Masuk"No," Noah said, rising quickly and grabbing his jacket. "Even if I would stoop to such unprofessional behavior, it's Elena's first day of work tomorrow—which she told you already. So if you'll excuse me, my family and I will be leaving now—good night."There was some grumbling but as Noah helped Sl
Elena didn't know what to say. Sloane just looked at Elena sadly and shook her head."I don't... we didn't expect anything less," Sloane said slowly, her voice choking up a little. "Noah said he didn't care—that he'd wait as long as it took for them to come around—but I think we both knew what the r
Alone in front of the gigantic mirror and fancy sinks, Elena could finally breathe again. This dinner was turning into a disaster. So Elena pulled out her phone.Without thinking, she scrolled through her contacts. Her finger was suddenly hovering over "Max's" contact info.Elena felt her heart stop
The main course of the dinner dragged on—and with it came a slight change in the Winslow family's approach. Elena had given up on asking any questions about Noah's immediate family or their company, and Sloane had also decided to focus on her meal rather than keeping the conversation afloat. For a f
"We make toys," Jack said slowly. "Like the nice robots you see on the shelf of every toy store or the viral teddy bears that the internet has been going crazy for."Elena laughed. When no one was joking, she realized Jack wasn't acting—he genuinely thought he was answering her question."Ah no, tha
The atmosphere in the five-star restaurant was awkward—more awkward than anything Elena had experienced in less fancy diners and dive bars.Including Cameron, all four of Noah's brothers were there. They introduced themselves hurriedly—Elena barely heard the names "Jack" and "Kevin." The youngest on
Elena held her breath, her eyes never leaving her husband's. Not for the first time, she wished she could make out his expression.Her phone rang for just a moment. And then, to her surprise, the call connected.Her husband hadn't moved at all."Hello?" Elena said into her phone, wondering if she ha
"But you still want to leave?" Massimo asked. "Even if you don't hate him or the work most of the time?"Elena nodded without any hesitation.Massimo suddenly understood what Elena meant when she said her husband's swift denial had stung. It would've been better if she had paused a moment before res
"We need to plan a meeting with Sloane and Noah," Elena said seriously. "I know we're both busy, but I've decided on my answer to their offer and we shouldn't keep them waiting."Massimo, surprisingly, just nodded. "We should have time the morning before our departure. I know that's later in the wee
"Aria," Elena greeted, "I haven't heard from you in forever. Is everything okay?""Oh, it's the usual shit keeping me busy," Aria replied nonchalantly. "You know, boy trouble, like always, but I'm also covering for my cousin. Sorry I haven't gotten to bless you with my voice in a while, but I promis







