The world around me froze. My brain processed the facts at a speed hundreds of times faster than light. I heard three shots. Not one, not two, but three. Who the hell fired the third one? And, most importantly, where did those bullets go? Would I feel an explosion of raw pain as soon as time restarted? Was I… going to die?I inhaled sharply, and all my senses returned. I expected the agonizing pain to come within a heartbeat, but it didn't. All I felt was a scorching cut on my right arm. I still held a gun pointed at the shooter, and his gun was pointed at me. Did he… miss?Another second passed, and he turned pale. The hand holding a gun lowered to his side. Did I shoot him? My heart thundered against my chest. My ribs shrank, limiting my breathing to shallow gasps. I wasn't wounded. Not severely. Not by his bullet. But he got hit. He must have gotten shot, but where? It was hard to spot blood on the black shirt and black combat pants he was wearing. After a heartbeat, he fell to his
My mouth opened, and I stared at Mr. Edevane blankly. It didn't make any sense. I was their target. It all fit. I had told the detective about the man with the scar, and then a black van appeared. Once the black van was gone, someone else came and pushed us off the road. I assumed that it was Mr. Scar who wanted me dead… But why would he want Aiden dead as well? Aiden knew exactly as much about Mr. Scar as I had told Detective Rias and Chandler Ellis. Would that mean that they were on the hit list as well?That wasn't the only thing that didn't make sense. I was a nobody, and my death would have probably gone almost unnoticed, but the death of someone like Aiden Hart? That would have been as huge as an international incident! No one in their right mind would have even considered killing someone with a background as powerful as Aiden's. That would have been like signing their own death sentences… unless they were powerful enough to take such a risk.Chills ran down my spine. I initiall
My recovery in Aiden's clinic was almost like spending four days in a luxury SPA with an out-of-this-world level of treatment. Again, I wondered what was in the IV drip I had been given the first two days after the accident. Whatever it was, it helped my bruises heal at an almost supernatural speed. Unfortunately, my inner muscles weren't as quick to forget they were strained, and my movements were limited, especially when I tried to move fast.My body was massaged and placed in an infrared sauna for healing sessions two times a day, and I had never thought that rehabilitation could be so relaxing. I guess a lot of things could be different for someone like Aiden Hart. But no matter how luxurious and soothing my treatment was, I couldn't shake off the feeling that my freedom here was restricted and I was under surveillance…It would have been easier if I could have stayed with Aiden. Unfortunately, the doctors insisted that his treatment required extra attention… and no distraction, w
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