Her eyes flicked up to his again. “I’m not asking you to believe me,” she said quietly. “I’m just asking you to listen.” Ryan let out a long, steady breath, feeling frustrated. “Elizabeth,” he said slowly, “you’ve never been the type to admit you were wrong. You don’t say sorry. You don’t even unde

Elizabeth woke up early the next morning, her eyes snapping open even before the alarm rang. Julian was still asleep beside her, his arm loosely draped over her waist. She carefully moved his hand aside and slipped out of bed without making a sound. Today was important — she needed to prove herself

Martin smiled to himself as he scrolled through his phone and found Alicia’s name. He felt the kind of small, satisfied thrill that comes from pulling a string you know will move something important.He tapped the contact and waited for her voice. When she picked up, she sounded relaxed.“Hello?” sh

Ryan glanced down at his wristwatch, his eyes moved over the time. The evening was still young, but already his schedule was beginning to feel tight. Between greeting investors, handling the press, and making sure everything ran smoothly, he barely had time to breathe.Still, it would have been rude

The noise of the room faded in her ears the moment she heard the voice on the other end of the line.“Have you done it?” Martin Holton’s deep, impatient voice crackled through the speaker.Alicia froze, her eyes darting around instinctively to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. Her tone