LOGINChapter 29Skylar’s POVThe sight hit me like a slap. A female staff member was on her knees in front of Ivan, literally devouring his cock while he fucked her mouth with his eyes squeezed shut in raw pleasure. Soft, wet sounds filled the small lounge, and his hand was tangled in her hair, guiding her rhythm. No wonder they hadn’t heard me calling his name. The door had opened without a sound, and for one frozen second, I just stood there, jaw slack, unable to look away from the crude scene unfolding right in front of me.This was none of my business. Not really. I wasn’t his wife, and I had zero romantic interest in the man. Still, the image burned itself into my mind. Since he couldn’t get me into his bed, he’d clearly chosen the next available alternative. Even so, I couldn’t shake how disgusting it was for a married man to do this so casually, especially with an event happening just meters away and his wife sitting in the same building. The sheer disrespect made my stomach turn.I
Chapter 28Skylar's POVFor the next few days, staying in the house all by myself felt like a slow kind of torture. The silence pressed in from every corner. I’d wake up to an empty bed, the sheets cold where Zane should have been, and that emptiness followed me through every hour. My daily routine became a rigid loop just to keep my mind from spiraling: eat something quick and tasteless, sleep when exhaustion finally won, train until my muscles screamed for mercy, and then drag myself over to work. The work was the only part that gave me any sense of purpose, but even that felt hollow without the usual rhythm of the team around me.Most times, Conor would linger a bit after his own duties, cracking dry jokes or sitting quietly in the living room while I pretended to focus on paperwork. His presence was steady, like an anchor. Sometimes, Mara called me unannounced forcing me to laugh even when I didn’t feel like it. I was grateful for them both, but their calla and visits only highlig
Chapter 27Skylar's POV"Hello, Mr. Ivan.""Hello, Skylar. Drop the formalities . Just call me Ivan. How have you been?""I'm good, thank you. And you must be doing perfectly well too. Right, Mr…oh, pardon me. Ivan."He chuckled. That rich, full laugh I recognised from the reception. "You know how life is for a businessman. Busy. But I'm well. Did you see the post?""Oh, that." I settled back against the headboard and switched to the voice I used for conversations I wasn't particularly interested in. Just enough engagement to be polite. "He brought it on himself. He should have backed away when he still had the chance.""Indeed he should have." He paused. I could hear the mild amusement in his voice, like someone who had watched an entertaining film and was still thinking about it fondly. "But that's not why I called. I'll get to the point. I'm proposing a collaboration between IND Technologies and Skylar Designs. Luxury products, foreign clients, cross-market visibility. It would be
Chapter 26Skylar's POVI stepped out of the closet very slowly and moved to the bedroom door. I pressed my ear against it and held my breath.Still making out, from what I could hear. The low murmur of voices, the sound of movement from the sofa down the hall. How was I going to leave? I couldn't exactly walk past the living room. I turned and looked at the window. It was too high, and in full view of the driveway where Jason's car was parked. That wasn't an option either.Then she said "Honey, it's boring in here. Let's not do it here anymore. Let's go to your car."There was a beat of silence. Then Jason said "Why are you always so demanding, Elara?""Oh come on." She whined it. I heard her shifting, standing up from somewhere. "If we don't do it in the car, you won't see me again.""Alright, alright. Don't talk like that. Let's go."There was a pause "Wait. I don't know. I might be wrong, but I smell Skylar in here. Her perfume."I pressed my hand flat over my mouth.My perfume. I
Chapter 25Skylar's POVI closed the door slowly behind me, glad he hadn't changed the locks.The house was quiet when I stepped in. The particular quiet of a house that had been empty for a few hours. Rory and Ethan were at school. Jason would be at the office, or he could be somewhere else entirely. With women or with his secretary. With whoever was taking turns occupying the space I used to stand in. Not that I cared. I just needed him not to be here.I slipped off my shoes and held them. The tiles were cold through my socks. I moved to the base of the stairs and listened. There was nothing from above, which meant his mother was almost certainly in her room. Around this time of day she always took her medications, and those knocked her out reliably until sometime in the evening. I had been the one to set that schedule the way l used to set most things in this house.Speaking of which.The house looked completely different from when I had left it. I noticed it immediately. It was no
Chapter 24Zane's POV"What do you mean you have to go back to Jason's house?"I heard the shock in my own voice and didn't bother hiding it."I have to go there because of the ring," she said slowly."Whose ring? Don't tell me this is nostalgia because you saw him tonight.""It's not nostalgia." She looked at me directly. "I need to get his wedding ring. Think about what would have happened earlier if he'd actually found it in his pocket. We wouldn't have been laughing. He could have used it as proof — in front of all those people, in front of Ivan, in front of everyone who was recording him. It would have been a completely different night."I sat with that for a second. She wasn't wrong."What would have happened? You weren't wearing yours either. Or were you?" I reached for her left hand to check.She yanked it back. "Stop that. I'm not an idiot.""I know you're not. I'm just trying to understand.""Then explain it to me. Why do you need Jason's ring so badly. She stood up from the







