LOGINMAR'S POV Nora's legs are wrapped around my waist, her dress bunched up around her hips. I'm grinding against her desperately.Every slow roll of my hips drags my cock against her heat, and the friction is fucking maddening. She moans into my mouth, her nails digging into my skin."Fuck," I growl against her lips. "You feel too good."I'm so hard, it hurts. I want to rip that towel off, shove her panties aside, and bury myself inside her until neither of us can think straight.The need is violent. I can already imagine how tight and wet she'd be around me. But I know the rules.I know she's still playing her game.So I force myself to slow down. I break the kiss, breathing hard, and start to pull back.Nora's hands immediately grab my biceps."Where do you think you're going?" she whispers.Her gaze is dark, heated, and far too smug for someone who was moaning my name two seconds ago."On your knees."My cock twitches so hard I nearly groan. I stare at her for half a second, c
NORA I should've gone back to sleep after searching the closet. But I had found nothing that could have incriminated him. Now, I'm sitting cross-legged beside him, watching.He's asleep on his side, one arm stretched across the mattress where I'd been lying earlier. My fingers hover above his hair before I give in."...One touch," I whisper to myself. "That's all."I brush a few strands of dark hair away from his forehead. They're so soft, slipping between my fingers like silk. A strange warmth spreads through my chest at the contact.He doesn't wake up.Encouraged, I let my fingers drift through his hair slowly, gently combing it back. My fingertips graze his scalp, and his breathing deepens. His forehead relaxes beneath my fingers."...You really are exhausting," I mumble.It’s strange indeed. How one man can depend on so many pills for survival. A tiny frown appears between his brows. His lashes flutter weakly."...Mm..."I freeze. His eyes crack open only halfway, unfocuse
NORA I step out of the bathroom feeling like I've been wrung out and left to dry. My body aches from the long day of filming, and all I want is something sweet. My favorite dessert. Those delicate pistachio macarons from the little patisserie near the resort. I've been thinking about them since this morning.I'm halfway to the bed when a sharp knock sounds at the door.My bare feet pad across the floor as I cautiously approach the door. I peek through the peephole first.It's Marcellus.I exhale, some of the tension leaving my shoulders, and open the door.He stands there, looking unfairly handsome even while clearly exhausted. In one hand, he holds a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and soft pink roses. In the other hand, he's holding a small white box from the patisserie.My favorite macarons.The relief hits me so hard that my eyes actually sting. I want to throw myself into his arms and bury my face in his chest.But then I remember that I'm currently at the war front. So
MARCELLUS I don't answer immediately. Instead, I look at Nora. She's staring at the chocolate spilling across the plate, refusing to look at me."...I do."No one utters a word. Even Sebastian has his narrowed gaze on me."She's right." My voice is calm. "Obsession doesn't announce itself. One day you're simply... rearranging your entire life around another person without realizing you've already lost."A few contestants exchange glances."And lies?" I continue. "They sometimes don't begin with bad intentions."Now Nora looks at me."They begin with someone convincing themselves they're protecting the person they love." I clench my fist. "Eventually... you forget the difference between protecting them and hurting them."I keep my eyes on Nora. "So yes. I agree with every word my wife said."I pause."The only thing she forgot..." My gaze lingers on hers. "...is that some obsessions don't end when they're exposed. They become love."I don't realize how bad those words got to N
MARCELLUS I already know I'm in deep shit. It's as clear as daylight.I flip through the pages slowly, pretending to be calm while my heart threatens to explode out of my chest. Most of the clauses are exactly what she threatened earlier. Petty, predictable and ridiculously cute.Then I reach the last page.My eyes narrow.Article 30: Access & TransparencyFor the duration of the 100 days, the Husband shall grant the Wife full access to all business-related documents, emails, and communications upon request. This includes, but is not limited to, financial records, contracts, and meeting notes connected to any company in which the Husband holds a controlling interest.I read it twice.No timelines. No restrictions. No confidentiality carve-outs. Just "upon request."It looks... reasonable. Almost boring. Like she's just being a concerned wife who wants to understand my world. On paper, it's the kind of clause any normal person might agree to.But this is Nora.I look up to meet
NORA Marcellus falls asleep first. It happens relatively fast. His heavy arm stays draped over my waist, holding me tucked tight against his chest.For a while, I just lie there, drowning. My cowardice has kept me here.Carefully, I lift his arm, inch by careful inch, until I can sneak away. He stirs once, then settles again with a sigh.I slip out of bed, head to the bathroom, and lock the door. Only then do I let myself breathe. My face is ghostly pale under the harsh light.After receiving Val's message, my curiosity had led me down a rabbit hole on the internet.Those earlier messages from the unknown number creep back into my mind. The photo and the audio as well.How stupid of me to downplay the possibility that I was entertaining my own doom. But Dad's company is really crumbling. It's all over the news.Cold dread crawls up my spine. What if it's actually worse than I thought?Trembling, I hit Dad's contact. The phone rings three times. And goes into voicemail.So I try
NORA I finally collapse onto my bed, the familiar scent of my childhood room doing nothing to calm the storm in my head. Two Tylenol and a glass of water later, and my skull is still spinning like a broken carousel. I refuse to think about the fact that I might or might not be legally marr
NORA I stare at him, my pulse roaring in my ears. I feel sick to my stomach. But I curl my fists, refusing to show it. "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything," I spit, my voice unsteady. "We're married, Nora," he says flatly. "That's all you need to know." A wild laugh bubbles out of
NORA My skull is hosting a full-on rave with bass, strobe lights, and the works. I groan and crack one eye open, only to get assaulted by aggressive sunlight and the mother of all hangovers. This is not the Evermont ballroom. This is... a hotel suite? Oh God. Where the hell am I? Ugh, my
NORA His scent hits me first. How is that possible? It's been three years. Yet, I still recognize it.Woodsy scent, mixed with that perfect amber. A scent so expensive and masculine that I spent entirely too much time pretending I didn't notice back then.My heart starts racing as he takes







