Liam moved his hips with the beat, pressing them closer together. His lips hovered far too near her ear, warm breath brushing the sensitive skin of her neck.Olivia closed her eyes for a moment, cursing her own body for responding so easily. The anger was still there, alive and sharp. But desire... desire already knew the way.“Are you trying to seduce me, husband?” she whispered, teasing.“I did that a long time ago,” he murmured, his deep voice grazing her skin. “Your pride just won’t let you admit it.”His hands slid along the sides of her body, rising slowly to the line of her stomach. They did not cross the boundaries of decency... but came dangerously close.His other hand stayed firm at her waist, guiding, controlling, marking territory.Olivia rolled her hips on purpose, brushing herself against him with measured provocation—calculated to strike the exact place where Liam’s self-control always began to crack. Her eyes remained fixed ahead, as if he didn’t exist.That was the g

Alex walked beside Isis, matching her unsteady pace as they left the chaos of the nightclub behind. The cold parking lot lights illuminated her face—half tired, half stubborn. He took a deep breath. It was obvious she was far drunker than she wanted to admit.“I’m taking you home,” he said, firm but calm.Isis laughed—that crooked laugh of someone who had lost the plot a long time ago.“No need.” She waved a hand in the air, nearly tripping over her own foot. “I’ll get an Uber. And... I don’t even know you, sir.”Alex raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side.“Do you have anyone to go with you?” he asked.She blinked slowly, trying to gather her thoughts.“My friends... already left,” she admitted, making a face. “Those traitors.”Alex sighed, clearly finding the whole situation painfully obvious.“I’m your boss’s best friend,” he said with light irony. “And I’m not letting you, drunk, get into a stranger’s car in the middle of the night. Olivia would kill me for that.”She ope

Alex walked beside Isis, matching her unsteady pace as they left the chaos of the nightclub behind. The cold parking lot lights illuminated her face—half tired, half stubborn. He took a deep breath. It was obvious she was far drunker than she wanted to admit.“I’m taking you home,” he said, firm but calm.Isis laughed—that crooked laugh of someone who had lost the plot a long time ago.“No need.” She waved a hand in the air, nearly tripping over her own foot. “I’ll get an Uber. And... I don’t even know you, sir.”Alex raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side.“Do you have anyone to go with you?” he asked.She blinked slowly, trying to gather her thoughts.“My friends... already left,” she admitted, making a face. “Those traitors.”Alex sighed, clearly finding the whole situation painfully obvious.“I’m your boss’s best friend,” he said with light irony. “And I’m not letting you, drunk, get into a stranger’s car in the middle of the night. Olivia would kill me for that.”She ope

The car door had barely shut when Liam accelerated with restrained violence, eyes locked on the road ahead as if any distraction might be too dangerous. His breathing still came fast and heavy, a direct aftermath of the fight.Olivia stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to process what had just happened.But Liam was the first to break the silence.He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and exploded.“Satisfied?” His voice cracked through the silence like a gunshot. “Was that what you wanted?”Olivia turned toward him, outraged.“What?!”Liam slammed a hand against the steering wheel. The sound echoed through the car.“That scene!” he snarled. “Did you think it was beautiful? Fun? Making me search for you through that fucking crowd while some bastard had his hands all over you?!”Olivia turned fully toward him, eyes blazing with disbelief.“I didn’t make any scene, Liam! I told you I was going to get Isis and... I needed to use the bathroom. That’s not a crime!”“I told

Liam knocked again, harder this time, the sound echoing through the door and down the silent hallway.Absolute silence.No response.“Of course,” he murmured coldly. “I deserve this.”He turned away without hesitation and walked toward the living room.In the corner, the piano waited.Liam sat down, rested his fingers against the keys, and began playing deep, intense notes. It was the only way he knew how to breathe without falling apart.Olivia turned off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and stepped out of the bathroom still drying her face. Inside the closet, her hands brushed over his oversized sweatshirts. She lifted one to her face and closed her eyes.“I love your scent...” she confessed in a whisper, bitterly. “And I hate myself for saying that.”When she heard the music drifting from the other room, she murmured softly,“Wow... the neighbor plays beautifully...”A few minutes later, she wandered into the living room wearing one of his white sweatshirts, the sleeves far