LOGINArielle Darius’s lips trailed down my throat, warm and unhurried, and my head tilted back before I could stop myself. My fingers tightened his shirt as a shaky breath escaped my lips. That spot. God. That was my weak point. Darius noticed immediately. A faint smirk brushed against my skin before he kissed my neck again, slower this time. More deliberate. His hand slipped around my waist and pulled me closer until I could feel the heat of his body against mine. My eyes fluttered shut. The champagne in my system made everything feel heavier. Dangerous. His lips moved lower for a second before returning to my throat again, and the quiet sound that left my mouth embarrassed me instantly. But Darius only tightened his hold on me. “You’re sensitive here,” he murmured against my skin. My heartbeat stumbled. Every time I tried to gather my thoughts, he would kiss me again, and everything would scatter my entire mind. All I could feel was him. Not the city light nor the cold bre
Arielle “Rob said the man acted suspiciously,” Joel said carefully. “He had a drunk lady in his back seat and claimed he was trying to drop her off at her house.”Oh dear. “He said the lady was the one directing him.”I scoffed quietly and folded my arms. “A drunk person?” Joel nodded once. “He didn’t give his name?”“He said his name was Matteo.”Matteo, my ass. “It was a black GLE, wasn’t it?”Joel’s brows furrowed slightly before he nodded again. I knew it was Emris. It had to be him. He lied about his name because he didn’t want to be recognized. “Did Rob take any pictures of this Matteo guy?” I asked quickly.“No,” Joel answered. “But I can pull up the CCTV footage if you want. Though, I can’t promise a clear angle. His face might not show properly.”“That’s fine,” I replied immediately. “Go do that.”Joel nodded before turning toward the door. The moment he left, I exhaled deeply and leaned against the balcony rail. Matteo, my ass. It was his car. Same timing.Honestly,
Arielle I stared him dead in the eye. “Let me go. Now.”A cold smile spread across his face as his fingers remained wrapped around my arm. This man had completely lost his mind.“Darius–““I tried tracking your location,” he interrupted quietly. “But somehow, I couldn’t.”His eyes narrowed slightly. “Did you switch off your phone?”A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. I lowered my head, shaking it slowly. “Tell me where you went,” he continued. “And maybe I’ll act like your loving husband and carry you upstairs since you clearly look like you can’t walk.”That one made me burst into laughter. “Oh my God,” I muttered. “You’re unbelievable.”His face remained unreachable. “I don’t need your stupid pretense,” I replied coldly. “And I’m sure as hell not answering your question.”That smile vanished instantly. His grip tightened. I swallowed hard, but refused to look away. “Go on,” I whispered. “Grab me by the neck and choke me again. Isn’t that what you’re best at?”Silence f
Arielle “Darius,” I called, banging lightly on the window. “Come on, don’t do this. We were just talking–“Nathan switched on the engine. “Nathan, don’t you dare,” I warned, moving quickly to the driver’s side window. Unfortunately, he listened to his boss more than me. The car sped out of the garage so fast it almost looked like a racecar. I stood there in disbelief, staring after it. Seriously?This was the second time Darius had ditched me.I slowly turned back at Joel. “Can you believe him?” Joel said nothing. “How are we supposed to get home now?”“I’ll call a taxi,” he replied calmly, already pulling out his phone. “It should be here in a few minutes.”I let out a frustrated breath and crossed my arms. “But why would he do that?” I muttered. “Just because we had a conversation outside his office? Must he be aware of everything?”Joel stayed quiet, focused on his screen. I groaned softly, dragging a hand through my hair. “Let’s get out of here first…it’s suffocating.”We
Arielle I chose a quiet corner in the hallway before stopping. People kept passing by, so I waited patiently until the area finally emptied. Then I turned to Joel. “I need a favor.” He stiffened almost immediately. “And I want this to stay between us.” He exhaled quietly before nodding once. I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “A strange car was at the gate last night,” I whispered. “I need you to speak to whoever was on gate duty and find out who it belonged to.” “A strange car?” He repeated, confused. “Nathan told me it was Mrs. Lisa Rothwell’s car. I shook my head quickly. “No. This one came before hers.” His brows pulled together slightly. “Just help me investigate it,” I added softly. “Please.” Because I knew I saw. I knew I saw Emris. But when he called earlier, he sounded completely normal. Like he hadn’t been anywhere near Darius’s house. Joel studied my face for a few seconds before nodding again. “Okay. I’ll tell you everything I find before
Arielle Thank goodness, Darius wasn’t paying much attention to me. His focus kept drifting toward Joel instead. But my mind was elsewhere. Emris. What was he doing outside Darius’s house? He was here last night. And now again this morning. I needed to find out. Lisa’s car eventually turned onto another road while ours continued straight ahead. As soon as we arrived at the company, I adjusted the scarf around my neck and took a deep breath. Only then did I notice Darius still sitting beside me, staring. “What?”He blinked once and looked away. “Nothing.” Then he stepped out of the car and opened the door for me, extending his hand. I hesitated. The number of people staring at us made it worse. Still, I placed my hand in his. We walked into the building together while greetings echoed around us. I forced a smile and waved lightly at them all. The moment the elevator closed, silence settled heavily between us. Too awkward.Thankfully, my phone rang.I quickly slipped my hand
Arielle “Arielle, I can’t let you do this,” Tiffany said firmly. “You’re not accepting that son of a bitch’s deal just because he’s forcing you to.”Tessa clearly didn’t want me to either. She handed the letter back to me slowly. “I have no choice," I said quietly. Tiffany hesitated, still not c
Arielle My eyes darted toward Tiffany from behind as I forced a smile. “Here’s our latest menu,” I said politely, and bowed slightly as I handed it to her. “I’ll be back–“ “Give us some time,” she cut in, smiling at Blake. “We’ll call you when we’re ready.” “Alright,” I replied
Arielle “Nice to see you again, Mr. Darius.” She said, after he stopped laughing. “I’m really sorry for not paying attention to the person sitting next to her. I was carried away by the bruises on her face. Thank you so much for saving her”. “Tiffany, right?” He asked finally. She nodd
Arielle I floated in darkness. I didn’t know where I was or what had happened. It all felt distant, as if I were underwater. All I was hearing was my mom’s voice, calling me for help. The more she called, the more the fear filled my chest. The sound grew sharper and louder. Then her voice bo







