LOGIN"You are my future, Evelyn!"
His voice cracked like a whip, sharp and commanding. He stood up, closing the distance between us in two strides. He grabbed my shoulders, his grip firm but careful.
"Listen to me. Careers are replaceable. Money is just numbers. But seeing you heal, seeing you actually smile again like you did yesterday... that’s everything. I’m not being a martyr. I’m being a man who knows what’s actually worth keeping."
"That's exactly why it’s wrong!" I sna
POV: Jovan BradfordThe Miami heat usually lingers long after the sun dips below the Atlantic, but tonight, the fire was under my skin. Adrenaline surged through my veins, a frantic, electric pulse that made sleep feel like a distant, impossible concept.I had just dropped Evelyn off. The promise we’d made—the new life I’d practically swore on my soul to give her—burned in the back of my throat.I didn't waste a second. I threw my keys onto the marble counter of my apartment and grabbed my phone. It was late, past nine, but time zones were just numbers when your future was on the line. Kendrick and Noelle were probably mid-transit or just touching down.I found Kendrick Beckham’s name in my contacts. My thumb hovered over the call button for a heartbeat.Don’t be too late. Please, don't tell me they gave that London desk to some Ivy League shark already.I pressed dial.Ring... Ring...I paced the length of my living room, the
"You are my future, Evelyn!"His voice cracked like a whip, sharp and commanding. He stood up, closing the distance between us in two strides. He grabbed my shoulders, his grip firm but careful."Listen to me. Careers are replaceable. Money is just numbers. But seeing you heal, seeing you actually smile again like you did yesterday... that’s everything. I’m not being a martyr. I’m being a man who knows what’s actually worth keeping.""That's exactly why it’s wrong!" I snapped back, a tear escaping. "You think I can be happy knowing you sacrificed your soul for my comfort? No, Jovan. I’ll spend every day feeling like a weight around your neck. I’ll feel like the person who clipped your wings.""I have never, not for one second, seen you as a weight.""Then prove it!" I looked him dead in the eye, my gaze burning through the tears. "Love is about building something together, not one person shrinking so the other can grow. If you stop flying because o
POV: Evelyn ReeveThe digital clock on the corner of my monitor flickered. 4:45 p.m.In the Meridian Miami building, this was the hour of the exodus. The sound of rolling chairs and the rhythmic thrum of the elevator became the soundtrack of freedom for everyone else. For me, it was a countdown.Every second felt like a heavy stone being added to a pile in my chest.I spent the afternoon playing a role. I laughed when Maya made a snarky comment about a difficult client. I nodded when Stella talked about her weekend plans in the Keys. I even managed a convincing smile every time Jovan walked past my desk or sent a quick text asking if I’d had enough water.On the surface, I was the picture of corporate composure.Underneath the desk, my heels were drumming a frantic rhythm against the carpet. My mind was a storm of jagged thoughts—revolving around a declined email and a brilliant future in London that Jovan had just set on fire.For me
Noelle’s voice wavered slightly."He torched his dream career to keep you comfortable, Ev. To make sure you kept your 'home' and your friends here."It felt like a jagged rock had been shoved into my chest. The guilt I thought I’d conquered came roaring back with ten times the force.I stared at Jovan’s office door through a blur of tears. Behind that door was a man who smiled at me every single morning. A man who brought me coffee. A man who shielded me from the wreckage of my past.A man who had just set fire to his own future for the sake of mine."Ev? You still there?" Noelle asked, sounding worried.I wiped my eyes aggressively with the back of my hand. "Yeah... I'm here. I heard you.""Look, I’m telling you this not to make you feel guilty or to make you break up with him," she added quickly, as if reading my spiraling thoughts. "I’m telling you so you understand how much he loves you. Don't be mad at him for hiding it. Just tal
POV: Evelyn ReeveTime has a strange way of healing things here at Meridian Miami. The days that used to feel like a slow crawl through a minefield have shifted into a rhythm I actually look forward to.It’s been two weeks since the storm finally broke. No more Archer lurking in the shadows of my mind. No more of Chloe’s toxic, sharp-tongued side-eyes in the breakroom. The office on the tenth floor has started to feel less like a corporate cage and more like a second home.Every morning follows a sweet, deliberate pattern.Jovan picks me up—sometimes we take his car, other times we walk the few blocks if the Miami heat isn't too oppressive. There’s always a vanilla cold brew waiting on my desk before I even arrive. We don't hide our lunch dates anymore. We just go.Maya and Stella have officially given up on teasing us. The sight of Jovan stopping by my desk just to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear or drop off a small bar of dark chocolate h
Jovan watched me eat with a look of quiet satisfaction. I knew he had no regrets about that rejected email to the London office. Not when he could sit here and watch me finally enjoy a meal without looking over my shoulder."Oh, by the way," Jovan said after a sip of his iced tea. "My mother called again this morning."I stopped mid-bite, my eyes widening. "Odette? What did she say? Please tell me she isn't asking about grand-kids already."Jovan laughed so hard he nearly choked. "No, we haven't reached that level of interrogation yet. She just wanted to know how you were. She kept asking, 'Where is that sweet Evelyn? Why hasn't she hopped on a FaceTime call lately?' She misses talking to you."A flush of warmth spread across my cheeks. Being accepted by his family was a concept that used to feel impossible, a dream I had given up on with Archer’s family. Now, it felt so natural."Tell her I said hi," I murmured, feeling shy but happy. "And t
I exhaled, a shy smile tugging at my lips. I glanced back at their table. From this distance, Jovan looked different—intense, gesturing as he spoke to Kendrick. He looked every bit the powerful executive, cold and commanding.Noelle followed my gaze. "You’ve probably only seen the 'Prince
POV: Jovan BradfordThe roar of my Triumph Scrambler swallowed the humid Miami air as I cut through the midday traffic toward the coast. Behind me, I could feel Evelyn. She wasn't clinging to me—not yet—but the slight pressure of her hands against my waist was enough to make my pulse kick
POV: Evelyn ReeveThe air at the table turned brittle the second Noelle dropped that bombshell.I kept my eyes glued to the linen napkin in my lap, my face burning. Beside me, I could feel Jovan’s sudden tension—the way his breathing hitched, becoming shallow and controlled.
POV: Evelyn ReeveThe Miami sun was already doing its best to bleach the asphalt by the time Shae’s SUV pulled up to the Meridian Miami building. The glass facade of the office reflected the turquoise glint of the Atlantic, looking far more inviting than it had any right to be.I re







