LOGINREVAThe evening had softened, and we had long finished eating, with the remnants of dinner cleared away and the warmth remaining in the room.Levi had also prepared dessert, a chocolate cherry tart that was just as rich and indulgent as the rest of the meal. I had taken my time with it, savoring each bite, and now we're tangled on the sofa, the television playing softly in the background.It was a medical drama that I enjoyed and would normally be completely absorbed in, but I paid little attention to it, the flickering images and distant dialogue fading into nothing against the intimacy of the moment.The fireplace flickered gently nearby, casting a warm light throughout the room, while outside, the weather had turned, with rain tapping against the windows and the cold pressing against the glass.But it did not reach us.I was tucked into him, his arm securely wrapped around me, as the calm rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek became my main focus without realizing it.We tol
REVAI arrived at Levi's just before seven p.m. with the sky deepening into evening as the car came to a stop. I stepped out of the car without further ado, and the strange sensation of being watched intensified.It had not started there. The feeling had followed me from my apartment, lingering in the back of my mind no matter how hard I tried to shake it, as the footage of Levi and me kept playing in my head, no matter how hard I tried to turn it off.I tried to focus on something else, like the fact that it was over with Nikolai, that I no longer had to sit across from attorneys, and that I had finally severed that tie completely. When I transferred his money back, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing that I no longer had to worry about his bills, care, or life.He was free from me. Just what he wanted. But the feeling persisted, and I kept wondering if Hunter was following me or if he and Nikolai had hired someone to do so.I shut the car door and made my way toward the
REVAStepping out of the building, I spotted Hunter almost immediately. He stood to the side of the building, just beyond the main entrance's direct line of sight, tucked into a section of the wall that curved slightly inward. Anyone walking in or out would miss him unless they were looking for him. My heart pounded harder with each step I took toward him, the sound echoing in my ears. But I didn't slow down because the image from my phone was still vivid in my mind, replaying itself as I closed the gap between us.I didn't want Levi involved in my mess.I demanded to know what he had just sent me before I could fully reach him. I asked him how he got that footage, my voice tight with panic, but he didn't respond; instead, he began walking toward me.His hands were in his pockets, and he closed the gap between us with a calm that made everything worse as he kept walking until I found myself backing up against the wall.My breath caught because of how close he was, and he stared direc
REVAI finally backed away from the kiss, my breath uneven and my hands still resting against him, as I didn't want to let go but needed to. For a moment, I just looked at him, taking him in as the warmth in my chest turned into quiet gratitude, not just for the lovely surprise, but also for being mine.Finally finding my voice, I thanked him for the basket and flowers, realizing that the larger bouquets must also have come from him, as they were familiar.He said I was welcome and reached back to properly close the door behind him, blocking out the noise of the hospital, while I continued to tell him how I had walked in not knowing how I'd face my colleagues, only to be hit by such a heart-warming scene. I told him how moved I was by what they did.Levi agreed it was sweet of them, and I mentioned that I suspected the PR woman was behind it. He confirmed this. She came to him, explained what they wanted to do for me, and asked for his approval because he was in charge of my departmen
REVAI pulled into the parking lot, already late, and the knowledge sat uncomfortably in my chest as I turned off the car. It didn't look good after being away. Plus, I didn't want it to appear that I was taking advantage of my boss now that we were dating.I'd always been disciplined. But this morning, I barely made it out of bed. My body was heavy with exhaustion from spending hours on the phone with Levi last night.We had not seen each other since we parted ways the day before. He had performed a successful surgery. But that wasn't the end of his day. He had contracts from a large project that his family was involved in.Last night, I learned that they were planning to build luxury hospitals and that multiple companies had submitted bids. Their foundation oversaw everything, but final decisions required his and his father's approval.So he met with the people they had appointed to manage the project, and there was still more waiting for him. He was more than just a surgeon; he was
HUNTER I stared at the screen, my eyes moving slowly as each line shook me to the core. Danielle's file was not what I was expecting. The polished image and status I remembered were nowhere to be found. Instead, I saw a long, ugly pattern.She'd been arrested several times. Not once or twice, but enough to show that she had fallen hard from whatever she had been before. Breaking into her ex-husband's home was detailed, as was the theft of expensive jewelry and his car.There were additional charges stacked beneath it. Possession of controlled substances. Shoplifting at high-end stores. Disorderly conduct. Public intoxication. There was even a record of her being arrested for attempting to sell stolen property.It read like a steady descent, with each entry worse than the previous one, confirming that she had spiraled far beyond anything I could have imagined.My heart raced faster and faster as I continued reading. She had also been arrested for attacking her own mother and charged w
LEVII turned to my mother as Reva and my father disappeared into the house. “I hope you don't mind that I brought her," I said, and Mother quickly waved her hand dismissively. “Of course, I don't mind," she said before I could finish, but her eyes said something else, and I was about to ask when s
REVA“Mrs. Belkov?" Dr. Jacobs' voice echoed over the phone. “Are you still there?" That brought me out of the confused haze. “Yes," I quickly replied, forcing air back into my lungs. “I am here."I opened my mouth, prepared to say I had no idea why Nikolai had asked for me. I wanted to tell him th
THIRD-PARTY VIEWPOINTNikolai stumbled out of the penthouse and froze, realizing his car was not in the driveway. Only Hunter's car was present, so he rushed back inside, tearing through the place until he grabbed Hunter's keys from the counter. He didn't slow down and drove away in Hunter's car li
NIKOLAIThe music cut out. “Security department, this is Mark speaking," a guy's voice came through from the other side of the line, and I straightened instinctively. “My name is Hunter Starling. I was transferred from reception to discuss security footage from Christmas Eve."“Yes, Mr. Starling,"







