All Chapters of Belonging to Lockhart: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

"The entire testing group successfully downloaded the app to their phones."Dariel stood in front of the whiteboard in our office, reading aloud from the report. I probably should’ve been paying attention, but my focus had long drifted. Instead, I stared out the floor-to-ceiling window, silently wondering if Theron was as distracted as I was.Technically, I was doing what he’d told me to working but it had nothing to do with obedience. Forgetting him? That was the real impossibility. Every memory of his mouth, his tongue, his fingers on me sent a shiver straight down my spine. My lower belly coiled with longing each time his filthy promises echoed in my head. I hated him for leaving me this way... and yet, I wanted him even more for it.“Each participant created an account using the instructions we provided,” Dariel continued. “We should receive their first completed surveys in about an hour.” His voice filled the room. “They’ve been divided into three teams: the first will follow all

AMARIS POVThe last of the board members and external consultants filtered out of the conference room, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor. Some paused to offer their congratulations, their smiles genuine. Others made their way over to Theron, quiet disappointment etched across their features, veiling their words in strained politeness.I stood in a daze, half-anchored to the present, half-suspended in disbelief. The project had always been more than just ambition it was my vision brought to life through the grit and brilliance of my team. Yet, even with that certainty, I knew the room wasn’t filled with only allies. Today, we had gained approval, but we had also gained enemies powerful ones."I'm excited to download your app," Manny said with a wide grin, clasping my hand warmly. "Theron would’ve been out of his mind not to vote in favor."I returned his smile. “Thank you… and thanks for casting your vote with us.”“Anytime,” he said, arms opening slightly as if

Renzo Lockhart.Theron’s cousin the man most likely to inherit the consortium if Theron fell short of his father’s expectations. I didn’t know much about him, but I instinctively knew I needed to. Calling Theron seemed like the best option if I wanted any real insight into what kind of man I was about to face.One thing was certain: if Jareth Lockhart placed any value on him, Renzo was undoubtedly cold, calculating and dangerous.I sent Theron a message as I exited the Lockhart Digital building. While en route to the consortium, I attempted calling him twice. No response. No text back. Just silence.Shit.I was on my own.Merritt pulled the car to a smooth stop in front of the consortium’s main entrance, and an uneasy rhythm began to drum against my ribcage. The structure towered over Lockhart Digital Entertainment at least twice the size and every inch of it belonged to the Lockharts. I craned my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the top, and my breath snagged mid-lung.Just the sig

A sharp, hysterical laugh threatened to escape, clawing its way up my throat but I swallowed it just in time. My gaze stayed locked on Renzo’s face, dissecting every subtle line and twitch of his expression with defiant intensity.“Don’t joke like that,” I said quietly, shifting my eyes to the wine glass in front of me.He exhaled heavily. “I made you uncomfortable. Again.”I took a generous sip of wine before meeting his gaze. “It’s not about being uncomfortable, Renzo. We agreed on honesty, didn’t we? But when you say things like that, it makes me question your real motives.”His eyes widened just slightly but enough for me to catch the flicker of surprise.“Why?” he asked. “Is it so hard to believe I can read people well? It doesn’t take long for me to figure out if someone’s worth the effort.”I let out a bitter smile. “Read people? Are you telling me you didn’t have someone dig up everything about me before I walked into your office? That you weren’t already armed with a dossier?

AMARIS POVTheron’s words echoed through my mind like an unwelcome melody on repeat. Renzo’s behavior had always set off alarm bells in my head, but hearing that he may have actually hurt the women he’d dated turned my stomach. There was a deep, gnawing unease inside me now.I was relieved that he hadn’t called or texted since that dinner. It gave me space to pour my full attention into getting the Radiant App ready for its official launch a task that, frankly, was proving to be a monumental pain in the ass.You’d think that having an entire team working on this project would mean smoother progress. Yeah, no. We’d been promised a group of specialists for the job professionals, or so they claimed. In reality, they were barely competent.“Amateurs! Absolute fucking amateurs!” Romilly’s voice rang through the hallway as she stormed toward our office.I let out a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “What now?”She stomped in and threw her hands up in frustration. “They butchered t