I sat on the bed, staring at the shattered pieces of the phone now splayed on my sheets. I had canceled my meeting with Veronica, briefly explaining what had happened. I'd told her I was fine just to calm her down. I didn't want her to worry, but the truth was different.I was still shaken as I went home, constantly recalling every second of my mad chase after the thief. Why hadn't he taken the bag into the car? Letting go of it made no sense. Besides, the more I thought about it, the more I realized he would have been the clumsiest thief in the world if he had dropped the bag while jumping into the van. But what if he hadn't meant to steal the bag in the first place?My gaze drifted to the smashed phone pieces, and I ground my teeth. What if the plan had been entirely different? What if the thief had taken my bag just to destroy my phone? No… It was impossible. No one knew about the secured phone I used to talk to Killian. I had never even pulled it out in public… except for today.I
Someone clearly made holes in my lungs, and now air escaped through these tiny holes each time I drew a breath. My hands trembled as I picked up Tony's number, but he didn't answer the call.“Think, Josie. Think!” I gritted out, dragging my fingers through my hair. Tony had to be at one of his Chicago meetings already, and I had to find a way to tell Killian about Yan Hao's invitation.I loosened a breath, trying to put my thoughts in order. I had to contact Killian, but I also had to call Kei and convince him to come with me. Logically, Kei was the only person who could help me, not only because I could use him as my translator but also because I knew he would be a translator I could trust.I glanced at the clock on my laptop screen. It was almost ten o'clock. I had eleven hours to get ready, to prepare myself for… for anything that could happen in Hong Kong.“Gunner… I could call Gunner,” I murmured, reaching into my purse and trying to find a business card I had gotten from him onc
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, folding my arms across my chest.Kaiden's brows rose an inch. “And what do you think people usually do at the airport?”“I'm serious, Kaiden. What are YOU doing here?” I tried to pin him with a firm stare, but he only laughed.“I'm going to Hong Kong,” he explained, “and after a short discussion, your friend told me you were invited too.”I worked my jaw. It wasn't hard to guess that Kaiden had been the one Ashley had bumped into, but I had yet to establish whether it was a good or bad thing that he was going to Hong Kong with us.Kaiden's eyes shifted to Kei, and his smile became tight. “And you are?”Kei cleared his throat and got up from his seat. “Kei Nishida. I'm a member of Josie's team. We worked together on—”“I'm not interested in your resume, Mr. Nishida,” he said curtly before turning his gaze to me. “May I ask what you are doing here in the waiting hall?”My one brow moved up. “I'm waiting for my plane?”Kaiden's face turned serious.
KILLIANTo say that the last twenty-four hours had been exhausting would have been a huge understatement. Preparing for the sudden trip chained me to the desk in my study for several hours, and the last-minute meetings my father sent me to were an unbelievable pain in the ass. The meetings turned out to be rather pointless, and, by the end of the third one, I had become certain they were meant to keep me occupied and away from other important issues… like the matter of the thief who had tried to steal Josie's purse.My restlessness grew by the heartbeat, and I was seconds away from calling her using my standard phone. I knew that sooner or later, I was bound to do something reckless, and today I was sliding on the verge. I was going to risk making that call. All I needed was a moment of privacy—a place without Estelle or her minions. The problem was that they were hell-bent on guarding me throughout the day, to the ridiculous extent that I couldn't even go to the men's room without se
JOSIEI watched Killian as he returned to his spot, a smirk crossing his lips. Beside me, Kaiden rested with his eyes closed, and Estelle was still sleeping soundly in her seat, which now resembled a comfortable, single bed. Still, I couldn't be certain that this plane was free of Estelle's spies. I was a little bit reckless, but I finally met Killian's gaze, and his smile rose.He twisted in his seat to face me and whispered, “Ryder found the original picture. The one Estelle gave me was edited. We have proof.”I covered my mouth with my hand to contain a chuckle. At least there was one good piece of information in all this mess. I felt as if we dodged Estelle's bullet. She wouldn't be able to use this made-up story against me.I wished I could leap off my seat and hug him. I would love to wrap my arms around him. Instead, I curled my fingers around the armrests, stopping myself from doing something utterly stupid like rushing to the opposite side and kissing the man who was supposed
I surveyed my surroundings as if something as big as a second mattress might have been hard to notice within this spacious bedroom. Restlessness clenched my chest. I ran out of the bedroom and glanced around. There had to be something I could use instead of a bed. A large chair, perhaps?I spotted a settee upholstered in deep purple velvet. It seemed to be an antique, or it had been made to resemble one. I stepped closer and winced at the hard wooden frame and uncomfortable curve that would force my neck to be craned at an awkward angle throughout the night. A hard pass.Two armchairs could have worked. I scanned the furniture carefully and realized that if I moved them together—“The bed is large. You won't even notice me sleeping next to you,” Kaiden's voice sounded behind me.I turned around, giving him a wry smile. He was leaning one shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed. “I… I can sleep on the floor,” I stated.“No.” He walked over and grabbed my hand before leading me bac
My neck hurt like hell. I even thought it would stay twisted to one side as I lifted myself from the insanely uncomfortable settee. Still, it was better than risking finding myself in an utterly humiliating situation.Kaiden greeted me with a tossed good morning before locking himself in the bathroom and taking a long shower. I slightly sighed in relief, seeing his casual behavior. Perhaps he didn't know I had splayed myself on top of him at some point. God, I certainly wished he had been dead asleep then.I did a few stretching exercises—mainly to relieve the pain in my neck and back—just as Kaiden finally exited the bathroom. I slipped inside as soon as he walked out of it, quickly showering and putting on light makeup. When I finished, the servants knocked on our doors to deliver breakfast.They suggested having breakfast on the terrace. We agreed, and a moment later, a table set for two was placed just outside our spacious salon.“Today, you are welcome to rest and eat within the
It took me more than fifteen minutes to calm down after Kaiden had left the room. God… he remembered. He knew what had happened. A part of me wished to know who initiated it, hoping it wasn't me—the rest of me would rather never find out.I clasped my cheeks and blew out a breath, summoning my composure. Then I pulled out my phone and laptop. It was time to come up with a plan. I was in the perfect place to get the evidence I needed. I wasn't allowed to waste such an opportunity.Suddenly, my eyes fixed on the door—my locked door. A bitter smile appeared. I was closer to Killian than I had been since I had moved out of the penthouse, yet I still couldn't even talk to him. My chest tightened as I wondered what his night with Estelle was like. The acidic taste of jealousy flooded my insides. I didn't want Estelle anywhere around Killian. It sickened me that she believed he would soon belong to her, as if he were some object she could possess.I exhaled slowly, disarming my coiling anger