LOGIN“Are you ready for the presentation?” Asher looked at Riley while walking. The corridor outside the executive meeting rooms buzzed with controlled urgency, voices echoing softly off polished glass walls and marble floors. Assistants moved quickly with tablets and folders in hand, while security stood at their posts, expressionless and alert. It was the kind of morning where every step felt calculated, every breath measured.Asher walked beside Riley, his pace steady, unhurried, yet purposeful. The tailored black suit he wore made him look carved out of shadow, his presence commanding without effort. Riley matched his stride, clutching her tablet to her chest, her mind clearly running through slides and figures.“The third segment needs a smoother transition,” Riley said, glancing down at her screen. “The clients will question scalability if it sounds too theoretical.”Asher nodded once, his eyes forward. “Keep it grounded. Numbers first. Vision after.”She took a breath, absorbing hi
THE NEXT MORNINGIvy stood near the window, arms crossed tightly over her chest, watching Aurelia pace back and forth with restless steps. The little girl’s shoulders were hunched, guilt written plainly in the way she kept twisting her fingers together.“You cannot do that again,” Ivy said gently but firmly, her voice carrying the weight of fear she was trying hard to hide. “You cannot just walk away like that. Not without telling anyone. Do you understand how scared I was?”Aurelia stopped pacing and looked up at her mother, eyes glossy. “I am sorry,” she whispered. “I did not think. I just…didn't like it here and no one was listening to me. .”Ivy’s expression softened instantly. She crossed the room in two quick steps and knelt, pulling Aurelia into her arms. Aurelia buried her face into Ivy’s shoulder, clinging tightly as if afraid she might disappear if she let go.“I know,” Ivy murmured, pressing a kiss into her hair. “But you have to tell me next time. Always tell me.”Aurelia
The silence did not last.Jason’s restraint snapped like a wire pulled too tight.“Who are you talking about?” he demanded, his voice rising sharply as he took a step forward, eyes blazing as they darted from Riley to Velvet to Asher. “I asked you all a question. What is going on?” No one answered him fast enough.That was enough.Jason turned on his heel, already moving toward the door as if sheer momentum could carry him straight to the truth. His hand was on the edge of the table, pushing himself forward, when another hand closed around his arm.“Slow down, brother.”Hayden stood there, calm but firm, his grip steady as he blocked Jason’s path. His expression was controlled, but his eyes held warning. He has just entered the house and felt the tense vibe of the house. “This is not how you handle things,” Hayden added quietly. “Running blind has never worked for you.”Jason yanked his arm back. “Do not lecture me right now,” he snapped, chest rising sharply. “If she is really back
The pillow came out of nowhere.Christopher barely had time to register the blur of white fabric before it smacked into his chest and slid down to the floor. He stared at it for half a second, then looked back at Ivy, who was sitting up in bed with fire in her eyes and color finally back in her cheeks.“What the hell do you mean by fiancée?” she demanded, her voice sharp, incredulous, and very much awake now.Christopher blinked once. Then he sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Do not ask me,” he said defensively. “Ask Christina. She is the one who said it out loud. I just went along with it.”Ivy grabbed another pillow and hugged it to her chest, glaring at him like she was seriously considering throwing that one too. “You just went along with it,” she repeated slowly, disbelief dripping from every syllable. “Do you have any idea what you started in that room?”He sat down on the edge of the bed, turning slightly toward her. “I was trying to protect you,” he said, softer now. “Yo
Asher took one step toward the bed the moment he saw Ivy's fingers twitch. It was instinctive. Primitive. His body moved before his mind could catch up, before logic or pride or rage could stop him.But Christopher was faster.He stepped directly into Asher’s path and shoved him hard enough that Asher staggered a half step back, the movement sharp and deliberate, territorial in a way that left no room for misunderstanding. Christopher did not look at him again. He turned his back fully, as if Asher no longer existed, and immediately sat on the edge of the bed.He reached for her hands and enclosed them between his own, gripping tightly as though afraid she might disappear if he loosened his hold.Asher froze.His hands curled into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening as he forced himself to stay where he was. The urge to tear Christopher away from her burned hot and violent in his chest, but he swallowed it down, jaw locking so hard it ached.“Oh my god, Eva, are you okay, love?” C
The suite was silent in a way that pressed against the chest.Not peaceful. Not calm.Controlled.Asher stood near the floor to ceiling windows, his back straight, his hands loosely clasped behind him as if he were holding himself together by force alone. The city lights bled into the glass, blurred by rain that had started sometime after they arrived. He did not look at the view. He had not looked away from the bed for a long time.Ivy lay there, pale against the white sheets, machines humming softly beside her. Her breathing was even now stabilized, the doctor’s quiet assurances still echoing faintly in his mind. She was alive. Consciousness would come back. They had said that it was simple.Asher did not move closer. He watched.He always watched.Her hair was darker than he remembered. Not much, just enough to notice. Back then it had caught the light more, a soft brown that warmed when she smiled. Now it was deeper, almost black, spread across the pillow like spilled ink. She had







