LOGINBRANDONI had already spent the better part of the afternoon sitting through meetings with the club executives, discussing sponsorships, facility upgrades, and a dozen other things that normally would’ve held my attention. And yes, I was invited because I’ve been Ravens Elite's biggest sponsor.I held on to sponsoring them even after they refused to partner with Langford pharmaceuticals just so I could have an excuse to see Thalia once in a while.Seeing her again after everything that had happened between us had unsettled me far more than I cared to admit.She’d looked… different.Not because she’d changed physically, although she looked healthier than the last time I’d seen her in the hospital. The bruises were gone, the exhaustion that had once shadowed her face had faded, and there was a quiet confidence about the way she carried herself that hadn’t been there before.She looked lighter.As though she’d finally laid down a burden she’d been carrying for years.The realization sh
THALIA“What the hell are you doing here?”Olivia’s voice rang out before I even had the chance to react, making everyone standing nearby glance in our direction.I looked at her and almost smiled. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, and the glare she was directing at Brandon could have frightened just about anyone. If looks alone were enough to chase people away, he would’ve turned around and driven straight back out of the camp.Instead, Brandon remained exactly where he was.For a brief moment, our eyes met across the parking lot, and I caught the slightest flicker of pain on his face. It disappeared almost as quickly as it came, replaced by an expression I couldn’t quite read. He simply gave the three of us a polite nod.It was the kind of acknowledgment you gave strangers you happened to recognize.Nothing more.Nothing less.Without saying a single word, he shifted his attention to a man walking toward him from the direction of the main lodge. The man looked to be i
THALIAIf someone had told me two weeks ago that I’d be completely out of the hospital, cleared by my doctor, and on my way to spend a week at the hockey team’s annual camp, I probably would’ve laughed in their face and told them to stop making jokes.Back then, walking across a room without feeling exhausted had seemed impossible, and there were days when I genuinely believed my life had come to a standstill. Funny enough, the divorce seemed to have done what weeks of medication couldn’t.It gave me peace.But with the constant tension gone, with no more arguments, disappointments, or endless hope that Brandon would one day choose me the way I’d always chosen him, I found myself healing in ways I hadn’t expected.Maybe peace really was the best medicine.Or maybe finally letting go of someone who had spent years letting me down had made room for me to find myself again.Either way, I wasn’t complaining.“I am so excited for this,” Olivia squealed from the passenger seat as Adrian tu
BRANDON"What did you find?""Mr. Langord," he said calmly, "I'd rather explain everything in person. There are a few things that are easier to show than to say over the phone."I pushed myself to my feet so quickly that the chair behind me scraped loudly across the floor. I didn’t even know when I sat on the chair."What did you find?" I repeated, this time forcing myself to speak more evenly. "If this is about Thalia, don't keep me in suspense.""I understand your frustration, but trust me when I say this conversation shouldn't happen over the phone."I clenched my jaw."Where are you?"He gave me the name of a small café on the other side of town, explaining that he'd been working from there for most of the afternoon."I'll be there in twenty minutes."I ended the call before he could respond.My stomach twisted as I grabbed my keys from the dresser, hurried downstairs, and was out of the house before I even realized I'd forgotten to lock the front door.By the time I pulled into t
BRANDONBy the time I got home, my head was pounding so badly that every passing thought felt like another hammer striking against my skull.If Thalia had screamed at me or thrown something across the room earlier, I would've known how to respond. But she'd done none of those things.That was what haunted me.And right now, even my attempt at losing control wasn't working.My eyes landed on the lamp sitting beside the bed, and before I could think twice, I picked it up and hurled it against the wall.Glass exploded across the room.The crash echoed through the house before everything became quiet again.I stood there breathing hard, staring at the shattered pieces scattered across the floor, waiting for some kind of relief to come.It didn't.Instead, the ache in my chest only grew heavier.Frustrated, I swept everything off the bedside table with one angry motion. Picture frames, books, a clock, and a ceramic vase crashed onto the hardwood floor, adding to the mess I'd already create
THALIAThe voices outside my room refused to die down. At first, I tried ignoring them by pulling the blanket over my head, hoping whoever was making all that noise would eventually leave. Instead, the argument only grew louder, the words becoming clearer until I recognized one of the voices. Knox. I frowned and listened for another second before the second voice finally registered. Brandon. I closed my eyes and let out a slow breath. What was he doing here? Another exchange followed outside, Knox sounding more irritated than I had heard him in a long time, while Brandon refused to back down. Their footsteps shifted back and forth outside my room until everything suddenly went quiet. A gentle knock landed against the door. A second later, it opened just enough for Knox to peek inside. His eyes immediately found me lying awake, and after realizing I wasn't asleep, he pushed the door open the rest of the way before quietly closing it behind him. "I'm sorry," he said as he walk
THALIAI stopped walking just before we got to the hall.“Infact…”I opened my purse and pulled out a folded document I had deliberately brought with me tonight. I unfolded it and held it out in front of him.“I brought the agreement for you to sign, Mr. Langford.You promised me a 50% discount on m
THALIABy the time I got to work the next morning, I was still irritated from Brandon showing up at my apartment the night before like he had lost every remaining ounce of sense he possessed.The nerve of that man still annoyed me.I walked into the lab with my coffee in one hand and my laptop bag
THALIAI stood just behind the stage entrance, my hands resting lightly against each other as I adjusted my grip, then released it again when I realized I was doing too much.“You’re good,” the event coordinator said quietly as she passed me. “It’s almost your turn.”I nodded once without respondin
THALIABrandon gave a short scoff beside me, the sound low and dry, as though my anger was something he found mildly inconvenient rather than justified, and it made my frustration spike all over again.“What exactly are you talking about?” he asked, leaning back into the leather seat as if we were







