I hope she’s worth it

JULIAN’S POV It took alot of willpower not to smash everything on my desk after Zoe ended the call. The moment Peter, the head of my PR team, had told me there was another issue whilst turning his laptop screen towards me, with images of Zoe and me plastered all over it, I knew things were deeper than I thought. I stood near the conference room window dialing Zoe’s number again but it went straight to voicemail. Either she had turned off her phone or she had redirected my calls. “What do we do about the articles and images sir?” Sarah the head of my legal team, asked. “The public is asking questions. How do they trust the integrity of a candidate who is having an affair with an employee?” I turned to face the room, my features schooled into impassivity. “Issue a statement making it clear that Hart Holdings takes the privacy of its employees seriously. These allegations are baseless, and we will not allow fabricated narratives to dictate how this company operates. I wa

A cowards way out

ZOE’S POV I knew what I had done was a coward's way out but I really hadn’t been thinking when I called Maureen on Sunday night and requested to take three days off my yearly leave. So here I was on a Tuesday morning walking down the shopping aisle, absentmindedly adding items to my shopping cart. The weekend had gone by in a blur, with me being tucked in bed and occasionally responding to messages and video calls from the messy Express group chat. Lani and Ella were worried about me so they had constantly kept checking in. Julian had called at least two dozen times in the last seventy-two hours but I hadn't picked up. I still needed time; I wasn't ready to be sucked in by his intoxicating presence just yet. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. But apparently, Julian Hart had decided that if I wouldn’t answer his calls, he would simply find other ways to get my attention. It started on Saturday. A dozen bouquets of white roses had arrived at my apartment with

We have a suspect

JULIAN’S POV I’d spent most of the weekend dealing with the mess surrounding my campaign, trying to contain the damage before it spread any further. But no matter how many calls I made or how many meetings I scheduled, my mind kept returning to Zoe. I’d called, texted, and even considered driving to her apartment before reminding myself that she’d explicitly asked for space. It was the only reason I hadn’t gone. I wasn’t proud of how often I’d checked my phone over the weekend, either. Patrick was navigating the Monday morning Manhattan traffic when my phone rang. It was Raymond. I answered immediately.“Tell me you have something.” “Good morning to you too, Mr. Hart.” “Raymond.” He chuckled. “I’ve got something you should see. Check your email.” I pulled my laptop closer and opened the email application on my phone. A new message sat at the top of my inbox, containing several attachments.“What am I looking at?” “Richard Forrester. Yesterday evening. He met with a w

How beautiful you look

JULIAN’S POV The smile wouldn't leave my face as I stared at my message thread with Zoe. She just agreed to have dinner with me. I scrolled through my phone and immediately called the manager at The Modern, one of Manhattan’s most exclusive restaurants.“I need a private dining room for two tonight. Seven PM.” There was a brief pause.“Of course, Mr. Hart. Would you prefer the chef’s tasting menu or the à la carte experience?” “À la carte. And I want the room completely private.” “Certainly, sir.” “No other guests. I don’t want anyone walking in unless I authorize it.” “Understood. Would you like us to arrange anything special?” I thought about it for a second. “No. Just make sure everything is perfect.” When I ended the call, I leaned back in my chair and s

Corporate sabotage isn't new

JULIAN By the time we arrived at the restaurant, the city had begun to glitter beneath the evening sky, the streets alive with headlights and the glow of towering buildings. I handed the keys of my Porsche Panamera to the valet and walked around to Zoe’s side of the car. She accepted my offered hand as she stepped out and her gaze lifted toward the hotel. “Julian.” I knew that tone. It was the ‘this is too much tone.’ “What?” I smiled in amusement. She looked at the entrance, then back at me.“Please tell me you haven’t booked the entire restaurant.” I laughed because that was exactly what I had done but I wasn't going to tell her that. I decided to settle for a half-truth.“Not the entire restaurant.” She narrowed her eyes. “That pause before you answered was suspicious.” “I booked a private dining room.” A smile tugged at her lips and my heart skipped at how beautiful she looked. “Of course you did. Why am I not surprised?” “Would you have preferred to eat in t

Not going to leave

ZOE’S POV The most dangerous thing about Julian Hart was that he didn’t have to touch me to make me feel him everywhere. He was simply driving and that was enough to leave me hot and bothered. One hand rested on the steering wheel, the other occasionally shifting gears as we moved through Manhattan’s evening traffic. The lights from passing cars swept across his face, catching the sharp line of his jaw, the straight bridge of his nose, and the faint stubble I had spent the better part of dinner trying not to stare at. Trying, and failing. God, I had missed him. My gaze dropped to his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, and a memory flashed through my mind. Of those same hands holding me down while his mouth and body drove me out of my mind. I swallowed. It had been more than a week since we had been intimate and although I enjoyed dinner, being close to him just made the ache much worse. I tore my gaze from him and looked out the window and my reflection stare