RAINI LAVERNE As we sat at the table, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me. The meal was finally being enjoyed by River and Zavier and everything felt perfect."So Caleb, have we met before? You look familiar," I asked, trying to break the ice.Caleb smiled politely, "I don't think so, Raini. I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've met."I chuckled, "Well, maybe I've seen you around in River's photos or something. She tends to talk about you a lot."Caleb blushed slightly, "Oh, really? What does she say?"River chimed in, "Nothing but good things, Caleb. Don't worry."Zavier added, "Raini actually cooked this meal herself, with a little help from Karla of course."I blushed at the compliment, "Zavier is too kind. It was a team effort."Caleb took a bite of the food and his eyes widened, "This is amazing, Raini. You're quite the cook."I beamed with pride, "Thank you, Caleb. I'm glad you like it."River teased, "Raini can cook better than this, actually. S

RIVER LAVERNE If I could ever be grateful for something I would be for how yesterday went, I had overthought all the possible outcomes and I am more than grateful non of them happen, else there may or may bit be a tsunami coming. I was sitting at home, feeling content with how the evening went. My sister Raini and Caleb seemed to hit it off well, and I couldn't help but feel happy for them. But just as I was settling in for the night, I received a message from Raini asking if we could meet up. Instantly, my heart sank a little. Had something gone wrong with the dinner? Did Caleb do or say something to upset her?I shook my head, trying to rid myself of those negative thoughts. Maybe Raini just wanted to catch up, or talk about something else entirely. I quickly got ready and headed to the café where we agreed to meet.I tried not to overthink it and got ready to meet her at the café. As I walked over, I tried to push those negative thoughts out of my head. I knew that Raini had alwa

ZAVIER CROSSI walked into the boardroom, my eyes immediately drawn to Giselle who was dressed in a stunning red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. It was definitely not the kind of attire I expected for a business meeting, but I couldn't deny that it was alluring.Giselle approached me with a kiss on the cheek, her lips lingering a little too long for my liking. I tried to ignore the flutter in my chest and kept my composure as we took our seats at the opposite end of the long conference table.We started talking about the possibility of a partnership, Giselle wanting a merger while I preferred a collaboration. We went back and forth with negotiations, throwing business terms around like they were second nature to us.I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease throughout the entire meeting. Something about Giselle's demeanor and the way she was flirting with me seemed off. Was this really just about business?As we began discussing the partnership, I couldn't help

RAINI LAVERNE Things with River could have gone a lot worst but I am glad it didn't. I pulled into Zavier's driveway and turned off the engine, feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation building within me. But just as I was about to step out of my car, my phone buzzed with a message from River. Curiosity piqued, I opened the link she had sent me and was shocked to see a blog post featuring Zavier and Giselle.“What the fuck,”Fury coursed through me as I read through the scandalous details. How could Zavier do this to me? Was Giselle really just another one of his conquests? A million questions raced through my mind, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal.Just as I was about to call River to vent my frustrations, my phone rang and her name flashed across the screen. I answered the call and she immediately asked me what I thought about the blog post."I don't know what to think," I replied, my voice laced with anger. "Zavier has a lot of explaining to do. How could he

ZAVIER CROSSI woke up to the striking feature of Damon and Karla hovering over me, I wasn't sure how I got to the living room couch, but I know it was part of that moment, I tried to find peace with the fact that if I could just sleep I would wake up to Raini, hands on my cheek.But this isn't Raini and Damon and Karla looked worried."Where is Raini?" I demanded as if they knew where she was. I felt like the whole world had come crashing down on me. Raini, the love of my life, was missing, and her car was smashed. I couldn't believe it. It had to be a mistake. But as I looked at Damon's and Karla's worried faces, I knew that it was real."What do you mean her car was found smashed?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear.Damon spoke first. "We don't know much, but the police found her car in the middle of the road, and it looked like it had been in an accident.""Did they find Raini?" I asked, hoping against hope that she was okay.Karla shook her head. "No, they didn't find her. T