๋ก๊ทธ์ธRiley POV I canโt stay away anymore. No, not after the gala. The way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room full of hundreds and after waking up alone again, aching and frustrated and so full of want I could scream. I decided to stop mopping around and do something. Itโs past midnight and the house is silent and dark. I slip out of bed, my heart pounding like Iโm committing a crime. I am, in a way. I pad my bare feet on the cold floor down the hall to his door when i reached Itโs cracked openโjust enough. I push it wider and step inside. His bathroom light is on and the shower running as steam seeps under the door. I close his bedroom door behind me, lean against it, and wait. The water shuts off then a minute later, he steps out with towel slung low on his hips, water still dripping down his chest, his hair wet and messy. He freezes when he sees me. His eyes rake over my tank top, tiny shorts, no bra and bare legs. โRiley,โ he hisses. โWhat are y
Chapter 26Riley POVDinner is supposed to be a family thing.Thatโs what Mom keeps saying, anywayโhands folded neatly in her lap, smiling like weโre in some perfect little postcard.David sits at the head of the table, cutting his steak with precise, unhurried movements. Mom chatters about her day at the salon. I push food around my plate, trying not to look at Noah.Heโs directly across from me.And he hasnโt taken his eyes off me once.Not since I walked in wearing the simple black dress Mom insisted on โWeโre having a nice meal, Riley, try to look the part.โ The fabric clings in ways I didnโt think about until I felt his stare burning through it.Every time I reach for my water glass, his gaze drops to my throat. When I cross my legs, his jaw tightens just enough for me to notice.Mom finally breaks the silence thatโs been humming under her stories.โDavid has some exciting news,โ she says, beaming at him.David sets his knife down, wipes his mouth with the napkin, and looks aroun
Chapter 25Noah POVThe streetlights blurred past me as I pulled the Jeep up a block away from the restaurant. My hands were clenched tight on the wheel, gun resting heavy against my thigh. Every instinct in me screamed to charge in, but I knew better. I had to stay controlled. For Riley.I stepped out of the Jeep, scanning the entrance. There he was. Matteo Valenti. Dark, lean, a predator in human form. His eyes locked onto mine almost immediately, a smirk spreading across his face.โNoah,โ he said smoothly, voice like silk over steel. โCousin.โMy jaw tightened. โMatteo.โ I let my voice stay calm, but every fiber of my being burned. โIโm glad to see you. But David wants Riley at dinner at home tonight. So Iโll see you next time.โHe tilted his head, amused, but didnโt argue. โYou always have to be so serious, cousin.โI didnโt respond. I just watched as he reached for Riley. She was tense, still confused, trying to keep her calm, but the second she saw me, her shoulders slumped. Rel
Riley POVAfter the library session wrapped up, Lila and Ethan were the first to pack up, saying they had a group project to finish. I lingered a little longer, gathering my notes, my mind already racing ahead to getting homeโto Noah, to whatever charged silence or heated glance waited for me there. I slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped out into the late afternoon light, pulling out my phone to text him that I was on my way.Thatโs when the man appeared.He was leaning against a sleek black sedan parked at the curb, tall and broad-shouldered in a dark suit that looked too expensive for campus. His hair was neatly styled, his posture relaxed, but something about the way he watched the entrance made my steps slow.When he saw me, he straightened and offered a polite smile.โRiley?โI stopped a few feet away, my hand tightening on my bag strap.โYes?โHe stepped closer, hands visible in non-threatening move.โIโm Matteo. Davidโs brother. He asked me to come pick you up saying the
Noah POVThe house felt too damn quiet when I walked in, like it knew I was carrying a storm I hadnโt shaken off yet. David was nowhere in sightโprobably locked in his study, plotting whatever came next in that cold head of his. I dropped my bag by the door, still tasting the rage from the library feed, still seeing Ethanโs hand on her knee like it was burned into my eyelids. I was halfway up the stairs, towel still damp around my waist from the shower I barely finished, when my phone rang. I snatched it up without checking the screen, already braced for whatever fresh hell this day had left for me.โBoss, itโs the campus guy,โ the voice said. โSomethingโs happening. Iโฆ I think Rileyโs in trouble.โโWhat do you mean?โ My towel was still around my waist, hair wet, and already my heart started racing furiously against my ribs. "What the fuck do you mean that Riley is in danger?!" โThereโs a guy in blackโฆ I saw him. Heโฆ he took Riley. He got her into his car. Iโฆ I donโt know what he
Noah POVIโm in the warehouse office when i see the feed comes through. The place smells like gun powder and old concrete, a scent that has been soaked into my skin over the years, reminding me of how many nights I spent counting cash or cleaning up messes that canโt be undone. Jax and Marco are out in the main hall, their voices murmuring as they sort through crates from last nightโs drop with occasional laughter breaking the monotony. Iโm supposed to be checking the numbers, making sure nothingโs short and keeping everything running smooth for David.But Iโm not.One of my guys on campus security still owes me from that debt I cleared for him two years ago. Nothing major though just access to a couple of library cameras. I told him it was for Rileyโs safety, that with David watching my every move these days, I needed my eyes on her every time when I couldnโt be there myself.That was a lie. It was just an excuse.I needed to see her.The screen flickers and then loads, revealing







