***************CHAPTER 32~Kaia’s POV~The ride back to the office had been relatively quiet, Blaze’s confident smirk barely leaving his face as I sat beside him, my mind racing with thoughts about the day.When we arrived, I stepped out of the car, expecting the usual hum of activity at Apex Global. Instead, the lobby was filled with whispers, and the reason became clear the moment I heard her voice.“Kaia Gold,” Summer’s shrill tone rang out, amplified by the megaphone she held. “I owe you an apology.”I froze, my stomach dropping. A crowd had gathered in the open atrium, employees pausing their tasks to watch the spectacle unfold.“I deeply regret my actions,” Summer continued, her voice dripping with false sincerity. “I was wrong to tamper with your work, and I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”She paused, and for a moment, I thought she might end it there. But then she added with an exaggerated pout, “Though I suppose not everyone has the grace to accept an apolo
***************CHAPTER 33~Blaze’s POV~The murmurs and whispers in the lobby faded as I strode to my car, my jaw clenched and my mind preoccupied. Kaia’s reaction to Summer’s apology—if it could even be called that—lingered in my thoughts.She was strong and resilient, but I could see the cracks in her armour. Summer’s antics weren’t just irritating; they were dangerous distractions.As I settled into the driver’s seat, my phone buzzed in the cup holder. The screen lit up with my father’s name.I sighed, tempted to let it ring out, but I knew better. With a resigned breath, I answered.“Blaze,” his deep, commanding voice came through the line. “Come home. We need to talk.”“Now?” I asked, irritation lacing my tone.“Yes,” he said firmly. “It’s important.”Reluctantly, I hung up and started the engine, sparing no time to inform Kaia. She would manage without me for the evening. She could handle herself just fine but now, I had some important things to do.***********The Black famil
**************CHAPTER 34~Shawn’s POV~The dimly lit bar reeked of cheap whiskey and regret, the kind of place where people came to drown their failures. For me, it was the perfect setting to plot my comeback.Sipping the amber liquid in my glass, I leaned back in my seat, my mind spinning with plans. The image of Kaia standing tall during her presentation today still burned in my mind, mocking me. She had always been strong, but now, with Blaze Black at her side, she was untouchable.For now.Beside me, Derek, my longtime friend and occasional enabler, swirled his drink lazily. He had the kind of face that could charm most people, but tonight his expression mirrored my simmering frustration.“Still thinking about her?” Derek asked, his tone dripping with disapproval.I scowled. “She humiliated me, Derek. After everything I gave her. And now she’s prancing around like she’s better than me.”Derek raised an eyebrow. “She is married to Blaze Black. That’s a pretty big step up.”I glare
**************CHAPTER 35~Kaia’s POV~The city faded as I drove through the quiet suburban streets, the gentle rustle of trees lining the road soothing my frayed nerves.After the whirlwind of emotions at work, I needed a break—an escape from the intensity of Apex Global, from Blaze’s unreadable smirks, and especially from the weight of being Kaia Gold, Blaze Black’s wife.So I turned to the people who had always been my sanctuary: Tiffany and Bethany, my best friends since college.Their shared house came into view, its porch light glowing warmly in the evening dusk. Parking in the driveway, I took a moment to inhale deeply before stepping out and heading to the front door.Before I could knock, the door swung open, and Tiffany’s wide grin greeted me. “Kaia!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. “You finally decided to show your face, huh?”“About time,” Bethany called from the living room, her voice teasing. She appeared moments later, her glasses perched on her nose and a bo
**************CHAPTER 35~Blaze’s POV~The door opened to reveal a petite brunette with sharp eyes and a cautious demeanour. Tiffany, if I recall correctly. One of Kaia’s best friends.“I’m here for Kaia,” I said without preamble. “I know she’s here.”Tiffany hesitated for a beat, her eyes narrowing slightly as if weighing her options. Finally, she nodded and stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter.“She’s in the living room,” she said reluctantly.The house was cozy, with a warmth that contrasted the sharp, sterile edges of my world. I followed Tiffany until my eyes landed on Kaia.She was perched on the couch, a bowl of popcorn in her lap, her eyes glued to the television. The carefree smile on her face sent a pang of something unfamiliar through my chest—relief, perhaps, or maybe irritation at how easily she could detach herself while I’d spent the last thirty minutes looking for her.I cleared my throat. “Hello, Kaia.”Kaia froze, her head snapping toward me. The excitement on h
**************CHAPTER 37~Kaia’s POV~The moment Blaze’s car rolled to a stop in the driveway, I unbuckled my seatbelt and flung the door open, not sparing Blaze a glance. As I stormed towards the house's entrance, my heels clicked angrily against the pavement, and my heart pounded with frustration.I didn’t care about his insistent gaze boring into my back or the sound of his hurried steps chasing after me. All I wanted was to slam the door in his smug, self-assured face.“Kaia,” Blaze’s voice was calm but edged with warning, but I didn’t care.He wanted to drag me home, fine. He tried to act like he could dictate every moment of my life, okay. But I wasn’t going to let him get away with it without a fight.Halfway to the doorbell, I felt a strong grip wrapped around my wrist, stopping me mid-motion.“Kaia,” Blaze’s low voice growled from behind me.I turned sharply, glaring up at him. “What?”His grip tightened, but not enough to hurt. He spun me around, pressing me back against th
**************CHAPTER 38~Kaia’s POV~The boardroom was filled with energy as the executives gathered for the weekly strategy meeting.Blaze sat at the head of the table, exuding his usual commanding presence, while I took my usual spot to his right.Across from me, Natalie Price settled into her chair, her sleek bun and her designer suit practically announced her confidence. She flashed a smile at Blaze as she set her tablet down.“Let’s begin,” Blaze said, his deep voice cutting through the murmurs.As the meeting progressed, I outlined the financial trends and market forecasts for the upcoming quarter.“That’s an interesting perspective, Kaia,” Natalie said smoothly after I finished. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “But I wonder if we’re being overly optimistic with these projections. Perhaps focusing on more conservative targets would better align with industry trends.”I forced a smile, though my irritation bubbled withinThe projections are based on hard data, Natalie, not spec
**************CHAPTER 39~Kaia’s POV~My phone buzzed as I exited Blaze’s office, still fuming from our heated exchange. Glancing down, I saw the message was from an unknown number.David Mercer.It was David Mercer, CEO of Mercer Enterprises. His message read: Ms. Gold, I trust this message finds you well. I’d like to discuss the proposition I mentioned in detail. Would you be available for lunch today?I hesitated, unsure how to respond but when my mind replayed the scene in Blaze’s office, my decision began to take form. The bitterness from my conversation with Blaze was still fresh. A lunch meeting with Mercer wasn’t something I had planned, but right now, it felt like the perfect distraction from the emotions swirling inside me.The decision was made. I grabbed my bag and informed my secretary of my plans. “Cassie, I’ll be back before the end of the day. If urgent, forward it to my email and give me a beep.”“Yes, Ms. Gold,” she replied, her curiosity barely concealed.Mercer
**************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