LOGINHello, lovely readers! Thank you for finishing Chapter 62!
POV: Evelyn ReeveThe air in the Meridian Miami lobby turned leaden in a heartbeat.My knees buckled. I could feel Maya, Stella, and Celine closing ranks around me, their hands steadying my shoulders as the world tilted. I was a Finance Analyst, a woman who dealt in hard numbers and cold logic, yet here I was, disintegrating into a pile of nerves on the marble floor.Archer was a blur of frantic motion and the sour stench of expensive bourbon. He lunged, his fingers clawing the air toward me, but he never reached.Jovan was faster.He didn't just step in; he claimed the space. With a jaw set like granite, he caught Archer’s wrist in mid-air. It was a calculated, clinical movement—a simple joint lock that sent a visible jolt of pain through Archer’s drunken frame.Jovan shoved him back, a hard, two-handed strike to the chest that sent Archer staggering five feet across the lobby."Leave, Archer. Now," Jo
I wasn't stupid. I knew he was lying. I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves. Something had happened last night after he dropped me off, something that had turned my steady, stoic Jovan into a live wire.But I stayed quiet. I was too afraid that if I pushed, I’d hear something I wasn't ready to handle.The drive to the Meridian Miami building felt like an eternity. Every red light made Jovan tap his fingers frantically against the wheel, his gaze never stopping, always searching the perimeter.The Meridian building finally rose ahead of us, a tower of glass and steel reflecting the Atlantic sun. Instead of heading for the executive parking garage, Jovan steered the car directly into the main lobby drop-off zone."We’ll head in through the front," Jovan said, his voice clipped. "Less walking."We stepped out. The lobby was humming with the usual 9-a.m. rush. Suits blurring past, the rhythmic thrum of turnstiles
POV: ArcherThe ceiling fan in this roadside motel creaked with every sluggish rotation, a rhythmic, metallic groan that grated against my raw nerves. The air was thick—heavy with the smell of stale Pall Malls and the kind of dampness that only exists in cheap rooms where the AC has given up.I sat on the edge of a mattress so thin I could feel the springs digging into my thighs. My phone was pressed to my ear, my knuckles white. My vision was swimming in a haze of red."You think I give a damn, Sienna?!" I spat into the receiver. My voice was a jagged edge, tearing through the quiet of the room. "I left because I couldn't stand the sight of your face for one more second!"Sienna’s laugh came through the line, sharp and laced with venom. "Oh, so now you’re disgusted? After you bled my accounts dry to keep up your little 'lifestyle'? You’re going after Evelyn, aren't you? You pathetic, ungrateful prick. You really think you can craw
Jovan shoveled a forkful of food onto his plate, then looked at me with a mock-serious expression."Evie, do you know what kind of cloud makes me the most nervous?"I paused, my fork halfway to my mouth. "A storm cloud? A hurricane?""No," he said, his eyes twinkling. "The one that says I wanna—a-wanna—be with you forever."I felt the heat rush to my cheeks instantly. I couldn't help it; I let out a snort that turned into a genuine laugh."That is terrible, Jovan! Seriously, that is a peak corporate dad joke."Jovan laughed along with me, clearly pleased. "Hey, it worked. You’re laughing. You’ve been wound up like a guitar string since yesterday.""A guitar string about to snap?" I teased back."Close enough," he replied, watching me with an expression that was softer than I’d ever seen.I wiped a stray tear from the corner of my eye. For the first time since the terror started, I felt light
POV: Evelyn ReeveThe morning in Miami usually hums with the gentle rhythm of the Atlantic breeze filtering through the shutters.Today, however, the air inside Shae’s living room felt heavy. Stagnant. Like the pressure before a hurricane.Shae was pacing a frantic line in front of the sofa, her phone gripped so tight her knuckles were white. The sharp clack-clack-clack of her heels against the marble floor grated on my nerves, echoing the erratic beating of my own heart.On one hand, a VIP client from New York had just moved their meeting up to this morning—a career-making opportunity she couldn't afford to ghost.On the other hand, there was me.I was curled into the corner of the sectional, clutching a grey throw pillow to my chest like a riot shield. I tried to force a smile, but I could feel how brittle it was."Shae, just go," I said, my voice thin. My fingers were trembling beneath the fabric of the pillow. "Serious
She looked at Noelle and Kendrick—who should have been enjoying their weekend—then at Shae, then at me. I could see the thought spiral in her eyes. She thought she was a plague."I'm sorry..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry, Noelle... Kendrick... you shouldn't be here for this. Shae... I’m bringing this into your house. I’m making your life a mess.""Evie, stop. Just stop," Noelle said softly."It’s my fault," Evelyn shook her head, tears finally spilling onto her lap."I shouldn't have come to Florida. I shouldn't have run. Archer found me... he’s not going to stop. I’m going to ruin all of you."I started to stand, the urge to tell her she wasn't a burden nearly choking me, but Kendrick caught my arm. He shook his head slightly. Let her get it out."I’m scared..." she sobbed, the sound raw and ugly."I’m scared he’ll hurt you too. He’s out of his mind... he’s obsessed. Those roses..."The room went quiet aga
POV: Evelyn ReeveThe air at the table turned brittle the second Noelle dropped that bombshell.I kept my eyes glued to the linen napkin in my lap, my face burning. Beside me, I could feel Jovan’s sudden tension—the way his breathing hitched, becoming shallow and controlled.
POV: Evelyn ReeveThe Miami sun was already doing its best to bleach the asphalt by the time Shae’s SUV pulled up to the Meridian Miami building. The glass facade of the office reflected the turquoise glint of the Atlantic, looking far more inviting than it had any right to be.I re
POV: Evelyn ReeveI stayed facedown on the mattress for a long time, my face buried in a silk pillow to stifle the remnants of a frustrated groan. My breathing was finally returning to a steady rhythm, but my heart? My heart was a frantic metronome, skipping beats every time Jovan’s voice
POV: Evelyn ReeveI froze.Every muscle in my body locked up instantly, as if the blood had suddenly stopped flowing to my fingertips.Slowly—agonizingly slowly—I pulled the phone away from my ear. My eyes widened, staring at the screen. It was an unrecognized number. The cal







