Semua Bab The Valiant Trilogy: Bab 101 - Bab 110

I finish signing the last piece of paper, making my transfer to the marketing team official, and then pop the top of my brand-new company-provided laptop. It's a new week and a new department. Sitting floors below Vincent has left me hollow. I'm aware we're in the same building, but this space is so much different from the one I've shared with him for the last few weeks.The marketing department is a wide-open floor with basic carpeting and white walls. Gray soft padding lines each of our cubicles, but otherwise it's plain and boring. Nothing like the almost homey space I used to call an office sitting right outside Vincent's door. He even had a plush leather couch in his office and two bookcases full of reading material.While he used to drive me nuts with his fingers clicking over his keypad as he smashed them into oblivion, now the whole floor is full of various people tapping away at their devices. I'd much rather it be replaced with the sound of his angry death strokes.But

I hit refresh, certain they're having a problem at the bank. My account has extra zeros. Not so many as it puts me into rich terms but more money than I should have at this point in the month. Something has to be wrong. My blood pressure rises in my panic as I try to work the math in my head.With another quick click, I scan my transaction history to find out when the money came in. There were the normal things I remember, items that took money out of my account rather than put it in—an extra run by McDonald's for Ashley one afternoon, a second trip to the store to buy more ice cream and then the auto deductions for our rent. But one very large payment is missing.Shit.The bank didn't take out my student loan payment four days ago when it should have. As it has every month for the last two years. Most of my student loan payments won't come due until I'm six months out of graduate school, but a few of them have been accruing interest the entire time I was in college, and I've bee

The light kiss on my forehead is the first thing that rouses me from sleep, but the whispered, "Good morning," in my ear causes one eye to flutter open."Hmmm." I roll over, trying to get away from the man working so hard to wake me up, even if he smells of clean aftershave and a fresh shower. "Ten more minutes."The smooth vibration of his laugh fills my soul with something it's been lacking for longer than I knew, but it's quickly doused with water when he flips me over on the bed and reaches across my body to grab ahold of my ass cheek. His wet hair drips on my face and I use a hand to pull the covers up, shielding me from his onslaught. To my dismay Vincent tugs them down easily and then crawls back underneath them, not resting his head on a pillow."My mom likes you," Vincent drags me to him and I nuzzle my head against his chest, preferring that over a pillow any day. His skin is smooth, and he smells of fresh soap and shampoo."Why are we discussing this now?" Sun peeks

Most of downtown is deserted as the state employees try to get out of the city early on a Friday afternoon. The warm sun hits my face and I smile up at the bright sky. It's the first time I've been out of Vincent's building in the last three days. The glorious thing about having a mega-rich billionaire for a boyfriend—if he is my boyfriend—is that he doesn't care how much it costs to have food delivered every single night. Between going to work, back to his place, and then back to work I've only viewed the outside through his floor-to-ceiling windows.But now it's time to go home to my own place. Check in on my roommate and maybe institute a girls' night Friday movie-fest. Past the church on the corner of North Ottawa, I turn left, my apartment building looming on the street when my phone dings with a text.V: What do you want for dinner? I'll have it waiting.I palm the phone between my two hands and smile. The one person I didn't warn I'd be returning home this evening was Vinc

In a routine, which is becoming familiar, I drop my purse in the bottom desk drawer and then take a seat in my padded office chair and flip open my laptop at the end of another work week. It's been calm with Ashley for five full days. Not a drop of alcohol has entered her mouth. I've spent my days shuffling between her and Vincent and I'm ready for a break.Dawn, wearing one spritz of perfume too many, hovers at the edge of my cubicle before I can even turn on my machine. "Good morning. Did you have a good evening last night?"Why does it look like all the employees of Valiant Industries are morning people? Who can be so peppy this early except Vincent himself? The whole thing feels unnatural. Maybe they put something in the coffee."Yeah, it was okay. Amy called a few moments ago and said you're needed on the eighteenth floor. Head there first and then we'll start our morning meeting at ten. Don't be late.""No problem."Dawn walks away, not asking me any other questions aft