~Astrid~It was warm everywhere. I wondered why their pillows felt this good, I could literally stay in bed all day.Except this pillow was breathing. I peeled my eyes open, staring at nothing for the first few seconds.And then it dawned on me. I'd shared a bed with Adrian and that explained why I could feel warmth everywhere.Because he was right behind me with his erection nestled in the crack of my ass. I shut my eyes tightly.If it was back then, I'd have been happy to cuddle with him and when we woke up to situations like this, we just well.. you know.But now? It was goddamn mortifying making me wonder why the hell he wasn't out of bed yet. Adrian wasn't a deep sleeper neither was he a rough sleeper.Making me wonder how he crossed the pillow I'd sacrificed and left in the middle to keep our distance.“God, you crossed the boundaries we set, fucker.” I hissed, shoving him lightly. He groaned and then tensed for a second, pulling back a bit.That was what I thought.“Can you eve
Adrian"Mr. Chase contacted me. He asked that we send a bodyguard—one to keep his daughter safe. I need you to send one of the guys from Seattle. My men are all occupied," Aaron said as we stepped into his study, his tone leaving no room for argument."I don’t think I have any men free. The one left is the scariest of them all. He’s the guy for VIP jobs, and Chase isn’t a VIP member, is he?" I asked, glancing at Aaron, who gave me a pointed look."He owns one of the biggest shares in the company. He’s the famous telecom billionaire. Send whoever you have, as long as they can do their job."I hummed, settling into the chair opposite his desk while he turned around. "Xander is available. But since we’re talking about protecting a woman, he won’t be up for the job," I shrugged.Xander was one of the best bodyguards in ZenithCrypt Securities, and he knew it. Arrogant prick. Most clients had complained that he was cold—too cold. Didn’t talk, didn’t interact, just did the job and left. I di
~Astrid~After spending a few days in New York, we finally returned to Seattle, and boy, were things awkward.Adrian had completely shut down after I spent a ridiculous amount on shopping. Strangely, the thought of him being pissed off brought me a twisted sense of satisfaction.When the car finally stopped in the garage, Adrian stepped out, adjusting his collar with that stiff, controlled air he always had. I stared at my phone for a second before climbing out too."I'm going out," I announced casually. He froze mid-step, slowly turning around to look at me.His gaze flicked down my body, lingering, and I cocked my head slightly to the side, arching a brow."And where exactly are you going?" he asked, his tone cool but with an edge that wasn’t hard to miss.I sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Informing you that I'm going out should be enough, Voss. You really don’t want to know where."The chauffeur hurriedly got out, unloading our bags, his movements quick and tense l
~Astrid~He gave me a lopsided smile and my stomach twisted. I just stared at him, before footsteps approached from behind."Astrid, you're here," Mum said and I dragged my eyes away from Derrick and turned around just in time to see my mum behind me. She pulled me into a hug while my brain scrambled for answers. He was gone, why did he come back?My mum patted my back before pulling away, glancing behind me before her light blue eyes returned to mine. It was safe to say I'd taken most of my facial features from my mum. From hair, to eyes, to lips. I couldn't really see any resemblance from my father even when I stare at his pictures but mum said I'd gotten his characters. Stubborn.Now, Maya was 51 and she looked younger and more beautiful than most women her age."I see you've both met," Mum said and I knew she was talking about Derrick, I gave a tight nod before pulling her farther into the house away from Derrick."Why did no one tell me he was here?" I asked and mum raised a perf
Adrian"What are you doing here?" she asked, and a muscle twitched in my jaw as I stared at her.Her muscles were tense, and something was off in her blue eyes. I glanced back at her mother’s apartment, at the figure I’d seen standing by the doorway just moments ago. But when I looked again, he was gone.I was sure it was a man. Her mother would have reacted if it were her."Get in the car," I said, turning around and climbing into the driver’s seat. Thinking about it now, showing up here was stupid.She had stormed out earlier, saying she was going to see her boyfriend. I knew it was probably a lie, but after a few hours and she wasn't back, I had a sick feeling in my gut, and before I knew it, I had tracked her down.What I didn’t realize until I was almost at the door was that this was her mother’s apartment.Astrid being Astrid, she didn’t move. She stood there, looking goddamn tempting and defiant in that small black dress. I rolled down the window, my gaze fixed on her."I reme
AstridI adjusted my shades as I stood by the arrival gate, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. The plane she was on had just landed, and I figured it’d be nice to pick her up. Joan had been a great host when we visited New York, so it wouldn’t hurt to be warm toward her now that she was in Seattle. I spotted her immediately. She wasn’t the kind of woman you could easily overlook. With fiery red hair and striking green eyes, she was the definition of beauty. But this time, I noticed something I hadn’t before. She had a bump. A baby bump. It caught me off guard because she hadn’t looked or acted pregnant. How the hell did I miss that all those days? Maybe because she always wore oversized t-shirts that clearly weren’t hers. I waved, and our eyes met. A smile curled onto her lips as she hurried over. She pulled me into a hug before glancing around. “Have you been waiting long?” she asked. I shook my head with a small smile. “No, just a few minutes. Since you texted me y
Astrid "Hey, she's married, okay? And how do you even know that when you've been out of the country?" Joan interrupted. His eyes fell on her, a muscle twitching in his jaw as he stepped back. "I'm sorry, I was just surprised," he muttered. I gave a curt nod and pulled Joan along. "Let's go," I said, not sparing Xavier a glance. He probably didn't realize he'd put me in a tight spot. The hairs on the back of my neck bristled, my whole body tensed, waiting for Joan to ask the obvious question. But it never came. Not as we entered her suite. Not even when she decided to come with me back to Adrian's house. Only then did I allow myself to relax. She probably didn’t suspect anything—it was just a careless remark from a man. And even if she did ask, the answer was simple. We were keeping things private. "Oh my God, this is your house?" she gasped as the driver pulled into the compound. I shrugged with a small smile. Oh, the house wasn’t really mine. It was Adrian’s, and maybe it could
♧Adrian♧I knew she wasn't back because I didn’t hear her door open. She probably didn’t even know my bedroom was just a couple of doors away from hers. And that was a good thing.I couldn’t trust a stranger in my house. What if she tried to sneak out in the middle of the night or did something else I wouldn’t like?I was decent enough not to put a camera in her room, but I still needed to know whenever she left. So, I found another way.I stepped out of the bathroom, drying my damp hair with a towel. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, the screen lighting up. I glanced at it but didn’t bother reaching for it.Walking toward my closet, I grabbed a T-shirt, pulled it over my head, and sat on the bed. Should I go to sleep or stay up until she was back?She had left two hours ago. Grabbing dinner shouldn’t take that long. Unless… she was meeting someone else.At that thought, my mood soured instantly. I snatched my phone from the nightstand.She could never stay put, could she?I unlocked
♡Astrid♡When I woke up the next morning, I was alone in bed — in my room. It felt a little too quiet.I sat up slowly and rubbed my forehead. My head was pounding. I looked around the room. Where was Freya?“Fre?” I called out. My voice was raspy. Maybe she was in the bathroom? But there was no answer.I pushed the blanket off and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Please don’t tell me she left and went to the living room. If she did, she might’ve run into… fuck!I quickly left the room, not bothering to close the door. As I went downstairs, I tried not to move too fast because of my headache.When I reached the bottom and looked into the living room, I saw her. Freya was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed. I let out a breath, feeling relieved — until I saw who was sitting across from her.Adrian.What the hell?Back when Adrian and I were dating, he and Freya were always at each other's neck.Now? Freya was glaring at him, and Adrian just stared at her like he didn’t ca
♤Adrian♤She still had her arms around me. To say I momentarily froze was an understatement. Hell, I had no idea what the fuck was going on."Astrid," I called quietly, my arms stiff at my sides, unsure of what to do. She sniffled and tightened her grip, holding on like I was the only thing keeping her from falling apart."One second, Voss," she muttered, voice small, almost pleading. I let her.I couldn’t push her away, not when she was like this. I couldn’t even ask why—because, well, it was none of my fucking business.But I knew. It had something to do with why her sister was here. She dodged my question earlier, right before we hit the road, and that told me all I needed to know—she didn’t want to talk about it.I had my own things I didn’t want to talk about either.Her grip loosened, and she took a step back. The loss of her warmth hit immediately, like stepping outside on a cold night.She brushed her hair out of her face, but in the darkness, I couldn’t see her expression. I
♡Astrid♡We arrived at the compound within minutes. Freya was still curled up at my side, and I stroked her hair absentmindedly, my mind racing with what to do next.Derrick wouldn’t be put on trial without solid evidence. Just Freya and me testifying wouldn’t be enough either. Hell, I even doubted if Mom would believe us.She trusted that man—loved him, even. That scumbag.There was no way I was letting Freya go back to that house while Derrick was still there.Adrian killed the ignition and adjusted the rearview mirror, his eyes meeting mine. He raised a brow but stayed silent.I pressed my lips together and rubbed Freya’s shoulder gently."Hey," I whispered. She lifted her head slightly. "We need to go in now, yeah?"She nodded and sat up. Adrian stepped out of the car, and she glanced at him before turning back to me."You really married him, huh?" she murmured.I gave a small smile before opening the door and stepping out. She followed.Adrian stood outside, waiting. Once we we
♡Astrid♡ My phone rang the moment we got home. Freya's name flashed on the screen. I glanced at Adrian, who was already heading toward the cellar where he kept his drinks. He grabbed a bottle and took a long swig straight from it. Oh well, that was my cue to disappear. We’d done enough socializing for the day. Swiping at the green button, I brought the phone to my ear as I climbed the stairs. "Hey, Fre," I muttered. Silence. "Hey," she finally said, her voice quiet. I frowned as I reached my bedroom door, unlocked it, and stepped inside. Yeah, I always locked my door before leaving. The last thing I wanted was someone going through my things. "What's wrong?" I asked. Freya was never this quiet. She was always bubbly, always ready to yell into my ear the second I picked up. I tossed my bag onto the bed and sat down, undoing my shoes while waiting for her to answer. A sniff on the other end made me pause. "Freya?" My body tensed. "What's going on?" "It's nothing… Mum isn't
♤ Adrian ♤Her lips were soft and warm—just as I remembered.The moment they met mine, a flood of old memories crashed through me, ones I hadn’t dared revisit in years. I brushed my thumb over her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my touch. She parted her lips slightly, just enough to make my heart do a ridiculous, foolish skip.My heart did a silly skip, and I pulled away, stopping the kiss before it went… well, over the top. My eyes met hers just as my father stopped at our table.There was lingering heat and confusion swirling in her blue irises. There was something unreadable in her gaze—something that made me wonder if she felt the same pull I did.I ignored the man glaring down at me. How the fuck was he here? And no, this wasn’t a coincidence. Nothing ever happened by chance where Gary Voss was involved.I leaned back in my seat as she glanced at the towering figure beside us, her face flushing a slight shade of red.She was blushing.I sighed and checked my wri
♡Astrid♡A warm hand slid around my waist, pulling me into his chest as we made our way toward a table facing the entrance.There were only a handful of people scattered around, but all eyes were on us as we settled into our seats. Conversations slowly dulled out to whispers.Adrian sat opposite me, his gaze flickered to the door while I had my back to it. A waiter approached, clutching a menu.“Welcome to Glamour. What may I get you?” he asked, and Adrian’s eyes shifted to me. He tilted his head slightly, silently urging me to order first.I cleared my throat, glancing up at the waiter.“Can I take a look at the menu?” I asked, and he gave me a polite smile before handing it over. I skimmed through it, pressing my lips together.Finally, I handed it back to him.“Pan- seared salmon with lemon butter sauce and yeah, asparagus. I'd love to have a glass of bourbon too,” I muttered, and he nodded, turning to Adrian, who gave a small nod.“A bottle of classic martini for me,” Adrian said,
♡Astrid♡We left the house together by noon. Well, I had to get to work, and he... I don’t know. Whatever Adrian Voss did to keep himself busy.What I didn’t expect was to see a group of paparazzi in front of my office.Adrian slowed down as I stared through the tinted glass windows. Nora and Sloane were outside, trying to curtail the group, who kept shoving microphones and flashing cameras in their faces.I shuddered lightly. How the fuck did they find my office?I swallowed hard and unbuckled my seatbelt. It was me they wanted, right? No need for them to harass my PA and secretary.I made to step out of the car when Adrian’s hand stopped me, firm on my thigh. I turned to stare at him, and he just cocked his head to the side.“What are you doing?” he asked, and I glanced down at where his hand rested on me. He slowly removed it, placing it on the steering wheel.“I’m going out. They’re harassing my employees,” I said, and he looked at me like I’d suddenly lost my mind.“They’re out t
♡Astrid♡The news was everywhere by the morning, splashed across every platform I could think of. No wonder my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with calls and messages.Oh, and of course, my social media was no exception. Adrian was right—if this exploded, both our reputations would take a hit. And here we are.Don’t get me started on the comments. Cruel, biting, and downright nasty. Apparently, a good number of women weren’t thrilled that I married Adrian—and in secret, no less.I groaned, shutting off my phone and rolling onto my back, staring blankly at the ceiling. Fantastic. My life was just about to become a circus.Silly of me to think I could get out of this sham of a marriage without consequences. Really laughable.I stayed in bed for a few more minutes, delaying the inevitable. The reality outside my door—and a certain brown-eyed man—weren’t things I was eager to face.And speaking of him, we were going to have to put on a whole show until the news died down. Touching, smiling,
♤Adrian♤I was in the sitting room, going through some random files. Something that I rarely did.I had a study, but I need a change of scene. It was at that moment she walked in. Head hung low, shoulders hunched and eyes dull.She walked past me and up the staircase without acknowledging my presence. No greetings, no glare, nothing.And that...well, it made me feel uneasy. I was slowly getting used to rousing a reaction from her. Never good, always bad.I glanced at her retreating form as she walked into her room, quietly closing the door behind her. I knew something was wrong.Even though she hated me right now, Astrid had always been full of light. The only time I'd seen her look that sad was when she didn't get into the college she was prying to get into.Other than that, she's always been cheerful until well, our breakup. I turned back to the files I was going through but I wasn't able to concentrate, battling with my inner conscience to either go to her or just let it be.She w