Novels by Sharon Ahmie

The office buzzed with the usual energy of a Monday morning, but for Odette, the hum of voices and clicking keyboards felt far away. Her mind was a whirlwind, caught between Anton’s warnings and the growing unease she felt around Daisy.By lunchtime, Odette had decided to follow her instincts. She couldn’t let Anton dictate her moves, but she also couldn’t sit back and do nothing. Daisy’s behavior, her suspicious connections, and her overly polished charm gnawed at her. It was time to take matters into her own hands.That evening, Odette lingered at her desk, pretending to finalize her design plans as the office emptied. One by one, her colleagues filtered out, leaving her and Daisy among the last to leave. From the corner of her eye, she watched Daisy pack up her things, her movements quick and purposeful.Odette waited until Daisy exited the office before slipping on her coat and following at a distance. The streets of Manhattan were bustling with commuters, but Odette kept her focu

Odette’s footsteps echoed against the quiet streets as she left the restaurant, her mind spinning with Anton’s revelations. The chill of the January night bit at her skin, but she barely felt it. She clutched her coat tighter, replaying his words about Daisy, his family, and the danger she now realized had always been lurking in the shadows.She hadn’t wanted to believe him—part of her still didn’t—but the urgency in his voice and the weight in his eyes were hard to ignore. She had spent years hating Anton for leaving her, for breaking her heart and vanishing without a trace. Yet, sitting across from him tonight, she’d glimpsed something raw and real. He wasn’t just the cocky billionaire she had painted him to be in her mind. He was a man with scars, carrying a burden he couldn’t yet put down.As she neared her apartment, the uneasy feeling of being watched returned. She glanced over her shoulder, but the street behind her was empty, save for the faint hum of a passing car. Shaking of

The restaurant’s ambiance was elegant but oppressive, a reminder of Anton’s world—lavish, controlled, and steeped in secrets. Odette glanced at the delicate chandelier overhead, its light refracting through the crystal glass of her untouched wine. She had no appetite, her nerves bracing for whatever Anton was about to say.Anton, seated across from her, seemed uncharacteristically tense. His fingers drummed lightly on the table as he searched her face. “Odette,” he began, his voice low, almost vulnerable, “there’s something you need to know. Something I should have told you a long time ago.”She straightened, her posture defensive. “I’m listening.”He leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “You already know my life was never simple, but I need you to understand just how deep the complications run. My family… my father… were involved in a world I’ve spent years trying to leave behind.”Odette raised an eyebrow, skepticism sharpening her tone. “A world? Are you talking about the m

Anton wasn’t the type of man to sit idly by and hope for the best. If he wanted something, he pursued it with relentless determination, and Odette was no exception. Giving her time and space didn’t mean he wouldn’t find ways to remind her of his presence—and his sincerity.The first gesture came on a Monday morning. Odette arrived at her cubicle to find a small, beautifully wrapped package on her desk. She glanced around, suspicious, before picking it up. Inside was a hardcover notebook with an elegant leather cover and a note tucked inside the front page.For when words fail, but your sketches speak louder than anything. – A.Her fingers brushed over the smooth leather, her throat tightening. She placed the notebook in her drawer, telling herself not to overthink it.But the gestures kept coming.The next day, a delivery man arrived at Claude’s office with lunch for the entire Rosier project team. It was nothing extravagant—just sandwiches and fresh pastries from a local café—but Ode

Odette spent the weekend wrapped in a cocoon of indecision. Anton’s words replayed in her mind on a loop: “I’ve never stopped loving you.” It was as though he’d carved them into her thoughts, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase them.Amerie noticed her friend’s distracted state but didn’t push. Instead, she hovered in the background, offering quiet support in the form of tea refills, takeout, and reruns of Odette’s favorite interior design shows.By Sunday evening, Odette couldn’t take the internal back-and-forth any longer. She grabbed her sketchpad and headed to the small park near their apartment. The crisp January air stung her cheeks as she settled onto a bench, her fingers trembling as she began to sketch.Drawing had always been her escape, her way of channeling emotions she couldn’t articulate. She lost herself in the flow of lines and curves, the soft scratch of pencil on paper grounding her. It wasn’t until she felt a shadow fall over her that she realized s

Odette spent the next few days trying to move forward as if nothing had happened. The flowers Anton sent sat in a glass vase on her kitchen counter, mocking her with their quiet beauty. Amerie had raised an eyebrow at them the moment she saw them but said nothing—an uncharacteristic restraint Odette was grateful for.At work, things began to settle back into routine. The Rosier project was progressing smoothly, and Odette threw herself into the tasks at hand, determined to keep her focus on the job. But it was impossible to ignore Anton’s looming presence. Though he didn’t approach her again after the presentation, his glances across the office and the quiet way he observed her whenever they were in the same room were enough to send her emotions spiraling.She told herself she didn’t care. She told herself she was fine. But deep down, she knew she was lying.On Friday evening, after another long day at work, Odette was locking up her desk when Doug approached her.“Hey, Dotty,” he sai