MasukLilith’s POVI slammed Tyla’s door shut harder than necessary, the sound echoing through her living room like a visible punctuation to the storm already brewing inside me.“Unbelievable,” I snapped, tossing my bag onto her couch and pacing immediately. Sitting still felt impossible. My skin buzzed with irritation, my every nerve on edge. “Absolutely unbelievable.”Tyla didn’t even flinch. She leaned back against her kitchen counter, arms folded, lips twitching like she was only seconds away from laughing. “You have said that three times already,” she said calmly. “And you have only been here for five minutes.”“I’m serious, Tyla.” I dragged a hand through my hair, turning sharply to face her. “Those sisters….Lyra and Kyra….are officially the most annoying human beings to ever walk the face of this earth. I don’t know how they do it, but every time that I think they can’t possibly get under my skin any more than they already have, they somehow find a way.”Tyla finally laughed, soft an
Nolan’s POVI had been staring at my screen for so long that the numbers were beginning to blur together. The competition was closing in, the deadlines were merciless, and the piles of documents on my desk seemed capable of replicating themselves every time I blinked. Sometimes I wondered if Cassian had secretly cursed me with the ability to attract work with magnetic force.I pushed another file aside, exhaling slowly. Just one more report. Just one more projection. Just one more responsibility on top of the dozen already weighing on my shoulders.The shrill beep of the intercom cut through my concentration.“Sir?” Mia’s voice drifted through. “You have a visitor.”My brow furrowed. “I’m not expecting anyone. Who is it?”“She said her name is Kyra.”Of course.Just what I needed today.“Send her in,” I said, even though every instinct in me wanted to climb out of the window instead.The door opened before I could stack my documents neatly. Kyra stepped inside as if the office belonge
Lilith’s POVI woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing relentlessly under my pillow, an unfamiliar vibration pattern that immediately jerked me from sleep. Nolan and Cassian were both gone from the hallway outside my room; the house had that early-morning stillness where even the walls seemed half-awake.I blinked until my eyes adjusted, reached for my phone, and frowned at the unknown number flashing across the screen.I should have ignored it.I really, really should have ignored it.But I opened the message.And the second I did, my stomach dropped so violently It felt like the floor would split beneath me.A picture filled my screen, it was Cassian’s unmistakable silhouette, unmistakable posture, unmistakable proximity…. And Lyra draped beside him, her mouth near his neck, his hand resting on her thigh. The lighting was unmistakably a club or a bar. Cassian looked intoxicated, leaning in, letting her close.My heart didn’t just sink.It ignited with
Cassian’s POVThe bass from the underground club vibrated through the cracked concrete walls long before I reached the door. It wasn’t the clean, flashy kind of club music, this was the kind that's deep, ugly, thumping noise, the kind that settled in your chest like a second heartbeat. The kind this crowd preferred.The kind that said:If you walk in, you better be ready for blood or business.Tonight, I came solely for business.The two guards at the door straightened when they saw what…who….I dragged behind me. The Viper member stumbled, wrists bound, his face swollen from the beating I had given him earlier. He tried to stand taller, tried to act like he wasn’t terrified, but his legs shook more with every step.One of the guards flashed a look at the other.I pushed past them.If the gang leaders wanted evidence, I brought them evidence.Inside, smoke curled thick around the red flashing lights. The air tasted of sweat, alcohol, and something metallic. The massive warehouse-turned
Lilith’s POVLyra stared at her phone a moment longer, her expression tightening by a fraction, so slight that anyone else would’ve missed it. But I’d spent enough time around Cassian to recognize the signs. The twins might play in chaos, but every now and then something real cracked through the glitter.Then it was gone. Lyra snapped the mask back into place and shoved the phone into her jacket.“Alright,” she chirped, “warehouse tour done. Let’s go test the bikes.”I blinked. “Test the bikes?”“Oh yeah,” she said, already walking backwards toward the exit. “You didn’t think I brought you all the way here without trying out the prototypes, did you? That would be boring.”Before I could answer, she spun around and strode toward the garage bay like she owned the building.I followed, mostly because if I didn’t, she’d probably steal something or blow something up or both.The garage opened into an outdoor lot. Wind whipped through the open space, carrying the scent of steel and oil and
Lilith’s POVThe next few days blurred into a fast-paced whirlwind, from the design meetings to prototype inspections, supplier calls, contractor updates, and more strategy sessions than any sane human should endure before breakfast. And yet, in some ridiculous twist of fate, I wasn’t tired. I was wired. Fired up. Determined. The challenge was everything now, not just professionally, but personally.Theo thought he could snatch the contract out from under us? Selene somewhat thought that her smirking threats could rattle me? The twins with their chaos and Cassian-flavored games? No. Not this time.But even as I organized meetings and reviewed preliminary designs, my thoughts drifted more often than I really wanted to admit.Cassian.Where was he with the gang leaders?Why hadn’t I asked him properly?Why did I keep on avoiding the subject?Every time I remembered Selene’s smug face in that restaurant, talking about “Cassian’s unresolved problems” as if she had a fucking right to use h







