LOGINI thought sleeping with my roommate was my biggest mistake. I was wrong. Diane moved in with Jason to save money, not to fall for him. He’s private, infuriatingly perceptive, and impossible to ignore. The kind of man who looks at her like he already knows every secret she’s trying to hide. Then one argument changes everything. Jason isn’t just her roommate. He’s a powerful billionaire with a past she never saw coming. And somehow, there’s a legally binding marriage contract with her name on it. Diane swears she would never marry a stranger. So why does the paperwork say she already did? Now she’s trapped between betrayal and desire, truth and deception. Because the man she’s furious with is also the only man who makes her feel alive. But Diane has a choice: walk away and fight to undo the contract or stay married to the one man who makes her feel things she swore she’d never risk again. And the most terrifying part? She’s not sure she wants out.
View MoreThe moans and groans grow louder as I approach the door. I stand there for a second, wishing that my ears are deceiving me. They’re not. Realty slaps me in the face as the door swings open. His head is between her thighs and her fingers tug at his dark brown hair like she’s holding on for her dear life.
“’What-the-fuck, Jason!” I exclaim and he raises his head slowly to find me. I should be looking away but strangely, I can’t.
“Welcome back, little trouble” He says casually, like I didn’t just notice an anatomical display on shared property.
“Not on the fucking kitchen counter” I groan “Don’t you have any conscience?” My eyes dart between him, now on his feet, and the petite blonde. She scrambles off the marble, trying to gather her underwear like it could magically reattach herself if she finds it fast enough.
‘’Conscience? You weren’t supposed to be home this early” he shrugs. I try not to stare too hard at his well-defined torso now soaked in sweat.
“I live here” I walk over to the fridge and grab some juice. “So you just stay home all day and…entertain?”
“It’s not like I plan it” He runs his fingers in his raffled hair like he’s posing for a camera only him can see. ‘’It just happens’’
Of course it does. Women just fall from the sky and land on MY kitchen counter at three in the fucking afternoon! The blonde finally gathers her dignity and her purse. She avoids eye contact as she slips past me.
“Sorry” She mutters and I nod stiffly.
The door closes almost immediately and I sigh.
Jason leans back against the counter like nothing in the universe is remotely wrong. He is too calm for my liking.
“You know, unless you want a threesome, you could knock next time” He says lazily.
I let out a short incredulous laugh.
“I could knock? On my own apartment?”
“’Our apartment”’He corrects and I scoff.
‘’You could at least warn me” I feel my chest tighten slightly as I walk in the direction of the sink to wash my hands aggressively. I can feel his eyes on me even with my back turned. His quiet, assessing gaze.
“’Are you jealous, little trouble? He smirks as I turn to face him
Of course not. I just hate that I noticed his muscles flexed when he moved. I hate that he’s attractive enough to get away with all this. Most of all, I hate that he knows he’s attractive.
“Of what?” I chuckle
He pushes off the counter and steps closer.
‘’You look mad”
“I am mad” I raise my voice slightly as I turn away and walk towards my room.
“Why?” he presses, following closely behind me
Because you are reckless. Because you are infuriating. Because you make it hard to breathe when you stand too close.
“I like clean surfaces. I’ll be disinfecting that counter myself.” I reply flatly.
I drop my bag on my desk and make a mental note to call the agency. Maybe I could request a new roommate. One who absolutely doesn’t turn shared spaces into adult cinema sets.
‘’You wish you were on that counter, little trouble” His voice disrupts my thoughts and I turn slowly.
“For what? So I could fake moans and orgasms? No thanks”
His eyebrows lift and that teasing look disappears. He narrows his eyes then walks towards the door. I hear the click of the lock echo in the room before he turns. He moves toward me slowly. His eyes are so focused on me that it’s slightly intimidating. My feet retreat until my back hits the wall. Then, he presses his hand against the wall, beside my head to cage me in. He’s too close. Way too close. I can feel the heat radiate from his tall, masculine body as he allows his eyes to pierce mine.
“Why don’t we find out” he murmurs, voice low ‘’Just how fake those orgasms can be?”
I feel a flush of red spread across my cheeks. How dare he assume that I would want anything to do with him? The audacity!
The sound of my phone ringing brings me back to reality and I shove him hard in his rock-solid chest
“Get away from me, pervert”
‘’Diane?” A shaky voice responds on the other end makes my mind race at a million thoughts per second.
“Yes?’’ I say hesitantly
“’This is Joanne, Lucy’s neighbour” My stomach instantly drops at the mention of my mother’s name.
“Is everything alright?”
“I don’t want to scare you but…” The old woman pauses “ Your mother’s door is wide open”
“What?”
“ I was watering my plants and noticed it. I thought your brother was home but I haven’t seen him leave or come back. I knocked and there was no answer”
My pulse pounds in my ears. Where the hell is Darole?
“She’s not supposed to be alone” I whisper. Jason’s head lifts at my tone as he straightens. His playful expression disappears and is replaced by a concerned look
‘’Are you sure no one’s inside?” I ask
“I saw two men earlier” She adds hesitantly.”They were standing by the house but I assumed they were officials or something. They left not long ago”
I suddenly feel cold spread through me.
“I’m on my way”’
I swear to God,if that drunk,gambler of a brother I have actually left our sick mother at home alone…
“What’s going on?” Jason’s voice cuts my thoughts as I raffle through my bag for my car keys
“It’s none of your business” My voice comes out ruder than I expected
“I could drive you there” He says and my hands finally get hold of my keys
“No,thanks. Just don’t bring anymore whores to my house”
…
As soon as the car comes to a halt, I see the door widely open. I rush down the hallway, my pulse pounding so violently it drowns everything else.
“Mom!” My voice cracks once I push the bedroom door open
I’m met with a sight I can never forget. Two men dressed in black stand on either side of her, masks covering their faces. One grips her arm and the other hovers too close. Mom looks confused. Not frightened like she should be. Her grey hair is dishevelled, her nightdress twisted at the hem. Herr eyes lazily drift toward me as though I am a sound she can’t quite place.
‘’MOM!” I rush forward “Who are you? Please let her go. She doesn’t even know what’s happening. She’s sick.”
“Who are you?” My mom’s voice breaks my heart even more. “You’re so loud”
I feel hot tears run down my cheeks and suddenly breathing feels too hard.
“It’s Diane, mom. Look at me.” I whisper desperately and she just looks away.
“Is it Darole? Does he owe you money? I’ll pay now, just leave her” I turn to the men, my voice now trembling.
I search through my bag for my purse and just then I feel a sharp sting on my shoulder. The burning sensation spreads through my whole arm. My fingers fly to my shoulder but my muscles betray me. Opening my mouth to talk feels like a chore and my eyes blur as my legs turn into a pool of mashed potatoes. I feel my body collide with the cold floor. Darkness surrounds me.
Elise’s POVThe sting on my cheek ignites something wild inside me. For the first time in years, rage overtakes fear.I push myself up, breathing hard. I feel the heat rise in my chest and the next thing that happens surprises me. My hand lands on his cheek as I slap him back with every ounce of strength I have. The sound echoes sharply in the office.“How dare you talk to me like that?” I snap, voice shaking with fury. “How dare you question my loyalty after everything I’ve done for you? After everything I’ve sacrificed?”Richard’s head snaps to the side from the force of the slap. For a split second, shock flashes across his face before it twists into something even darker.He grabs my wrist in a bruising grip, yanking me closer.“You forget yourself, Elise,” he growls. “I gave you a life fifteen years ago when you were nothing but a scared, broken girl with no one. I can take it all away just as easily.”I yank my arm free, chest heaving. “I’m with Christian to get information on D
Elise’s POVIt’s been two weeks since that night at the bar.Two weeks since I kissed Christian Harrington like a woman who had lost all sense of self-preservation. Two weeks since his mouth was on mine and I let myself fall headfirst into something I know I shouldn’t want. I can’t stop thinking about him.I stand in my small kitchen, stirring the risotto slowly, the scent of garlic and saffron filling the air. My hands are trembling slightly. I invited him for dinner tonight. I told myself it was to talk more about everything he is going through with Diane, but that excuse is getting thinner by the day. The truth is simpler and far more dangerous.I want to see him again.The doorbell rings and my heart leaps into my throat. I wipe my hands on a dish towel, smooth down my simple black dress, and walk to the door. When I open it, Christian is standing there looking devastatingly handsome in a dark button-down and slacks, a b
Diane’s POVI expect him to get up at least once during those four long hours. To pace the room or leave me to do something. But Jason just sits there on the couch in the corner of my office, silent and unmoving, like a man waiting for judgment day.When I finally stand up and grab my bag, he rises without a word.“Let’s go,” I sigh.He nods slowly and takes my bag from my hand, like he always does.Elise glances up from her desk as we pass. “Home early?” she asks, her voice carefully neutral.I nod. “Cancel the rest of my meetings. Thank you.”The drive home is suffocatingly quiet. I stare out the window the entire time, watching the city blur past, while Jason’s presence beside me feels like a storm cloud. Neither of us speaks. The weight of last night occupies the space between us.When we reach the penthouse, the dining table is already set beau
Jason's POVI wake up with a pounding headache and the taste of regret in my mouth.The room feels wrong. It’s everything bad, too cold and too empty. I sit up slowly, rubbing my face as the memories of last night crashes over me like ice water. Diane’s face when I took her hands off my face after everything and her reaction to me punching the hypocritical asshole. The birthday surprise and her friends’ facial expressions when I was leaving. The relief I felt walking away. Elise kissing me and me allowing it.Fuck.I drag myself out of bed and head straight to her bedroom. My heart is hammering as I push the door open, already rehearsing what I’ll say. How sorry I am. How I was spiraling from everything Robert told me. How I never meant any of it.But the room is empty. The bed is made and she’s already gone to work.I stand there like an idiot, staring at the empty space where she should be, and the gu
The smell of polished wood fills my nose as my eyes flutter open. I find myself bound to a chair in a room I can’t recognize. Heavy footsteps echo against the floor and the figure of a man comes to sight. Heavily built, easily 6’3 and with a cigarette between his fingers.“Diane Carter” He says cal
The moans and groans grow louder as I approach the door. I stand there for a second, wishing that my ears are deceiving me. They’re not. Realty slaps me in the face as the door swings open. His head is between her thighs and her fingers tug at his dark brown hair like she’s holding on for her dear
Diane’s POVThe elevator dings, and I don’t even have the energy to hope anymore.Liam steps out looking like a ghost of the man I used to know. His eyes are bloodshot, shoulders slumped under the weight of the world, hair messy like he’d been running his hands through it for hours. He smells faint
Diane's POVThe flowers are still on my desk. White peonies. My absolute favorite. Jason knows this, of course. Which is precisely why they're there, and why I haven't thrown them away despite the satisfaction it might bring. These flowers and my anger can coexist.I refuse to examine what that mean






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