LOGINSorenna’s POVThe messages kept coming. My phone vibrated again and again in my hand. I stood on the steps of Mara’s building with Kael beside me and watched the group chat fill with laughing emojis and sharp comments.Kael read the screen over my shoulder. His voice stayed quiet. “He took that picture without asking.”“Yes.”“Do you want me to say something in the chat?”“No. That will only make it worse.” I locked the phone and pushed it into my pocket. “I need to go inside and talk to Mara first.”Kael nodded. “I will wait out here if you want. Or I can leave. Your choice.”I looked at him under the porch light. The anger from the photo still sat in my chest, but it was not aimed at him. “Wait. Please.”He stepped back onto the sidewalk and leaned against the low wall. I went inside.Mara met me in the hallway. Her face told me she had already seen everything. “I tried to shut it down. Jett is being an idiot.”“He has been an idiot for months.” I walked past her into the living roo
Sorenna’s POVJett’s car idled at the curb. He kept his arm on the open window and stared at Kael like he owned the whole block.Kael did not move closer to me or step back. He simply looked at Jett and spoke in a calm voice. “I did not see any signs that said she was off limits.”Jett’s mouth tightened. “Everyone in the group knows. She says no for a reason. You do not get to show up and act special.”I stepped forward so I stood between them. “Stop talking about me like I am not here. I decide who walks with me. Not you. Not the group.”Jett’s eyes shifted to my face. “I am looking out for you. This guy is new. Cassian said he is only around for a while. Do not let him waste your time.”Kael’s voice stayed even. “She can decide that for herself.”The air felt thick. A car passed on the main road and the sound faded fast. I kept my arms at my sides and spoke clearly. “Go home, Jett. This is not your business.”He stared at me for another long second. Then he looked at Kael one more t
Sorenna’s POVI stood in the kitchen of Mara’s apartment with a half empty cup of soda and watched another guy from the group try his luck. His name was Jett. He leaned against the counter too close and smiled like he already knew the answer.“Come on, Sorenna. One date. Just dinner. I will not even try to hold your hand if you do not want.”I kept my voice even. “No, Jett. Same answer as last month.”He laughed like it was a joke. “You say that to everyone. One day someone is going to change your mind.”I turned away and rinsed my cup. Behind me the others talked and laughed. The group had been the same for two years. Mara, Tamsin, the guys who floated in and out, and me. Pretty much every guy in the circle had asked me out at some point. I said no each time. Not because I hated them. I just never felt the spark that made the risk worth it.Mara appeared at my side and bumped my shoulder. “You are going to run out of polite ways to turn them down.”“I still have a few left.”She grin
Mira’s POVMorning light slipped through the wide windows and landed across the bed. I woke to the steady sound of Rhys breathing beside me. His arm rested heavy over my waist. For a few quiet seconds I let myself stay still and feel the warmth of him.Then the memory of the last message returned. Watch the morning news. Your restaurant will not survive what comes next.I reached for my phone on the nightstand. Rhys stirred as soon as I moved. His eyes opened. He did not ask what I was doing. He simply sat up with me and waited while I unlocked the screen.No new messages. I opened a local news site and scrolled. Nothing about the restaurant. Nothing about me. Relief loosened the tight place in my chest, but only a little.Rhys took the phone from my hand and set it aside. “We handle this today. Together.”“How?”“I already sent a message to my lawyer last night after you fell asleep. Ethan made a threat. That photo was taken without consent on private property. We have ground to stan
Mira’s POVRhys pulled the car to the side of the road under a broken streetlight. The engine kept running. Soft heat came from the vents. I still held the phone like it might burn my hand.“Show me,” he said.I turned the screen toward him. The photo was clear. My open shirt. His hand on my waist. The kitchen light behind us. The message underneath left no room for doubt.Rhys read it once. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel until the leather creaked. “Ethan.”“It has to be.” My voice sounded thin. “He was right there. He must have taken it before I closed the door all the way.”Rhys stared at the photo for another long second. Then he looked at me. “He wants you to leave me.”“Yes.”“Are you going to?”The question hung between us. I shook my head. “No. But if that picture goes public the restaurant will suffer. Reviews. Customers. Everything I built.”Rhys reached over and took the phone from my hand. He locked the screen and set it in the cup holder. “Then we deal with it
Mira’s POVThe pounding on the front door kept going. Each hit made the glass rattle. I sat frozen on the prep counter with my shirt half open and Rhys still standing between my knees. His hands rested on my bare waist. Heat from his palms soaked into my skin.“Mira, open the damn door,” the voice called again. “I can see the light in the kitchen.”Rhys’s jaw flexed. He did not step back. “That is him.”“Yes.” My fingers shook as I started buttoning my shirt. The fabric felt too thin all of a sudden. “Ethan.”Rhys helped me with the last two buttons, his knuckles brushing my collarbone. The touch was careful but it still sent a shiver straight down my spine. “You do not have to open it.”“If I do not he will keep yelling until someone on the street calls the police.”Rhys gave a short nod and finally moved away. The space he left felt cold. I slid off the counter. My legs were unsteady. I smoothed my hair and walked toward the front of the restaurant. Rhys stayed two steps behind me,
Elena’s POV I paid the taxi driver with the last of my cash and stepped out onto the gravel driveway, my paint bag slung over one shoulder. The mansion loomed in front of me, huge and old, with lights glowing in some of the windows. My stomach was doing that nervous flip it always does before som
Elena’s POVI followed Damien down the narrow stairs to the lower levels of the mansion, my heart beating fast in my chest. The air grew cooler and heavier as we descended. My short black dress barely covered my thighs, and I felt exposed already. Damien’s hand stayed firm on my lower back, guiding
Elena’s POVSunlight streamed through the big studio windows the next morning. My body still ached from last night. Damien’s cum had dried on my thighs. I stood in front of the blank canvas with shaky hands, trying to focus on work.The door opened suddenly. Damien walked in wearing a fitted black
Elena’s POVDamien’s hand covered my mouth quickly. His eyes warned me to stay silent. My heart raced as the woman’s voice came again from behind the door.“Damien? I know you’re in there. The Velvet Board needs you downstairs now,” she called. She sounded impatient.He leaned close to my ear. “Not







