Chapter 15

Laura's POV

By the time dinner was over, I felt like I had lived through two days instead of one.

Between the silent battle with Kelvin’s father, the unexpected confrontation with Katie, and whatever strange, unreadable mood Kelvin was in, I was utterly drained.

Katie had eventually given up on prying and settled for making a series of exaggerated sighs before excusing herself from the table. Kelvin remained as detached as ever, his presence a looming shadow even when he said nothing.

I didn’t bother waiting around to see if he would say anything else. Without a word, I pushed my chair back and left, heading straight for my room.

The second I closed the door behind me, I exhaled.

For a brief moment, I just stood there, leaning against the wood, my fingers pressed against my temples. My head throbbed with the weight of the day’s events, exhaustion creeping into every part of my body.

This was only the beginning.

If today had felt this overwhelming, how was I supposed to get through the days to come?

A hollow laugh slipped past my lips as I pushed off the door and walked toward the bed. I didn’t even bother changing into proper sleepwear. I just pulled off my shoes, climbed under the covers, and let my body sink into the mattress.

My thoughts refused to settle.

Kelvin’s father assessing me like I was some kind of business deal.

Katie switching from hostile to… whatever that was.

Kelvin, watching me with that unreadable expression, his mind clearly somewhere else.

And then there was that smile.

The one he had given earlier during his phone call.

I wasn’t sure why that detail stuck with me the most. Maybe because it was the first time I had seen something on his face that wasn’t cold calculation or detached amusement. Maybe because it had looked… real.

I turned onto my side, staring at the ceiling, frustration knotting in my chest.

It didn’t matter.

It wasn’t my business.

I was here for one reason only—to make sure my mother got the care she needed. Everything else was just noise.

With that thought, I forced my eyes shut, willing sleep to take me.

Tomorrow would come soon enough.

And I had a feeling it wouldn’t be any easier.

The morning light streamed through the curtains, dragging me out of sleep before I was ready. I groaned, turning onto my side, trying to hold onto the last remnants of rest. But the faint sound of footsteps outside my door pulled me further into wakefulness.

Still groggy, I forced myself upright, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My body felt heavy, exhaustion lingering from yesterday's chaos. With a sigh, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood, stretching slightly.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, intending to freshen up, the door burst open.

I froze.

Katie stood there, barefoot, her hair looking like a bird's nest. She was wearing nothing but a pair of lace panties and an oversized sleepy expression.

My brain stalled for a solid three seconds before my instincts kicked in.

“Oh my god, Katie!” I hissed, lunging forward and grabbing her shoulders. She blinked at me, half-asleep and unfazed, like this was perfectly normal.

“What are you—?!” My words cut off as I quickly yanked her back into her room before anyone else could see her prancing around like this.

She stumbled slightly, muttering something incoherent, and I shut the door behind us with a sharp click. My heart pounded in my chest, the sheer absurdity of the situation jarring me fully awake.

“What the hell, Katie?!” I whisper-yelled, turning to face her.

She yawned in my face, letting out all her morning breath in my poor lungs. She stretched her arms above her head before scratching lazily at her shoulder. “What?” she mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

I gestured wildly at her near-naked state. “You! Walking around half-naked! You're not in your house alone you know”

She blinked again, then finally seemed to register my panic. She looked down at herself, then shrugged. “Oh. Yeah. Forgot to put on a shirt.”

Forgot—?

I opened my mouth, then shut it, pressing my fingers against my temples. This had to be a joke. I stared at her, my patience wearing dangerously thin.

“Go. Put. Some. Clothes. On.” I ground out, resisting the urge to shake her fully awake.

She let out another yawn, rubbing her eyes like an innocent toddler caught in a scolding. “Alright, alright, don’t get your panties in a twist,” she mumbled, turning toward her bed.

But the second she took a step forward, she stopped short.

And so did I.

Because there was someone in her bed.

I barely had time to register the messy heap of sheets and the broad figure lying underneath them before Katie sucked in a sharp breath beside me.

My heart lurched into my throat.

The man was lying on his side, back facing us, one arm draped lazily over the pillow. His bare shoulders peeked out from beneath the covers, the dim morning light casting soft shadows across his skin.

My pulse roared in my ears.

“Katie,” I whispered in horror, grabbing her arm. “Who the hell is that?”

She made a strangled sound, her entire body going rigid. “Oh my god,” she breathed.

“You don’t know?” I hissed.

She shook her head frantically. “I…I mean, I remember drinking last night but…” Her voice dropped, her face morphing into something between panic and disbelief. “No. No way.”

I opened my mouth to demand an explanation, but before I could, the man stirred.

A groggy, sleep-rough voice rumbled from the sheets.

“What the hell is all this noise?”

Every nerve in my body locked up.

Because that voice, deep, familiar, laced with irritation, was Dylan's.

The world tilted.

Katie went stiff beside me, and my grip on her tightened as the figure in her bed shifted.

And then, slowly, far too slowly, Dylan turned over, his dark eyes blinking open to meet mine.

There was a beat of silence.

A slow, dawning realization flickered across his face.

And then his gaze drifted past me… to Katie, standing there in nothing but her lace panties.

Oh. My. God.

A hundred questions crashed into me all at once, but my body wasn’t waiting for my brain to catch up.

Before he could say another word, I grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it straight at his head. I can't believe I got to see such a confusing thing first thing in the morning.

I walked out of Katie’s room in a complete daze, my body moving on autopilot while my mind scrambled to process what I had just witnessed.

Kelvin’s cousin and his assistant?

Dylan and Katie? Together?

It was like my brain couldn’t compute the information.

I zombie-walked down the hallway, barely aware of my surroundings, my thoughts replaying the scene over and over again. Katie, standing there half-naked. Dylan, in her bed, completely unbothered. His voice still echoed in my ears, deep and groggy with sleep.

What. The. Hell?

Of all the things I expected to deal with this morning, this was nowhere on the list.

And then a far more terrifying thought struck me.

What if Kelvin finds out?

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Oh. My. God. They could lose their heads.

I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting. Kelvin was possessive, ruthless, and protective in ways that weren’t always rational. And Katie? He wasn’t just his cousin, he was family. His bloodline. And from how they related, they were quite close.

Would Kelvin see this as betrayal? Would he take it as some kind of personal offense?

Would he… do something reckless?

A shiver ran down my spine.

I needed to talk to Kate now.

Spinning on my heel, I stormed back toward her room, ignoring the faint headache forming behind my temples. I shoved the door open without knocking, just in time to see Katie frantically yanking on a T-shirt while Dylan sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

They both looked up at me, startled.

Katie, her eyes wide with guilt.

Dylan, completely unfazed. Looking up at me with dead eyes.

I crossed my arms, glaring at both of them. “Tell me,” I said slowly, “that this was just some kind of weird, one-time mistake.”

Silence.

Dylan arched a brow, still half-asleep. “Good morning to you too, Laura.”

Katie groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Shut up, Dylan.”

I ignored their bickering and stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Does Kelvin know?”

That got their attention.

Katie’s head snapped up, panic flashing across her face. Dylan, on the other hand, just smirked.

“What do you think?” he asked lazily.

My stomach dropped.

“Oh my god.” My voice was barely above a whisper. “He doesn’t, does he?”

Dylan shrugged. “Not yet.”

“Not yet?!” My voice shot up an octave. “Dylan, are you trying to die?”

Katie groaned, throwing herself back onto the bed. “You’re making it sound so dramatic.”

I stared at her, dumbfounded. “Dramatic?! He's sleeping with his cousin! You know how he is! What if he—” I stopped myself before I could finish the sentence.

What if he kills you?

Because honestly? With Kelvin, I wouldn’t put it past him.

Dylan chuckled, completely unfazed. “Relax. I will handle my own matters myself.”

I took a step back, suddenly feeling like I had intruded on something I had no business knowing. I knew that was his way of telling me to back off. And honestly, this wasn’t my problem.

Sure, it was shocking, and sure, if Kelvin found out, things could go south real fast, but at the end of the day, Dylan and Katie were both adults.

I exhaled slowly, my fingers tightening around the doorknob. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t want to know.”

Katie frowned. “Laura—”

“Nope,” I cut in, raising a hand. “Not my business. Not my concern. Do whatever you want, just… be ready for the consequences.”

Dylan smirked like this was all a big joke to him. “Appreciate your concern, but we’ve got it covered.”

I rolled my eyes, already regretting stepping into this mess. Annoying. Without another word, I turned on my heel and left, shutting the door behind me.

The tension in my chest didn’t ease, though.

This was one of the things I hated most about myself, my inability to stay out of things that weren’t my concern. I always ended up in situations that left me feeling like an outsider, tangled in problems that weren’t mine to fix.

I needed a distraction.

Something to clear my head and shake off the lingering unease curling in my stomach.

Jogging.

Yes. That would work.

I went straight to my room, changed into workout leggings and a tank top, and slipped on my running shoes.

By the time I stepped outside, the morning air was crisp and cool, a light breeze carrying the scent of damp earth.

The neighborhood was still waking up, the streets quiet except for the occasional car passing by. It was different from where I grew up, cleaner, quieter, with neatly trimmed lawns and towering trees lining the sidewalks.

I inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air fill my lungs, and started jogging at a steady pace.

With every step, the tension in my shoulders eased.

This was what I needed.

Something simple.

Something that didn’t involve complicated relationships, unreadable billionaires, or secret affairs.

I had no idea what the rest of the day would bring, but for now, I let the movement consume me, pushing everything else to the back of my mind.

The steady rhythm of my footsteps against the pavement was the only sound I focused on. The cool breeze brushed against my skin, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself breathe.

“Mind if I join you?”

The voice was smooth, light, and undeniably friendly.

I turned my head slightly, mid-stride, and nearly stumbled.

Jogging beside me was a man. A very handsome man.

He had sun-kissed brown skin, an athletic build, and an easy smile that made it impossible not to look at him twice. His dark curls were slightly damp with sweat, and his sharp jawline flexed as he grinned at me.

“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he chuckled, slowing his pace to match mine.

I blinked, catching my breath. “You didn’t. I just—” I shook my head, embarrassed. “I wasn’t expecting company.”

“Understandable,” he said, giving me a side glance. “But I figured running alone can get a little boring. And since we seem to be going the same way…” He trailed off with a playful shrug.

I hesitated for a second. Normally, I wasn’t the type to strike up conversations with strangers, especially not men who looked like they had walked straight out of a fitness magazine.

But there was something about his energy that was light and easy.

And, God, after everything, I could use a little of that.

“Fair enough,” I said, turning my focus back to the path ahead.

We ran in silence for a moment before he spoke again. “So, do you live around here?”

I gave him a wary glance. “Why? Planning a break-in?”

He laughed, a deep, genuine sound. “Damn, straight to the accusations. I was just making conversation.”

I smirked despite myself. “I’m staying with someone. Temporarily.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Family?”

I opened my mouth, then hesitated. Was Kelvin family?

“Something like that,” I settled on.

He didn’t pry. Instead, he smiled again. “I’m Noah, by the way.”

“Laura.”

“Noah and Laura,” he mused, as if testing how our names sounded together. Then he grinned. “Has a nice ring to it.”

I rolled my eyes. “That was smooth.”

“I try,” he admitted shamelessly. “So, what’s your deal, Laura? You look like you’re running from something.”

My breath hitched slightly.

I wasn’t. Not literally. But in a way, I was.

Instead of answering in a way that befitted the joking. “Maybe I just like running.” I answered instead.

“Or maybe you needed an excuse to get away,” he countered smoothly. “And hey, no judgment. Everyone needs an escape sometimes.”

I turned to look at him then, really look at him, and something about his expression, casual and open, made me exhale.

For the next few minutes, we just… talked.

About nothing. About everything.

We swapped stories, well, he did most of the talking, but I found myself laughing more than I had in days.

It was so damn easy with him. No pressure. No expectations. No unreadable stares or silent power plays.

Just two people, running.

For the first time since stepping into Kelvin’s world, I felt normal.

But then—

“So,” Noah said as we slowed to a stop near the street corner, his breathing only slightly uneven, “I know this might be pushing my luck, but can I get your number?”

I froze.

It wasn’t even the request itself that startled me. It was the fact that I had been enjoying myself so much, I hadn’t realized where this was going.

For a split second, I actually considered it.

But then, like a bucket of ice water, reality hit me.

Kelvin and his cold smirk appeared in my head.

I couldn’t afford distractions.

“I—” I took a step back. “I have to go.”

Noah blinked, taken aback by my sudden shift. “Wait, did I—?”

“Sorry,” I blurted out before I could second-guess myself. And then I did the only thing I could think of.

I turned and ran. All the way back to the house.