LOGINYULIA The sound of Kendrick's car pulling away echoed through the silence of the house. For a long moment, I remained standing at the top of the staircase hidden from view, unable to move. My father's words kept replaying in my head. Leave my house. This relationship ends today. It felt as though someone had reached into my chest and torn my heart in two. I slowly closed my bedroom door behind me. The moment the latch clicked into place, every bit of strength I'd been holding onto disappeared. I slid down against the door until I was sitting on the floor. Then I cried, not the quiet tears I'd shed downstairs. These were ugly sobs that shook my entire body. I buried my face in my knees, trying to muffle the sound, but it was impossible. Everything had fallen apart within minutes. Dad knew. Daphne knew and Kendrick had been punched because of me. The image of him holding his jaw while still trying to defend me refused to leave my mind. My chest tightened. I needed someone. W
KENDRICKThe sky had already begun fading into shades of deep orange and navy when I pulled into William's driveway.Normally, family dinners were easy, but tonight I felt my heart heavy because I knew something no one else did.I'd seen the face behind the stalking, and I don’t know how to tell Yulia. It would break her heart if she knew.The only reason I hadn't told anyone yet was that I wanted evidence strong enough that there would be no escape when I finally confronted them.Dinner was already laid out when everyone gathered around the long dining table with roasted lamb, Yorkshire puddings, honey-glazed carrots, roasted potatoes, and green beans. This was exactly the sort of Sunday dinner my mother loved.William carved the meat while my mother poured wine for herself and sparkling water for everyone else.Yulia sat beside me. Our shoulders brushed once as we settled into our chairs, and I caught her smiling. A small one meant for me. It almost made me forget everything else.C
YULIA“So tired,” I mumbled, closing the last textbook. My eyes were begging for a break.The law library had gradually emptied over the past two hours, leaving only the occasional rustle of pages and the quiet tapping of keyboards. I stretched my arms above my head before gathering my notes into neat piles, sliding them into my backpack one after another. Criminal law had a way of swallowing entire afternoons without warning.I glanced at the time on my phone and sighed. “I'm starving.”The only thing occupying my mind now was food. Real food. Not another vending machine snack or another cup of coffee pretending to be dinner.I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed for the exit.The cool evening air greeted me the moment I stepped outside the library. I had barely taken a few steps when someone called my name.“Yulia.”I spun around. “Justin.”He offered me the same shy smile he always wore. “Hi.”“Hi.” I smiled back. “I didn't know you were around.”He adjusted the strap of
UNKNOWN POV“I don't think your plan is working.” The words hung heavily in the room. I didn't bother looking up. Instead, I continued scrolling through the photographs on my phone, pausing on the most recent one before locking the screen.“It is,” I said calmly. “You just need to trust me.”A low growl answered me. “Trust you? This has gone on long enough.”I leaned back in my chair, crossing one leg over the other. “You're losing your patience.”“No,” the voice snapped. “I'm losing my nerve.”Silence settled between us. The room was dim, the only light coming from the lamp beside the couch. It suited me. Faces didn't matter in the dark. Only voices did.“I have one final move to make,” I said at last.“You've been saying that.”“And I mean it.”Another long exhale. “You don't understand what's at stake.”I smiled faintly. “Oh, I understand perfectly.”“No, you don't.” Frustration crept into the voice. “If Kendrick finds out who's been helping erase your tracks… if he discovers which
YULIAWhen I woke up, Kendrick was already out of bed, and divine smells were coming from the kitchen, filling the bedroom. After doing a full body stretch, I eased out of bed and ambled into the bathroom, directly into the shower. I handled my dental hygiene, washed and moisturized my face, and then hydrated my skin after my shower. I slipped on my underwear, a tee, and a pair of shorts, then followed my nose. My fine man was shirtless and standing in front of the kitchen island, serving French toast on a plate.“You’re up?” he said.“You’re fine,” I responded, and he grinned.“Is that how you greet me?”“Yes.” I nodded and walked over to him and hugged him from behind. After planting a kiss on his back, I squeezed into the space between him and the island. He puckered his lips, asking for a kiss, and I obliged. “Good morning, handsome,” I said.“That’s better. Good morning.”“You look too comfortable for someone who has a meeting in an hour,” I admitted.“They’ll have to wait then
YULIAWe had arrived at Kendrick's house, yet the excitement from the race was still buzzing beneath my skin.I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed that much. Between Damon's teasing, Adeline's commentary, and Kendrick proving me wrong on the track, the night had turned out even better than I'd imagined.I slipped off my shoes the moment we entered his bedroom, stretching my tired legs.“I had so much fun today,” I admitted, turning to look at him. Kendrick loosened the sleeves of his shirt before meeting my eyes. “I wasn't expecting you to actually race,” I added.He chuckled as he walked toward me. “Neither was I. I couldn’t turn down a challenge.”“You were…” I searched for the right word before laughing. “Spectacular.”One dark eyebrow lifted. “Just spectacular?”I grinned. “And… looking hot.”He laughed, the sound low and warm, before closing the distance between us. His hands settled naturally on my waist, pulling me closer until there wasn't much space left between us.
KENDRICK Every head at the table turned toward Yulia. I hated that question the moment Mother asked it. Yulia blinked once, clearly caught off guard. She placed her fork down as she searched for an answer, and accidentally, the glass beside her tipped. Champagne splashed across the tablecloth and
YULIA“So you’re telling me that you’re living with the Kendrick Fernsby?” Adeline asked dramatically, raising both hands to make quotation marks in the air. I laughed, taking another sip of my pineapple smoothie. I had decided to meet her at The Good Life Eatery because their smoothies were ridic
KENDRICKI shouldn’t have kissed her. It wasn’t even a kiss worth overthinking—just her cheek, a brief moment of contact that should’ve meant nothing.But it did, and that was the problem.I ruffled my hair, staring blankly at the surveillance analytics displayed across my MacBook’s screen while ab
YULIA“This is it?” I asked, glancing around the parking lot filled with cars. “Yes.” Kendrick parked his car and turned to me. “Ever been to a street race?”I shook my head wildly, speechless all of a sudden. His expression barely changed, but his eyes said otherwise . “Then prepare yourself. Yo







