ログインAlessa’s POVThey started to whisper, the camera clicked faster but I didn’t move. "JR Corps was built on a principle that was established before I was born and it was for this company would stand for integrity." I kept my gaze moving across the room. "I want to talk to you about what happens when someone inside this company decides that principle is an obstacle."I looked at Jason at the side of the room. He gave the smallest nod.The screens behind me came to life and then a recording of Jason’s voice filled the entire eoom. As he spoke, murmurs filled the room, board members rose to their feet and even my family were shocked. I didn't look at him. I kept my eyes forward, and raised one hand. "There's more."The noise subsided and I nodded. "Exactly one week ago, I was abducted." My eyes found Jason as I kept speaking. “And I was left to die in a burning building. The individual who coordinated my abduction was a woman named Laura. And the individual who contracted her…”I fin
Alessa's POVThe mirror on the wall told me things I wasn't ready to hear.The bruise along my jaw had faded to a sickly yellow-green. My wrists and head still ached with a low persistent throb that the painkillers did nothing to help. I looked at myself for a long time then I straightened my shoulders. I had a press conference to attend. I heard the knock before I could respond, the door opened. "Alessa." He stepped inside, and he actually looked concerned. "You look better. How are you feeling?""Strange," I said. "Everything still feels very far away. The doctors say that's normal."I lied to everyone and told them I lost my memory, pretending not to remember anything that happened three weeks ago. So now, they all saw me as fragile. It was working, I needed them to believe that for my plan to work. He sat on the chair beside my bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "The press conference today," he said, gently. "Are you sure about this? It's too soon."I need t
JASON’S POVThe first thing I was aware of was the sound of rhythmic beeping that seemed to be keeping time with the ache behind my eyes.The second thing was the light pressing through my eyelids even before I opened them.The third thing was my mother's voice, saying my name over and over. Slowly, I opened my eyes to find harsh white ceilings above me. I turned my head carefully, and there they were, my parents, seated beside the bed. My mother was leaning forward with both hands wrapped around mine, her eyes red. My father sat beside her, his face was emotionless but I could see the tears in his eyes. He was the one to see me first and a strangled sound left his throat. My mother screamed and threw herself on me.“He’s awake! Oh, God!” She pulled back, her body trembling as tears poured from her eyes. “Call the doctor, please!” My father bobbed his head and rushed out of the room, while my mother fussed over me. "Mom." My voice was too low for me to hear. "Where is she?"My
JASON’S POV"Turn left here," Mayowa said, his eyes fixed on the laptop balanced on his knees. “The signal was strongest coming from this road."I turned hard, the tires screaming against the asphalt. The speedometer kissed a hundred and ten and I pushed it higher."Jason." Mayowa's voice was tight, the way it always got when he was about to say something he knew I didn't want to hear. "I need you to understand what we're doing right now."My jaw clenched tightly. "I know what we're doing.""Do you? Because the way I got this location is not exactly something I can explain to a judge.” He paused and sighed. “We bypassed two federal-level encryption protocols and piggy-backed off a private satellite network. If this goes sideways-""Mayowa." I snapped, interrupting him. He shook his head, still talking. "I'm serious. We could both be looking at-""Mayowa." I glanced at him. "Is she there or not?"He exhaled then glanced back at the screen. "She was but the signal dropped four minutes
JULIEN’S POV I jumped into Laura's car, my face still throbbing from where Alessa had head-butted me. Blood dripped from my nose onto my ruined shirt, but I didn't care."Move!" I screamed at the guards scrambling into the back seat. "She's getting away!"The driver slammed on the accelerator, and we tore down the dirt road after Alessa's disappearing SUV."How could you let her escape?" I shouted at the guards in the back. "Two grown men couldn't stop one woman?""She was fast, boss," one of them mumbled. "And we didn't expect her to move so quickly."My fingers itched with the desire to slam my fist into his face. "I don't pay you to make excuses!" I spat. "I pay you to do your job!"Through the windshield, I could see Alessa's SUV swerving slightly and I nearly growled. "Faster!" I demanded. "Ram her if you have to. Just stop that car!"The driver obeyed, pushing the accelerator to the floor. We gained on her quickly, the gap between our vehicles shrinking until we were right beh
ALESSA’S POV"Julien?" My voice came out as barely a whisper.He stepped fully into the room, and his eyes swept over me."What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he snapped at Laura.Laura, to my surprise, didn't back down. "I'm doing what you paid me to do. Or are you getting cold feet now?"My mind reeled. Paid her? Julien had paid Laura to kidnap me?"I said grab her and bring her here," Julien said coldly. "Not start carving her up like some psychopath. Give me that."He reached for the knife, but Laura pulled it back. "I'm not done yet. She needs to understand-""Give. Me. The. Knife." He growled, his jaw tightening. They stared at each other for a long moment, and I watched this surreal standoff between two people who apparently both wanted to hurt me."This is insane!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "Both of you are insane! Julien, you're my brother!""And so?" Julien asked, finally wrenching the knife from Laura's hand. "Besides, you’ve never seen me as a brother anway.”Wh
JASON’S POVThe server set down the bottle and two glasses, then quickly retreated.The dancer stood near the door, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. I could tell she was new. The experienced ones knew how to play the game. This one just looked scared.It was perfect.I poured myself a
I knew I shouldn’t be here. I knew this was unhealthy, borderline obsessive behavior but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.It has been three days since I started this ritual. I would park here at drop off time, watching from a distance, and torturing myself.Each morning I told myself it was the last
I woke up slowly and my first thought was that I was surprisingly cozy for someone who fell asleep on an office couch. My second thought was that the pillow beneath my cheek was rising and falling in a steady rhythm.My eyes snapped open to see that I was curled against Jason’s side, my head resti
Jason reached out and hooked his finger under my chin, gently tilting my face up until I was forced to meet his eyes.“You’re better than this,” he said softly. “You know you are. This isn’t helping you heal. It’s just reopening the wound every single day.”My heart squeezed painfully in my chest.







