Chapter Twenty One

Morning light filtered through the glass façade of Atlas Tower as Eric Keaton stepped into the lobby a little after seven-thirty. The marble floor reflected the bustle of early arrivals—assistants clutching tablets, analysts balancing coffee cups, security greeting executives by name.Eric nodded to the receptionist. “Morning, Clara.”“Morning, Mr. Keaton.”The title still felt strange. Mr. Keaton. He was only twenty-nine. By the time he reached his office on the twenty-second floor, his phone was already buzzing with notifications. He dropped his briefcase on the desk and opened his laptop. Emails flooded the screen; Marketing performance report.Sales update from the European team.Reminder: 8:30 strategy briefing.Eric rubbed his temple and began scanning the numbers.“Morning.”He glanced up. Daniel Park, one of the analysts on his project team, leaned against the doorway holding a tablet.“Have you seen the campaign results yet?” Daniel asked.“Just opening them now,” Eric said.

Chapter Twenty Two

Eric stepped out of the elevator when it reached the underground parking level. The echo of footsteps bounced faintly across the concrete space as employees filtered toward their cars after another long day at Atlas.Daniel followed him out. “Well,” Daniel said, stretching his shoulders, “if tomorrow doesn’t explode, drinks are on me.”Eric huffed a tired laugh. “I’ll hold you to that.”Daniel gave him a mock salute before heading toward the opposite row of vehicles. “Night, Keaton.”“Night.” Eric lifted a hand in farewell and turned toward his own car. The cool air in the garage carried the faint smell of oil and exhaust. His shoulders felt heavy now that the adrenaline from the workday had finally begun to fade.What a day.He reached his sedan and pressed the unlock button on the key fob. The headlights blinked in response. Just as he pulled the door open, his phone rang.Eric closed his eyes briefly. Of course.Sighing tiredly, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled the phone

Chapter Twenty Three

Maya stepped into the lobby of Starlight Apartments, Eric’s residence, and instinctively lowered her head as if that might somehow make her invisible. Her eyes flicked toward the reception desk while a silent prayer formed in her mind, directed vaguely to whoever might be listening above.Please don’t let her be there.She didn’t even know why the receptionist rubbed her the wrong way so much. Maybe it was the way the woman’s eyes lingered too long whenever Maya signed in, or the faint curl of her lips that always looked suspiciously like disapproval. Whatever the reason, the dislike had been mutual from the start. The moment Maya saw the woman busy entertaining a small cluster of residents and delivery staff, relief rushed through her chest.Yes.She gave herself a quick mental high five and slipped toward the elevators before anyone could notice her. Her movements were quick but deliberately casual, like someone who belonged there and had nothing to hide.Except she did.Her finger

Chapter Twenty Four

“I’m sorry.” Eric’s voice carried an almost rehearsed softness now, the kind people used when they were trying to clean up a mess they had already made worse. “You’re a beautiful woman who deserves to—”“Don’t patronize me, Eric.” Maya cut him off sharply, the words snapping through the room like a whip. The sudden venom in her voice startled even herself, but she didn’t care.Her chest felt tight, her heart pounding painfully against her ribs. “You don’t have to tell me what I already know,” she continued bitterly. “I was just too stupid to realize that dating you was too good to be true.”Even as the words left her mouth, part of her recoiled at herself.Too stupid.The phrase echoed in her head like an accusation she had been avoiding for months. Because the signs had been there. God, they had been there.“You never liked doing the things I love,” she went on, her voice trembling with anger and humiliation. “I was always the one calling you first. Texting you first.” Her hands clen

Chapter Twenty Five

Alessandro was relieved that Maya’s injuries were minor. The nurse in the emergency unit had cleaned the scrapes on her palms and knees, carefully disinfecting them before wrapping them in neat white bandages.Physically, she would be fine. But her silence unsettled him far more than the bruises. She hadn’t spoken a single word since the accident.The violent sobs had stopped, thankfully, but the quiet that followed felt worse somehow—heavy, suffocating, unnatural. Shock, the doctor had said when Alessandro asked about it. Perfectly normal after a traumatic incident.The explanation did nothing to ease him.Normal or not, he didn’t like it.His gaze lingered on Maya’s pale face as she sat motionless on the hospital bed, her eyes unfocused as though she were staring through the walls rather than at them.Someone had hurt her.The thought made Alessandro’s jaw tighten. Someone had pushed her into the road. He was certain of it. The terror in her eyes when he had seen her minutes after t

Entwined With You 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 21 - 챕터 25

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five