LOGINThe horse farm sat several dozen miles outside the city center, and by the time they arrived, the afternoon heat had settled in fully.After parking, staff guided Nora and Bea to the advanced riding track, reserved for guests skilled enough to handle it.Bright sun overhead, a light breeze cutting through the heat.Bea scanned the area without spotting David. "I'll give him a call.""Go ahead," Nora said.Bea stepped aside to make the call. Left alone, Nora's gaze landed on a face she recognized instantly.Julian.Her jaw tightened, and she turned to angle herself away too late. He'd already spotted her."Nora!" he called out, already crossing the distance.He reached her, warmth radiating off him. "What are the odds, running into you here. Did you pick this place on purpose?"Julian had always loved horseback riding; he'd been the one to teach her, actually, back when they were together, bringing her out to this exact farm more times than she could count.Of course today of all days,
You're not as good as Vivian.Vivian's better than you at everything.Nora, you need to apologize to Vivian....These were the words Elliot had repeated to her, almost on rotation, ever since she turned eighteen. The worst of it, seared permanently into her memory, was the time he'd physically forced her to her knees to apologize to Vivian all because Vivian had lost a bracelet and pinned the blame on Nora without a shred of proof. Elliot hadn't asked a single question before taking his sister's side.Standing here now, replaying it all, something old and raw ached in her chest.She lifted her chin, meeting his glare with a cold smile. "You're right. I really can't compare to Vivian. I could never match her level of cruelty. Is that supposed to be an insult, Elliot, or are you just stating facts?"Elliot's grip on the thermos in his hand tightened until his knuckles went white. "Say that again, Nora. I dare you."She scoffed. "Struggling already? I always knew you were simple, Elliot
After the encounter ran its course, Grant stepped out of the bathroom, water still beaded across his chest, his expression carrying no warmth whatsoever as he looked at the woman still in his bed.Renee, by contrast, lay boneless and pliant against the sheets, every trace of resistance gone.She gazed up at him with something soft and hopeful. "Grant. Let's just rest for a bit"Having gotten what he wanted, he barely spared her another glance. "You can leave now."She blinked, then reached for pity. "It's so late, Grant. I'm scared to go home alone. What if whoever followed me earlier is still out there?"Grant's patience, thin on a good day, evaporated entirely. Something cold flickered in his eyes. "Renee. Did you actually think that excuse would work twice? I only kept you here tonight because I needed an outlet. That's done now. Go."The cruelty wasn't surprising, exactly, but it still stung especially remembering how he'd murmured someone else's name against her skin the entire t
Nora's eyes widened at that, sobering up halfway on the spot."Don't talk nonsense. There's nothing going on between us."The manager, wine bottle still in hand, tilted his head thoughtfully. "Huh? Not your new love interest? Well, that's a letdown. We had a whole debate going on the ride over half the table's rooting for you and Grant getting back together, the other half's team new-mystery-man, and a few of us just want you happy regardless of who it's with. Ms. Amanda, wait, where are you"Nora had zero patience left for that conversation. "Restroom."She was out the door before anyone could stop her.She made her way downstairs, settled the bill, and sent a quick message to someone she trusted, confirming payment and that she was heading home.She'd had more to drink tonight than she had in longer than she could remember.---Stepping outside Horizon Lounge, she found a car already waiting at the entrance. The driver approached the moment he spotted her. "Miss Amanda. The second M
Without a word of warning, Nora's expression went cold, and her free hand cracked across Grant's face.The sharp slap froze everyone behind them mid-step, stunned into silence.Her team thought: Did Ms. Amanda seriously just slap Grant Pierce in front of the entire crowd?His team thought: Is he really not going to retaliate after taking a public hit like that?Nora's expression stayed ice-cold, brow furrowed delicately. "Grant. I've given you more grace than you've earned. This is where it ends."Grant's eyes burned into her, sharp and dangerous and still, he couldn't bring himself to actually do anything about it.As she walked past him, his own people held their breath, not daring to move.A few seconds passed before his jaw tightened and he fell into step behind her anyway.---Across the street from the bidding venue, a Cullinan idled at the curb. Nash glanced toward the building. "Second Master. Ms. Ashford's coming out now."The words had barely left his mouth when Grant emerge
Grant hauled Nora toward the emergency exit, locked the security door behind them, and pinned her against the wall.Fury and frustration warred plainly across his face, but the woman in front of him was still, somewhere underneath all of it, the one he loved most so he forced himself to hold back."Harborcrest Docks matters to me, Nora. Stop playing games with this."The docks mattered to more than just Grant; they represented the last major government-controlled port left in a city where private ownership had steadily taken over the waterfront in recent years. Every serious player in the industry wanted a piece of this deal, and competition had been brutal from the start.Grant hadn't taken the shipping company seriously at first, not until he realized he couldn't dig up a single detail on who was actually running it.Now everything has changed. If Nora was behind it, the entire calculation shifted.Pinned against the cold wall, Nora remained entirely unmoved by his display. "What ex







