JAY SINCLAIR'S POVArielle had always felt that her family was separate from her marriage to me, even if it was a complicated web. Unaffected by the rough seas of her new life with me, they served as her haven. Evelyn, her mother, had been the epitome of poise and quiet fortitude, doing everything in her power to maintain their family's land. Even though he was occasionally aloof, Arielle's uncle had always offered discreet support. She wanted to maintain their naive ignorance of the contract that bound her to me. However, I had other ideas.I was incredibly observant, and I had started to perceive her family as more than a supporting character in our tale.. I saw them as leverage, cords I could pull to hold Arielle in the precise position I desired. I was aware of her weakness, the aspect of her that would stop at nothing to keep her family safe. I made the calculated decision that it was time to put it to use.The strategy was straightforward: set up a meeting with Evelyn and discre
As the days went by, I could feel my world getting smaller and smaller, enclosing me like a cage's walls. My life with Jay had always been straightforward, but I felt like I was being choked by his grip. I've felt like he's been encircling me with an unseen cord ever since he drew my family into his web of control. Now, it was his deliberate control over every aspect of my existence, not just a contract.worn out by the stress of it all. My life had devolved into something I didn't recognize, and I felt a deep need for independence. I could walk away, vanish from this universe that had engulfed me. My family's dependence on Jay, the contract, and the perplexing, almost magnetic draw he appeared to have on me all felt like burdens around my neck, pulling me more and further down into a chasm.I couldn't sleep that night, so I ended up standing by Jay's penthouse's floor-to-ceiling window and looking out over the city. A million bright spots in the darkness, the lights of buildings wink
The recollection of Jay's sudden dismissal made me feel resentful. It felt like a slap in the face when he abruptly left after that kiss, walking away without even looking back. My rage simmered beneath the surface as my hands clenched into fists. I could no longer act as though nothing was wrong or that I was prepared to remain ignorant of the problems that surrounded them. My thoughts set, and I bounded out of the room without a second thought. I would track down Jay and ask him questions. When I was being used as a piece in this perverse game he seemed eager to play, I refused to allow him to keep me shut out of his life. The only sound in the penthouse was the gentle patter of my footsteps as I made my way down the corridor, my rage igniting with every stride. I was certain that he would be holed up in the study, which was his usual hiding place when the demands of the corporate world got to him. I could practically see him there, slumped over his desk, sleeves rolled up, workin
At the charity event, the quiet clink of champagne glasses blended with hushed discussions and a swirl of laughing, creating an exhilarating environment. With my head still spinning from Jay's recent disclosures, I had grudgingly gone. My attention kept straying, a weird uneasiness eating away at me, even though I knew the event was crucial for business optics. I was moving through the crowd when I heard a familiar voice close by. I paused, took a step closer, and saw that it was Ethan, hiding in a corner and in the shadows with another person I knew right away: Victor Reyes. Their faces were far from reserved, yet their voices were low. I hurried to hide behind a pillar, where I could hear their intense exchange. "Are you positive that Jay's company is about to fail?" Ethan's voice was arrogant, with hardly disguised gratification. Victor nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "Everything is in its proper place. It will be too late before he realizes what hit him. His entire empire wi
I lay there in the silence of the night, my mind jumbled with memories of the previous evening. I was unable to forget the moment of vulnerability Jay displayed and the way his face softened. It had left me with unanswerable questions and a voracious need to learn more about him. Really, who was Jay Sinclair? Curiosity and a desire to comprehend the man I was now married to drove to start assembling the pieces of his history. I remembered brief discussions and subtle hints he had left behind, such as his strained relationship with Victor and his contempt for his deceased father. I suspected that the brutal businessman he presented to the world was a phony. Layers of suffering, treachery, and secrets were hidden beneath it. When I waited in the living room the next evening, Jay came in, his features softened by exhaustion. Seeing that his guard was down, I grabbed the opportunity. "Jay," I said in a soft but inquisitive tone. "I feel like I don't really know you, even though you've
I and Jay came to an unspoken understanding in the days following that night. our relationship appeared to be growing stronger, but neither of us expressed what it meant or where it was going. The link we were scared to name was whispered by our lingering looks, the subtle touches that lasted a beat too long, and the times we stole from prying eyes. However, a constant threat of harm grew closer and darker with each private minute we spent together. Even the most routine encounters felt intense because Jay had turned into a fiercely protective person who always had me by his side. I was always there to keep him grounded while he managed the intricacies of his business and resisted Victor's sly attempts to destroy everything he had worked so hard to achieve. The stakes were rising, and it was obvious that Victor and Ethan, his ally, would stop at nothing to defeat Jay. I saw the growing tension, though, and it wasn't just between Jay and Victor, despite Jay's best efforts to shield m
The increasing pressure on Jay's business had forced us both into unfamiliar ground, and I was now involved in negotiations that I had previously written off as unfeasible. Although I knew that entering Jay's world would mean entering a more sinister and vicious realm, I didn't realize how swiftly it would engulf us.The most recent setback occurred on a soggy afternoon when Victor Reyes showed up without warning at one of Jay's private board sessions, grinning smugly. All the executives fell silent as he stepped into the room. Victor stood at the head of the table, his intentions obvious without a word, and I stared in growing fear.He waved Jay's team out of the room with a single hand. Reluctantly, they poured out, leaving Victor, Jay, and myself by ourselves. The stillness between us was ominous and thick, and the tension was oppressive. At last, Victor leaned forward and stared at Jay with a chilly expression. "Jay, I'm here to give you an escape route." With a suave, spiteful to
JAY SINCLAIR'S POVI was both excited and nervous as I stood at his penthouse window and looked into the city lights. The retribution plan against Victor Reyes had been painstakingly put into action, but tonight the consequences of my choice hung over him like a threatening cloud. When I had married Arielle, he had been obsessed with getting revenge. I was determined to make amends because her family's legacy had contributed to the demise of my own. Now, however, things were different. I was falling in love with her, which clouded my original intentions.I felt uneasy with the realization. Arielle was no longer merely a pawn in my revenge plan. I have softened edges that I had believed to be forever unyielding. My jaw tightened as I struggled with contradicting ideas. He was constantly reminded of the treachery he had endured at the hands of Arielle's father by the picture of his father, broken and defeated. However, I caught a glimpse of Arielle's face at the same time, her loyalty a
With my heart racing and the weight of my family's betrayal bearing down on me, I drove to Jay's apartment. Feeling as though I were drowning in quicksand, I repeatedly reenacted my chat with my mother, causing the streets to blur past. I couldn't continue to hide this from Jay; I knew what I had to do. Regardless of the repercussions, he had a right to know the truth. Jay was already there when I got there, leaning against the wall and looking anxious. As I got closer, he stood up straight, his eyes piercing and wary. He must have noticed the struggle in my eyes because, for a brief moment, his normally guarded demeanor softened. Despite my internal emotional maelstrom, I said, "We need to talk," in a firm voice. He crossed his arms across his chest and said, "Go ahead." His sharp, unwavering gaze never left mine. I forced myself to look him in the eye and inhaled deeply. "What happened to your family was due to my family. Everything that led to your father's demise was planned b
My thoughts were racing as I walked down the hallway, repeating all of the things my mother had said to me in our most recent talk. Although her evasions and half-truths had infuriated me, I couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that she knew much more than she was admitting. I had to stop ignoring it. I needed her to come clean if she was really involved in the Sinclair family's demise—to provide me with the answers that would allow me to escape this web of lies and betrayals.I discovered her seated in the sunroom, staring out into the yard with a detached expression. My wrath flared up again when I saw her sitting there so composedly while my whole world was being upended."Mother," I exclaimed, my tone so piercing that she turned startled. "We must speak. And I want the whole truth this time."She instantly composed herself by blinking, but something—guilt, perhaps—flitted in her eyes. "Arielle, sweetheart, what's going on?"I balled my hands and tried to speak steadily, my eyes st
THE NEXT DAY....As I searched through every document I had once gathered from my father's study, the air felt heavier around me, stifling with questions and secrets. This was about far more than Jay and me now; it was about years of history between our families. Victor's cautions and the wary expression in Jay's eyes when he cautioned me that some realities were "dangerous" remained with me. I needed answers, whether they were hazardous or not. And until I got them, I wouldn't give up. My first destination was the attic, which was overflowing with old trunks and dusty boxes containing artifacts belonging to my family. I spent hours searching through old letters and pictures before discovering a leather-bound journal at the base of an antique wooden trunk. Based on the handwriting scribbled within, it was my father's. As I cautiously turned the delicate pages, I noticed notes mentioning the Sinclair family name, which made my heart race. I was particularly interested in one entry:
It was a blur on the way home. Each of Victor's remarks rang louder than the last as they replayed themselves in my mind. Jay may or may not be in love with you. In any case, he is concealing more than you can ever comprehend. As I tried to force the image of Victor's arrogant face from my mind, my hold on the steering wheel became more firm. But every time I turned off his warning, it reverberated more loudly. What if Victor had been correct? What if Jay, behind his meticulously crafted façade, had been taking advantage of me all along?In the distance, the black silhouette of the mansion seemed more ominous and chilly than normal. After parking, I inhaled deeply and entered, my shoes clicking on the marble floor as I searched for Jay. It was too quiet in the house. Every room I went into was filled with shadows, as though every area of this opulent home was a part of the lies and secrets Victor had alluded to.At last, I located him in his study, standing with his back to me and his
It seemed as though there were secrets hiding around every corner and unsaid statements filling the space. Opposite me, Victor Reyes stood with his arms crossed and an angry composure. He was relishing every moment of my bewilderment and mounting mistrust. "Victor," I spoke once more, trying to sound as calm as I could despite my internal turmoil. "Be honest with me. In all of this, what is your actual role? How involved are you in the conflict between Sinclair and Vandenberg?" His lips curled into a smile as he cocked his head. "Why do you think I'm the one stirring things up, Arielle? I haven't done anything—well, nothing unnecessary, anyway." "So why is it that you are at the center of this mess?" With a strong voice, I shot back. "It appears like your shadow is connected to Jay, his family, and the business conflict. And I'm curious as to why." Victor's eyes were unreadable as he stared at me for too long. As if he were weighing each word, he answered slowly, "I think you're o
With the weight of the letter like a stone in my chest, I sat back in my father's former study and stared at it. Each letter in the worn script was a hint at secrets I had never been told, whispering to me from the past. My father's comments, which were tinged with mystery and remorse, sounded like a last-ditch effort to communicate across time. Every line contained shadows that I had never noticed before, waiting to draw me in."It was a betrayal that neither Evelyn nor I could have predicted." The Sinclairs. The handwriting was shaky and erratic in spots, as though the writer had been unsure about how much to divulge. The reference of a contract—a deal gone wrong that somehow tied us to the predicament we were in today—was then written in ragged letters.My mind was racing, and my heart was pounding. Evelyn, my mother, had never discussed my father's business or anything related to his history. However, this letter suggested that she was far more knowledgeable than she had previousl
When I returned to my family's estate, the night air was heavy with anxiety. Memories came flooding back to me when I heard the house's familiar creaks and smelled the smell of old wood. Parts of my past, both treasured and gloomy, were preserved here. The house felt strange tonight, though, as though its worn walls were concealing secrets as well. I had explained to Jay that my mother was ill and needed me here, but in reality, I just needed time to myself, to reflect and look for hints. I had a gut feeling that this house held answers that were just waiting to be discovered. I couldn't sleep, so I explored the dark hallways until I ended up outside my father's former study. My hand lingered on the door handle as I hesitated. He used to passionately guard this chamber, which had been his haven. But tonight, I pushed the door open and went inside because I needed answers. The study was just as I remembered it: a solid desk strewn with papers, a dark mahogany bookcase lined with vo
I woke up the next morning feeling more determined than ever. Jay's scathing remarks from the night before reverberated in my head. The magnitude of the truths he had yet to divulge tormented me more than his treachery. Under the surface of our families' relationship, there was something sinister and unresolved, and I was eager to find out what it was. I got out of bed with steely determination, my gaze straying to the dim light of morning peeking through my curtains. Eager to explore the history my father had left behind, I hurriedly put on pants and a sweatshirt. I was now more certain than ever that the key to comprehending Jay's hatred and Victor's vendetta lied in my father's old laptop, which I had with him and valued because it was the only thing I had him. The records and documents I had looked at last night had hardly touched the surface. As I carried my laptop to the study for some peace and quiet, my pulse raced with a mix of excitement and anxiety. The silence in the roo
As Jay confronted Victor Reyes across the polished marble floor, the room's atmosphere was heavy and tense. The unspoken but profoundly felt weight of years of hostility, dishonesty, and treachery hung between them. My heart was racing as I stood by Jay's side, feeling like an unwanted bystander to a conflict that had begun long before I was even involved.A gleam of triumph flickered in Victor's eyes as he grinned. He snarled, "You think this is over, Sinclair?" "You're not nearly as smart as you think you are." His voice fell to a poisonous whisper as he stepped closer. "You're exactly like your father—a man who would sacrifice everything to preserve a small portion of his pride."As Jay struggled to maintain his calm, his jaw tightened and his hands curled at his sides. But I could see the anger simmering just beneath the surface, the fissures in his armor. I put a light hand on his arm in the hopes that it would help him feel more grounded, but he didn't even acknowledge it. With