KIAN’S POV Something stood out about the Faceless brand and no, it wasn’t the fact there wasn’t any other business willing to buy my bankrupt company or the fact that I had no choice but to settle for anything at that point. No, it wasn’t any of that. It was the designs. I had stumbled upon the b
LESLIE’S POV [I know what this looks like but please read to the end. Then also read the author’s note.] Cole’s car weaves through the traffic while I am two cars away from it. I don’t take my eyes off it, not even for a second. I’ve been following the car for about ten minutes, not sure where it’s
He makes a face, “Really?” “Yup, try me.” Cole says nothing for the next few seconds. He runs his hands through his hair and I can almost see the wheels in his head running as he’s thinking of what to tell me. “Well, huh…It was about new marketing ideas for the brand. It was actually the direc
LESLIE’S POV “He’s here. Where are you?”—Cole. I stare at the message from Cole that was sent about five minutes ago. That’s also how long I have been parked in the company’s parking lot, doing nothing but pondering on whether coming here is a good idea. When I asked Cole two days ago to invite
LESLIE’S POV I should have stayed in the car. That regret comes only after I have intervened and now I catch myself wondering why exactly that happened. Was it because I couldn’t stand seeing Kian get punched in the face? Or because a boy who looks up to me as an older sister was about to get pumme
KIAN’S POV I’ve had a terrible day. First, I woke up all sore from the cheap mattress at a motel room which is the only place I could afford during my stay here in Seattle. Then I was served the most terrible meal I have ever eaten courtesy of the motel’s room service. After that, I got into an
LESLIE’S POV I waited for his call for an entire day but it never came. Every time my phone lit up or vibrated, I dropped everything I was doing to run to it only to be met with spam calls and messages. My daily routine that included going to the gym, grocery shopping and then designing was disrupt
I nervously usher him into the living room and go to the kitchen to get him water. When I return, I see his eyes wandering around the room and I wonder if he suspects anything. If he does, he doesn’t show it. He perches himself on one side of my couch and takes the cup of water from me. I don’t kn
CHAPTER 72 [The Golden Boy ] ~ELAINE~ (2) Trigger Warning: This chapter contains depictions of abuse that may be distressing to some readers. ONE YEAR AGO The house was silent, as it always was when Jac orchestrated his games. No stepmother barking orders, no father pacing the halls. Not even t
CHAPTER 71 [My Tormentor ] ~ELAINE~ (1) Somebody save me. The words echoed in my head as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My fingers tightened around my phone, the edges biting into my skin as if the pain could pull me out of the suffocating misery that hung over me heavily My hair, once
CHAPTER 70 [ Hearts-to-Hearts ] ~SOPHIE~ If you had asked me when I was ten years old what my greatest wish was, I would’ve said it was to live alone with my father. No stepmother finding new ways to torment me, no stepbrother hovering like a vulture—just me and my dad. I even prayed about it, e
CHAPTER 69 [ His Morals ] ~JUSTIN~ (1) I’ve never been anyone’s first choice. . No matter how hard I tried, Jac always had the spotlight. He was the golden boy, the prodigy, the one with all the medals and accolades. Meanwhile, I was the kid bringing home crayon sketches and piano recitals that
CHAPTER 68 [Welcome Home ] ~SOPHIE~ “Please tell me you two didn’t fuck in here.” Celeste’s voice cut through the quiet like a whip, sharp and full of disbelief. I glanced over my shoulder, pausing mid-fold as I stuffed another sweater into my bag. She was standing above me, her arms crossed, a
CHAPTER 67 [ Whenever, wherever ] ~TRAVIS~ Having fallen for Sophie’s schemes more than once, I guess it was normal for my brain to process every unusual thing she does as a trick to lure me in. Perhaps, that was why I imagined her smirking when in truth, she was just as stunned as I was to fi
CHAPTER 66 [ In The Flesh ] ~TRAVIS~ They were still under the harsh glare of my headlights. While Justin didn’t exactly look his best, Sophie was…worse. An ugly sweater hung loosely over her upper frame, her hair was in a messy bun and was close to tumbling all over her face as she took Justin by
CHAPTER 65 [ The Real Deal ] ~TRAVIS~ The past week has been nothing short of exhausting. I had barely stepped foot into my office before I was bombarded with calls and meetings, my inbox flooded with contracts and reports that had piled up during the engagement trip. If it wasn’t work, it was
CHAPTER 64 [ Caged, Not Sheltered ] ~SOPHIE~ There were many questions; like how on earth she was in a place that was at least an hour's drive from her family’s mansion, and why she was chugging down cheap beer when I have only ever seen her enjoy the finest wine. The longer we stood there, wo