LOGINAngela's POV
His hand was still locked around my hips, tight enough that I couldn’t move even an inch.
“Ahh… Aaron…”
His name slipped from my lips, rough and unguarded. My breath hitched as my body writhed helplessly beneath his touch. His tongue kept working, his hands roaming with an intensity that emptied my head of thought.
Just as the wave was about to crest, he stopped.
I gasped, staring at him, wordless.
He leane
Angela's POVI had no idea how long I'd been unconscious.Consciousness slowly returned as the faint voices drifted into my ears."Sir... if Mrs. Bennett finds out about this, she won't approve."Another voice answered."I don't need her approval."A few seconds of silence followed."Now leave. And don't ever question my orders again.""Yes, sir."I heard footsteps retreating.A door opened, then quietly shut.I forced my eyes open.My vision was still blurry.The first thing I saw once everything came into focus was Ian Bennett.He sat in a chair a few feet away, watching me in silence.My heart nearly stopped.I tried to move, but I couldn't.Panic slammed into me as I realized both my wrists and ankles were tied down."What did you do to me?" I shouted, my voice shaking. "Where am I?"My eyes darted around the room.It was small and almost em
Angela's POVIt had been over a month since I left Los Angeles.When I left that city, I also left behind the life I'd been building as an actress.The hate never really stopped.Every now and then, I'd open my social media, only to find another wave of cruel comments flooding my screen.Somewhere along the way, though, it stopped hurting.Then one morning, a headline froze me in place.Evelyn Found Dead. Ian Bennett Named Prime Suspect.According to the report, Ian had disappeared before the police could arrest him. He was now a wanted fugitive."Angela."Beth's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.I quickly locked my phone and set it on the coffee table.For the past month, Beth had stayed with me.I'd lost count of how many times I'd told her she didn't have to, but she always refused to leave me alone.We were living in a small town outside Eureka, tucked away in Northern California.Our rental house wasn't anything fancy, but it was quiet."I'm heading to the grocery store," Beth
Aaron's POVThe clock in the corner of my study read 12:47 a.m.I was finishing the last page of a report when my phone, lying on the desk, vibrated.A text message.Can we meet?I stared at the sender's name for a few seconds.Finally.I replied with a single message.Tomorrow morning. Same place.***The next morning, my black sedan rolled to a stop on a deserted street.The sun had barely risen. A thin layer of fog drifted between rows of industrial buildings that had yet to come to life.I glanced at my watch.Right on time.A few seconds later, a man dressed entirely in black, his face hidden beneath a baseball cap, approached the car.He opened the passenger door and climbed in.The door clicked shut behind him.He reached into his pocket, pulled out a USB flash drive, and placed it on the center console."I hope you keep your promise."I picked
Ian's POVSeveral days passed.Every morning, headlines about Evelyn still dominated the front pages. The police issued statement after statement to the press, but no one had any real answers yet.I read every single article.They were all just guessing.Not one of them came close to the truth.For now, Evelyn's death was still being treated as a possible accident while the investigation remained ongoing.Good.I leaned back in my chair.As long as they kept looking in the wrong direction, I had nothing to worry about.I'd also instructed Ashton to erase every trace that could connect me to the case.Tonight, my grandfather would announce the new leader of the company.Once everything was finally in my hands, no one would be bold enough to stand in my way.Especially anyone still trying to dig into Evelyn's death.That evening, I arrived at the venue.The building's grand lobby had been transformed into an extravagant ballroom for Bennett Corporation's seventy-fifth anniversary celebr
Ian's POV"Evelyn."I called her name again.Still nothing.A cold feeling settled in my gut. Something was wrong.I dropped to one knee beside her."Evelyn."I grabbed her shoulder and shook her hard."Wake up."Her body hung limp beneath my hand.No response.I pressed two fingers against the side of her neck.Nothing.I checked her wrist.Still no pulse.My eyes stayed fixed on her face.For a moment...My mind went completely blank.Then I pulled my phone from my pocket and hit the first number on my speed dial.The call connected on the second ring."Mr. Bennett?""Ashton."My voice came out low and steady."I need you at my apartment.""Now."***Less than twenty minutes later, the apartment door swung open, and Ashton hurried inside."Sir..."The word died in his throat the moment he
Ian's POVI'd been sitting in this restaurant for half an hour, and my thoughts kept drifting back to her.Angela.I'd seen every article flooding the internet about her and Aaron.My grip tightened around my wineglass.His name was always linked to hers.He could enjoy the attention for now.In the end, Angela would still be mine."Ian."Evelyn's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.I looked up.She subtly gestured toward the other side of the table.That's when I realized my mother had already set down her knife and fork.Her eyes were fixed on me.Judging by her expression, she'd been trying to get my attention for a while."What?"One of her eyebrows rose."That's the first thing you're going to say after ignoring us through the entire dinner?"I picked up my wineglass and took a slow sip."I was thinking.""About what?""Nothing important."She studied me for a moment before shaking her head."Ian."She straightened in her chair."I was asking when you plan to marry Evelyn."Besid
Angela’s POVMy words stopped him mid-step.He paused for a moment before slowly turning around. Every step he took toward me made my heartbeat pound harder in my chest.Now he stood right in front of me. His gaze cut straight through me—cold, sharp, completely me
Angela’s POVMy chest was still rising and falling hard after screaming my frustration out.That jerk knew exactly how to push me past my limit.A few minutes passed in silence before a soft knock sounded at the door.It opened slowly. A young woman stood in the do
Angela's POVOur eyes met for a split second. His cold hazel gaze pierced me, and my feet froze on the last step. I quickly turned my face, pretending not to see him, and walked straight past the table.“Breakfast is ready, Miss Angela,” Lana’s voice cut through my
Angela's POV"I panicked,” I said. “You showed up in the middle of the night, you looked like a burglar.”He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp.“A burglar?” His voice dropped, heavy with sarcasm. “This house has three layers of security. You







