LOGINVivienne's POV I stared at my reflection like it belonged to someone else, because maybe it did. The girl in the mirror wasn’t the one who had slept under a bridge two nights ago. She wasn’t the one scrubbing floors and counting change behind a register. She looked different.Dangerous.The skirt barely covered anything, hugging my hips like it had something to prove. The fishnets clung to my legs, drawing attention I didn’t want, and the top…I swallowed.The top left just enough exposed to make a statement I didn’t feel.I looked hot, I knew that, but I didn’t feel it, not even close. If anything, I felt like I was stepping into a version of myself I didn’t recognize, one that had been chosen for me and designed for a purpose I didn’t agree with.My fingers hovered over the hem of the skirt, tugging it down slightly, even though it made no difference.“This isn’t you,” I muttered under my breath.But it didn’t matter what I thought, not anymore at least. My gaze dropped to the
Vivienne “Well, well… look what the cat dragged out.” The words settled over me like a slow, tightening noose.I forced my fingers to loosen from the edge of the counter, even though every instinct in my body screamed at me to run, but deep down, I knew running wasn’t an option. Not anymore, not with him standing right in front of me.“Hi,” I said.The word came out wrong, too soft, too careful, but it was the only thing I could manage. If I said anything more, then I wouln't be surprised if I burst into tears. Declan didn’t move.He just stood there, watching me like I was something he was trying to figure out how to use.“Hi?” he repeated, one brow lifting slightly. “That’s what you’re going with?”“I didn’t expect to see you here.” I swallowed. That part, at least, wasn’t a lie.“No?” He took a slow step closer, setting the bottle of water on the counter like he had all the time in the world. “Funny. You look exactly like someone who didn’t want to be found.”My pulse spiked
Vivienne's POV I didn’t sleep, not really, because every time I closed my eyes, I saw them again, the photographs. I saw the angles, the distance, all of them proof that I had never truly been alone.I tried not to think about it, but it sent literal shivers down my spine all through the night. Ronan's hoodie was useless when it came to warding off that fear, and it bothered me, more than I was willing to admit. By morning, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin, but I still got up. I still opened the shop and I still forced myself to move like everything was normal, because what else was I supposed to do?The envelope sat hidden beneath the thin mattress in the storage room.I hadn’t opened it again. I didn’t need to, because I could feel it there, like a pulse I couldn’t escape.Forty-eight hours.I'd always loved the concept of time going by no matter what happened, but now, the tiniest thought that the clock was ticking, sent nothing but dread coiling in my lower belly. “Y
Vivienne's POV I knew he would come back. Slimy people like Grant didn't just appear not to show up again. If anything, they made sure to keep lurking, just so they could strike when you least expected it. Those were the words I told myself, but I just didn’t think it would be so soon.The bell above the door chimed at six forty-three in the evening. I remember the time because I had just checked the clock, counting down the minutes until closing like that would somehow speed them up.I didn’t look up right away. I didn't need to, because I felt him first. The air shifted and thinned, like it was introducing one of the villains from my nightmares. I was still trying to convince myself that I was overthinking it, when his voice reached my ears. “Evening, sweetheart.” My hand stilled over the receipt book. Slowly, and against my better judgement, I lifted my eyes.Grant stood just inside the doorway, his coat immaculate, and his expression relaxed, like he’d merely stopped by to
Ronan's POV The air in my office was thick with the scent of stale whiskey, cold tobacco, and the suffocating vibration of my own failure. I hadn’t slept in seventy-two hours and more, I was sure. My skin felt like it was buzzing, a low voltage current of pure, unadulterated rage that made every muscle in my body twitch.I paced the length of the rug, my boots heavy against the floorboards. I caught my reflection in the darkened window, and even though I wasn't one to care too much about my appearance, I was actually disappointed in myself right now. I looked haggard with my bloodshot eyes, and a thick, dark stubble that felt like sandpaper against my palms. I looked like a man losing his mind, because I was.Every lead was a dead end. Every contact I’d squeezed had come up dry. I’d spent the last few days tearing through my own men like a hurricane, handing out punishments for the slightest hesitation,and demanding a level of perfection that was impossible to meet because Vivienn
Grant didn’t move, and that was the worst part. He didn’t lunge, didn’t shout and he didn't even slam his fist against the counter like a man who’d just cornered his prey.He just stood there, the perfect picture of calm and composure. His eyes were fixed on me, watching my every movement, like he’d known exactly where I would land.“You look thinner,” he said mildly, eyes dragging over me in a way that made my skin prickle. “Life hasn’t been kind I presume. I wouldn't say I'm surprised though.”“Why, why are you here?” My fingers tightened around the edge of the register. “What are you doing here?”A faint smile tugged at his mouth, but it wasn't warm. Never warm.“You really thought running away could protect you?” The words landed soft, but they hit hard.“I didn’t run from you,” I said, though my voice lacked the conviction I wanted it to have.“Didn’t you?” He tilted his head slightly. “You always did that. The moment things got hard, you vanished.”“I left because I wanted to
Vivienne's POV By the time the sun came up, my legs barely felt like they belonged to me anymore.I’d been walking for hours, and believe me when I said that was the biggest understatement of the century. I didn’t even remember when I stopped knowing where I was going. I just kept moving, one
Ronan's POV She’d come back..That’s what I told myself the first night. A part of me didn't fully believe it, but I told myself I had to. If I didn't truly believe that what I'd done was the best thing, then what had been the point in the first place? I sat on the edge of the bed, the ring sti
Ronan's POV Good.That was the first thing I told myself after she walked out. Good. She saw it, and now, she knew where I stood. Only a fool would have witnessed what she did and decide to stick to the fact that things were okay between us. It was probably petty, but if I couldn't be happy, th
Ronan's POV I didn't believe in having a shitty life. Yes, you had a couple of bad days, but that was it. I never allowed myself to dwell in them either. I always wrapped it up by being nonchalant about it, no matter what the fuck went wrong, and while that had always worked for me, it wasn't t







