LOGINNaomi's mouth curved faintly.So my hunch was right. He brought me here to formally bring me on board."You agreed to join Cole Enterprises before. Does that still hold?" Sebastian asked, unhurried.Naomi nodded. "Of course."She skimmed the terms quickly and realized every clause had clearly been drafted with her specifically in mind.Her eyes lifted to Sebastian, something surprised flickering behind them.Is this... charity?"This salary..." Naomi said, careful.Most firms paid architectural designers somewhere between forty and eighty thousand a year.Cole Enterprises was the top firm in the state, she'd guessed a figure closer to a hundred fifty thousand.Instead, the number staring back at her read three hundred thousand.That was just for the probationary period. Full-time, post-probation, the figure climbed to six hundred thousand.Practically double what she'd expected.Sebastian, misreading her tone, assumed she was objecting to the number being too low.He genuinely hadn't
Ethan's eyes stayed locked on the two people standing at the podium.Together, they looked disturbingly well-matched. Like something out of a magazine spread.Worse than that, dazzling."Why is Naomi co-hosting this with Sebastian Cole?"Chloe, seated beside him, wore an expression of pure disbelief. "What could Naomi possibly have that caught the Sinclairs' attention like this? Is she actually involved with Marcus?"The implication being that Naomi's sudden connections were all riding on some relationship with Marcus.Which happened to be exactly the theory Ethan had already landed on himself.His expression twisted uglier. "Enough."He and Naomi were divorced now, nothing stopping her from marrying Marcus tomorrow if she wanted to. Legally, it wasn't his business anymore.Catching the hurt flicker across Chloe's face, something in him softened, and his tone gentled. "Everyone in this room is a potential business partner. Watch how you carry yourself today."Reading the deflection fo
Naomi had spent years grinding it out in a small town, settling for a bad marriage, while Vivian had lived every day of that same stretch as the pampered Sinclair heiress.Given all that, it wasn't unreasonable to expect some return on the family's investment. That expectation was the entire reason they'd taken her in to begin with.Thinking about how Naomi had finally come home, and about every quiet and not-so-quiet shot Vivian had already taken at her, something in Marcus's expression hardened further.Every instinct told him to let his anger loose on her right now. Reason won out over that instinct, barely."I called you in to talk about your biological parents." Marcus didn't dance around it.The color drained completely from Vivian's already pale face. Her hands twisted into the hem of her dress. "You... found them?"Is this it? Am I actually getting sent away?Something flickered with surprise behind Marcus's eyes, he hadn't expected her to catch on this fast. He nodded. "We di
Lily's shout got swallowed by the roar of engines revving one after another.The amusement park's racing track had always been one of its bigger draws.The course split into three separate routes, each with different terrain but matched distance.Racers picked freely which path to run.One hugged the edge of an artificial lake, scenic, relaxed, low stakes.Another looped around the park's perimeter, a quick lap designed to funnel guests straight into the next attraction.The last one cut through the hills, modeled after an actual professional track.Naomi and Sebastian glanced at each other and picked the mountain route in the same instant.Only first place got the prize. The other two routes carried too many variables, too much room for distraction.The mountain route was the obvious call.The terrain was rough, pitted, and every jolt sent a thrill through Lily in the passenger seat.She'd tagged along to Naomi's real competitions before, but always too young to do more than watch fr
"How's that even possible?" Marcus shot Nathan a flat look.The kind of look that asked, silently, do you actually think I'm that transparent?"Then why are you"Before Nathan finished the question, Marcus cut in. "I'm doing this because Sebastian still thinks there's something between me and Naomi.""You and Naomi? Something between you?" Nathan couldn't hold back a laugh. "Aren't you worried he'll eventually find out the truth and come after you over it?""He's not interested in her." Marcus stayed unbothered. "And even if he were, he's already told our grandfather he wants out of the engagement. Whatever he finds out later, that's on him. He's the one who walked away first."Nathan reached up and adjusted his glasses.Since when did my brother get this calculating?"On another note, Vivian." Nathan's expression sobered. "I found her actual birth parents. Do we send her back?""Not yet." Marcus tapped a rhythm against the table. "Wait until Naomi's fully settled back with us. If Viv
The courthouse.In just ten minutes, Naomi walked out with the divorce certificate she'd been waiting a full month to get."Naomi, we could still" Ethan started, remembering something the old man had said.As if she'd already known exactly where this was headed, Naomi cut him off with a flat, cold look. "Ethan. Let's not cross paths again after today."Whatever he'd been about to ask died in his throat. His fingers curled tight, and he thought back to the plan Chloe had laid out for him. "Naomi. Don't come to regret this."He turned and walked off fast.Watching his back retreat, Naomi felt nothing at all. Her mouth curved, faint."Ethan. I won't."She tucked the certificate into her bag and drove straight to the Sinclair bid venue.The second she arrived, Naomi spotted two figures waiting at the entrance.Marcus and Sebastian.Is Marcus about to tell him who I really am?Something tightened in Naomi's chest, she wasn't ready for that reveal yet."Naomi, you made it." Marcus waved her







