Novels by Comfort

Cassian was in his office, reviewing the logistics for the launch event, when Clara called."The good news is that the museum floor plan is finalized," she said without preamble. "The bad news is that the caterer just informed me they're short-staffed for the gala dinner.""Short-staffed? How short-staffed?""Four servers and a sous chef."Cassian pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll make some calls. The catering company owes me a favor.""You have favors with catering companies?""I have favors with everyone. It's one of the benefits of being a billionaire.""I keep forgetting you're a billionaire.""Good. I want you to like me for my personality.""What personality?"He laughed. "I'll handle the caterer. You focus on everything else.""Thank you. I love you.""I love you too. Now go be brilliant somewhere else."She hung up, and Cassian called the catering company. Within twenty minutes, the staffing issue was resolved.Being a billionaire does have its perks, he thought.The sign

Dinner was served in the formal dining room, beneath a chandelier that had belonged to Cassian's great-grandmother. The table was set with fine china and crystal glasses, and the food was exquisite—roasted duck with cherry sauce, wild rice, asparagus with hollandaise.Elena kept the conversation flowing. She asked Clara about Australia, about her work, about Colt. She told stories about Cassian as a child—how he had been stubborn and serious even as a boy, how he had once tried to run away from home at age seven because his father had refused to buy him a pony."He packed a suitcase and everything," Elena said, laughing. "We found him at the end of the driveway, waiting for a taxi.""I was a very determined seven-year-old," Cassian said."You were a menace.""I prefer 'determined.'"Alexander Sr. was quieter, but Clara caught him watching her throughout the meal. Not with hostility—with something closer to curiosity. Once, when she laughed at one of Elena's stories, she saw his expres

Clara stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, her hands pressed against her stomach, trying to calm the butterflies that had taken up residence there.She had changed her outfit three times. First the navy dress—too corporate. Then the burgundy blouse—too bold. Finally, she had settled on a simple emerald green dress with a modest neckline and a skirt that fell just below her knees. It was elegant without trying too hard. Confident without being arrogant.Around her neck, her mother's pearl necklace gleamed softly in the lamplight."How do I look?" she asked.Imogen was sitting on the bed, Colt beside her, both of them serving as her official fashion consultants. "You look beautiful," Imogen said. "Elegant. Classy. Like a woman who has nothing to prove.""That's exactly what I'm going for.""You look like a princess, Mommy," Colt added. "But you always look like a princess."Clara knelt down and kissed his forehead. "Thank you, baby. I needed to hear that.""Are you n

The library was closed on Sundays, but Alexander had a key.He and Imogen were sitting in the newly named Imogen Walsh Historical Archive, surrounded by rare books and the soft glow of reading lamps. It was their secret place—the spot where they came when they needed to escape the world."I've been thinking," Alexander said, his voice careful."Dangerous habit.""Very dangerous. I've been thinking about us. About the future."Imogen set down the book she had been examining. "What about the future?""I want you to move in with me."The words hung in the air. Imogen stared at him. "What?""My apartment is bigger than yours. It has three bedrooms. One for us, one for a home office, one for whenever Colt wants to stay over. The building has a doorman and a gym and a rooftop pool. And it's only ten minutes from the library.""Alexander—""I know it's fast. I know we haven't been together that long. But I also know that I've never felt this way about anyone. I know that when I'm not with yo

The first light of dawn crept through the curtains, painting the bedroom in shades of gold and rose. Clara stirred slowly, blinking against the soft glow, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar weight of a quiet Sunday morning. There were no meetings to rush to. No deadlines screaming for her attention. No crises demanding immediate resolution.Just silence. Peace. Time.She turned her head on the pillow and saw Colt beside her. He had crawled into her bed sometime in the middle of the night, a habit he had never quite outgrown. His T-Rex was tucked under his arm, his dark hair was mussed against the pillow, and his face was relaxed in the untroubled sleep of a child who felt completely safe.Clara did not move. She simply lay there, watching him breathe, thinking about how far they had come.Five years ago, she had woken up in a hospital bed in Brisbane, her face wrapped in bandages, her body broken, her mind a blank canvas. She had not known who she was or where she had come from

Lena Smith was waiting at a corner table when Clara arrived for their weekly coffee."Clara! You look exhausted." Lena gestured for her to sit. "I ordered you a cappuccino. Extra shot. You look like you need it.""I definitely need it." Clara sank into the chair and took a grateful sip. "The rebranding project is consuming my entire life. I've been working fourteen-hour days.""That's brutal. You need to take care of yourself.""I keep hearing that." Clara smiled. "How have you been? How's the new collection coming?""Slowly. Creatively, I'm in a good place. Logistically, it's a nightmare. I'm looking for studio space—something permanent, where I can really settle in.""You should look in the Design District. That's where most of the fashion houses have their studios.""That's a good idea. I'll check it out." Lena leaned forward. "And how's Cassian? I've been reading about him in the business pages. He seems very... intense.""He is intense. But he's also kind. And thoughtful. And won

Across the city, Leonardo was not having a good night.The bar was one of Nightvale's most exclusive — a dark, moody establishment where the city's elite came to make deals and drown their sorrows in hundred-dollar whiskey. Leonardo sat in a private booth at the back, a glass of scotch in his hand, his expression cold and distant. He was supposed to be meeting with a potential business partner, but the man was late, and Leonardo's patience was wearing thin."Another drink, Mr. Ferri?"He nodded without looking at the server. His mind was elsewhere on a villa that was now empty, on a woman who had walked out of his cage, on a deal that had cost him more than he wanted to admit. His grandmother had outmaneuvered him. His father had betrayed him. And Sophia, his little shadow, was out there somewhere, probably thinking she was free.She wasn't free. She would never be free. But for now, he had to let her believe she was."Leonardo?"The voice was high and sweet and grating. He didn't nee

Sophia ended up talking to Charles for another fifteen minutes.She didn't mean to. She had things to do, places to be, a life to rebuild. But Charles Russo had a way of making conversation feel effortless, like they were old friends catching up rather than strangers who had just met over a spilled cup of coffee.He told her about his work in the general surgery department how he had been at St. Catherine's for five years, how he specialized in minimally invasive procedures, how he had once performed an emergency appendectomy in the middle of a power outage using nothing but a backup generator and a headlamp. He told the story with such self-deprecating humor that Sophia found herself laughing before she realized what was happening."You're making that up," she said, her eyes narrowing."I swear on my medical license. The headlamp was my attending physician's idea. He was very proud of himself.""And the patient?""Recovered beautifully. Sent me a Christmas card the next year." Charle

The job hunt was the final piece of the puzzle.Sophia had spent the past three years working as a receptionist in Starlight Country, but that was not who she really was. Before she fled Nightvale, before Leonardo's torment had consumed her life, she had been a medical student. One of the best in her class. A young woman with a brilliant mind and a dream of becoming a surgeon.Circumstances had forced her to abandon that dream. Leonardo had forced her to abandon it. But she still had her degree. She still had her training. She still had the knowledge that had made her top of her class at Nightvale University's School of Medicine.It was time to use it.The hospital was called St. Catherine's Medical Center, and it was one of the largest in the city. A sprawling complex of glass and white stone, it employed hundreds of doctors and nurses and served thousands of patients every year. Sophia had chosen it deliberately. A hospital this size was always hiring. A hospital this size was too b

The morning light streamed through the kitchen windows as Sophia sat across from her mother, her hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee. The children were still asleep upstairs, exhausted from their midnight adventure and the emotional reunion that had followed. For the first time in weeks, the house was peaceful.But Sophia's mind was anything but."I want to move out," she said quietly.Lily looked up from her tea, her expression immediately sharpening with concern. "What? Why? You just got home.""Mom, Leonardo knows this house. He grew up in this house. If he decides to come looking for me, this is the first place he'll check." Sophia set her coffee down and met her mother's eyes. "I need somewhere he won't think of. Somewhere small. Somewhere safe. For me and the children.""Sophia, you're overreacting. He let you go. The deal—""The deal means nothing to him. You know that. You've known him longer than I have." Sophia's voice was steady but firm. "He told me himself. This

Lily was waiting at the house when the SUV pulled up.She rushed out the front door before the vehicle had even stopped moving, her robe flapping around her legs, her hair unbrushed, her face pale with exhaustion and relief. When the doors opened and three small figures climbed out, she fell to her knees and gathered them in her arms."Don't you ever do that again," she sobbed, pressing kisses to their foreheads. "Do you understand? Never again. You scared me to death.""We were trying to find Mommy," Chloe said, her voice muffled against Lily's shoulder."I know, baby. I know. But you can't run off like that. It's not safe.""Nothing is safe anymore," Tristan said quietly.Lily pulled back and looked at her grandson at his dark, knowing eyes, at the calm that was too deep for a child his age. She didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know how to explain a world where children had to search for their missing mothers in the middle of the night."Let's go inside," she said finally.

The door opened without a knock.Sophia was sitting on the edge of the bed, her bandaged feet dangling above the floor, her eyes fixed on the window. She had been watching the sunrise paint the sky in shades of rose and gold, wondering if her children were watching the same sky. Wondering if they were safe. Wondering if she would ever see them again.She didn't turn when she heard his footsteps. She didn't flinch when the door clicked shut behind him. She had learned, over the past weeks, that flinching only encouraged him."Little shadow."Leonardo's voice was calm. Too calm. The calm of a man who had made a decision and was at peace with it.Sophia finally turned her head. He was standing in the center of the room, still in his suit from the night before, his sleeves rolled up, the white bandage on his hand a stark reminder of her escape attempt. His eyes were tired but clear. Whatever storm had been brewing inside him seemed to have settled into something cold and still."I have so