The Chief Security Officer was accompanied by two security guards who had interrogated her the day prior.Ember was so overwhelmed with fear that she could not move, standing still like a statue that had been frozen in timeHer heart began to beat faster as the realization that she may be in trouble again crossed her mind, yet she did her best to remain calm and collected despite the fear.Gathering her strength and courage, she inhaled deeply and steeled herself for whatever was about to come. It felt like an eternity before they finally reached her.A brief friendly nod from the man gave her a sliver of assurance and her worries began to subside.The Chief Security Officer removed his cap and bowed his head, and the men standing behind him imitated his gesture. “Ms. Heart,” he began, he could not hide the embarrassment he felt when he spoke, but his attitude was surprisingly polite. “We are deeply sorry for the mistake that was made yesterday, and I have come here to express our

Ember brushed off the unbelievable coincidence with a shrug. She let her attention return to Hazel who was now enjoying a glass of pineapple juice.“My vacation to Versailles wasn't entirely a pleasant visit, but I had a good time there nonetheless." A curious frown scrunched Hazel's forehead. She lowered her glass on the table and asked, "Why? What happened?" "You wouldn't want to hear it." Ember let go an embarrassed sigh, inwardly wishing Hazel would drop off the subject. Unfortunately it wasn't happening. "I'd like to hear it very much." Hazel urged her on. Her eager tone was hard to resist. She couldn't let her down and so she continued. "My best friend Xiana and I had decided to go on an adventure together, and one of our planned stops was an abandoned castle. Maybe we're both bored and out of our minds, so we didn't give it much thought and continued with our plans anyway.” Ember stopped, she was so embarrassed she couldn't bring herself to continue. "Don’t leave me hanging

The exquisite blue sky had turned a pale orange when Xiana stepped out of the plane. She hailed a cab in order to reach her condominium and when she arrived, she dropped her belongings before heading out again. She went to the building's parking lot to retrieve her car without changing her clothes.A sigh broke from her lips as she climbed into her brand new Mustang and drove out of the parking lot.She was exhausted and tired. Above all, she desired to sleep. But she needed to see Dr. Coleen, her psychologist. The appointment was important and she wouldn't want to miss it.She promised herself that she would get enough sleep after she returned from her doctor's appointment.It took her 30 minutes to get to her destination.Her red Mustang came to a complete stop in front of an expansive ten-story building, located near the shopping district.Xiana stayed inside her car for a moment to check her face in the rearview mirror to ensure her eyes weren't puffy from crying for hours.The sw

“No!” She exclaimed.Thunder was just as shocked by her harsh response as Ember had been.She took a deep breath, thinking she was coming over too harshly, and tried again. “You can't come in at the moment because I'm busy.”As Thunder frowned, his eyebrows nearly met in the middle. His honey-colored gaze settled on her warily.“Do you have something to hide?” His tone was somewhat accusing.Ember fiercely propelled her chin upward. “It's none of your business, Thunder.”“It's my responsibility. What if it turns out you're breaking the law?” He reasoned.She let out a snort that was rather unladylike. “I swear I'm not breaking any laws,” Unless she thought harboring a devilishly good-looking male in her place is considered illegal then she's going to jail.“Do you really believe that I'll resort to criminal behavior because of our breakup?” “I mean no harm. I'm just concerned.” He told her.“Concern my ass.” She mumbled to herself.“I just want to talk to you for a few minutes.”Anno

4:00 PM at Phoenix Empire, Ceo's main office.Icen Clayton Blackstone sat erect on his throne — his swivel chair — with his arms crossed beneath his chin. His blue lagoon eyes shadowed in intense concentration, and his thoughts wandered for miles.Ember Heart had been an enigma to him since the beginning. He couldn't get her off his thoughts from the moment he laid his eyes on her.Other than his birthday celebration, he had a strong impression he'd met her previously. He couldn't disregard the thought since it was so strong.Was it at a gathering? A business meeting? What about company events? He pondered long and hard, but he couldn't recall seeing her at any of those gatherings even though he was certain they had crossed paths before.He was perplexed, and all he could do was scratch his head at the ridiculous feeling he felt.Everything about Ember felt perfectly familiar to him. The way she smiles with humor, how she tilts and raises her chin when she's about to argue, and how her