JOSIE“Something's come up. Urgent matters. We can't meet tonight.”I read the message from Killian and frowned. He was doing it again. He kept me in the dark. Hadn't we promised to keep each other informed about everything? When my team and I had contacted Yichen, I'd sent Ashley to tell Killian about it right away. Why couldn't he at least tell me a short version of the reason we couldn't see each other?I sat on the bed and rubbed the aching spot on my chest. Would I ever find the right moment to tell him how I felt about him? A part of me hoped this confession would change something between us. Maybe he would confess too?A wave of heat flooded my cheeks. Even thinking that Killian might confess his love to me sent my heart racing… But what if I was the only one who felt something? What if this was merely an infatuation for him, and now whatever he'd felt for me before Estelle showed up was slowly dying? That would explain his current lack of trust, wouldn't it?I sucked in a ragg
KILLIANThe blood in my veins turned into molten lava as I stared at Helio Salazar and Josie through the two-way mirror. This guy was lying. He had to. But Josie knew him; she didn't deny it or the fact that she had delivered him packages. Still, she was sitting there, shaking her head and fisting her hands. She looked at Helio with disgust, almost like she didn't know Helio Salazar had been working for my mother before and learned only now...“I'm going inside,” I told Gunner before grabbing the door handle.“Wait.” Gunner grabbed my arm, pulling me to a halt. “Don't interfere just yet.”I ground my teeth. “This isn't right. She clearly has no idea what he is talking about.”“But the photos say something different, don't they?” He gave me a wry smile.I released the door handle and dragged my hand over my face. “I know, and this is what bothers me the most…”I shifted my gaze back to the two-way mirror and fixed my eyes on Josie. I could see the thin layer of tears filling her eyes,
“It would have been so much easier if we had those in better resolution,” Tony grumbled as he stared at the photos. “There's not much I can do with those poor-quality copies.”“I'm aware. Josie said the same thing.” My lips twisted into a wry grimace as I recalled her frustration.Tony scratched his chin before meeting my gaze. “How is she holding up, by the way?”“She is pissed, and I cannot blame her.” I got up from my chair and snatched the half-full decanter from the cabinet. “I told her to stay in her apartment for a few days, but the truth is that it'll be damn hard to prove anything without my mother, and she's not even answering my calls.” Tony chuckled, and I gave him a look. “I don't see how you find it amusing.”“Of course, it's amusing.” Tony rolled his eyes. “Your mother tried to make you talk to her for years. Now you get to see what it feels like.”I shook my head. “I wouldn't mind her going MIA in any other situation, but now, I'm not the only one who needs her to be h
JOSIEI knew Killian wanted me to stay in my apartment, but I couldn't. I'd spent hours pacing around the rooms, forcing my brain to miraculously find a way out of this situation. I had even called Veronica Rendall, telling her about Estelle's move. She'd promised to help me deal with the press if everything went south. Knowing I had her by my side helped a little, but the restlessness still hugged me tightly like an annoying friend, one impossible to get rid of.I was inching closer to a mental breakdown when Ashley called me, suggesting we have lunch together. I agreed right away. I knew my decision might have been reckless. Then again, I couldn't hide in my apartment forever just because Estelle might have come up with another evil plan.“So… this Salazar or whatever... He tries to frame you, right?” Ashley asked in between stabbing pieces of salad with her fork.I nodded. “It looks like it. Estelle or someone working for her must have paid him to tell this odd story. He tried to c
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