Stitches

John's POVThe rain started just as I turned the key in the ignition.It hit the windshield in heavy, scattered drops, blurring the tail lights of the quiet street ahead. Beside me, Elena was curled tightly against the passenger door, her wool coat drawn up around her neck like armor. Her eyes were fixed on the wet asphalt ahead, her breathing quiet, shallow, and completely out of rhythm.My right hand sat heavy on the gear shift. The knuckles were raw, split, and beginning to throb with a dull, steady ache, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was the lingering adrenaline humming through my veins like static.I had lost control back there on the pavement. Six months of professional distance, six months of standing three feet away from her behind mahogany desks and glass partitions, and I had nearly killed a man because his hand touched her door.I glanced over at her. Her face was pale in the green glow of the dashboard lights, her lips pressed into a hard, thin line. She was tryin

Last Updated : 2026-09-26

In Motion

Marie's POVThe chill of the hotel corridor did nothing to cool the burn in my throat as I stepped off the service elevator and onto the mezzanine level.Below me, the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of black suits, polished brass, and the cold, artificial glare of broadcast lighting. The low, rumbling hum of a hundred converging voices drifted upward—journalists adjusting their lenses, sound technicians shouting over the static of their headsets, and PR coordinators pacing the floor with clipboards clutched like shields against their chests.This was Jenkins Holdings on full display. Slick, untouchable, and suffocatingly corporate.I stood at the brass railing, my hands resting lightly on the cold metal. Beneath the tailored silk of my gloves, my nails bit sharply into my palms. Julian was probably still upstairs in the penthouse, staring out at the grey morning sky through a crystal glass, completely indifferent to the fact that I had packed my bags and walked out into t

Last Updated : 2026-09-27

What is Going On?

Elena's POVThe steam from the black mug rose in a thin, straight line, disappearing into the cold air of John’s kitchen. I held the ceramic with both hands, letting the heat sink into my palms until skin turned red.Behind me, the quiet rustle of paper towels broke the silence. John swept the leftover gauze and the strip of torn medical tape off the counter and tossed them into the stainless-steel trash can. The lid slammed shut with a sharp clack.Neither of us spoke. The air in the apartment felt heavy, thick with the shadow of what had happened out on the pavement hours ago—and the sudden, breathless shift between us right here in this room. My pulse was still beating against my ribs, fast and shallow. I could still feel the phantom pressure of his hand on the back of my neck, his thumb resting right over my pulse, stopping just short of everything we hadn't said.John leaned his back against the edge of the sink, crossing his arms over his chest. His knuckles were bruised, the sk

Last Updated : 2026-09-28

Floor is Yours

Marie's POVThe blinding glare of flashbulbs hit the glass podium before I even reached it, bouncing off the polished mahogany like scattered shards of light.I took a breath through my nose, keeping my chin level, my spine rigid. The hum of forty reporters, camera operators, and financial journalists filled the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel, a low, thrumming murmur of anticipation that vibrated straight through the soles of my heels.Behind me, sitting at the long executive table covered in midnight-blue felt, Julian was smoothing the front of his silk tie. He looked immaculate—the picture of a composed, confident CEO ready to reassure Wall Street that the loss of a single lead analyst hadn't shaken Jenkins Holdings. He thought this afternoon was about him. He thought this entire stage was built to showcase his resilience.He had no idea.I adjusted the small, wireless lapel microphone pinned to my cream jacket. The smooth metal felt cold against my fingertip. On the far side of

Last Updated : 2026-09-28

All Chapters of You Chose Her, I Took Your Empire: Chapter 71 - Chapter 74

Stitches

In Motion

What is Going On?

Floor is Yours