“Say that again,” I whispered, nuzzling Killian's bare chest.He kissed the crown of my head. “I love you.” His arms moved up and down, his fingers grazing my back. “I should have said it sooner... I don't even know why it took me so long.”“We both should have said it sooner,” I murmured, lifting my head to meet his gorgeous green eyes. “I've known how I feel about you for a long time.”“Now you say it.” His arms tightened around me, pressing me against his firm, sculptured body.“I love you.” My voice trembled as if the mass of emotions hidden in those words was too enormous to turn into a sound.He gave me one of his breathtaking smiles and kissed me. My lips were dreadfully swollen, but I didn't care. I wouldn't mind staying like this—in this bed and in his arms—for the rest of my life. I couldn't have been more grateful for this temporary bliss, a distraction from what was coming.I knew that once we left this cottage house, we would return to pretending. Just two more days of ly
It took all the strength within me to steel my nerves and paint my face blank. Kaiden inched half a step toward Yan Hao, shielding me. He faced our host with a nonchalant smile before carefully scanning the rest of the men in the room.“Whatever it was you wanted to talk about, I'm sure it can wait. My girlfriend and I would like to rest,” he said, then added with a mischievous grin, “Our date turned out to be... quite tiring.”Yan Hao let out a dry chuckle. “I'm sure you're exhausted, and yet... I need to insist we talk. Now.”Kaiden breathed out a long sigh and nodded. “Very well. Let's go and talk. You and me. Josie needs to rest, and—”“Both of you,” Yan Hao said tightly, “I need to talk to both of you.”Kaiden rolled his eyes before taking my hand in his. “If you insist.” He gave Yan Hao a thin-lipped smile.I wasn't sure I was still breathing as four armed guards escorted us upstairs to the fourth floor. Yan Hao walked first, his hands on his back as he prowled through the long
I told Kaiden everything I had learned from Killian, everything Killian's father—Kaiden's uncle—had confessed to. I wished I could have told him more detailed information. I knew that what I told him would open the old wounds and make them bleed even more viciously than before. It was what Yan Hao wanted. He wanted Kaiden to feel hurt and betrayed. He wanted to drive a wedge between us.“Please don't blame Killian for hiding this from you,” I said softly. “We know only scraps of information, most of them based on rumors or something your uncle shouted out in anger. I'm sure Killian would have told you... but not here, not until we returned to New York.”Kaiden nodded, his eyes on the floor, studying the fine wood with utmost caution. He drew a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. The silence became unbearable.“Say something,” I whispered.His eyes finally landed on mine, and a faint smile appeared. “Thank you for telling me.”The amount of pain in his eyes and his strangled voice caused
KILLIAN“Josie and your cousin left the residence. Tae's taking them to the airport,” Gunner informed me over the phone. “The jet we organized is less luxurious than your family plane, but since you said you couldn't fully trust the crew, I thought it would be safer for them to use another plane.”“That was a good call,” I said, feeling relieved that Josie would soon leave Hong Kong. “Once again, thank you for everything.”He chuckled. “You're welcome, boss.”It was past noon when the cab took me in front of Yan Hao's residence. No words could describe how badly I didn't want to go back there. My head was spinning with swirling thoughts, different scenarios. I had to figure out a plan. I needed peace to focus and clear my head, but I knew that in this place, a moment of peace was nearly an unaffordable luxury.Two guards, who had been at the gates the night before when I had left with Tae, were now assigned to monitor the main entrance. They sneered at me as I passed them, the arrogan
I forced a steady breath into my lungs, controlling every inch of my body and praying nothing would betray the fear rising within me. This was all just a part of their game. They wanted to know what buttons to push. They were seeking leverage, and the fact Yan Hao chose to reveal this much meant they, too, were restless. They must have known that Josie and Kaiden could crush Yan Hao's plan, and they thought they could use me to stop them.Slowly, I turned my eyes from the predator sitting on the sofa to the one behind the desk. Carefully, unhurriedly, my lips curled up, forming a cold, nearly soulless smile. “I'm not sure you realized, but Kaiden and I were never on the best terms. We were rather rivals most of our lives. If you wanted to threaten him, you chose the wrong messenger.”Yan Hao's brows inched up. “Are you trying to tell me that you don't care whether your cousin lives or dies?”Holding his stare, I leaned back in my seat. “If he died, it would have been a loss for the co
JOSIEA calm before the storm—that was what I would have called the last few days, days after Kaiden and I had returned to New York. Without Estelle, Yan Hao, and all their watchdogs lurking around the company, the days in Blair Digital became oddly peaceful. Yet all of us knew this peace was only temporary…The trip to Hong Kong brought us closer, and I wondered if I should start calling Kaiden my friend. I knew we definitely were partners, scheming to stop the merger and send Yan Hao where he belonged, although we kept arguing about where that place was. I believed it was behind bars, preferably for the rest of his life. Kaiden would rather send Yan Hao on a one-way trip to hell.I nearly kissed Tony after he'd given me my new secured phone—my way to communicate with Killian. I made a promise to myself that I would never pull that phone out in a public place again. I would treasure it and would not repeat my mistakes. As soon as Tony and I parted, I rushed back to my apartment and c
Twelve votes. We needed twelve votes to crush Yan Hao's plans. My head began to spin twice as fast as before, but this time, it had nothing to do with the alcohol I had drunk.“Unfortunately, there's more,” Veronica went on. “I heard that Yan Hao is coming to New York in less than two weeks. My informant said that the merger agreement has already been settled and it's ready to sign. Those people from Hong Kong want the shareholders' vote to be nothing more than a formality.”My ribcage shrank, and my breaths became too shallow to provide oxygen. “I thought we had a little more time,” I managed as my brain tried to process our situation.“I'll be frank, Josie. I could convince those people... but I can't do it alone in such a short time.”I had already figured that much. My hands fisted as I braced myself and sucked in a sharp breath. “So… what do you want me to do?”“You'll have to meet with a few shareholders on your own. I'll prepare you, but it will be your task to convince them,”
I spent an hour checking every corner of my office. I had no doubts that the bastard who had broken here must have either planted some device or tried to steal information. Fortunately, all the cabinets were locked, with no signs that anyone wanted to open them by force.“We searched all floors. There's no intruder,” the head of security said. “Maybe you only thought you saw someone running. Maybe it was just a shadow...”I whirled around to face him, my hands fisting. “I know what I saw. It was an Asian wearing black clothes—combat pants, a jacket, and a black cap. He was here, on this floor. He broke into my office and—”“So you say.” The man gave me a look meaning he didn't believe a word I said. “I see no signs of breaking. Maybe one of your teammates left the office open, and you only imagined you saw—”“Just check the damn footage from the surveillance cameras!” I snapped.He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh. “We already did, and we didn't find anything sus