LOGINVICTORIAThe next morning came too fast.I barely slept, but that didn’t matter. The moment I opened my eyes, my phone was already buzzing on the nightstand like it had been waiting for me.I had numerous messages, emails, and missed calls. Everything had started. The time change forced everything into motion.By the time I got to the office, the building already felt different. People moved faster. Voices were lower but sharper. Everyone knew something was happening, even if they didn’t have the full details.My legal team was scrambling. Investors had started calling. And the media had picked it up within hours.“Miss Hale, are you aware of the reports?” one of my assistants asked as she hurried beside me.“I’m aware,” I said without slowing down.“Do you want us to release a statement?”“Not yet.”“But—”“Not yet,” I repeated, a bit firmer this time.She nodded quickly and fell silent.The pressure I had felt before doubled instantly. But I didn’t show it.I walked into the first m
CLARKWatching her walk away from me after that felt worse than anything that had happened in that room earlier.And that was saying something.Because a few minutes ago, she had been right in front of me. Close enough that I could still feel it. Close enough that I knew she felt it too, no matter how much she tried to act like it didn’t matter.But now? Now she was already moving on.Her focus had shifted the second that phone call came in. Just like that, everything between us got pushed aside like it didn’t exist.I stayed where I was for a second, watching her.She didn’t look back. Of course, she didn’t.Victoria didn’t do that. She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t second-guess herself. Once she decided something, that was it. And right now, she had decided that whatever happened between us wasn’t important.Or at least, that was what she wanted me to believe.I let out a quiet breath and ran a hand through my hair before following her.She was already by the desk again, scrolling thr
VICTORIAThe moment our lips met, everything else dropped away.The kiss wasn’t soft or careful or anything I could pretend was a mistake. It felt direct, like something that had been waiting for too long and finally broke through. I didn’t think, and that was the problem.Because I always thought.This time, I didn’t.The tension that had been sitting between us all night had turned into something real. It wasn’t gentle, it wasn’t slow, and it didn’t give me space to step back. It pulled me in instead.And I let it.That was my second mistake.His reaction came half a second later. There was a pause, just small enough for me to notice it. That small moment where he could have pulled away.He didn’t.Then just like that, the hesitation disappeared like it had never been there. His hand moved to my arm, firm but not rough, steady in a way that made everything feel more certain.What scared me. wasn’t the kiss or the closeness of our bodies. It was him. Because it meant he wasn’t holdin
VICTORIAThe space between us disappeared too easily. That was the problem, and I knew it the second it happened. It had always been like this with him, simple in the worst way.Everything else around us felt complicated, messy, and out of control. The case, the lies, the past that kept showing up at the worst time. But this part, this thing between us, stayed easy.It felt too easy, and I didn’t like that. Because easy meant dangerous. It meant I wasn’t thinking. And right now, I needed to think.His hand brushed mine first, lightly. It wasn’t an accident, and we both knew it. It was just enough to feel, just enough to notice.I didn’t pull away. I should have. I knew I should have, but I didn’t.The contact stayed there for a second longer than it needed to. My fingers didn’t move or react, and it felt like they were waiting for my brain to catch up. It didn’t. Instead, I let it stay.That was my first mistake.“Tell me everything,” I said quietly.My voice came out softer than I ex
VICTORIAThe moment the door closed behind us, the silence changed.It felt like everything we had just said outside had followed us in and settled into the walls.I stood there for a second, my hand still resting on the door handle, my mind trying to reset. The space looked the same. The lights were soft, the furniture was exactly where it had always been, and the city still stretched out through the glass.Nothing had moved, but something had shifted, and I could feel it.Clark walked past me like he had done it a hundred times before. He didn’t pause or hesitate. He just moved through the space as if he belonged there and nothing had changed.That annoyed me more than I wanted to admit.I let out a slow breath and pushed myself away from the door, walking deeper into the penthouse. I moved toward the desk and picked up my tablet, forcing my attention onto the screen. I had messages, reports, and legal updates waiting.All of it was important. This was what mattered.Not him. Not
VICTORIAThe elevator ride down felt longer than it should have.No one spoke after we left the penthouse. Not me, not Clark, not even Daniel. The woman stayed behind, and somehow that made everything feel heavier, like we had walked out with pieces of something unfinished.I kept my eyes forward the whole time. I didn’t trust myself to look at Clark yet because if I did, I wasn’t sure what I would see. Or worse, what I would feel.We stepped out into the night, and the air hit me immediately. It was cool and sharp. It helped, but not enough.Clark walked beside me, close but not touching. I could feel his presence without looking. It sat there, steadily, like he was waiting for something.I didn’t give it to him.The car door opened, and I got in without a word. He followed right after, sitting beside me like it was normal and nothing had changed.But everything had.The driver pulled away smoothly, and the city lights started moving past the window. I watched them without really see
VICTORIAChills ran down my spine as I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and hit Isabella’s number. She picked up right away.“Vee? What’s wrong?” Her voice was sharp.“Come. Now,” I said. “Please.”That was all I managed. I didn’t trust my voice to say more. I hung up, got off the bed, and backe
VICTORIAI stepped back from the window so fast that my elbow hit the side table. My heart was thumping really hard. I didn’t even blink.“Someone’s up there,” I whispered.Clark cursed under his breath and grabbed his phone. His eyes were fixed right on me as he spoke to security. His voice was v
CLARKI walked into my security office before the sun was even up. I didn’t bother saying good morning. I didn’t even pretend I was calm because I wasn’t. The whole team knew it from the exact moment I stepped inside. The room went quiet instantly. Some of the guards straightened their shirts. Som
VICTORIAI didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until the guards rushed past me and pulled the door open. I expected someone to be standing there. Maybe a stranger in a hoodie. Maybe a woman with wild eyes. Maybe the same person who left that awful note on my bed the night before.But the h







