LOGINYULIATwo days had passed since Kendrick and I last saw each other, but somehow, he had been on my mind almost constantly.I was sitting behind my desk at Regent Law Group, reviewing the latest documents for Nikolai's case, when my phone suddenly rang. I glanced at the screen and immediately smiled when I saw my mother's name.I answered. “Hi, Mama.”“Yulia.”Her voice sounded unusually serious.I straightened in my chair. “What happened?”“We found Alexei.”My heart stopped for a second. “You found him?”“Yes.”I leaned back slowly. “Where?”“He was hiding in Paris.”Paris? Seriously?After everything he'd done, he'd actually thought he could disappear there.“Interesting. I hope you've not killed him,” I blurted, coiling a strand of my hair.My mother laughed softly. “No. We haven't.”I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.“But don't worry,” she continued. “He’ll be dealt with.”I frowned slightly. “What does that mean?”“You don't need to worry about that part. He
NATALIEI couldn't stop thinking about the time Kendrick came home last night. I had pretended to be asleep when I heard the bedroom door open. I stayed still and kept my breathing steady as he entered. The moment he disappeared into the walk-in closet, I silently reached for my phone to check the time. 10:45 p.m.My stomach tightened immediately.Kendrick’s late arrivals were highly unusual, but recently, a pattern of unexplained absences and distant behavior had begun to emerge.I already knew what my mind wanted to believe.Yulia.The thought had been sitting in the back of my head since that Sunday brunch. I hated that I had noticed and couldn't stop thinking about it.Kendrick didn't love me. I had known that for years. I stopped expecting affection from him long ago, and I learned to live with the coldness of our marriage.But knowing he didn't love me was different from knowing he might leave me one day. I wasn't ready for that. Not even close.Kendrick was my husband, but mo
KENDRICKI adjusted my shirt’s cuff as I stood beside the bed, making sure everything was back in place before I left. Yulia was still lying beneath the duvet, her hair spread across the pillow. She watched me quietly, her eyes following every movement as I buttoned my shirt and slipped my watch onto my wrist.I caught her staring and winked. She immediately looked away.I chuckled. “You missing me already?”“Yes,” she pouted.I grinned, leaned down, and kissed her. I pulled back, and she smiled a small smile.“I went to see Nikolai this morning,” she admitted.I bobbed my head. “What did he say?”“He mentioned someone named Anton Haywood.”“Anton Haywood?”“Yes. Nikolai said Anton works with Alexander and that they're friends. Apparently, Anton was the one who recommended Nikolai to Alexander because he thought Nikolai could help with Alexander's business.”I nodded slowly. “That makes the connection interesting.”“That's what I thought.”“What else did he say?”“He said Anton knew
YULIAAs our lips met, everything I'd been trying to keep under control slipped away. For four years, I had convinced myself that I had moved on and learned how to exist without Kendrick.But sitting there with his arms around me, feeling the warmth of his body beneath mine, I realized something I had spent years refusing to admit.I had never stopped loving him. Not even close.My fingers curled into the front of his shirt as I kissed him back, my heart pounding so hard I was certain he could feel it. He held me firmly but gently, as if he was afraid that if he loosened his arms, I might disappear again.I pulled back for a second, just enough to breathe. His forehead rested against mine.“I want you now,” I whispered.I was done fighting it. I wanted him. I wanted to stop thinking about the consequences for one night and simply let myself feel everything I had spent years trying to bury.Kendrick gently tilted my chin up, his eyes searching mine. “You sure?”“You scared?” I teased.
KENDRICKMy office had finally gone quiet. For most of the afternoon, I had been buried in meetings, emails, reports, and updates from the team working on the Nikolai case. I checked the clock and realized I hadn't looked away from my laptop screen in nearly two hours.My phone buzzed on my desk.Victor.As soon as I answered, his face appeared on the screen. “My man!”I chuckled. “What's up with you?”“Nothing much.” Victor winked, then said. “I met Yulia on Friday.”My mouth curved into a smile. “Did you?”“Yes.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Why didn't you tell me she was back?”I shrugged. “Maybe I wanted to see how long it would take you to figure it out.”Victor burst out laughing. “You're an idiot.”“Yeah, whatever.” I sank back in my chair. “Where did you see her?” “At Delphine's salon.”I nodded. That explained it. “Did she look good?”Victor gave me a look. “That's what you're asking?”“I'm curious.”“You're hopeless.”I laughed quietly.Victor suddenly smirked. “Oh, by the
YULIAThe new week started with another visit to the prison. When I entered the visiting room, Nikolai was already seated across the table. He looked tired, but his expression changed when he saw me.“Good morning,” I said, taking the chair opposite him.“Good morning, Ms. Adley.”I placed my folder on the table and opened it. “I have an update for you.”He immediately straightened. “Good or bad?”“Potentially good.”His shoulders relaxed slightly.“Kendrick Fernsby and his team have been reviewing the digital evidence again,” I explained. “They've found several things that don't match the prosecution's theory.”Nikolai listened carefully.“The device used to access the system wasn't one of your registered devices,” I continued. “There are also irregularities with the digital signature attached to one of the documents. You said you never created that document, correct?”“Correct.”“There are also timestamps that don't make sense. Activity connected to London, Moscow, and New York appe
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
YULIA“This is it?” I asked, glancing around the parking lot filled with cars. “Yes.” Kendrick parked his car and turned to me. “Ever been to a street race?”I shook my head wildly, speechless all of a sudden. His expression barely changed, but his eyes said otherwise . “Then prepare yourself. Yo
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







