LOGINGrey’s POVI stared at the tattoo for another second. The alcohol I'd just swallowed suddenly felt irrelevant.I looked up at him and examined him more closely.He looked like he was in his mid-thirties, with the kind of build that suggested he spent more time fighting than thinking. His teeth were probably the dirtiest I'd ever seen, stained yellow from years of alcohol and tobacco.The kind of man Viper would recruit without a second thought.I remained calm.I lifted my tequila and took another slow sip, acting as though I hadn't noticed him at all. There was no point letting him know he had my attention.Then I heard it. The low, unmistakable rumble of motorcycles outside. Not one. Several.My eyes shifted toward the bar window.Motorcycles lined the street outside, their headlights cutting through the darkness.Viper's MC.A small smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth.The bartender must have alerted them that I was here. Which meant Viper had probably already found out who I re
Grey’s POVI stood there without moving for several seconds, letting her words settle in my head.Love? That was the last thing Amanda knew the meaning of.I pretended I hadn't heard her. Because if I answered her now, I wasn't sure what would come out of my mouth. And I didn't want to become the kind of person who hurt someone simply because they had hurt him, then convinced himself he was justified.I wasn't her and I refused to be. Some things couldn't be undone after they happened. Apologies didn't erase them. Regret didn't change the past.Medicine after death.I turned away and took a step toward my car.“You left me at the altar one year ago.” Her voice stopped me. I closed my eyes briefly.“You humiliated me in front of everyone,” she continued, her voice beginning to crack. “I didn't hold that against you. My father didn't hold that against you. Don't you think we're even?”A dry, humorless laugh escaped me.I turned around slowly and tried to keep my expression calm, but the
Grey’s POVYeah. That was fucked up.And I wasn't going to make it easier for her by pretending I had forgotten.She turned and walked back the way she had come, her steps quicker now.“ Amanda—” Mr. Wilson barely got the word out before she disappeared through the doorway.He let out a long breath and sank farther into his chair.“I feel sorry for her sometimes,” he said quietly. “She’s so alone.”I kept my expression neutral as the servants finished serving the dishes. One by one, they bowed their heads and returned to the kitchen, leaving the two of us in the sudden quiet.His words did nothing to soften me. If anything, a part of me thought she deserved the loneliness.We started eating a few seconds later.Neither of us spoke.The only sound filling the dining room was the occasional scrape of cutlery against porcelain and the faint clink of glasses being shifted across the table.I forced myself to take a few bites even though I had almost no appetite. The food was good. Better
Grey’s POVThe only reason I agreed to honor Amanda’s father’s invitation was because he was a tech guru, just like me. He owned companies both in and outside the country, and even though some of his businesses competed directly with mine, he had always treated me more like a son than a rival.I respected that.I respected people who built something from nothing. People who had ambition, took risks, and actually had something to show for it. Mr. Wilson had done all three.He had scheduled the dinner at his estate for eight that evening. Officially, it was just dinner but I knew it had nothing to do with food.It was about Amanda.I had known her long enough to recognize her tactics. She had a way of making things look innocent when they were anything but. She could probably convince half the room that the sky was green if she tried hard enough.She wasn't fooling me.Still, I had no reason to refuse.If they wanted to play their little game, I could play along.I drove straight from w
Amelia’s POVWhy did he always keep showing up everywhere I went?First at the supermarket, then at the masked club, and now his company was the main owner of R Innovation?God, what the hell had I done to deserve this?I had to fight every instinct in my body not to look away when his eyes stayed fixed on me, studying me like I was the most interesting person in the room. It took everything in me to keep my face calm when, inside, I was barely holding myself together.And then he told me I was the masked girl.For a second, I forgot how to breathe.My stomach dropped so suddenly it made me feel sick, and heat crawled up the back of my neck. I was terrified he would notice the panic written all over my face.I could already imagine my voice betraying me, coming out shaky and uncertain.But somehow, it didn’t.I managed to answer him without giving myself away.The moment he finally walked out of the office, the tension holding my body together snapped.A breath rushed out of me, long
Grey's POVIt had been a while since I'd stepped into one of Brentwood 's technology branches.Kayden had been on my case for almost a week, reminding me that I needed to start making appearances again. Eventually, I gave in and picked the first working day of the week. Mondays were the best. Nobody expected the owner to walk through the doors when everyone was still settling into the week.I rarely visited any of the branches unless there was a reason.Lately, there had been one.Numbers in the reports weren't adding up. Small inconsistencies. The kind most people overlooked because they looked insignificant on paper. I didn't.People got careless when they believed the man signing their paychecks was too busy to look.I preferred proving them wrong.I didn't notify any of the executives of my visit. By the time word reached them, I was already inside the building.The effect was immediate.Conversations died. Shoulders stiffened. Smiles became forced. Everyone suddenly looked like t







