Perhaps I truly needed girl talk since something made me accept Amelia's offer. She followed me to the organizers' office so I could complete the paperwork, and then we went out to eat and drink.“So, how do you know Callan Holloway?” I asked in between sipping wine.Amelia smirked and elegantly pulled a strand of her long black hair behind her ear. “I know most of the men in the pharmaceutical business, especially those who tried to make their appearance on the French and European markets.”A nervous smile tugged at my lips. “Forgive me if I'm being rude, but you made it sound as if it was more than just a business acquaintance.”She laughed. “I met him on one too many occasions, and... he dated my friend once. Let's just say that their breakup was pretty nasty. I guess I hated that guy ever since.”“I… have been on a few dates with Callan,” I confessed. “I even thought that he was sweet at first.” I took another sip from my wine glass.A wry smile twisted her full lips. “He makes a
DARRENA nightmare. I entered a fucking nightmare. Lilly got up from her seat, her face bleaching, her expression twisting in pain. I wiped my lips from Amelia's kiss and pushed her hand away. She clicked her tongue before turning to Lilly.“Oh, that's right! I forgot that you know each other!” A cold laugh tore through her throat. “I guess he didn't tell you, did he? I'm sorry to crash your romantic visions, honey…” She stepped toward her, extending her hand.“Don't touch her,” I hissed, grabbing Amelia's wrist.An angry smile tugged at her lips. “So protective of this one, I see... Shall I get rid of her like I did with the last one?”My blood began to boil. I could see my hands curling around Amelia's neck, my thumbs pressing against her windpipe and crushing it. I wanted to do it. I was prepared to do it here and now.“Darren.” Lilly's soft voice shattered my bloodlust. My eyes drifted to her, and I saw her close to tears. “Is this true…? Is she your fiancée?”I worked my jaw. I d
LILLYAmelia's fiancé. Darren was engaged. The news was hard for me to process, even hours after I heard it. I couldn't go back to the hotel. The last thing I wanted was to meet Amelia, Darren, or Callan, who was enjoying my miserable state. I began to walk around the town, mindlessly taking turn after turn until the streets became completely unfamiliar. I told myself that I needed this to clear my head, but the truth was that I wanted to run away. I wanted to get away from the heartache, problems, and anxieties. Perhaps I was choosing the coward's way again, but I needed a break. I couldn't breathe.As the streets around me became darker, the final spark of rationality forced me to turn around. After a while, I found myself in front of the hotel. My running away was over. It was time to face at least some of the much-hated reality.I passed the large hall, fixing my eyes on the corridor with elevators at the other end of it. I ignored the people who passed me by. Unfortunately, not e
I looked around the street and sidewalk. The entire area was completely empty. There was no one around aside from me and the two masked men, ready to attack me. I exhaled slowly and evaluated my situation. I was wearing flats and jeans, which might have given me better chances than if I had worn a dress and high heels, but I doubted that my short training was enough to win against the two strong-built men with knives. This wasn't a good moment to run away either… Shit. I sucked in a shaky breath and slowly raised my hands in surrender.“Smart choice.” The man standing in front of me chuckled and opened the van. “Get inside.”A moment later, I was sitting in the back seat with one of the masked men next to me and the other behind the wheel. They didn't tie me or cover my eyes, but I was yet to establish whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps they underestimated me, thinking that I was weak and too terrified to escape. This could work to my advantage… Then again, would I be
DARRENI was sitting in my hotel suite with Lucien, who arrived in the morning. Fortunately, Mia stayed in New York. I didn't think I could have handled her and Amelia in the same hotel. I had my reasons to kill Amelia, but Mia had her own, and since Mia had always shown less restraint, the bloodshed would have been unavoidable…“Have you checked on Lilly today?” Lucien glanced at me, shifting his attention from the pile of documents.I shook my head. “I told her that I'd give her time, and that's what I'm doing.”His brows rose. “Do you think that it's wise given that Amelia is in the same building?”“She might be vicious, but she is not stupid. She would never attack her in a public place,” I said, reaching for my cup of coffee.Lucien scratched his chin. “Well, I'm not so sure about that. I've done some digging after you told me she's here. Let's just say that she might be a little less predictable than usual right now.”I frowned. “What do you mean?”“Cantrelle Publishing is on th
Callan, Lucien, and I were walking through the woods in Hangetsukohan Park for almost an hour. Most of the heavy rain was stopped by the densely growing trees, but it took us less than ten minutes of walking to become completely soaked. Certainly, umbrellas were not an option, and the raincoats would only restrain our movements. That was something we couldn't risk, knowing there could still be armed men lurking around. Lucien groaned, leaning his back against the tree. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we've checked the area Fen marked twice already. She's not here.” He wasn't wrong. We separated at first, each one securing a certain part of the terrain, but we found them completely empty. If there were any signs of anyone's footsteps, they had been washed by the rain a while ago. When I didn't answer, Lucien continued. “What if they found her and we are wasting time and freezing our butts off just to find out she is in danger elsewhere?” I tried not to think of that possibilit
LILLYI vaguely recalled what happened after Darren had found me and I had felt his body warmth against my rain-soaked skin. I remember thunders around us as the storm had become more vicious than before. I remembered him calling someone on the phone and then carrying me somewhere in his arms. I wanted to help him. I wanted to tell him that I could walk on my own, but that was a lie. I couldn't even open my mouth and voice out a full sentence, not to mention keep my feet steady enough to walk.I must have drifted into unconsciousness again at some point because, when I finally woke up, I was in bed, under a warm quilt. It wasn't our hotel or a hospital bed either. This place looked like a wooden cabin with tatami floors—neat and cozy, but also kind of luxurious. My bed looked like an enormous futon resting on a two-inch wooden podium, covering most of the room. As more of my awareness returned, I glanced under the sheets. I didn't see any dirt on my body, and I was dressed in a simple
Darren woke me up a while later and carried me to the bathtub. He let me soak in warm water and then joined me, allowing me to thoroughly enjoy the sweet intimacy between us. Once we dried up from the bath, he carried me back to bed. I protested, trying to convince him I was fully capable of walking on my own, but he didn't let me test that theory. Soon I was lying in the same position I had fallen asleep—with my head resting on his chest and his arms around me. The only thing that changed was his heart, now beating slowly and evenly.“So… what now?” I asked softly as my hand idly traced the carved lines of his abdominal muscles.He blew out a breath. “We would have to leave this bed, eventually, and eat something.”I chuckled. “I rather meant after we leave this cabin.”His arms around me tightened. “I've already transferred the money to Amelia's account, and my lawyers sent her proper documents concerning the deal my father had made. Legally, it solves everything between her and me,