ColeThe whiskey burned as it slid down my throat, but it didn’t do a damn thing to clear my head. I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, my eyes scanning the club.The music thumped, people laughed, drank, danced... but for me, it was just noise.Noise to drown out Yasmin. From the very instant her absence dawned on me, I couldn’t breathe properly.Philip had warned me against excessive drinking after I came to work looking so dead.Sarah had sent me messages about how she hated me and how she would file for abuse the moment she returned from Las Vegas. Well, I bluntly didn’t give a fuck.But Yasmin had made me do things. I told myself she meant nothing—not when she was alive, and certainly not now that she was dead. She had been nothing but an object bought by Dad to help me focus on being responsible.She was bought and placed neatly in my life, as though her existence could shape mine. And yet, here I was, haunted by the ghost of a woman I’d sworn to forget. A woman who betrayed
LiamThe incessant knock on my office door had been grating against my nerves for the last fifteen minutes.Whoever was on the other side either had a death wish or was determined to test the limits of my patience.And I knew who it was. Alex.“It’s either you get your ass in here, or you get out,” I said sharply, not bothering to raise my head from the contract in front of me.Allen, seated across from me, smirked, clearly amused by my irritation. “I believe Mr. Hemsworth is here to apologize for last night’s... saga,” he remarked.I scowled, the memory of Alex’s drunken antics and the stench of his vomit still lingering. I had waited another thirty minutes before Allen came. I had buried myself in the bath for over an hour, just trying to forget.The door creaked open, and Alex stepped in, looking like a kicked puppy. His hands were clasped together, and he kept bowing repeatedly. “I’m so sorry, sir,” he stammered.Allen leaned back in his chair, suppressing a laugh. “Do you even re
ArleneWork, Arlene, work.I couldn’t even concentrate on the mountains of documents in front of me.I stared blankly at my laptop screen, attempting to focus on the flood of emails and documents awaiting my attention.Yet, Liam’s face and his words from last night kept barging into my mind, uninvited and unwelcome.Firstly, why would he suddenly help me? That question haunted me repeatedly at night. I could barely sleep.How on earth did he discern that I needed help, and why did he do it? What were his intentions?And just when I’m okay with just being the baby’s father and alleged boyfriend, he had to go overboard by proposing.Had he planned it all?Thinking about the proposal, it wasn’t romantic—not in the traditional sense.It was calculated and practical, but it still left me rattled. I glanced down at my finger, the one where he’d slid the ring.The cool metal had been there briefly until this morning, when I had to pull it off, but it left an impression that lingered.Cole di
MirelaNothing infuriated me more than watching a perfectly laid plan unravel before my eyes. That little brat Arlene had managed to worm her way out of the trap I’d set with such precision.I watched her walk past me, her anger practically radiating off her, enough to burn the air.The announcement of her pregnancy was meant to ruin everything. I clenched my fists as I walked into my private lounge, the distant hum of the party barely audible in the background.Liam.Something was off. There was more to his sudden announcement than met the eye. Why would he choose to make such a statement about their relationship tonight? Why had I not seen them together at all since Arlene’s return?I reached for my phone and dialed Fiona, my assistant. Her sharp efficiency was the only thing keeping me grounded in moments like this.“Fiona, I want you to dig deeper into Liam Walker,” I ordered, my voice icy. “Get every detail about him and any connections he has, especially about his recent trip to
ArleneI barely had a moment to breathe after Liam kissed me goodnight, his touch lingering on my skin like a bittersweet promise.As I watched him bid my father goodnight, his tone polite yet detached, I felt the weight of the evening’s events pressing in on me.Then, as Liam disappeared into the night, my father’s sharp voice pierced the air.“Arlene, to my study. Now.”I recognized that tone. It was the one he used when he was more than just displeased. I followed him without protest, my steps measured, bracing for the storm that awaited behind the doors of his study.Once inside, he closed the door with a decisive click and turned to face me, his expression a mix of disappointment and restrained fury.Well, I didn’t expect him to smile at me for coming home pregnant, especially not after he found out in such an awkward way.“You’re truly pregnant for him?” he asked, his words more of an accusation than a question.I hesitated, my heart pounding. Lying to my father had become secon
LiamI barely had Alex upright, his drunken form swaying with each unsteady step when Lucas stormed up to me, his face twisted with anger.Lucas’s jaw clenched as though he were grinding his teeth to dust. I expected him to lash out, to grab my shirt or wrist—that was just who Lucas was. But he didn’t. Instead, he followed me, fury emanating with every stride.“What makes you think she’d choose you?” he snarled, his voice slicing through the cool night air.I didn’t glance at him, focusing on getting Alex into the car. Alex kept muttering that he could handle himself. If he was so confident, I let him stagger his way into the car.“She already did, Lucas,” I said curtly, my tone flat and emotionless.My words clearly hit a nerve. He stepped closer, his voice rising with frustration. “You think you’re better than me? Going after a woman I was supposed to be with? Arlene and I were meant to happen! How could you stoop so low?”I turned to face him finally, my expression cold and unyield