LOGINNATALIE“Why the hell did you call me here?”“You know why.” He glowered at me and held out his hand. “Where's my money?”I scowled and reached into my handbag, pulling out an envelope. I tossed it onto the table. “Three thousand dollars.”He caught the envelope and counted the money.“I told you to wait until Friday to get the full amount.” I snapped. “But you keep calling me.”He scoffed, opened a small packet on the table, and took another sniff of the powder.I turned my face away in disgust.“You brought some when I called.” He peered at me. “That means when I call, you answer immediately!”I flinched at his tone. “Fine!”I hated the way he spoke to me.I hated the way he looked at me.Most of all, I hated the fact that I had allowed myself to get involved with him in the first place.Why did I ever agree to this plan?At the beginning, it had seemed simple. Everything had been carefully arranged. My mother had assured me that nothing could go wrong.But now? Every step lured me
KENDRICKMy latest project, Nova, had exceeded every expectation after a successful year.Within months of its launch, businesses across Europe and North America had begun integrating the system into their security infrastructure. Major corporations signed long-term contracts, private users subscribed in numbers our projections hadn't anticipated, and the press had taken a particular interest in the technology.Nova had become one of the fastest-growing divisions under my company. And with success came expansion.We had already begun developing two additional cybersecurity systems, one focused on financial institutions and another designed for large-scale infrastructure networks.My schedule had become even more brutal.Meetings began early. Calls stretched late into the evening.A proposal waited on my desk, another contract required my approval, another problem someone expected me to solve.I preferred it that way. Work had always been easier than feelings.And these days, I had an
YULIAOne year. That was how long it had been since I left London.A year since I'd stepped onto that private jet with my mother, carrying two suitcases and a heart I wasn't sure would ever feel whole again.I had stopped counting the days somewhere around the sixth month.Life had simply moved on. So had I.“Yulia, please pass me the bread.”I reached across the breakfast table and handed it to Dmitri.“Thank you.”“You're welcome.”I continued eating while my mother poured herself another cup of tea. Andrei sat beside her, scrolling through something on his phone while Dmitri and Daria argued over who had taken the last piece of fruit.“Oh, Yulia. Before I forget, we're invited to a birthday celebration this weekend,” my mother announced.“Hmm. Whose birthday?”“One of Andrei's associates.”“Maxim Smirnov.” Andrei finally looked up from his phone. “You should come.”“Yes.” My mother smiled. “So you're coming with us.”I gestured to myself. “Me?”She chuckled. “Of course. Why not?”
KENDRICKTwo weeks later, the day we'd been working toward finally arrived. Nova was officially launching at The Savoy in London.When I arrived, the venue was already filled with investors, business partners, technology executives, journalists, and members of the press.Nova's logo dominated the enormous screen behind the stage.NOVASee the threat. Stop the threat. I halted for a second and looked at it.Months ago, Nova had been nothing more than an idea.Then came the planning. Now, it sat behind me on a screen, ready to be introduced to the world.“Mr. Fernsby.”One of our senior executives approached me.“Everything is ready. The presentation has been tested twice. The demonstration system is isolated from the live network, and the press briefing will begin immediately after the launch.”“Good.”“The investors are already seated.”I glanced toward the ballroom. “I'll be there.”He nodded and walked away.I adjusted my cufflinks and looked around. This was what I'd spent years b
KENDRICKIt’d been a month since I got married. I woke up expecting to feel different, except I didn't.I stared at the ceiling for several seconds, waiting for some profound realization to hit me.Nothing.I was still Kendrick Fernsby. Ice-cold, tired, annoyed. . . and still married.That last thought made me sit up.Married.I dragged a hand down my face. “Brilliant.”I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.Twenty minutes later, I was dressed and heading downstairs.I had barely reached the dining room when I stopped.Natalie was already sitting at the table, with a bright smile.“Good morning, husband.”I felt deeply unsettled about hearing that word attached to me.“Morning.”She smiled wider. “You slept well?”“Yes,” I grunted, not interested in a conversation with her.“Good.”She returned her attention to her breakfast.There was a moment of silence, then she looked up again.“I was thinking about something.”I peered at her through the rim of my cup as I sipped my tea.
YULIAA MONTH LATER . . .“You're going to be late.”I lifted my eyes from the documents spread across the dining table. Daria stood across from me, eating an apple.“I'm not going to be late. I have another hour,” I murmured, winking at her.She narrowed her eyes. “You said that last week Friday.”“And I still stand by it,” I insisted.“Hmm.” She tapped her temple in thought.I slowly closed the file in front of me and cackled. “You're a strange child.”Daria gasped dramatically. “Mama!”From somewhere in the kitchen, my mother's voice floated toward us. “What happened?”“Yulia called me strange.”“I said she was a strange child,” I corrected.“That is worse!”I couldn't help laughing.Right then, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced down and smiled.Adeline.Adeline's face appeared on my screen as soon as I tapped on the green button.“Oh, look who's alive.”I chuckled. “Nice to see you too.”“You haven't called me in three days.”“I have a job.”“And I have feelings.”“You're so
KENDRICK“What were they thinking, letting her live with you?” Victor asked, leaning back lazily in the chair across from my desk like he owned the space.“Safety.” I shrugged, flipping through the folder in front of me without bothering to look up. “Apparently, her father thinks London will collap
YULIA“We’re almost there, baby girl.” My father watched me as I angled towards the side window, lost in my thoughts.“I still can’t believe you eloped and got married.” I glanced at him, and he was smiling.“Well… I can’t be single forever. I’m ready to settle down and spend the rest of my life wi
YULIA“So you’re telling me that you’re living with the Kendrick Fernsby?” Adeline asked dramatically, raising both hands to make quotation marks in the air. I laughed, taking another sip of my pineapple smoothie. I had decided to meet her at The Good Life Eatery because their smoothies were ridic
KENDRICKI shouldn’t have kissed her. It wasn’t even a kiss worth overthinking—just her cheek, a brief moment of contact that should’ve meant nothing.But it did, and that was the problem.I ruffled my hair, staring blankly at the surveillance analytics displayed across my MacBook’s screen while ab







