Mag-log inShane The warm atmosphere of the bedroom suddenly plunged into a cold, suffocating chill. Zoya froze, her gaze hardening as she stared down at the screen. "That scumbag," I hissed coldly, my teeth grinding together. I reached out to snatch the phone away, but Zoya intercepted my hand, stopping me. "Don't, Shane," she whispered. Her voice was terrifyingly calm and calculating again. "Let me handle this." She swiped the green icon, bringing the phone up to her ear. Taking a deep breath, she forced her tone into a casual, breezy cadence, as if nothing at all had happened the night before. "Hello, Alex?" Zoya greeted flatly. From the other end of the line, Alex’s voice bled through, panicked and breathless, loud enough for me to hear every word where I stood right beside her. "Zoya! Where the hell have you been?! Why didn't you come home last night?!" Alex snapped without a shred of preamble. Zoya shot me a quick glance. I stared back, locking eyes with her and giving
Zoya’s POVAfter dropping those words, I swept past him, fully intending to head for the exit.However, barely two steps in, a strong, warm grip suddenly caught my wrist with a sharp, forceful yank.A victorious smirk formed in my mind before I slowly turned around. Shane stood there, his chest heaving as his breathing turned ragged.I could see the tips of his ears flushed a deep, burning crimson."Are you completely sure about this, Zoya?" His voice abruptly dropping into a low, heavy gravel.His gaze pierced straight through me, as if trying to rip open my skull and read my thoughts."Once tonight is over, things between us might never be the same again, you know. I’m not the kind of cowardly bastard who touches a woman and walks away without taking responsibility.""I don't give a damn about what happens after tonight, Shane! Right now, the only thing on my mind is making Alex pay for what he did!" I snapped back, utterly devoid of hesitation.Without another word, Shane yanked my
ShaneThose three words slipped from Zoya’s lips and struck my chest like a high-caliber round.The world ground to a dead stop inside the dimly lit hotel suite. Every molecule of oxygen in the room seemed to evaporate instantly, leaving my lungs starving for air.I froze, staring with wide, disbelieving eyes at the elegant woman standing right before me.How could I not? For years, I had been burning alive. I had harbored this insane, agonizing obsession entirely in the dark, desperately trying to suffocate my forbidden feelings for my own sister-in-law.My gaze locked onto Zoya’s tear-filled eyes. In that suffocating second, the bitter memories of five years ago violently ambushed my mind.The flashback of that dark, torrential night on the steep, winding roads of the Scottish Highlands rewound like a mangled cassette tape. Rain poured in sheets when the sedan Zoya was driving suffered catastrophic brake failure, careening over the edge and plunging down a shallow ravine.Without
That instant, my defenses crumbled. Simultaneously, Shane pressed the remote, and the repulsive scene on the other side of the glass vanished.Tears of agonizing regret and pure heartbreak cascaded down my cheeks. With the last remnants of strength fueled by pure, unadulterated ego, I snatched my phone back from Shane’s grasp.He flinched, staring at me with deep furrows in his brow and eyes full of frantic concern."Zoya, are you okay? You’re ghost-white. We can get out of here right now if you can’t handle this," he whispered, reaching for my shoulders, which were heaving with uneven, jagged breaths.I wiped the tears away in one sharp motion and locked eyes with him. "I am not a weak woman, Shane."My voice sounded cold, rasping, and utterly void of warmth. "Even though I’m shattered, I refuse to become a loser."I reactivated my phone’s camera and thrust it into his chest. "Press the remote. Now."Shane hesitated, his hand hovering in the air. "Zoya, watching this won't—""Press i
My fingers flew across the screen, typing out a response fueled by the last shred of denial I had left.Me: I’m not coming, Shane!Me: Stop spinning these ridiculous scenarios. Alex and I are booked as the main guests on a live talk show tomorrow night. He’ll be by my side all evening.It didn’t take long for a reply to ping back. Shane sounded like he’d been expecting exactly that.Shane: He’s not going to show, Zoya. Bet on it. Tomorrow, he’s going to choose her instead.I scoffed, tossing the phone onto the bed and refusing to give him another second of my energy.My heart had wobbled for a second. But I refused to lose to my brother-in-law’s manipulative gaslighting.That night, as I settled into bed next to Alex, who had just finished changing into his sleepwear, I decided to bait him.I rested my head on his broad chest, inhaling that soothing scent of soap."Alex, what did you think of Zeena tonight?" I asked, keeping my voice as casual as possible.I stared intently at his fac
ZoyaMy body went hot and cold. The thoughts racing through my head were the same ones clearly echoing through the room.I knew that style of dress well. It was a seasonal set from a high-end boutique.As it happened, I owned the exact same dress. The one bought as a matching pair to the outfit Alex was wearing right now.Could Alex have bought two of the same sets and ...? My thoughts began to spiral into madness.The tension in the VIP room, thick enough to cut with a knife. Suddenly evaporated as Alex flashed that winning smile of his.With the effortless composure of a man who owned the room, he shut down the provocative questioning without missing a beat."We didn't come together," he said, his voice light and casual, shattering the wild speculations in an instant."We just happened to arrive at the lobby at the same time, so I suppose it looked like we were a pair."Without even glancing at my cousins' prying eyes, Alex walked over to me.He produced a fresh, long-stemmed red ro







