I lean back in my chair, forcing myself to stay calm. My face gives nothing away, but I feel the tension coiling in my muscles, especially in my jaw. The silence stretches between us. Even the hum of the air conditioning feels deafening, and the ticking of the wall clock sounds like gunfire.The nerve of Ryan O’Brien to come at me with a question like that. I take a deep breath. No way am I letting him see me lose it. Not now.I let my body relax, settling deeper into my chair. When I finally speak, my voice is calm. Too calm. “I’ve read about you, Mr. O’Brien,” I say. “Harvard, right? Top of your class in Business Administration. And what was it? A Master’s degree in International Economics? Impressive.” I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes just a little. “Tell me, at what point during all those years of education did they teach you it’s okay to ask your business partner a question like that?”Ryan's face remains neutral, but there's something in his eyes. Smugness? I’m not sure, but i
~~Julie~~I’m home early, lounging in the living room, pretending to flip through a fashion magazine. But my focus keeps drifting to Emily. She’s sprawled out on the yoga mat, twisting her body into impossible poses that make me question if she’s made of rubber rather than bone.“Doesn’t that hurt?” I blurt out, unable to stop myself. There’s no way a human being can bend that far without something snapping.Emily chuckles, glancing over her shoulder at me without breaking her stretch. “Actually, it feels freeing.” She turns her head just enough to offer a mischievous smile. “You should try it. Might help you loosen up.”I snort. “Yeah, right. I’m in my thirties. My body doesn’t do… that,” I gesture toward her, “and I’m perfectly happy keeping all my joints intact, thanks.”Emily slowly untangles herself from the pose and shifts into another, making it look as effortless as breathing. “Age is just a number, Julie. You’re only as old as you feel.”I flip a page in the magazine, pretend
As I stand here, trapped between my mother’s vice-like grip and the dark water below, a long-buried fear claws its way up through me. Every inch of my body wants to twist away, run from this hellish, familiar grip. But it’s like being eight again, clinging to the hope that it’s different this time, that she’ll look at me with something other than contempt.“Let me go,” I say. But her nails dig deeper into my skin.“Not until you make that promise.”My blood turns to ice. It’s crazy because, at the same time, I want to laugh at how absurd this is. My own mother is standing here, threatening me on a bridge like something out of a thriller. But looking into her eyes, I know she’s dead serious. Several memories can attest to that. Those cold nights when she’d shove me outside, locking the door from the inside because I’d dared to spill milk on the kitchen floor or did some other silly thing she deemed punishable. I’d stay there for hours, curled up on the floor, listening to her pace back
“What?” he says. I repeat, “Did you tell her to throw me off Brooklyn Bridge?”He looks at me like I’m speaking in tongues, his mouth opening and closing, grasping for words. “Julie, I... I’d never do that. What are you even talking about? Your mother said you attacked her.”My jaw drops. “Attacked her?”“Wasn’t that what happened?”“She tried to throw me off the bridge, Ryan! What language have I been speaking?”His face falters. He steps forward, trying to reach for my hand. “Julie, I’m sorry… I didn’t know—”I yank my hand back. “Sorry? You don’t get to be sorry, Ryan. Sorry implies you care. And if you did, you wouldn’t have sent that witch to me in the first place. You know how much I despise it when you do that. Yet you do it every time to piss me off. Is this one of your kinks? You somehow get off on pissing me off?”“Please, Julie,” he murmurs. “I know how much you’re hurting right now. I know how scared you must have been on that bridge, fighting for your life. But please, l
Just as I say “Ten,” I see Ryan take a reluctant step back. Soon enough, I notice it’s not entirely by his choice. Emily's fingers are wrapped tightly around his arm, pulling him away from me. Her face is set in a hard line, eyes blazing with an expression I can’t name. Ryan tries to shrug her off, but Emily holds him firm, blocking his path. “Emily,” he says. “What the hell are you doing? I’ve told you so many times not to involve yourself in these fights. Let me handle Julie.” Emily doesn’t budge, doesn’t look away. Her voice is cold, quiet, but beneath it, there’s a fire bubbling up, one I’ve never seen from her before. "That woman," she says, eyes fixed on him, "just survived a near-death experience. Do you really think she won’t go through with her threat? That she won’t burn this entire house down if she wants to? I have properties worth a lot scattered all over this place, Ryan. You’re not going to make her light them up. Do yourself some good and calm the fuck down.” Ry
I stare at her blankly. “Frozen? There must be some mix-up. Maybe the machine’s acting up? That’s my account. I would know if it’s frozen.”The receptionist’s expression remains stoic, as if she’s used to dealing with late-night guests having issues with their cards. “I’m afraid so, ma’am,” she says. “It’s showing as restricted.”I feel frustration simmering beneath my skin. Whatever this is, it has Ryan’s name written all over it. Yet, at the back of my mind, I doubt. It might be a coincidence, because I can’t figure out any possible way Ryan could have done it, frozen this account without my approval. It’s a joint account. There’s a reason it’s called joint, because two people have to sign off on decisions involving the account. So yes, there has to be a reasonable explanation for this. There better be.“What am I supposed to do?” I ask.Angela shifts uncomfortably, typing again, like maybe she’s hoping a magical solution will pop up on her screen. When it doesn’t, she looks back at
A couple of minutes after I hang up the call, I see an Aston Martin pulling into the hotel’s driveway at a crazy speed. It sounds a lot like it’s heading in my direction. I quickly step aside, not wanting to add ‘hit by a car’ to my list of today’s problems.That is until I see Luke flying out. He doesn’t even bother to turn off the car before he’s out of the door, his face hard.“Julie,” he says, “what happened? Did that son of a bitch kick you out?”I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. The words feel caged somewhere deep inside me. How do I explain the mess I’m in? How Ryan has stripped me bare of everything, left me stranded, powerless… humiliated. I try again, but all that comes out is a shaky breath.Luke’s eyes narrow. He’s watching me carefully, taking one slow, measured step at a time. He stops right in front of me, close enough that I can feel the warmth of him, close enough that I can smell his faint cologne, something deep and woody that makes me want to pull h
We pull up to Luke’s place a few minutes later, and I almost forget to breathe.This isn’t just a house. It’s a mansion—a literal mansion, all sharp angles, stone walls, and towering windows. The driveway winds through a huge garden, the kind of lush, manicured greenery that feels like something out of a dream.Luke glances over, catching me staring, and smirks. He hops out of the car, strolling around to my side.“Do you live here alone?” I ask, half whispering.“Why?” He looks amused. “Does it seem lonely?”“Lonely? No, just… massive.”He laughs softly. “I like space,” he says, and though the answer feels simple, I get the sense there’s more to it.“I can see that,” I say.He extends his arm dramatically. “Welcome to my castle, Julie. Mi casa es tu casa.”The air is cool, and the scent of jasmine drifts over us as we head up the stone steps. I glance around, taking in the enormous front door and stone pillars. This place feels almost enchanted.Inside, it’s even more impressive. We