Some small measure of confidence returned.Alessia stared at Logan.‘What are you doing?’ He couldn’t ignore her laser-like focus on his face.‘Waiting to see if your nose is growing longer.’‘What?’ He frowned.‘Like Pinocchio.’‘Pinocchio? You think I’m lying?’Alessia rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll have confirmation soon, when your nose grows to the size of an elephant’s trunk.’Logan chuckled. ‘You know, some say a man’s nose size is proportionate to his s*xual prowess.’He winked at her. ‘Is that why you are so interested in my nose?’Alessia pulled back and made a face. ‘So typical. It’s just like a man to turn everything into s*x. It’s an obsession.’‘You are the one who’s obsessed with my nose.’ Logan countered.‘I’m not!’ Alessia raised her voice.‘Higher pitch in your voice, averted gaze. You are lying.’Alessia snorted derisively. ‘You’d know, since you yourself are such an expert liar.’Logan clicked his tongue. ‘Is that any way to talk to someone who just saved your ass?’He laug

‘Miss, it’s unlikely we can obtain a strong DNA sample from this suit jacket for a conclusive test. It would be better if you could provide another sample,’ a staff member from the DNA Diagnostic & Research Laboratory informed her.‘Can’t you find strands of hair from this jacket?’ Alessia refused to give up on her only lead.‘We can, but it won’t be the kind of hair we need,’ the man explained patiently. ‘The shaft of the hair does not contain any nucleated cells and cannot be used for a paternity DNA test.’‘Then what kind do you need?’ Alessia asked quickly.‘Hair that contains the root. At least six to eight of them. You need to store them in a clear plastic bag which must be dry.’Alessia left the hospital with Logan’s jacket and stood on the crowded sidewalk, at a loss for what to do next.Since Lara already gave her the day off, Alessia took a bus home.The next morning, she reported for work at BuzzBeat.As soon as she stepped through the doorway, she sensed an abrupt shift in

‘Well, since you are already here…’ Alessia ignored his jibe and forged ahead. ‘I could take you out to lunch if you like.’‘I don’t eat lunch with married women,’ Logan retorted.‘Terence, let’s go.’ He turned to his assistant. ‘I’m busy. I don’t have time to waste on married women.’Terence shot Alessia a commiserating look.He had been working for Logan for almost half a decade and this was the first time he discovered his boss had such a…juvenile side, for lack of a better word.‘You don’t have time for married women in general,’ Terence thought, ‘but you sure have time for this one.’He happened to be in the office when Logan took the call and witnessed first-hand how his boss had jumped up from his chair the moment he hung up, grabbed his coat, ran a hand through his hair and then dashed out the door, sprinting for the lift.But he knew better than to voice those thoughts.So Terence just nodded. ‘I’m ready to go whenever you are, sir.’Logan’s smile oozed satisfaction as he add

‘Please have a seat, Miss Jansen,’ Terence offered, summoning a secretary. ‘Would you like coffee or tea?’‘No, thanks. I’ll be leaving right after the meeting with Mr Wilde.’ Alessia took a seat on the nearest sofa.With Brayden and Connie in the same building, beverages were the last thing on her mind.‘Let’s go with coffee then,’ Terence suggested.Alessia shook her head. ‘No, let’s stick with tea. I’m not much of a coffee person.’‘All right.’After a brief wait, green tea was brought in.The secretary smiled, serving the tea, and nodded before discreetly leaving.Alessia admired the secretary’s professional attire and demeanour.‘With a dress like that, she probably earns double what I make at BuzzBeat,’ she thought.Terence settled into a chair opposite Alessia. ‘Miss Jansen, what did you wish to discuss on behalf of BuzzBeat?’‘Well, we’re interested in securing a portion of your company’s advertising budget.’ Alessia got straight to the point. ‘As you know, we are a tabloid pa

Alessia left the Skye Tower and found herself standing on the kerb, waiting to hail a cab.Her mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts.How would she deal with Jeramy, who was bound to fly into a rage when she returned empty-handed?‘Alessia?’Startled, she around to find Brayden Scott stepping out of a car, striding towards her.Seeing him, memories of past pain and betrayal flooded Alessia’s mind.Instinctively, she looked down, relieved to find she was wearing pants today but disappointed when she realised she didn’t have her pepper spray.‘Alessia, what are you doing here?’ Brayden approached, standing in front of her with a mix of curiosity and delight.Glancing at the empty car, Alessia wondered where Connie was.She thought the couple were going shopping together.Something seemed amiss.Remaining silent, Alessia kept a safe distance, taking a step back.Brayden’s expression faltered as he witnessed her caution.Pain flickered in his eyes, overshadowed by a sense of embarras