“Make sure everyone’s ready, I’m about to enter,” the woman said through her phone as she stepped into the Westfield Century Mall with droves of other shoppers.Children running around as their parents struggle to rein them in, teenagers giggling about, and tourists looking around as if they’ve never seen a mall before. The perfect place to do anything without having to fear anyone observing.“Oh, they are ready. Everyone is just waiting for you,” a honeyed voice answered. “See how we’re all working so well together? I don’t know why you would want to get out of this.”The woman rolled her eyes at the false sweetness in the man’s tone. “Damien, I’ve already told you before I even joined this group. I’m not doing this permanently. So take whatever plans you have in that scheming head of yours and shove it up your ass,” she sharply replied.The man groaned, pleasured by her boldness, “There’s the Eve that I love! I always wonder why you just don’t say yes to being my woman. We’re like a

Lucky for August, the “family” dinner was as pleasant as meals with Hanleys went. It was the usual passive-aggressiveness from Julia and her two younger children that went over his father’s head. Grandma Carilla and Nathan’s silence as they try to appease both sides. And Owen’s lack of awareness as head of the family."Sir, are you sure you don’t want to use the private plane? It would be more comfortable and faster for you,” August’s assistant informed him. Having no patience to stay there any longer, he decided to book a flight to Alaska. It was Carilla who suggested that he go to their unused winter home if he needed somewhere to let off some steam.“I’m sure, Ezra. And you don’t have to come with me. Just take this time off, alright?”And that’s where he was now, sitting on one of the hard chairs in the airport waiting space. Instead of scrutinizing a joint venture contract, August found himself watching a woman a few seats away. More specifically, he was fascinated with what and