Lahat ng Kabanata ng Mindreader: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Tiffany's POV Mercer fought back a smile. "Hale is one of the best detectives we have." "He already hates me," I countered. "He hates everyone. Don't take it personally." [Including me. Constantly.] Mercer leaned across his desk, his expression turning serious. "Tiffany, Hale has spent the last nine years trying to dismantle the Knight organization. This is deeply personal for him." I waited, sensing the weight of what he was about to say. "His father refused a bribe from one of Scars’s associates. Two weeks later, their house was set on fire while the family was asleep." I went still. Mercer kept his eyes locked on mine, making sure the words landed. "Hale was the only one who made it out." I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. That explained the wall of anger I had felt downstairs. It wasn't just a bad attitude. It was a scar that had never properly healed. Mercer stood up and walked over to the window. He looked out at the busy bullpen below. "Hale wanted to take this

Tiffany’s POV Five minutes later, we were shoved into matching salon chairs. Apparently, the “premium transformation package” came with champagne, cucumber water, and two stylists aggressively touching our hair without permission. I stared at myself in the mirror while a pink-haired stylist sectioned my hair with terrifying confidence. “So,” she said casually, “how long have you guys been together?” “We haven’t,” Lucas answered immediately from the chair beside me. She smiled at our reflections. “Mhm.” Lucas looked genuinely offended. “Why does nobody believe us?” “Because you argue like people who sleep together,” another stylist said from behind him. I choked on absolutely nothing. Beside me, Lucas nearly snapped his chair arm in half. "We do not," he said flatly. The woman working on his hair snorted softly as she brushed bleach through the dark strands. “Honey, relax. Nobody’s judging.” “I am being judged constantly.” “That’s fair,” I muttered. He glanced at me. “You

Tiffany's POV I opened my mouth, probably to apologize for the third damn time, but before I could get a word out, a familiar irritated voice cut through my head. [I’m trying to track this asshole properly, and Barbie just speeds up the whole process by causing a scene with him.] Somewhere in the ballroom, Lucas was definitely rethinking every decision that led him to partnering with me. Honestly? Fair. Finding Scars this fast was a miracle. Finding him because I crashed into him like an idiot and ruined his suit with champagne was slightly less miraculous. Mercer would be thrilled. “No, seriously, I’m really sorry,” I said, taking a step back. His hand slipped from my elbow as I put a little distance between us. “I wasn't paying attention.” Scars didn’t look annoyed at all. If anything, the smirk deepened slightly. “It’s fine,” he said easily. “It’s just a suit.” I glanced at the stain spreading across the black fabric. "A very expensive suit, I bet. Let me find a waiter to

Tiffany's POV “Don’t say shit like that,” I whispered. “Like what?” His voice was rough. “That,” I swallowed. “Don’t say it like there’s only one ending for you.” A beat. His jaw tightened. “It’s not fantasy, Barbie. It’s reality.” I shook my head slightly. “Yeah, well. I wasn’t a fan of your reality.” That got a faint exhale out of him. Almost a laugh, but not really. “You think I was?” And then he stepped closer until my back hit the balcony railing. I didn’t even notice myself moving. His hand came up beside my shoulder, resting on the rail, caging me in without actually touching me. “Hale…” I warned quietly. “What?” His gaze dropped to my mouth, paused there just long enough to change the air between us, then lifted again, sharper, as if he was annoyed at himself for letting it happen. [Just kiss her.] “You were doing that thing again,” I murmured. “What thing?” “Thinking too loud.” A pause. “So you’re still doing that,” he said instead. “Doing what?” I asked. My

Tiffany's POV Scars's eyes moved over my face, then dropped to the wet hem of the dress peeking out from under Lucas’s oversized black shirt. I was shivering now, the cold water finally settling into my skin as the ocean breeze cut through me. My teeth knocked together faintly before I could stop it. Dominic didn’t hesitate. He dropped his tough tone and stepped forward toward Scars like nothing had happened. “It’s nothing, man,” Dominic said, waving a hand loosely toward Lucas. “Just a bit of fun at the pool. Her brother here completely overreacted. The guy needs to learn how to take a joke.” [That was a lucky hit. I didn’t expect the dress to go transparent like that, she looks better soaked anyway, and her brother’s losing it over nothing.] My vision blurred for a second with pure rage. This dumb shit actually thought he was entitled to look at me like that. My hands clenched at my sides, fury pushing me dangerously close to losing my temper, but before I could react, I notice