Mrs Henderson chuckled, impressed by Milo’s persuasive skills. ‘You’ve got quite the point there, young man. All right, I’ll take them. There’s a homeless shelter I know that can surely do some good with them.’Milo pumped his fist in victory, and Alessia and Veronica praised him for his quick thinking.As they exited the lift, Milo suggested, ‘If Uncle Brayden buys me toys again, I’ll ask him to send a truck of toys to the kids in kindergarten. They’d love it!’Alessia and Veronica laughed, marvelling at Milo’s caring and scheming nature.‘That’s a brilliant idea, little man!’ Veronica said, ruffling his hair affectionately.‘Absolutely,’ Alessia added.***Alessia took a deep breath as she stepped into the sleek and modern lobby of Wilde Enterprises, fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.Approaching the reception desk, she smiled at the young receptionist and said, ‘Hey there, I have an appointment with Mr Logan Wilde. I’m Alessia Jansen from BuzzBeat.’The receptionist glanced down at

Brayden stammered for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by the question. ‘Well, it’s a long story,’ he finally managed to say, trying to sound nonchalant.Logan’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward, his voice laced with scepticism. ‘A long story, huh? You still seem pretty interested in your ex-girlfriend despite being married, don’t you?’Brayden shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting towards Alessia before averting his gaze. ‘Look, it’s not what you think. Alessia and I, we have a history, but it’s not just about romance,’ he said, attempting to justify his lingering feelings.Alessia’s fists clenched under the desk, her patience wearing thin at Brayden’s audacity to air their past like it was an open book.Logan noticed her irritation and decided to put her on the spot. ‘Is what he’s saying true, Miss Jansen? Did you and Mr Scott have something more than just a romantic relationship?’Alessia’s jaw tightened, and she shot a glare at Brayden, silently telling him t

Logan’s possessiveness was starting to irritate Alessia, but she didn’t want to create more drama. ‘Fine, I’ll take them. But I don’t owe him anything,’ she mumbled under her breath.Logan stood at the open doorway, his voice sharper than ever. ‘You can eat it or throw it away for all I care.’Alessia rolled her eyes, refusing to let his words get to her.Why must the man turn a kind gesture into a bossy order?She opened one of the lunch boxes and found a delicious spread of her favourite dishes.Despite her irritation, she couldn’t help but appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gesture.As she savoured the food, she couldn’t deny that Logan’s chef knew exactly how to make her taste buds sing.The flavours were exquisite, and she found herself enjoying the meal more than she wanted to admit.Alessia sat back in her chair, feeling content and satisfied after the delicious lunch.The flavours of the mouth-watering wagyu beef carpaccio still lingered on her taste buds, and she couldn’t h

Alessia had to admit that his persistence was starting to wear down her defences.‘You never give up, do you?’ she remarked, her voice tinged with both frustration and a hint of amusement.A smug grin appeared on Logan’s lips when he sensed she was starting to relent. ‘I didn’t get to where I am today by quitting after failing just a couple of times.’Alessia rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. ‘Well, no one can say you haven’t tried.’Logan leaned closer to her. ‘So what’s your answer? Be my girlfriend. Yes or no?’Alessia almost blurted ‘yes,’ but she caught herself.She knew she was attracted to him, but she had to be cautious.‘Your grandfather wanted you to go on blind dates,’ she reminded him. ‘He probably has a long list of girlfriend candidates picked out for you.’Logan’s expression hardened slightly, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. ‘I’m the one dating you, not my family. And I don’t take orders from anyone about who I choose to as

‘I didn’t know you had a sister,’ Logan said.‘Two, actually,’ Connie said. ‘Alessia’s the second oldest. I’m the eldest, and we have a younger sister too.’The mention of Alessia seemed to bring a mix of emotions to Connie’s face, and Logan sensed that there was more to the story than she was letting on.‘You mentioned Alessia left Veridian about six years ago,’ Logan probed further. ‘You haven’t seen her or had any contact with her since then?’Connie looked away, a hint of sadness crossing her features. ‘No, I haven’t seen her in six years,’ she admitted. ‘After some… unfortunate misunderstanding, she left home and the city. I tried to find her—I hired six different private investigators, but it was like she vanished without a trace.’‘It must have been tough for you.’Connie nodded. ‘It was. Especially because I had to take over as the CEO of Redwood Group when my father passed away. I was just twenty-two, still in college, and inexperienced. Saving the company took all my energy,