocket, the air felt thick. The message hadn’t mentioned if he knew about the crane accident being intent
Serena’s POVThe message arrived the moment I pulled the car into park in the underground garage of Rhodes Incorporated. I turned off the ignition, and for a few seconds, the only sound was the murmur of people some distance away in the garage.Then my phone screen lit up on the console.Unknown Number: The waterfront accident was not an accident. I heard a conversation. Someone wanted it to happen. That is all I know.My fingers froze around the steering wheel.For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.My mind did not go to the company, the investigation, or what this could mean for Rhodes. It went straight back to that day.The sound of metal tearing through the air.The panic that had ripped through my body as the beam came loose above us.The dust. The chaos. The terrifying certainty that everything was about to end.Until Killian’s arms had wrapped around me.Until he pulled me against him and shielded me almost immediately.I remembered standing there afterward, still shaking ben
Killian’s POV“Killian, did you completely forget we were supposed to meet the wedding coordinator today?”A sudden involuntary wave of irritation burned through my chest at Vivian’s question.“Choose whichever one you like, Vivian. I’m fine with whatever you decide.”The moment the words left my mouth, I knew they were the wrong ones.“You say that every single time,” she snapped.Her voice rose slightly, frustration bleeding through before the tears followed. “Would it honestly hurt you to just show up for one of these things? To act like you actually care about our wedding? About building a life together?”A pause.Then, softer:“Did I do something wrong, Killian?”Her voice cracked.“Are you punishing me for something?”Guilt settled heavily behind my eyes.The worst part was that Vivian hadn’t forced me into this engagement. I hadn’t walked toward it with excitement or certainty either, but I had agreed. I had made my choice. We were both trapped inside the consequences of decis
Killian’s POVI was happy for Dominic. I really was.That was the lie I tried to convince myself of the exact moment the front door clicked shut behind me and I stepped into the cool evening air.But the second I reached the street, the reminder that I was never truly alone came into view.Marcus’s car was parked some feet away from mine. He sat in the driver’s seat, a silent shadow I’d assigned to watch over me which should have been reassuring. Instead, it made everything worse.When you are being watched every second of your life, you learn how to trap your reactions down in your throat where no one can see them.When you spend every second of your life being observed, you learn how to bury your reactions deep enough that no one can see them. You learn how to lock everything away before anyone can ask the questions you don’t have answers for.I got into the driver’s seat, closed the door, and started the engine. I pulled away from the curb, but I didn’t go far. I turned the corner
Serena’s POVKillian was staring down at Annika like he had forgotten anyone else was in the room.There was a softness in his expression I had never seen before. A small smile touched his lips, hesitant and almost unfamiliar, like he wasn’t used to letting himself look that happy.It didn’t suit him.And somehow, that made it impossible to look away.“What should I call you?” Annika asked, her little voice carrying up the staircase. She tilted her head, carefully sounding out his name. “Mr. Kill… Kill-ee-an?”She frowned.“It sounds like a warrior name.”A laugh escaped him.Not the restrained kind I was used to hearing in meetings.A real one.Low. Warm. Unexpected.The sound unsettled something in my chest.“It’s a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?” Killian murmured, his posture relaxing as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees to bring himself closer to her height. “You can just call me Ian. It’s easier.”“Uncle Ian,” Annika corrected instantly, a bright smile blooming on
Serena’s POV“Would you like to come in?” I asked, too quickly. “I’m sure Dominic would hate it if I let you leave without at least offering you a cup of coffee.”Killian’s eyes shifted past me toward the front door, and something unreadable crossed his expression before he answered.“Coffee sounds perfect.“I nodded, suddenly aware of how awkward I sounded. I slipped his jacket off my shoulders and handed it back to him with a small smile before pushing the door open.As I climbed the stone steps, Killian fell into stride beside me, his longer steps easily adjusting to my pace.When we reached the front door, I reached into my bag for my keys, but before I could pull them out, Killian extended his hand and turned the handle.The door opened.Unlocked.He stepped back slightly, gesturing toward the entrance.“Ladies first,” he said quietly.I paused, my hand hovering over my bag as I looked up at him, a small frown wrinkling my brow at how he even suspected that the do
Serena’s POVThe first thing I felt was motion.Not gentle motion, not waking up movement, but the violent kind that dragged the body forward whether it wanted to go or not. I was running.Or at least, something in me believed I was. My feet struck wet asphalt that didn’t quite exist under me, each
Serena’s POV"The logistical lag in the western sector is averaging forty-two minutes per shift," the supervisor said, his voice bouncing off my ears instead of entering them. He tapped a stubby finger against his clipboard. "If Reyes Consulting doesn't account for the manual override times, the au
Killian’s POV“It’s a real shame she won't be around to see this phase through,” Elena continued, completely unaware of the landmine she had just stepped on. “To reap the long-term benefits of her brilliant ideas. The layout she designed is practically flawless.”She was talking about Serena. Ever
Killian’s POVThe only logical explanation was that I was losing my mind.I kept my hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel of Elena’s sedan, my eyes fixed on the bumper-to-bumper traffic paralyzing the bridge ahead. My large frame felt utterly absurd in the compact driver’s seat. My knees







