**************CHAPTER 17~Kaia’s POV~“Jealous? Of you or them?” I shot back, my voice laced with incredulity. “You must be dreaming, Mr. Black.”Blaze’s smirk widened, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes as he leaned against my desk. Right now he was the perfect picture of nonchalance. “Really? Because last night told a different story.”I folded my arms tightly across my chest, summoning every ounce of indignation I could muster. “Last night was… a mistake,” I said firmly, though my voice wavered slightly under the weight of my own lie.“A mistake, huh?” Blaze said, tilting his head as though pondering my words. “Funny how mistakes feel so intentional.”The casual arrogance in his tone made my blood boil. “Don’t twist my words,” I snapped. “Whatever you think happened last night—it won’t happen again.”Blaze stood upright, his towering frame closing the distance between us in a few measured steps. “Won’t it?” he murmured, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone that sent an inv
**************CHAPTER 18~Kaia’s POV~The door to my office swung open with a resounding thud, shattering the charged atmosphere like a glass shattering on tile.I stumbled back instinctively, my lips tingling from the kiss and my heart hammering in my chest like I’d been caught red-handed. Blaze, on the other hand, didn’t flinch. He straightened leisurely, his expression infuriatingly calm, though his eyes still burned with a dark intensity that made my knees weak.I looked at the door to see who had interrupted us and there she stood. Natalie. Of course, it was Natalie.Her perfectly made-up face froze for a split second and her carefully painted lips parted in what looked like genuine shock. But the moment passed quickly, and she schooled her features into a mask of composed superiority, crossing her arms over her tailored blazer as she stepped further inside.“Am I…” Her lips curled upward in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Interrupting something?”Blaze didn’t miss a beat
**************CHAPTER 19~Kaia’s POV~After the bunch of work, I couldn’t face Blaze at home just yet. I still felt the intensity of our earlier encounter lingering on my lips and mind, and I needed air, space—anything to calm my racing thoughts.That was how I ended up at the upscale mall, accompanied by Blaze’s ever-efficient butler. Shopping had seemed like the perfect distraction—a mundane activity to take my mind off the chaos.I was browsing through clothes racks when my fingers brushed over a stunning ivory blouse with intricate lace details. It was elegant and simple, the kind of piece that would fit perfectly into my wardrobe.Just as I was about to place it in my cart, a manicured hand shot out, yanking it from my grasp.“Excuse me?” I said, turning to face the intruder.My stomach dropped.Standing before me was none other than Summer—the woman who had ruined everything.Her dyed-blonde hair was styled in loose waves, her lips painted an artificial red that matched her too
**************CHAPTER 20~Kaia’s POV~My pulse quickened as I read Blaze’s second message: ‘No need. I’m on my way.’I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, mentally bracing myself. Of course, he couldn’t just leave it alone. Blaze Black never did subtle.I tried to focus on the shopping at hand, pulling myself together as the butler silently trailed me. But no matter how many racks of clothes I flipped through, my nerves refused to settle.Exactly twelve minutes later—yes, I was counting—he appeared.Blaze walked into the store, commanding attention with his presence alone. Flanked by three bodyguards dressed in all-black tuxedos, Blaze exuded the aura of a powerful CEO who was impossible to ignore, even in a mall.Quickly, I looked away and focused on finding the clothes that I needed. Unfortunately, I was near the lingerie section when I felt him before I saw him. The faint scent of his cologne, warm and sharp, wrapped around me like an invisible tether.“Hello, wifey,” came his
**************CHAPTER 22~Kaia’s POV~I flipped through the document on Blaze’s desk while the air conditioner hum eased my thoughts. The numbers didn’t quite align, and I needed his signature before finalising the report.Blaze sat across from me, his chair reclined slightly as he reviewed another set of papers. His concentration was intense, his jaw set as he scanned the page.“Blaze.” I tapped the document. “You need to look at this.”He glanced up, his piercing blue eyes briefly locking onto mine before reaching for the paper. “What’s the issue?”“There’s a discrepancy in the financial projections for the third quarter,” I explained, leaning over to point out the relevant figures. “If we don’t adjust these numbers, it’ll affect our presentation to the board.”He studied the document for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. “I see what you mean. We’ll need to get the finance team on this immediately.”I nodded, jotting down a quick note on my tablet. “I’ll schedule a meeting with
**************CHAPTER 23~Kaia’s POV~As we returned to Blaze’s office, the tension between us eased slightly. I was still riding the satisfaction of having dismantled Shawn’s overblown confidence, but I knew better than to let my guard down completely. Shawn wasn’t the type to give up easily, and neither was Summer. It seemed like she has been influencing him. Blaze sat behind his desk, flipping through another folder while I organized my notes. The calm was short-lived, though, as his phone buzzed sharply. He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening.“It’s my father,” he said flatly, answering the call with a clipped, “Yes?”I busied myself with my notes, pretending not to listen, but his tone made it impossible to ignore."No, that’s not necessary. We have plenty of qualified candidates internally,” Blaze argued. There was a long pause, during which his expression hardened. “Fine. Send over the details.”When he hung up, he leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his n
**************CHAPTER 24~Shawn’s POV~—Coral Bar—I sat slouched in a booth, nursing my third whiskey of the evening while my so-called friend, Dan, sipped his beer across from me.“She made me look like a complete idiot,” I muttered, glaring into the amber liquid in my glass. “In front of everyone. My team, her husband—Blaze freaking Black.”Dan chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “To be fair, Shawn, you kind of walked into that one. Did you really think you’d just waltz in and charm her after what you pulled?”I shot him a look that could kill. “I didn’t pull anything. She’s the one who ran off and married that arrogant bastard. I should’ve been her first choice, not some random guy with more money and power.”“Yeah, well,” Dan shrugged, taking another sip. “You snooze, you lose. Or, in your case, cheat, and you lose everything. That’s just how it works.”I slammed the glass down harder than I intended, drawing a few glances from the other patrons. “Who’s side are you on? Huh? She
**************CHAPTER 25~Kaia’s POV~Having told Blaze my opinion concerning Summer, I simply distanced myself more from his office and focused on the HOF office. However, it didn’t take long for Summer to begin her games.During our first team meeting, she made snide comments about my financial strategies, questioning the validity of my projections in a way that was both condescending and calculated to sow doubt.“I’m just saying,” she said, flipping through the presentation I’d prepared, “these numbers seem… optimistic. Don’t you think we should be more conservative?”I smiled tightly. “Optimism is one thing; accuracy is another. These projections are based on hard data, not speculation. But if you’d like to review the research, I’d be happy to walk you through it.”Summer’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “That won’t be necessary.”Blaze, who had been silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke. “Kaia’s projections are solid. If anyone has concerns, I suggest you address them dir
**************CHAPTER 89~Kaia’s POV~I shut the bedroom door behind me, exhaling sharply as I turned to face Blaze. “She’s lost her damn mind,” I muttered.Blaze sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You think?”I crossed my arms. “A whole month? Do you have any idea what that means?”His lips twitched. “That she’s giving us ample time to ‘bless her with a great-grandchild’? And yup, a lot of you know love making?”I glared at him. “Blaze.”His smirk faded, replaced by something more serious. “Look, I get it. But it’s better to act like we’re on board with whatever she has planned than to outrightly refuse her. At least until we figure out what she really wants.”I frowned, pacing slightly. This did not make sense. It was either she got the idea out of the blue or she simply had been planning this all along and it was also her reason, if not the major reason, for coming here. I heaved a sigh. I did not know how Blaze expected me to be on board with that. I mean we weren't seeing e
**************CHAPTER 88~Kaia’s POV~My blood boiled as I stared at Blaze, his jaw clenched, his blue eyes watching me with a mix of guilt and defiance.“You were spying on me?” My voice was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. I was furious.Blaze exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kaia, I wasn’t spying. I was looking out for you. I was informed about Shawn and went to check the security footage to be sure.”I scoffed. “Oh? So, barging into my office, nearly ripping Shawn’s head off, and watching security footage of me is your idea of ‘looking out’?”His lips pressed into a tight line. “I was concerned about you. I was worried, alright.”I blinked, taken aback. Blaze never admitted things like that.For a moment, neither of us spoke. The tension between us was suffocating, but this time, it wasn’t just anger.It was something else, dangerous, and I refused to acknowledge. I didn’t want my feelings whacked around during tehse remaining few months. I exhaled sharply, sha
**************CHAPTER 86~Kaia’s POV~I arrived at the company as usual and decided to put in some work at the HOF office before going to Blaze’s. What I wasn’t expecting was the stupid surprise that awaited me. The moment my assistant buzzed in, I could tell something was wrong.“Ma’am, I, uh…” she hesitated. “Shawn Caldwell is here to see you. He says it’s important.”I froze.The name alone sent a shiver of irritation through me.Shawn? Here? Why?I had blocked him, ignored him, and made it crystal clear that I wanted nothing to do with him. And yet, here he was, bold as ever, daring to show up at my workplace.I exhaled sharply. My first instinct was to have security throw him out, but then…No.If Shawn wanted to play games, then fine. I needed to put an end to things with him anyway and finish whatever shenanigans he has had with me.“Send him in,” I said coolly.Moments later, the office door swung open, and Shawn Caldwell walked in looking as smug as ever.He raised his shoul
**************CHAPTER 85~Kaia’s POV~Blaze’s lips brushed against mine, softly. His warm breath teased my cheek, and I froze.My brain screamed at me to push him away. To remind him that this wasn’t real. That he had no right to do this to me.But my body? My traitorous body leaned into him, my heart hammering, my skin burning from just his proximity.Blaze smirked against my lips, sensing my hesitation. “What’s wrong, wifey?” he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement and something else. Something dangerous.I exhaled shakily. “Blaze…”He didn’t move away. If anything, he stepped closer, his strong arms caging me against the wall, his lips hovering near mine, his fingers brushing against my waist.His voice lowered. “Tell me to stop.”I hated him.I hated the way he knew exactly what he was doing. How he played this game so well, like he was testing me, daring me to admit that I wanted this as much as he did.I opened my mouth, ready to shove him away, ready to end this insanit
**************CHAPTER 84~Kaia’s POV~The next morning, I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a freight train. My mind was still a mess from last night—Blaze’s words, his touch, the way he had held me against the wall, his lips so close but his heart so far.I hated him.No. That was a lie.I hated how he made me feel.The way his jealousy burned into me. The way he claimed he didn’t love me, yet everything he did screamed otherwise.I let out a frustrated groan, rubbing my temples. I needed distance. Space. A moment where I didn’t have to think about him or the way he had kissed me in that damn car like I was his.Tossing the covers off, I got up, took my bath and changed into a black pencil skirt and a soft lavender blouse. A power move. If I looked confident, I could fake it. I grabbed my phone and keys, avoiding Blaze entirely as I left the house.I had work to do.**************~At the Office~The familiar click-click of my heels against the marble floors of the company stead
**************CHAPTER 83~Blaze’s POV~~The Previous Evening~I slammed the car door shut harder than necessary.Fuck.I ran a hand through my hair, my mind still replaying the way Kaia had looked at me before she walked away.The defiance in her eyes. The frustration. The confusion.And that kiss.I exhaled sharply, my fingers brushing over my lips. I had lost control.That wasn’t part of the plan.That wasn’t supposed to happen.But the moment she had challenged me, the moment she had tested me, I couldn’t stop myself.I had kissed her, and she had kissed me back. Willingly. Desperately. And I felt it—the way her body had melted against mine, the way she had held onto me like she didn’t want to let go.She could pretend all she wanted. She felt this too.And yet… "Tell me… Do you love me?"I clenched my jaw, irritation flickering in my chest.Love? No. I didn’t do love, not after losing Iris. Love was messy. It made people weak. It clouded judgement. And I refused to be weak.So wh
**************CHAPTER 82~Shyne’s POV~I swirled the champagne in my glass, watching the golden liquid dance under the morning light filtering through the grand windows of the Silver mansion.It was early—too early to be drinking—but I didn’t care.My mind was elsewhere. It had been since last night.I closed my eyes for a brief moment, letting myself sink into the memory of the previous evening.The moment I walked into David Mercer’s party, I was looking for him. Blaze.But instead, my eyes had landed on her—Kaia Black.A bitter taste filled my mouth at the thought. That woman should have never been there. She should have never been anywhere near Blaze. She was nothing.She wasn’t a Silver heiress like me. She wasn’t raised in wealth and in power. She wasn’t born into this world—she had merely stumbled into it.And somehow, she had taken what was supposed to be mine.She wasn’t supposed to be the one sleeping in his bed. His last name shouldn’t have belonged to her eitherBut inste
**************CHAPTER 81~Kaia’s POV~The moment the car door shut behind me, I knew I had made a mistake.The tension between Blaze and me was overwhelming. He sat beside me, his body taut with frustration, his jaw clenched so tightly I swore it might crack.I crossed my arms, matching his silence with my own, staring out the window as the driver pulled away from the gala.We didn’t speak.The silence stretched; it was almost suffocating.Then—Blaze exhaled sharply and when he spoke, it felt like a blade cutting through the thick silence. “What the hell were you thinking?”I turned to him, feigning innocence. “Excuse me?”His blue eyes flashed. “Going out with David Mercer? Really?”I arched a brow. “It was business.”Blaze let out a humourless laugh. “Bullshit. You knew exactly what you were doing.”My fingers tightened around my clutch. “Oh? And what was I doing, Blaze?”His gaze darkened. “You were trying to piss me off.”I scoffed. “Not everything is about you.”Blaze shifted in
**************CHAPTER 80~Kaia’s POV~I had barely calmed down from my argument with Blaze when my phone vibrated again.It was David.David: "There’s a business gala tomorrow night. High-profile investors, networking opportunities—the works. If you’re interested, I’d love for you to be my plus one."I stared at the message, chewing my lip.Going out with David Mercer wasn’t exactly the best idea. He was charming, flirtatious, and, most importantly, a thorn in Blaze’s side.Which meant…A slow smirk tugged at my lips. Would it be petty? Absolutely. Would it piss Blaze off? Without a doubt.But after what happened earlier—after the way he trapped me against the wall, kissed me, then refused to answer me when I asked if he loved me—I was done playing it safe.I quickly typed my response.Kaia: Sounds like a good networking opportunity. I’ll be there.David’s reply came almost immediately.David: Excellent. I’ll send a car to pick you up at 8.I put my phone down, exhaling deeply. Was t