FAITHI’d barely finished towel-drying my hair when a knock at my door broke through the quiet. I frowned, wrapping my robe tighter around myself. Who would be knocking this late?Padding to the door, I opened it cautiously, only to find Blaze standing there. He held up a sleek glass bottle of what looked like organic juice, a small, almost disarming smile on his face.“Did you want something from me?” I asked, arching a brow, trying to mask my surprise.He shrugged casually, but his gaze flickered downward for a fleeting moment, taking in my robe-clad figure before snapping back up to meet my eyes. Something unspoken passed through his expression, his usual composure faltering just enough to send a ripple of awareness through me.“Thought I’d drink with you and talk a little,” he said, his voice smooth, though there was a slight edge that hadn’t been there before.“Why?” I asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious under his gaze, though I worked to keep my tone light.“No reason,” he
FAITHI sighed, letting the tension slip from my shoulders as I settled into the chair opposite Blaze. His gaze, calm, met mine. The glass bottle of juice stood between us like a silent witness to whatever confession I was about to make.“If I’m going to tell you why I’m so hell-bent on revenge,” I began, the words tasting heavier than I expected, “I should probably start from the beginning—of how Austin and I started dating.”Blaze tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable but attentive. “Go ahead. I am listening.”I took a deep breath. “It was Austin who pursued me first. For months. Eight of them, to be exact. He was relentless—flowers, notes, even showing up to my classes with coffee.” A faint smile tugged at my lips, but it was bittersweet. “At first, I thought he was just messing around, you know? Guys like him don’t go after girls like me. I mean, Reagan’s type is more his speed—flashy, confident, perfectly polished.”Blaze’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, and h
FAITHI sank into the comfort of Blaze’s warmth, my head resting against his shoulder as tears continued to fall.“Even if it hurts so much now,” Blaze murmured, his voice low and soothing, “the pain will dull eventually. Trust me, it will. Time heals everything.”I took a few shaky breaths, letting his words wash over me. The ache in my chest didn’t disappear, but it felt a little less suffocating with him there.“I guess,” I said after a moment, my voice steadier now, “I haven’t had the chance to vent about my breakup until now.”Blaze smirked faintly, his tone teasing but kind. “Well, I am all ears if you want to vent more. Pretty sure that douchebag has done more stuff to piss you off than you’ve told me so far.”I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “Oh, there’s so much. There are so many things I ignored while dating him, but looking back now? Hell no.”“Pray tell,” he said, settling deeper into the couch and looking at me expectantly.“Okay,” I began, warming up to the invita
FAITHIt was almost too perfect.I crouched behind a sleek black sedan in the university parking lot, peering out cautiously.Reagan had just stepped out of her convertible, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement as she strutted across the lot like she owned the place. She paused when she saw Michael—or rather, Samuel.Michael had insisted on the whole “twin brother” plan, and to my surprise, it was working like a charm.Samuel Warner, research assistant extraordinaire, had conveniently appeared just when Reagan needed someone new to sink her claws into.“Hey,” Reagan called out, her voice carrying that si
FAITHI rushed to Blaze’s office, my heart racing as I replayed his urgent tone in my mind. Whatever was going on, it was serious enough to pull me out of my day.The building was sleek and modern, all glass walls and polished floors, a far cry from the chaos of campus. I stepped into the lobby, feeling slightly out of place in my casual outfit compared to the sharply dressed professionals milling about.The receptionist, a meticulously put-together woman with a sharp bob and an even sharper gaze, looked up as I approached. Her expression turned from neutral to disdainful in record time.“Can I help you?” she asked, her tone clipped.I hesitated for a moment before answering, “I am here to see Blaze. He called me about an emergency.”Her brow arched skeptically, and she looked me over like I was some lost freshman who’d wandered in by mistake. “Do you have an appointment?”“No, but he—”“Mr. Weston,” she interrupted, emphasizing his last name like I was a child who needed reminding
FAITHThe room was a cacophony of blinking monitors, the hum of servers, and the faint, sterile scent of technology. My fingers flew across the keyboard, the glow of the screen reflecting on my face as lines of code and error messages blurred into an indecipherable mess.Behind me, Blaze paced like a caged lion, his energy taut with frustration. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice slicing through the quiet urgency of the cyber room.I didn’t look up, my focus locked on the screen. “It’s malware,” I said, my tone clipped as I clicked through logs and protocols. “Sophisticated stuff, too. It’s embedded itself in your system and is actively copying sensitive data—employee details, financial records, client contracts. It’s all being extracted in real-time.”Blaze stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing. “Is it random, or…?”“It’s not random,” I interrupted, shaking my head. “This kind of malware doesn’t just show up out of nowhere. It’s precise, targeted. Someone placed it here on purpose
FAITHThe hallway was eerily quiet as I stepped out of the cyber room, my heart still pounding from the adrenaline of the battle we’d just fought. Blaze’s retreating figure was just ahead, his long strides eating up the distance toward the elevator. Without thinking, I followed him.“Blaze!” I called out, but he didn’t stop.When he reached the elevator, the doors slid open, and he stepped in. I quickened my pace and slid in just before the doors closed behind me. He stood with his back to me, his shoulders tense and his hands gripping the railing inside the elevator.“Blaze,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “What’s wrong?”Before I could say more, he turned suddenly, his arms wrapping around me in a crushing hug. I froze, my breath caught in my throat. The sheer force of his emotions radiated through his grip, and for a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak.His head dipped slightly, his breath warm against my shoulder as he held me close. The silence stretched
FAITHCuriosity bubbled up inside me, and without overthinking, I held the photo up to Blaze. “Who is she?”Blaze didn’t even glance up from whatever he was doing. “Probably some interview candidate or something,” he said dismissively.I frowned, studying the photo again. “No, this isn’t just some random picture. It’s laminated, Blaze. Look at it.”At my insistence, he finally looked up. The second his eyes landed on the photo, his entire demeanor shifted. His posture stiffened, and his eyes widened in surprise, maybe even alarm.“What is that picture doing here?” he muttered under his breath before striding over and snatching it out of my hand.I blinked at his abruptness but couldn’t help the teasing smile that crept onto my lips. “Ooh, is that your ex?”Blaze’s jaw tightened as he crumpled the photo in his hand and unceremoniously tossed it into the dustbin. “Doesn’t matter,” he said flatly.I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms across my chest. “Doesn’t matter?” I echoed, my voice
BLAZEI strode through the hallways of the estate, my mind still burning with the conversation I had just left behind. The tension in my body hadn't eased, and every step I took only fueled the frustration simmering in my chest.But right now, none of that mattered.I needed to see Faith.I stopped in front of her room, my fingers curling into a fist as I knocked against the wooden door. “Faith?” My voice was firm but not demanding.Silence.I frowned, waiting a few more seconds before knocking again, this time a little louder. “Faith, are you awake?”
BLAZEThe drive home was long, and my mind never settled. My fingers tapped against my thigh, my thoughts shifting between the past hour and what lay ahead.Faith.I needed to see her. To check on her. To remind myself that she was okay, that she was safe.But as soon as I stepped inside the house, a servant approached me, bowing his head slightly before speaking. “Sir, your grandfather has requested to see you.”I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening.Of course.I wanted to go to Faith first. I wanted to see her face, to hear her voice, to know that she was doin
BLAZEI stopped in my tracks, my jaw tightening. Slowly, I turned to look at Jared, my frown deepening.“Of course, it was him,” I said, my voice clipped, cold. “Who else would it be?”Jared raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. “Well… you have a long list of enemies, so you never know. It could be anyone.”I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. He wasn’t wrong. Over the years, I had built up a solid list of people who would love nothing more than to see me suffer. Competitors in business, people I
BLAZEThe hallway was dark, the dim glow of the overhead lights barely casting enough illumination to cut through the shadows.My footsteps echoed against the cold, tiled floor, steady and unhurried. The air was thick, heavy, humming with tension, each step pulling me deeper into the darkness.I didn’t rush.I wanted to savor this moment.Jared was already waiting for me at the end of the corridor, his expression blank, his stance rigid. His hands were clasped behind his back, his jaw set, but I knew him well enough to catch the slight stiffness in his shoulders—the barely perceptible sign that he was on edge.Good.He should
FAITHJessica’s heels clicked sharply against the hospital floor as she marched toward me, her arms crossed, her face set in a deep scowl. Her usual pristine elegance was overshadowed by anger, her piercing gaze burning into me.I barely had time to process her words before she continued, her tone sharp, cutting.“You put yourself in danger—worse, you put the baby in danger! What kind of reckless, thoughtless behavior is that?” she snapped, her eyes blazing.I blinked, still dizzy, my mind struggling to keep up. “I… I didn’t—”“And for what?” she cut me off. “To go to some unknown restaurant? Without security? Without even
FAITHI woke up to the steady beeping of a monitor and the feeling of something cool pressed against my face. My body felt heavy, my limbs weak, my head pounding as though a thousand hammers were striking against it.I blinked against the harsh fluorescent light, my vision blurry, my throat raw and burning.Where was I?I tried to move, but something was strapped to my face—an oxygen mask. Panic stirred in my chest as I took a shallow, raspy breath, the memory of thick smoke and unbearable heat flashing in my mind.The fire.I inhaled too fast, coughing violently, my ribs aching with each sharp motion. A sharp pain shot through my chest, making me wince.A soft, familiar voice broke through the haze.“Take it easy, Miss. You’re in the hospital.”I turned my head slightly to see a doctor standing beside my bed, his expression calm but serious. He was flipping through a chart, his glasses slightly askew.Hospital.I was alive.I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry, too raw.The do
BLAZEThis was a setup. A fucking trap.For her.My chair scraped against the marble floors as I shot up, my heartbeat slamming against my ribs.Jared, who was still standing nearby, frowned. “Blaze? What’s wrong?”I didn’t answer. I was already moving.Jared cursed under his breath and followed. “Damn it, what’s going on?”I stormed out of the office, my mind spinning, panic clawing up my throat. “Faith—she’s in danger. Someone tricked her into going to La Vigna.”Jared’s face paled. &l
BLAZEI walked through the office halls, my shoes tapping against the polished marble floors. The buzz of employees surrounded me—keyboards clacking, hushed conversations, phones ringing.Everything was running as it should be. Efficient. Smooth. Controlled. Just the way I liked it.I nodded in acknowledgment as I passed by different departments, checking in on progress reports, offering a few words of encouragement where needed. It was a routine I had done countless times before, yet today, my mind was elsewhere.Faith.I had plans for tonight. Something simple, nothing extravagant—just something to make her happy. She had been through too much, and if I could bring he
FAITHI stood by the kitchen counter, absentmindedly stirring my tea as my mind replayed last night’s events. My chest felt warm, my heart fluttering, my lips still tingling from his kiss.Blaze.Just the thought of his name sent my pulse racing, my cheeks heating up. I closed my eyes, my fingers curling around the mug, the memory of his touch, his lips, his voice echoing in my mind. I could still feel his warmth, his strength, his presence…“Good morning!”I jolted, nearly spilling my tea as Kristen’s voice echoed through the kitchen. I looked up, my heart pounding, my face flushing as I met her curious gaze.