Richard’s POVI think the first sign something was wrong was when Sarah stopped giving me hell about the coffee machine. It’s been her favorite thing to complain about for weeks, saying it’s possessed because it always spills over whenever she tries to make a cup. But this morning, she just looked at it, sighed, and made her coffee in silence. No snarky comments, no rolling of the eyes—just silence.That’s when I knew.We’d had the kiss. That kiss that should have set us on the right path. I could feel it was something for both of us, a step toward fixing the mess I made. But since then, she’s been pulling away. Slower at first, then all at once. The warmth between us, the ease, all of it was slipping through my fingers like sand.“Are you mad at the coffee again?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.She barely smiled, more of a twitch at the corner of her lips. “It’s just a coffee machine, Richard. I’m fine.”Fine. The word people use when everything is definitely not fine.I wa
Wesley sat back in his chair, a slow smile spreading across his face. His eyes were fixed on his phone, watching the screen as a message from Susan popped up. She was halfway across the world, but they were in perfect sync. They both wanted the same thing—to get back what belonged to them. For Susan, that meant Richard, her once-perfect prize. For Wesley, it was Sarah.He stretched lazily, his eyes gleaming with a mix of mischief and anticipation. This was all coming together beautifully.“Alright, Susan,”!he murmured to himself, typing a quick reply. “Time to play.”It hadn’t been too difficult convincing Susan to get on board. Wesley knew she still had a score to settle with Richard. After all, Richard had left her too, in that spectacularly public way, right after Sarah had vanished to Madrid. Susan hated Sarah, hated the way Richard always looked at her, even when they were together. Wesley had exploited that hatred, planting seeds until Susan was willing to help. Susan was a
SARAH POV.The day started with a burnt piece of toast. That’s how you know things are about to go downhill. First, you burn your breakfast, then you burn your bridges. I stared at the blackened slice, smoke curling lazily toward the ceiling, and sighed.“Figures,” I muttered, tossing the toast into the trash. “Can’t even make breakfast without things falling apart.It wasn't just the toast, though. It was everything. My life has felt like a pile of burnt toast lately, and today, I was finally going to scrape it off my plate for good.Richard had to go. There was no point dragging this mess out any longer. I was done being the fool.The last few days had been a blur of confusion and hurt. After everything Wesley had said and Susan’s cryptic messages about Richard being the same liar he’d always been, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking back into a fire. Every time I tried to convince myself that Richard had changed, that we could somehow make it work, the old wounds
Sarah's POV.You know when Zoe handed me my coffee with a smirk? I instantly knew something was up.Usually, she would just plop it on my desk without a word. But today? Oh no, she had that mischievous glint in her eyes that usually meant trouble.“Okay, what did you do?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.Zoe feigned innocence, her hands raised. “Who, me? I just thought you might want a little extra sugar in your life today.” She gave me a wink and strutted off before I could say anything else.I took a sip. Ugh. She’d put way too much sugar in it. But before I could complain, my phone buzzed. Another message. From Richard.I hadn’t replied to him since our blowout. In fact, I was trying my best not to think about him at all. Easier said than done, though. My mind was a tangled mess, and no amount of sweet coffee was going to fix it.“Hey,” Zoe popped her head back in, leaning on the doorframe, “you look like a kicked puppy.”“Thanks for that,” I muttered.“You want to talk about i
Sarah’s POV.The day started like any other—mundane emails, phone calls, and a cup of lukewarm coffee that had gone cold while I was distracted by my spiraling thoughts. The office was unusually quiet, except for the distant clacking of keyboards from my employees, which only made me more restless.I grabbed my phone, scrolling through the endless stream of messages. One, in particular, caught my eye—a message from Wesley. He had been acting strange lately. Too friendly. Too apologetic. His last few gifts had crossed the line from thoughtful to downright uncomfortable. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something wasn’t right.But today, I needed a favor, and Wesley was the closest person who could help.With a sigh, I dialed his number.“Hey, Wesley. I need to ask you something about the project. Can we meet tomorrow?” I said, trying to keep the conversation as professional as possible.“Of course, Sarah,” he replied, his voice a little too smooth, too eager. “Anything for you.”
Sarah’s POVSometimes life throws curveballs at you when you're least expecting it. Like today, for instance. I had just gotten into my car to head over to Richard’s place for “the talk”—you know, the kind where you lay all your cards on the table, brace for the awkwardness, and hope to come out without a bruised ego. But of course, my car wouldn’t start.I tried turning the key again. Nothing. Just a pathetic click.“Really? You’re going to do this to me now?” I muttered, slapping the steering wheel. It wasn’t like I was already nervous about seeing Richard again or anything.After about ten more tries—and a quick but useless prayer to the car gods—I gave up and grabbed my phone. I wasn’t about to walk over there like a stray puppy. So I did what any grown woman would do.“Hey, Zoe?” I called my assistant. “I’m gonna need a ride. My car just decided to betray me.”There was a pause on the other end before Zoe’s voice crackled through, clearly trying not to laugh. “Oh no, not again.
Richard’s POVThe moment Sarah walked through my door, I knew it was the right decision to ask her for a “do-over” date. Seeing her again had stirred something up in me—something I’d tried hard to push down, to bury beneath work and excuses. But now, she was here, and for some reason, the idea of going on a real date seemed right.“So, a do-over date?” Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow as she leaned against the doorframe. Her expression was skeptical, but her lips were tugging at the corners, ready to smile.“Yeah,” I said, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt. “You know, a fresh start. Nothing serious, no talk about… the past, just us. For once.”She tilted her head, studying me, then sighed and shrugged. “Alright, fine. Where are we going?”I hadn’t actually planned this part, so I scrambled for something. “Uh… I thought we’d start with a little walk. Tourist spots, maybe?”She laughed, and I felt a bit foolish but grinned anyway. “A walk?” she teased, crossing her arms. “That’
Sarah’s POVThe air between us still felt charged as Richard and I said goodnight that evening. I had pecked him on the cheeks. Thinking about it made my cheeks turn red, It was as if we were high school crushes. But the next day, I knew I had to keep things light—too much, too soon would be overwhelming. So, I texted Zoe and a couple of other friends about a game night. As soon as the idea popped into my head, it felt perfect. I could already imagine Richard’s reaction.The late afternoon rolled around, and I set out snacks and grabbed a stack of board games and cards, feeling a strange excitement to see how he’d handle the night. When he knocked on the door, I opened it to find him standing there, looking a little out of his element.“Game night?” he asked, glancing inside with a slightly raised eyebrow.“Game night!” I replied, waving him in.“Wait… what kind of games?”“Not the Monopoly type, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I teased, closing the door behind him. “More lik
Sarah povThe morning sunlight poured in through the kitchen window, warm and bright, spilling across the table as I sipped my coffee, feeling everything that had happened begin to ease. It was finally quiet. No more threats lurking in the background, no more lies or secrets tugging us apart. Just Richard and me, sitting together in the home we’d fought to protect.I glanced over at him, watching the way he seemed so at ease, leaning back in his chair with his coffee mug in hand. There was a hint of a smile playing on his lips, a calm I hadn’t seen in him for what felt like ages. I wondered if he could see the relief in my own face, the peace that was finally settling inside me. “We did it,” he said softly, almost like he was still trying to believe it himself.I nodded, a small smile spreading across my face. “Yeah. We really did.” The words felt light, almost surreal. After everything—the fear, the betrayals, the constant looking over our shoulders—it was hard to grasp that we
Richard pov.Facing the network had been a long time coming. Sarah and I stood outside a grand, old building where the leaders had gathered. Holding the incriminating evidence we’d collected over months, I took a deep breath. I glanced at Sarah, her eyes narrowed with determination, her chin set in that way that told me she wasn’t backing down. She’d come so far, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride mixed with the fear of what we were walking into. But this was our only shot at freedom.“Ready?” I asked though it was more for me than for her.She nodded. “More than ready.”Inside, the room was crowded with the high-ranking figures of the network. Their stares held nothing but cold, steely indifference, like they were sizing us up, wondering what two individuals thought they could do against them. But we had something they didn’t: proof, cold and solid, that could bring down every last one of them. The leader, a man with silver hair and a smug smile, eyed us with disdain.
Sarah’s pov.The past few weeks had pushed me further than I ever thought I could go. Sitting in the dimly lit room with Richard beside me, a file of secrets splayed across the table, I felt something strange—a calm I hadn’t felt in ages. Maybe it was because, for the first time, we were moving as one. Whatever came next, we’d face it together.James hovered at the edge of the room, his presence reminding me of how far we’d come, how we’d gone from fearing him to needing his help. I still didn’t trust him fully, but in this fight, he was an essential piece. He’d been our link to the network, revealing things we’d never have known otherwise.“Here it is,” James said, pointing to a creased map on the table. “They keep their ledger, the core of their operations, here.” His finger rested on a small, out-of-the-way warehouse marked on the map.Richard leaned over, studying it with narrowed eyes. “So all their dirty dealings, the whole network’s transactions… it’s all stored in this one
Richard pov.The anger hit me fast, followed by a wave of regret. “I should have known,” I muttered, my jaw clenching as I dropped the paper onto the table. “I should’ve seen this coming.”Sarah stepped closer, her hand resting on my arm. “Richard, you couldn’t have known. You trusted him because… well, because he was family to you.”“Family,” I echoed, the word tasting bitter. “Some family he turned out to be. He was there through everything, and now… now he’s part of this mess, trying to tear us down.”I turned away, trying to calm myself. This betrayal cut deep. But standing there, feeling Sarah’s gaze on my back, I felt something else—something that was stronger than anger or regret. Trust. She’d trusted me enough to tell me, to show me this evidence, even when it could have blown up in both our faces.“Sarah,” I said, my voice low, turning back to her. “Thank you. For telling me.”She looked surprised, like she hadn’t expected me to say that. “I just… I knew I couldn’t keep it f
Sarah’s Pov.I sat at the edge of the couch, staring at the news report on TV, my heart sinking as Richard’s face flashed across the screen. The scandal was everywhere—headlines blaring accusations, journalists picking apart every move Richard had ever made. They were talking about him as if he were some kind of villain as if he were guilty without question. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the screen, even though every word felt like a punch to the gut.The phone calls had started early. Friends, family, even reporters calling for statements. I ignored them all, feeling helpless, a pit growing in my stomach. I knew Richard hadn’t done what they were saying. But I also knew that the damage to his reputation was happening in real time, and there was nothing we could do to stop it.Richard had been gone since dawn, trying to get ahead of the chaos. He’d called a few times, each time sounding a little more exhausted, a little more defeated. He was trying to keep it together for both
Richard's pov.I couldn’t breathe. Not because I was scared—though I was—but because everything felt like it was crashing down all at once. The phone call came in the middle of the morning when everything should’ve been calm. But that was never how it worked anymore, was it? The network had found its way into my life, into everything I cared about, and now they were making their move.“Mr. Wright,” the voice on the other end of the line was cold, too cold for comfort. “We have information that suggests your business dealings aren’t as clean as you claim.”I barely heard the rest of the words. My mind was already racing, already trying to figure out who had leaked what. What had they found? What were they planning to do with it?I ended the call quickly, staring at the phone screen. My thoughts were a blur, but one thing stood out clearly: they were targeting me. My business. My reputation. It felt like everything I had built was suddenly crumbling, and I couldn’t stop it.I didn’t h
Sarah’s pov.It is another day. I had barely gotten out of the car before Richard was already a few steps ahead, his focus fixed on the building in front of us. Martins had set this up. A “hidden ally” with insider knowledge. Someone who could help us navigate the network and, hopefully, get us out of the mess we’d found ourselves in.I couldn’t help but think about the last few days. We were making progress, but every move we made felt like we were playing a dangerous game, and I wasn’t sure how much longer we could keep this up without someone getting hurt.I glanced at Richard’s back. He was so sure of himself now, so determined. I had to admit, it was hard to ignore the fire in his eyes when he was focused. He wasn’t the same man I used to know—not the one who was always playing it safe and never got his hands dirty. But he was still my Richard, the man I’d known long before everything spiraled out of control.And yet, the more we worked together, the more I realized how little
Richard povJames introduced us again with his usual smug look, like he was pulling all the strings here. I wanted to wipe that look off his face, but right now, we needed him, and he knew it. “This here’s Monty and Kit,” James said, nodding toward the two men across from us. “They’re… experts in keeping things quiet.” He gave a low chuckle, clearly pleased with himself.Monty leaned back, studying me with narrowed eyes. “So, you two want a way in?”As if he didn't ask Sarah the same kind of question.I nodded, keeping my voice calm. “We need information. Something we can use.”He shrugged, glancing at James. “And why should we trust you?”James shot me a look, a warning. “Because Richard’s good at keeping secrets. Isn’t that right, old friend?”“Let’s get something straight,” I said, looking him dead in the eye. “This is about staying a step ahead. Nothing more.”But even as I said it, I could feel Sarah watching me, as if she was looking for cracks in my confidence. I knew she had
Sarah’s pov.The air in the car was thick as Richard drove us toward the meeting spot. I sat there, fiddling with the cuff of my sleeve, trying to keep my breathing steady, trying to look like I wasn’t on the edge of running. I glanced at Richard, his jaw tight, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little too hard. He caught my gaze and softened, giving me a slight smile that was supposed to be comforting. But there was nothing comforting about this. Not when we were about to walk into a room with James and a few of his “network contacts.” Just saying the word made my stomach twist. And James… Well, trusting him felt like trying to trust a snake. You just couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t bite.“So, are you ready?” Richard asked, his voice low and calm. Too calm. He knew this was a big risk—maybe even our biggest so far. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, trying to sound steady. But my mind was spinning. I knew we had no choice but to work with James. He had the connections, the