I was rattled over my handwriting discovery. Still, I kept the revelation to myself. I needed to check it thoroughly. After all, both brothers might have had similar handwriting, and I was not a graphologist, but it was a clue. Even if Christopher forged his brother's signature, it wouldn't put him on Julienne's murder suspect list, but it would mean that he must have been involved in… something.I inwardly groaned at hearing my own thoughts. Someone put a death sentence on me, I had just spent three hours uselessly staring at the criminals, but it did nothing to lessen my excitement over finding out that Christopher might have been engaged in a series of Hart Global's failed projects.Yup, it felt even more pathetic when I put my thoughts in order. I took a shower, trying to wash away the lingering restlessness. It helped for about ten seconds before another wave of anxiety flooded me with cold sweat. I didn't want to be alone. I couldn't stand spending another moment without Aiden.
It turned out, I only needed to kick someone's ass for Aiden's team to respect me. Certainly, winning against Marina had nothing to do with my strength and everything to do with luck and her underestimating me, but that didn't change the fact that I knocked her down. As soon as the show was over, Aiden grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the training hall. I barely managed to grab my shoes on the way out. "Where are you taking me?" I called out as he led me through the corridor. He didn't answer; he only glanced at me over his shoulder. I caught his gaze and gulped. His eyes were dangerously dark, with only a thin ring of blue left. He pushed one of the doors open and pulled me into a small room that looked like storage for documents. There was nothing inside aside from a few shelves filled with boxes, a table, and a single chair. Aiden shut the door behind him, and a second later, my back was against that door, and Aiden's lips were on mine. "I couldn't wait to taste you," he purr
Han led us to the Presidential Suite, an amazing complex placed on the hotel's top floor. The suite had its own terrace secured by the remotely-open windows, a master bedroom, a comfortable study room, a dining room with enough space to hold a private banquet for ten, and a bathroom larger than my apartment in Washington Heights. I would love to relax in this incredible place, but knowing that the one who wanted Aiden and me dead was here filled me with restlessness.The opening banquet was supposed to start in three hours. I took a shower while Aiden studied the documents Han wanted us to become familiar with. I hoped that cool water might help me focus on our goal and wash away all the nerves that clung to me after our conversation with the event's host. Of course, that didn't happen. Wrapped in a towel, I walked out of the bathroom and found Aiden lying on an enormous bed in the suite's master bedroom. He kept flipping the documents, his frown deepening by the second."Something's
"Let the Taiyang Conference begin!" Soon Han called out, standing on the podium of the Golden Ballroom.Waves of applause exploded across the hall. Most of the gathered guests seemed to look forward to the upcoming days. Some came here looking for investors or wealthy clients, while others sought an opportunity to multiply the billions of dollars already gathered in their accounts. Certainly, not everyone could participate in Soon Han's event. Those who wanted to be here had to pay the so-called entrance fee, a round sum of a million dollars per person. Paying two million for staying three days at the hotel didn't mean much to Aiden, but it surely made my head spin when I learned about it…I looked around and saw glamorously dressed people with excitement painted all over their faces. Those who sat at our table weren't different. Mr. and Mrs. Bessette came here hoping to extend their portfolio of investments. Ms. Maya Laskar and her soon-to-be wife, Ms. Larisa Sardar, were going to lo
I froze, staring at the terrifying man in front of me. I should have forced my feet to move, but my eyes were desperate to register as many details as possible, as if I needed proof that he existed. His black hair was slickly combed up, unlike the slightly ruffled waves I recalled in the glimpses of my memory. His complexion seemed to have a lighter shade, but the eyes were exactly like the image engraved in my mind. The emotional void filling the dark irises scared the hell out of me.The black-haired man smoothed the lapels of his jacket and corrected his black tie. Then he glanced at Dominique, who looked like he had stopped breathing. Fear tightened his jaw, and his fisted hands began to tremble."Why are you doing this? You don't need my help," Dominique strained through his teeth.The black-haired man huffed a chuckle. "It's more fun this way. Besides, you wanted revenge. This is your chance."Dominique shook his head. "Not this way. I'm not like you."The black-haired man moved
I couldn't breathe. My heart thundered against my ribcage, pumping blood that turned into raw flames, burning my insides. The constant, single, high-pitched note filled my ears, piercing my brain like a wild scream, one able to tear every nerve apart. Panic.It rose inside me and now scratched the surface, but I had to stop this attack. It was the worst time and place to show my weakness. Aiden's fingers formed a tighter grip on my waist. "Charlie, are you all right?" he asked softly.I clenched my fists and forced air into my lungs. I couldn't allow myself to have a breakdown in front of a potential enemy. I glanced at Landon and saw an almost impeccable mask of concern plastered on his face. What kind of freaking game was he playing?I sucked in another breath and held it until the scorching flames inside me faded. "I'm OK," I said, stretching my lips into a faint smile. "It must be jetlag."Landon chuckled. "Yeah, jetlag can be a real bitch."All the question marks circling around
I couldn't sleep. For the first time, even hearing Aiden's heartbeat and feeling the warmth of his skin were unable to soothe my inner storm. Everything that lay untold between me and Aiden clamped my mouth shut, ending the whole Landon-problem explanation with the fact that it must have been someone else in that hotel room when I was raped. And I would happily let it all go if someone told me why the man with the scar and Landon were so much alike. Not to mention that I could almost sense that Landon knew me, or rather, knew things about me. How? I didn't have a clue. It was in the way he looked at me, as if he were trying to tell me that he knew my secrets and that my single false move would cause him to reveal everything I wanted to keep hidden.The annoying voice in my head kept telling me that I should have predicted this. The weight of my lies grew, slowly crushing every inch of me. If there were no secrets between us, I could have gotten to the truth about Landon. I could have
My eyes zeroed in on the gun held by Dominique Martel. The barrel was pointed at my chest, Dominique's finger on the trigger. Ignoring my loudly pounding heart, fast and shallow breaths, and trembling body, I raised my eyes to face him. He looked just as impeccable as all the other times I had seen him. His blond hair was neatly combed, his gray suit perfectly tailored and smoothed, his tie straight. If it hadn't been for the gun he held, I would have assumed he was here to discuss business."Dominique," I managed, struggling to keep my voice even. "What are you doing?"Barely restraining my panic not to burst out, I studied him. His cold blue eyes sparked with excitement. His mouth cracked into a dark grin while the muscles of his jaw tensed. Tearing my gaze from him, I quickly glanced around the room. What I saw caused my breath to catch in my throat. A body, either unconscious or dead, was lying under the conference table. I could see only one booted leg with pants, resembling thos