~Aaron~I tightened my schedule so much that there wasn’t a moment of rest. Even during meals, I barely ate anything. Stress had killed my appetite. At home, I buried myself in my study, avoiding the bedroom. I couldn’t bring myself to go in there—not when Joan’s presence still lingered in every corner.Her father had a hand in my parents’ deaths. How the hell was I supposed to accept that?I’d asked Denzel to dig deeper, but until he brought me answers, my mind was a mess. A knock on my office door came too soon, and before I could respond, it opened. My jaw clenched, irritation already prickling under my skin. I looked up from the file I’d been staring at for hours without actually reading.Adrian Voss stepped in, his expression calm and unreadable, hands tucked into his pockets. He didn’t wait for an invitation. Instead, he slid into the chair across from my desk, crossing his legs casually.“What are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.Adrian raised an
~Joan~I thought getting a job would finally make me happy. Instead, I found myself calling in sick, that I got the flu. Once I left Aaron’s office, I went straight to the convenience store, grabbed a few bottles of beer, and headed home. I drank until I was numb, cried until my eyes felt dry, took a scalding shower, and curled up in bed. Still, nothing felt better. I kept trying to figure out what was wrong, but the answers wouldn’t come.Even as evening fell, I didn’t move. My phone buzzed with texts and calls, but I ignored them all. I knew it wasn’t him. It would never be him again. He had meant it when he said we were done, and my heart—God, my heart—felt like it had shattered into a million pieces.If I thought I’d been in love before, it was a lie compared to this. Aaron made me fall hard, so fast I couldn’t stop it. And then he crushed me.It was over now. I knew I had to let myself mourn what could have been, but I felt so drained, so empty. I wanted to close my eyes and
~Joan~I returned to work the day after. I felt terrible, like I’d been dragged through hell and left to crawl my way back. No one needed to tell me I looked it too.“Hey, you good?” Alessia asked as soon as I stepped into the office. Our office. By “ours,” I meant mine, hers, a guy whose name I didn’t know, and another woman who, until now, I hadn’t even acknowledged.They hadn’t properly introduced themselves when I started. The signing-in process had been a whirlwind, and Alessia was the only person I’d actually had the chance to meet.And for that, I was fucking grateful.I nodded, dropping my bag onto the desk and sliding into my seat. Alessia pursed her lips, her gaze lingering on me a moment longer than I liked, before she turned away.The other woman in the room, blonde and bubbly, clasped her hands together and stood. Alessia’s expression brightened up immediately, her eyes narrowing as if she already knew what was coming.“Brielle, don’t do anything funny,” she warned.The b
~Joan~The next few weeks dragged by slowly, and there was no word from Aaron or Rhoda. Speaking of Rhoda, I’d sent countless messages and called more times than I cared to admit, but she never responded. Maybe she still needed space. Still, it hurt. Rhoda was the closest thing to family I had ever since I left Boswell Child Care. She’d been there for me in ways no one else had.And maybe that was why I was staring at my phone again, scrolling through my old chats with Aaron.Unknown: Change that hair color.Me: Hello to you too, Thompson.Unknown: The hair. I mean it, kitten.Me: Keep this up, and I might start thinking you’re obsessed with my hair.Unknown: I am.A small smile tugged at my lips despite the ache in my chest. That conversation played in my head like it had just happened yesterday. I could still remember how Aaron had texted me for the first time. I never figured out how he got my number, but he’d driven all the way to my house that night just to convince me to chan
~Aaron~I pressed hard on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden stop. The sound of a gunshot tore through the air, freezing my blood. I stepped out, shutting the door behind me with more force than necessary, my heart hammering in my chest.Louis had let me know the second Joan left the house. I'd promised her a bodyguard before everything spiraled out of control, and he’d been keeping tabs on her to make sure she stayed safe. Maybe I’d had him report a little more than necessary about her daily schedule. That was the only way I could know she was okay—or at least that’s what I told myself.Tonight, she wasn’t okay.Louis had followed her here, keeping his distance until I arrived. I stared at the abandoned building in front of me, my stomach twisting. What the hell was she thinking, meeting Matthew here alone?Speaking of Matthew, the bastard had outplayed me. The moment Denzel informed me about a new text on Joan’s phone, I’d told him to hack into it. That’s when I knew Matthe
~Joan~“This place is... wow,” I muttered as we entered the house, its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a fireplace glowing faintly, a rooftop pool gleaming under the fading light, and more rooms than I could count. The house was absolutely perfect, yet something felt off.“So... how did you know about this place?” I asked Rhoda, who had already sunk into the plush sofa, crossing her legs, while I stood by the window staring at the dazzling city of Spain below. “Well, this is one of Aaron's properties,” she chuckled. My stomach dropped. Aaron?“He doesn’t know we're here. I have the spare keys to the building. I mean, why ask when I can just walk in?” Rhoda said, making a playful gesture with her arms, her smile wide and carefree.“This is Aaron's house?” I asked slowly. She whipped her head around, her smile fading, eyes narrowing slightly.“Yeah, it’s his.” Her voice grew sharper as she met my gaze. “What’s going on?”I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling disbelief
~Joan~The silence was thick, in the air, waiting for someone to break it. Aaron's dark eyes flicked toward his sister before locking onto me, their heat unmistakable. His gaze hardened, a muscle ticking in his jaw. He leaned back into the sofa, surveying both of us like he'd caught us red-handed doing something wrong.His expression was unreadable, but the anger radiating from him was sharp, palpable. Only one question echoed in my mind: how did he know we were here? Rhoda had insisted he didn’t have a clue—she hadn’t even told him.“Rhoda...” His voice was low, cold, perfectly controlled, but there was a dangerous edge to it. “Care to explain what you're doing in 'my' house, without my permission?”Rhoda was silent. If I didn’t know her so well, I might’ve believed the man across from us wasn’t her brother. Seven years wasn’t much of a gap, but Aaron made it seem like a big deal.His eyes slid to me, and I braced myself. “And you,” he said, his tone growing darker, anger simmering b
~Aaron~I was an early riser... Or maybe that was the wrong word to use. I had insomnia, so sleeping was a problem.Which explained why I was in the kitchen by 4 a.m., fully dressed in my usual outfit—a suit—brewing coffee. I walked into the sitting room, glancing at the windows. It was already dawn. The sky was glowing red, a warning of the day ahead.Soon enough, the girls would be awake. Speaking of "girls"... I took a sip of my coffee before walking toward the window, staring down at the quiet city, save for a few cars and early risers moving like ghosts through the streets. I’d had a business meeting in Barcelona, which explained why I was in Spain. I was supposed to be finishing up by the weekend and returning to New York on Monday. I should’ve been thinking about work, logistics, my schedule. But I wasn’t.No, I was thinking about what I’d come back to—my house invaded by my sister and her best friend. Rhoda always had a streak of stubbornness in her, but it never flared into
~Aaron~I pressed hard on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden stop. The sound of a gunshot tore through the air, freezing my blood. I stepped out, shutting the door behind me with more force than necessary, my heart hammering in my chest.Louis had let me know the second Joan left the house. I'd promised her a bodyguard before everything spiraled out of control, and he’d been keeping tabs on her to make sure she stayed safe. Maybe I’d had him report a little more than necessary about her daily schedule. That was the only way I could know she was okay—or at least that’s what I told myself.Tonight, she wasn’t okay.Louis had followed her here, keeping his distance until I arrived. I stared at the abandoned building in front of me, my stomach twisting. What the hell was she thinking, meeting Matthew here alone?Speaking of Matthew, the bastard had outplayed me. The moment Denzel informed me about a new text on Joan’s phone, I’d told him to hack into it. That’s when I knew Matthe
~Joan~The next few weeks dragged by slowly, and there was no word from Aaron or Rhoda. Speaking of Rhoda, I’d sent countless messages and called more times than I cared to admit, but she never responded. Maybe she still needed space. Still, it hurt. Rhoda was the closest thing to family I had ever since I left Boswell Child Care. She’d been there for me in ways no one else had.And maybe that was why I was staring at my phone again, scrolling through my old chats with Aaron.Unknown: Change that hair color.Me: Hello to you too, Thompson.Unknown: The hair. I mean it, kitten.Me: Keep this up, and I might start thinking you’re obsessed with my hair.Unknown: I am.A small smile tugged at my lips despite the ache in my chest. That conversation played in my head like it had just happened yesterday. I could still remember how Aaron had texted me for the first time. I never figured out how he got my number, but he’d driven all the way to my house that night just to convince me to chan
~Joan~I returned to work the day after. I felt terrible, like I’d been dragged through hell and left to crawl my way back. No one needed to tell me I looked it too.“Hey, you good?” Alessia asked as soon as I stepped into the office. Our office. By “ours,” I meant mine, hers, a guy whose name I didn’t know, and another woman who, until now, I hadn’t even acknowledged.They hadn’t properly introduced themselves when I started. The signing-in process had been a whirlwind, and Alessia was the only person I’d actually had the chance to meet.And for that, I was fucking grateful.I nodded, dropping my bag onto the desk and sliding into my seat. Alessia pursed her lips, her gaze lingering on me a moment longer than I liked, before she turned away.The other woman in the room, blonde and bubbly, clasped her hands together and stood. Alessia’s expression brightened up immediately, her eyes narrowing as if she already knew what was coming.“Brielle, don’t do anything funny,” she warned.The b
~Joan~I thought getting a job would finally make me happy. Instead, I found myself calling in sick, that I got the flu. Once I left Aaron’s office, I went straight to the convenience store, grabbed a few bottles of beer, and headed home. I drank until I was numb, cried until my eyes felt dry, took a scalding shower, and curled up in bed. Still, nothing felt better. I kept trying to figure out what was wrong, but the answers wouldn’t come.Even as evening fell, I didn’t move. My phone buzzed with texts and calls, but I ignored them all. I knew it wasn’t him. It would never be him again. He had meant it when he said we were done, and my heart—God, my heart—felt like it had shattered into a million pieces.If I thought I’d been in love before, it was a lie compared to this. Aaron made me fall hard, so fast I couldn’t stop it. And then he crushed me.It was over now. I knew I had to let myself mourn what could have been, but I felt so drained, so empty. I wanted to close my eyes and
~Aaron~I tightened my schedule so much that there wasn’t a moment of rest. Even during meals, I barely ate anything. Stress had killed my appetite. At home, I buried myself in my study, avoiding the bedroom. I couldn’t bring myself to go in there—not when Joan’s presence still lingered in every corner.Her father had a hand in my parents’ deaths. How the hell was I supposed to accept that?I’d asked Denzel to dig deeper, but until he brought me answers, my mind was a mess. A knock on my office door came too soon, and before I could respond, it opened. My jaw clenched, irritation already prickling under my skin. I looked up from the file I’d been staring at for hours without actually reading.Adrian Voss stepped in, his expression calm and unreadable, hands tucked into his pockets. He didn’t wait for an invitation. Instead, he slid into the chair across from my desk, crossing his legs casually.“What are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.Adrian raised an
~Joan~I reread the message on my phone, my heart leaping all over again:Congrats! You passed the interview. You're expected to start work tomorrow by 8am. Looking forward to working with you! DomisAdA scream burst out of me as I jumped around my tiny apartment, giddy with excitement. My neighbors were probably annoyed, but I didn’t care. Soon, I’d be out of here anyway. Our trip to Paris had ended abruptly after that night at the park. He’d called his driver to take me home once we landed in New York, claiming he had something important to take care of. Ever since, he’d been distant, acting strange. We hadn’t really talked since we got back. Actually, we hadn’t talked at all.I grabbed my phone and sent him a quick text to tell him about the new job, hoping for some kind of response. Then I opened my laptop to finish drafting my resignation letter. With a deep breath, I hit send. Just like that, my time at McCormick’s was over. He’d been a great boss, and I’d miss working for
~Aaron~I handed the ice cream to Joan, and she gave me a tight, half-hearted smile as I settled next to her on the bench.She just stared at the ice cream, letting it drip lazily down the cone. I rubbed my hands together, nudging her lightly with my shoulder.“Hey, what’s going on? You’ve been staring at that cone for a while now. You okay?” I asked, and her beautiful green eyes flicked up to meet mine.I perked up immediately, searching her face.“Or… you don’t like the flavor?” I added, trying to coax a reaction. She shook her head and let out a small chuckle, but it sounded forced, almost like she was humoring me.“No, it’s fine. I mean… I would’ve picked chocolate, but vanilla’s good too,” she muttered. Her gaze shifted, avoiding mine.I frowned. I could tell something was off. I knew Joan too well by now—when something was bothering her, it showed in ways she couldn’t hide, no matter how hard she tried. And right now, she was clearly wrestling with something.I reached out, gent
~Joan~I curled further into the warm, firm body pressed against me, letting out a soft sigh as I tried to ignore the golden rays of sunlight creeping onto my face. I wanted to savor the moment just a little longer before peeling my eyes open, only to come face-to-face with Aaron’s still-sleeping form.The good news? He was still out cold, giving me the rare chance to study him without interruption.His stubble had felt prickly under my fingers yesterday—definitely time for a shave—not that I expected Aaron to bother anytime soon. His dark lashes fanned across his cheeks, his lips now tinted faintly red, thanks to my lipstick.His arm tightened around me, pulling me closer, and I became acutely aware of his very obvious arousal pressing into my stomach.Okay?I hated to admit it, but Aaron was beautiful—if that was even the right word for a man. And he knew it too, never missing a chance to use his looks to his advantage.A low groan escaped him, and his eyelids fluttered. I shut my e
~Joan~His eyes darkened before he swooped me into his arms in one swift move, striding confidently toward God knows where. The yacht probably had rooms in it… I was sure of that. He dropped me gently to my feet and opened a door, pulling me in with him.It all happened so fast, and suddenly his lips were on mine. I melted into him, completely undone. I could count on my fingers how many times Aaron had kissed me. Sure, we didn’t kiss often because it was way more intimate, but now? Now, I wanted to feel his lips on every inch of my body.His hands slid down my thighs, his fingers digging into the soft flesh with just enough pressure to send a jolt of heat curling between my legs. My breath hitched.I tangled my fingers in his hair, tugging, needing more. The heels I wore gave me just enough height that I didn’t have to strain to reach his hungry lips. My hands roamed his body with the same urgency, learning him all over again.Clutching his biceps for balance, I pressed closer, lettin