Alessia stepped back quickly before the bodyguards could make a grab for her phone. ‘Don’t bother. It’s already uploaded to my mailbox and cloud drive. If you dare lay a finger on me, I’ll send a copy of the recording to every news outlet in Veridian. In less than twelve hours, the entire city will know your true colours.’Olivia’s voice reverberated with fury. ‘You wouldn’t dare!’‘Release me,’ Alessia’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. ‘And I’ll pretend this never happened.’Olivia hesitated, pride and suspicion warring within her. ‘How can I trust you to keep your word?’Alessia’s lips curled into a sly smile. ‘Do you really have any other choice?’Olivia clenched her teeth, torn between her options.Should she release Alessia and risk the exposure of her own dark secrets?Panic surged through her as she spotted Logan’s figure in the distance.Desperation engulfed her as she ran toward him, her voice wrought with desperation. ‘Logan! Jansen set me up, got me recorded. Please,

Logan stared at Alessia intently.Then he got out of the car and said to his assistant, ‘Terence, take Miss Jansen home, and make sure you verify her marriage certificate. If she fails to produce it, consider yourself fired.’Terence’s eyes widened in shock. ‘But, sir, I—’Alessia, too, was stunned by the order.Swiftly exiting the car, Alessia confronted Logan with a pale face, her voice trembling, ‘Logan, I won’t show your assistant my marriage certificate.’‘You won’t, or you can’t?’ Logan seemed to see right through her. ‘You can’t show it because you don’t have one, do you?’Alessia’s complexion paled further, her strength faltering. ‘W-who said I don’t have one?’Logan’s lips curled into a knowing smirk. ‘Then why are you stuttering?’‘No! I... I didn’t,’ Alessia stammered, her attempts to defend herself only exacerbating her nervousness.‘No?’ Logan chuckled, his voice dripping with sardonic amusement. ‘No stutter, or no marriage certificate?’Alessia was at a loss for words.H

Alessia looked at Veronica with surprise. ‘Did someone follow you? Or are you bringing home a guest?’‘No.’ Veronica shook her head. ‘I took the elevator up by myself. Didn’t see anyone.’She turned the doorknob.The door swung open, revealing a striking figure in a sleek grey suit.His intense gaze penetrated the room, scanning its occupants without so much as a blink.In a heartbeat, his eyes locked onto Alessia—a tumultuous mix of emotions ignited between them.The man’s eyes, filled with longing and weariness, spoke of a bitter struggle against the whims of fate.‘Alessia?’ His voice quivered.And there he stood, Brayden, a ghost from Alessia’s past she hadn’t laid eyes on in ages.Time had etched its marks upon his once-youthful face, leaving traces of sorrow in his weary eyes.The years had woven a complex tapestry of feelings between them, now laid bare in this unexpected reunion.Alessia, once happily entangled with a twenty-one-year-old Brayden at the tender age of eighteen,

‘Connie is such a weirdo. I can’t stand her,’ Veronica grumbled after dinner. ‘I hope she doesn’t show up here unannounced like Brayden did.’‘I’m with you,’ Alessia said as she dealt with the dishes.Veronica yawned. ‘You know, I’ve always thought she was up to no good.’‘Veronica—’ Alessia tried to interject.‘Listen, when our dad died, Connie took control of the family finances. She didn’t give me a dime, and I had to bust my ass to pay for my own education. I’ve had it with her, especially these past five years.’Alessia sighed, her heart heavy.She’d had a lot of time to reflect, and she couldn’t deny there was a kernel of truth to Veronica’s words.‘You know, I’ve thought a lot about that night—Connie, Brayden, and the stranger who’s Milo’s father. It feels like a setup, and I think…I think there’s a slight chance Connie might be involved,’ Alessia revealed.‘Yes, you’re finally catching on!’ Veronica exclaimed, slapping her thigh. ‘Brayden was supposed to be your husband, but C

A minute ago, Logan was just getting out of his car when he spotted Alessia dashing madly down the street.Her hair was a mess, her eyes filled with panic.And as her skirt billowed in the wind, he caught glimpses of her bare legs.He immediately stepped up to intercept her.‘No one is after you,’ Logan reassured her.Alessia checked and double-checked.She was on a different street now, Brayden or his car nowhere to be seen.She breathed out a long sigh, finally allowing herself to relax.Only then did she realise that she had been gripping Logan’s arms tightly, her nails digging into the fabric of his jacket.‘Sorry.’ She hastily released her hold.Frowning, Logan assessed Alessia’s flustered state.In one swift motion, he removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around her waist, tying up the sleeves to secure its position.The jacket still carried his warmth, and Alessia’s pounding heart finally settled.She looked at his downcast eyes as he bent low to tie the jacket around her wai