GOING SOUTH

BIANCA

The office was too bright. Or maybe my mood was too dark.

I had exactly three hours of sleep, thanks to Roberto and his never-ending bullshit. My body still thrummed with leftover adrenaline, frustration, and something I refused to name. It was like an itch I couldn’t scratch, sitting under my skin, refusing to fade no matter how much I willed it to.

I took a long sip of coffee, sunglasses still on, and prayed I could get through the day without snapping someone’s neck.

Then Jason fucking Clarke walked in.

“Bianca!” He grinned like an idiot, looking way too cheerful for someone who got knocked out last night.

I stared at him, deadpan. No way.

“I gotta tell you,” he continued, oblivious. “Last night must’ve been something, huh? I completely blacked out.” He laughed like this was the funniest thing ever. “Guess I had more drinks than I thought. You sure know how to show a guy a good time.”

I blinked. Slowly.

Was this some kind of joke?

Jason leaned on the desk I was signing on, smirking like we had shared some wild, passionate night together. “I don’t even remember getting home! That’s how you know it was a good time.”

I set my coffee down before I threw it in his face.

A few of our colleagues had perked up, listening in. Fantastic. Just what I needed—office gossip.

“You must have really done a number on him,” one of the interns snickered.

Jason nodded, completely missing the point. “That’s what I’m saying! I must’ve had the time of my life. Just wish I could remember it.”

I squeezed my temples. This was a nightmare.

I should’ve left him to wake up in a hospital. Maybe then, he wouldn’t be standing here acting like we had some steamy night together when in reality—

Roberto knocked him the fuck out.

Jason chuckled. “So… be honest. Was I at least a good time?”

I exhaled slowly. If I killed him, I was pretty sure my brother would represent me in court, but still—too much hassle.

I stood up, stepping close enough that his smile wavered slightly. “Jason,” I said, voice smooth. “You blacked out because Roberto knocked you unconscious.”

Silence.

Jason blinked. “What?”

I stared at him, unblinking, unamused. “You weren’t drunk. You didn’t pass out from too many drinks. Rob punched you so hard, you blacked out.”

More silence.

The intern choked on their coffee. Someone stifled a laugh.

Jason’s face fell.

I grabbed my coffee and walked away, leaving him standing there, processing his entire life.

I had bigger problems to deal with. Like figuring out why the hell I let Rob get to me last night—and why, despite all the rage bubbling under my skin…

…I still felt his grip on me.

Jason was still standing there, processing his entire existence, but I didn’t have time for his mid-life crisis. I had work to do. I stalked toward my office, heels clicking against the polished floors, mind still buzzing with the night before.

I needed a distraction. A real one.

My heels clicked against the polished floors, the rhythm sharp, precise—controlled.

Like everything else about me.

*******************

Bianca

The day went by so fast that I barely noticed. Work had been a welcome distraction—filing motions, reviewing case briefs, and making a call that left one particularly obnoxious defense attorney sweating. I only took breaks to drink water, touch up my lip combo after eating snacks, and pretend that the past twenty-four hours hadn’t happened.

This is how easy my life is without that menace called Rob in it.

The date. The bonfire. The fact that he knocked two men out in one night like it was his fucking hobby. None of that mattered anymore.

The only problem I had was the suffocating presence of my security detail, and I’d already come up with a plan to deal with them.

I had been under surveillance long enough. Today, I was getting a moment of privacy—even if I had to trick my own damn guards to get it.

Sharon walked in just as I was closing my laptop. Perfect timing.

“Ready to leave, ma’am?” she asked, casually placing her keys on my desk.

I glanced out the window. My security team was already stationed at the front, waiting for me like trained Dobermans.

I smirked. “Let’s do it.”

Sharon and I moved fast. We had rehearsed this already.

She took my coat and handbag. Not just any handbag—mine. The same one I always carried when leaving work. She even held her phone like I did, slightly tilted, pretending to check emails while walking.

She walked to my car like she owned it. My car, the one my security team was watching. She slid into the driver’s seat, adjusted the mirrors just like I would, and started the engine.

I walked out behind her, head down, taking the back exit.

I had already swapped into her oversized coat and pulled my hair into a lazy bun to look less like myself. With my head dipped and my stride matching that of an exhausted assistant, no one paid me any attention.

The real test was whether my security would take the bait.

Through the glass doors, I watched them follow my car the second Sharon pulled out of the lot. Not even a second of hesitation.

Idiots.

I smirked, slid into Sharon’s car, and pulled out of the parking lot in the opposite direction.

The drive home was peaceful. I rolled the windows down, letting the evening air calm my nerves. Finally. A moment alone.

I pulled into my driveway, parked, and stepped out.

The silence hit me first.

Something felt off.

My house was too quiet.

I took a few slow steps toward my front door, scanning the area. Nothing seemed out of place, but my instincts itched.

Then I noticed it.

The door was unlocked. If this was Rob’s doing so help me God. But if it wasn’t? I’d hate to find out he was right about me being in danger.

My heart slammed into my ribs. I never forget to lock my door.

I swallowed hard and reached for my phone, ready to call my security—

Too late.

A hand clamped over my mouth, yanking me back.

Another arm wrapped around my waist, trapping me.

I thrashed, kicking wildly, but the grip was solid. A man’s voice—low, calm—breathed into my ear.

“Tell me, Bianca… what is Roberto Grimani to you?”

Then everything went black.