Mag-log inSalome’s POV“You should just sit with them,” Jeremiah said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.The words hung over the table, cold and sharp. I froze, my fork halfway to my plate, and looked at Naomi. She and her friend stood there as if they had been slapped. The silence stretched out, becoming heavy and suffocating. Beside me, Aiden shifted in his seat. He raised one eyebrow at me, his eyes full of silent questions. I only had a shrug to give him. There was no way to explain the mess of our history without making the air in the room even thicker.I expected Naomi to turn and walk away. Anyone with a shred of pride would have fled after a comment like that. Instead, she took a shaky breath and pulled out the chair right next to mine. She gestured for her friend to sit beside Aiden. My heart sank. I didn’t want to be in the middle of this. I didn’t want Jeremiah five feet away, watching me like a hawk while I tried to eat my dinner.I placed
Salome’s POV“You’re actually smiling today,” Aiden said, sliding a glass of ice water toward me.I reached for the glass, my fingers brushing against his. “It is hard not to. The view is great, and the company is even better.”The peaceful moment shattered before I could take a sip. Movement near the entrance caught my eye. Richard walked in, his face lighting up the second he spotted me. He started to wave, his mouth opening to call out my name, but Benedict moved faster. He snagged Richard by the elbow and yanked him back, shaking his head with a look of pure panic.Then I saw why. Jeremiah was right behind them.He didn't look at the hostess. He didn't look at the menu. His entire focus was pinned on my hand, which was still resting near Aiden’s on the table. The skin around Jeremiah’s jaw went tight. I watched the pulse thrumming in his neck, the veins standing out like cords. He looked like he w
Salome’s POV“So, Luceland is definitely the spot,” I said, tucking my hands into my back pockets. I paced the small hotel room, my boots clicking against the thin carpet. “Portia got drunk and spilled it all to Barnabas’s mom. There is no way she’d lie about something that specific. It’s east of New York, just like the map shows.”Clementine sat on the edge of the bed and nodded. She looked tired but focused.“That gives us two paths,” I continued, stopping by the window. “First, we track down that old friend of Russell’s from the police report. If we can get her on our side, we might break the case. The catch is her loyalty. She was friends with Russell, sure, but she was likely part of Portia’s inner circle too. People like that tend to stick together to keep their secrets buried.”Clementine shook her head, her face falling. “I didn’t even think about that. If she’s still loyal to Portia, she’ll just tip her off that we’re asking questions.”“It’s a risk we have to weigh,” I said.
Salome’s POV“So, that’s the prize Jeremiah traveled all this way for?” Clementine asked.I watched the elevator doors slide shut, cutting off my view of Naomi. Her blonde ponytail had a perfect, rhythmic bounce as she walked away. It was the kind of hair that looked expensive. I didn't answer right away. I just stared at the brushed metal of the doors.“She seems nice,” I said, finally turning around. “She seems like she’s with him for the right reasons.”Clementine opened her mouth, ready to snap back, but she caught herself. She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as the lift moved again. “Fine. Maybe she is. But Jeremiah is still trash. The way he flirts with you right in front of everyone is pathetic.”My face went hot. We weren't alone, and Clementine didn't have a volume knob. “Keep it down,” I whispered, my voice sharp. “There is nothing happening between us. He’s my boss. If he wants to date her, that’s his business.”Clementine rolled her eyes so hard I thought they mig
Salome’s POV"Do you think he actually saw us yet?" Clementine asked, her voice tight with a mix of excitement and nerves.I didn’t answer her immediately. I just leaned back against the seat of Aiden’s car and tried to make myself invisible. The leather felt cold against my skin. Outside the window, the highway blurred into a mess of gray and green, but my mind was stuck on the phone call I had ended too soon. I had cut Jeremiah off without a word. Even worse, I hadn’t mentioned that I was driving toward the exact same destination he was.My pulse thrummed in my fingertips. I knew how Jeremiah worked. He valued transparency, and I had just handed him a mystery he didn’t ask for. If he found out I was basically tailing his travel plans, the fallout would be messy."Salome? You okay back there?" Aiden glanced at me through the rearview mirror. He was focused on the road, his hands steady on the wheel. He was young, just a college student trying to do his sister a favor, but his calm de
Jeremiah’s POV“I understand,” Benedict said, her voice barely a whisper as she shrank back into the upholstery of the rear seat.She was smart to hide. The interior of the car felt like a pressure cooker about to blow. Richard tried to break the heavy silence by tossing a few casual comments my way, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of a response. I couldn't. My mind was a storm of static and sharp edges.Salome was gossiping. The thought burned. My assistant, the woman I trusted with the literal keys to my life, was out there peddling rumors about my dating life to the rest of the staff. It was unprofessional. It was a betrayal. It made me look like a fool.I stared out the window, watching the landscape blur into a smear of greens and grays, but all I saw was her face. I reached into my pocket, my fingers trembling with a mix of adrenaline and irritation. I didn't care that Richard and Benedict were sitting right there. This couldn't wait. I tapped her name on the screen and h
Barnabas’s POV"If a single hair on her head is out of place, there will be no mercy," I said, staring directly into the lens of the camera.I stood in the centre of the room, my jaw tight as the recording light glowed red. I didn't care about looking polished or professional
Jeremiah’s POV“The garage cameras are a total wash,” Mr. Shawne said. The property manager looked like he hadn't slept in days. He stared at the floor while he gave me the news. “There is zero footage of her car in the parking structure. But the main gate is a diff
Salome’s POV“Is that the Vane girl, the one sitting so close to Barnabas?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.Portia Vane didn’t try to hide. She was the daughter of a powerful Alpha, and she carried herself like she owned the pavement beneath her designer boots. Across the parking lot, her
Salome’s POV"You look like you're drowning in paperwork, Barnabas," I said, my voice as smooth as the polished mahogany of his desk.I didn't wait for an invitation. I just walked in. The door clicked shut, sealing us in the quiet of the Alpha’s office. I kept my face neutral, a perfect mask of the







