LOGINMIRANDAAfter the insulting call, I felt an overwhelming urge to smash my smartphone directly into the paved sidewalk, or better yet, to physically manifest right across the cellular line and slap Charlotte to death. What on earth was the meaning of this childish power play? What did the bitch mean by ordering me to walk down the open street like a common pedestrian?My own vehicle was parked a mere few yards away near the café entrance. I could easily turn on my heel right now, slip into the plush leather seat, and drive slowly down the road to meet her—or better still, I could just go the fuck home. And then, I could text her some dramatic excuse about my pregnancy acting up and be done with it. So damn easy! The best thing even, considering the unfavourable circumstances…But I forced myself to calm down, taking a slow, shaky breath. Since I was already out here in the heat, I might as well go all out.Stamping down the furious rage that was actively building both inside and ou
MIRANDAFinally, the lukewarm chamomile tea began to burn the back of my throat as I sipped it slowly, staring blankly out the window of the upscale café. I tried with everything I had to completely ignore the toxic buzzing and whispered murmurs radiating from the other patrons around me—a suffocating noise that had literally doubled the exact second I had stepped foot into the restaurant.From the corner of my eyes, I could see two girls at a corner table blatantly holding up their smartphones, taking a couple of pictures of my face. On a good day, a beautiful day, I would have been absolutely ecstatic to receive that kind of attention. But these were not good days. Not at all.Since that disastrous engagement evening, and the social media post my mother had deleted from my timeline—which I understood now was so unnecessary, things really did take a turn for the worse. Even though the text had only been up for a mere sixty seconds, more than half of the city had already seen the
ELARA“Good heavens! What Killian Voken does to my little sister… I swear I should personally kill him. This cannot be healthy…”What?I snapped my head up from my lap, my laughter cutting off mid-breath as I stared in absolute surprise at the tall figure leaning against my office door. It was Julian. He was standing there with his arms crossed loosely over his chest, a thoroughly amused, teasing glint in his eyes as he watched me.Why was Julian always intercepting cute moments like this? If this continues, he would be the one being killed… by me.I quickly cleared my tight throat, firmed my lips, and dropped my smartphone onto the mahogany desk surface. But the smile just completely refused to leave my lips. It returned the next second, and I gave up warring against it.Julian let out a loud tsk then, shaking his head in mock disapproval as he stepped into the office proper, smoothly shutting the heavy door behind him.My cheeks instantly blushed a deep, hot crimson. “What on eart
ELARAI pressed the teddy bear back into its place at the corner of my desk, smiled at it for a moment that was probably too long, and opened the premium lunch pack. My mouth instantly watered as the rich, savory aroma of pan-seared truffles and premium steak hit the air, causing a low, appreciative moan to escape my lips in the quiet office.Needing to hear from him immediately, I grabbed my smartphone. I paused for a fleeting second, my thumb hovering over the screen as a practical thought crossed my mind. Was he currently locked in an important international meeting right now? My mind instantly teased me back—Does that even matter?I laughed softly, shaking my head. Not really. No matter what ungodly hour my messages arrived, or how critical his business surroundings were, Killian always replied to me within the next second. It didn't matter if he was standing right in the middle of a multi-million dollar corporate presentation. Or if he was negotiating with a client.I knew t
ELARAMy heart felt impossibly, weightlessly light.A permanent smile had taken up residence on my lips since morning, helpless and wide, and every single time I attempted to drag my focus back to the corporate files spread open across my desk, my eyes betrayed me. They drifted—inevitably, shamelessly—back to the objects cluttering my workspace like a small, intimate exhibition.The heavy car keys first. Midnight-black, engraved with a custom crest, resting against the polished wood like something out of a dream I hadn't dared to have yet. Then the flowers—lilies and orchids bundled together in a lavish arrangement, their fragrance so rich and sweet it had been softening the air in my office all morning. Beside them sat an exquisite gourmet lunch that had been hand-delivered less than fifteen minutes ago, still warm. And anchoring the entire scene, right at the corner of my desk, a plush, round-bellied teddy bear, cream-colored and soft, with a love letter looped around its neck on
SHAWNI stepped out of the bathroom, steam curling at my heels, and immediately checked the time on the guest room wall clock.10:00 AM.I frowned, a sharp line cutting into my brow. Shouldn’t the old man be at the headquarters today? It was a Thursday—a prime business day. He should be locked in a boardroom, desperately trying to keep the Linday empire afloat or orchestrating ways to handle the fallout from Elara’s sudden ascension. Or… had he been completely sacked from his positions too?I shuddered at the dark thought, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of my neck. I desperately hoped not. If the old man fell, the hefty weekly allowance he consistently transferred into my private bank account would vanish with him. As a matter of fact, the wheels in my mind started turning with a sudden, electric velocity—I might actually need to use that money today after all.The realization amped my system, injecting a rush of adrenaline into my veins that made me hurry through my dressin
ELARA“How do you feel now?”Killian's deep voice sliced smoothly through the muffled sounds of the gala as his hand gently guided me through the glass doors, leading us out onto one of the expansive terraces overlooking the city skyline.The second we stepped outside, the suffocating noise vanished
SHAWN“Who is that?” I sighed, my shoulders sagging, having no wish to talk at all. My head throbbed with the remnants of the gala's noise, and I just wanted to do what I came here to do—find some way to sleep and gather my wits together. Hopefully, Miranda hadn’t known or seen what had happened
ELARAThe sight was better seen than imagined. Watching Shawn’s face contort at different angles, different expressions flashing across his features like a glitching screen—the most visible being sheer, soul-crushing disbelief—made every second of this drama worth it. His mouth hung open, his eye
SHAWNThey were talking about me. I was sure of it. And from the calculative looks in their eyes, combined with the hardcore dread crawling up my spine—as if the humiliation I was already saddled with tonight wasn't enough—I knew the jewelry incident wasn't all they had for me. It wasn't all they







