Serena’s POVI can’t think. I can barely breathe.Bill’s lips crash against mine again, hungrier this time, more demanding. His body is pressed so tightly against mine that I feel like I’m melting into him. Every part of me is on fire, burning with a need I’ve been pushing down for so long, but now
Serena’s POVI’m lying on the mat, staring at the ceiling. For a moment, I’m out of breath. My pulse is still racing, and every nerve feels like it’s been reset. I barely even feel the coolness of the mat beneath me. Bill lies next to me. Neither of us says anything and I feel the warmth of his arm
Serena’s POVBill’s mansion feels different tonight like the walls are holding secrets. I can sense it even as I sit on the edge of the leather couch, scrolling through the same cryptic message over and over.He’s closer than you think. Just five words, but they keep me up half the night.Bill paces
Bill’s POVThe morning is too quiet, the kind of stillness that doesn’t sit right. I’m up early, wandering through the mansion as James dives into his work on the laptop. The tension in his eyes is unmistakable, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he scrolls through Kevin’s financial records. I
Serena’s POVMatt’s message pings on my phone, and something about it stops me in my tracks. There’s an urgency in his words, like he needs me to meet him right now, no questions asked. I don’t know what he wants to say, but the way he wrote it — short, almost desperate — it leaves no room for me to
Serena’s POVI take a deep breath, trying to keep myself steady, but before I can ask him anything more, Matt speaks.“Serena, I love you.” His voice is soft, but the weight behind those words is intense. He’s looking right at me like he’s been waiting a lifetime to say this. “I didn’t tell you befo
Bill’s POVSerena moves around the living room, gathering her things like she’s trying to stay invisible. I can feel the distance between us, a quiet sort of discomfort. She’s focused, packing her stuff with a kind of carefulness that’s different from her usual pace. She’s barely looking at me, and
Bill’s POVThe notification pings on my phone, and I glance down at the email header. It’s from our project manager, and the subject line is all I need to see: RGE AI Division Bidding for NXT Gen Project Contract.So, Calvin’s really going for it.I lean back in my chair. I knew he wouldn’t stay qui
Bill’s POVThe second day of the trial feels heavier than the first. I sit at the stand, every eye in the courtroom on me. Kevin sits across the room, leaning back in his chair, his face as blank as ever. But I’ve known him long enough to spot the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers tap rh
Serena’s POVEvan Carter steps up to the stand, his posture rigid but his face set with a kind of quiet determination. He’s nervous — I can see it in the way his hands grip the edges of the chair, his knuckles white — but he doesn’t hesitate when the prosecutor starts her questioning.“Mr. Carter,”
Serena’s POVThe courtroom feels like it’s holding its breath. Kevin sits across the room, calm and collected, as if he isn’t facing the weight of his crimes being read aloud. Arson. Money laundering. Drug trafficking. Arms dealing. Conspiracy. Each charge is like a hammer falling, but Kevin doesn’t
Bill’s POVThe flashing red and blue lights from the police cars paint everything in sharp. Kevin’s hunched figure disappears into the back of a cruiser, his hands cuffed tightly behind his back. But even as he’s being taken away, he still manages to twist the knife with his parting words.“This isn
Serena’s POVKevin strides toward me, his expression dark and twisted. I don’t move. I plant my feet, keeping my stance steady, just like Bill taught me. My heart races, but my mind is sharp, clear. I’m not afraid — not anymore.He lunges, fast and aggressive, the blade in his hand aiming straight f
Serena’s POVKevin raises the knife, and my breath catches. For a split second, time seems to slow, the glint of the blade catching the faint light like a silent threat. Before I can react, Bill charges in from the side, slamming into Kevin with the full force of his body. They hit the ground hard,
Serena’s POVKevin steps toward me. His twisted grin grows wider with each deliberate step. He thinks he has this in the bag. He thinks I’m scared, that I’ll back down the second he closes the gap. He doesn’t realize he’s underestimating me.My feet stay planted firmly on the ground, my hands steady
Bill’s POVKevin and his men approach slowly, scanning every corner. They’re trying to catch even the smallest hint of movement. They’re wary but not afraid, at least not yet. Kevin’s confidence radiates off him like a bad cologne, seeping into the minds of the men with him. Serena is crouched besi
Serena’s POVBill, Matt, James, and I go over every detail of the plan again and again. I sit at the table, watching as they discuss the best routes in and out of the location, debating whether we’ll have enough cover.It’s late, and all of us are tired. But I shake it off. There’s no time for being