LOGINAlessa’s POV Four years ago, I stood in a boardroom and dismantled my brother's life in front of cameras.Today, I couldn't find my passport because my mother had reorganized my suitcase while I was in the shower."The linen trousers," my mother said firmly, holding them up. "They're breathable. You'll be in Australia in July, Alessa… it's their winter, but you'll still be warm and you need the waistband room."I was rubbing a hand against my six month old bump. "I packed those already.""You packed the navy ones. I'm talking about the cream ones." She said. "I don't need two pairs of linen trousers-""You absolutely need two pairs." She was already folding them into the bag. "And the wrap dresses. All three of them. They'll accommodate the bump beautifully and you won't have to think about it."From the other side of the bed, Josephine, my mother-in-law, looked up from where she was reorganizing my shoes.“Take the sundresses instead," she said. "The wrap dresses are lovely but th
Alessa's POVJaime was standing at the gate with his hands loose at his sides, he looked thinner than I remembered but my heart remained unwavering. Jason stepped forward and squared his shoulders."You need to leave," he said."I know," Jaime said. "I will. I just need a minute."Jason scowled. "You don't get a minute.""Jason." My voice came out quieter than I intended.He looked back at me and his jaw was clenched tight. I touched his arm once, gently.A sigh left his throat and he bobbed his head, conceding. I looked at Jaime. "Say what you came to say."Jaime exhaled. He looked down at the ground for a moment, then at me. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know that doesn't fix anything and I'm not here because I think it fixes anything.”His lips were pressed tightly. "I just needed you to hear it from me. I'm sorry for all of it. The way things ended and the things I didn't say when I should have.""Jaime.” I whispered. “You don’t have to do it.”"You don't have to say anything." He sh
Alessa’s POVI looked at the reports still spread across the table."Alessa." She warned."I'm going," I said, and started stacking papers.She watched me with the expression of someone trying very hard not to smile. "He's been waiting for this for a while, you know."I smiled. "Lisa.""I'm just noting." She said with a shrug. "You're just noting nothing." I closed my laptop. "Go home.""I love how you think that tone still works on me." She was already packing her own bag, betraying that she had been waiting for this moment. "You look nice, by the way. The blue works.""Goodnight, Lisa."She winked. "Have fun.""Goodnight-""Text me.""Lisa."She left, laughing. I sucked in a breath and pulled out my compact mirror, checking my face and fixing my makeup.When I was done, I grabbed my coat and bag, heading downstairs. Jason was outside, leaning against the building with his hands in his pockets and looking at the street. He turned when the door opened, and a bright smile envelope
Alessa's POVThe boardroom smelled the same as it always had and I had sat in this room hundreds of times. I knew every face around this table.Today, some of those faces were not happy with me."What you did," Gerald Fitch said, setting his pen down, "was bypass every established protocol for internal misconduct. There are procedures, Miss James. You ambushed your own brother in front of cameras.""He ambushed me in a burning building," I said pleasantly. "I thought we would try it my way."There was a ripple around the table, and I caught some people trying to hide their smiles. "The reputational damage alone-“ Gerald snapped."Is significantly less than the reputational damage of forty-three million dollars in undisclosed transfers coming out through a regulatory audit," I said. "Which it would have, eventually. These things always do." I looked at him steadily. "I chose the version where we controlled the narrative. That distinction matters to shareholders and it will matter in
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
I stared at him, waiting for an answer. My heart was racing, not just from concern about his coughing fit, but from the look on his face.He dallied, clearing his throat again, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Then finally, he spoke."I know about them," he admitted quietly. "Primrose. They're ba
Julien's POVI came out of the conference room feeling aggravated all over again. Alessa had managed to embarrass me in front of everyone again. The smug satisfaction on her face when Richard and the others verified her corrections had made my blood boil.Richard was waiting for me in the hallway,
I was still in my office, frozen in place and staring at the television screen even though the broadcast had moved on to the announcer.My mind kept replaying Jaime's words, his face as he looked directly into the camera as if he was speaking to me.The sound of the door bursting open barely regist
Alexander had a curious expression on his face as he looked between Jason and me."Babe?," he repeated with that charming smile of his. "Who might this be, Miss James?"Before I could respond, Jason stepped slightly in front of me, his hand settling possessively on the small of my back. The gestur







