Martin let out a sharp whistle.
"Mark, do you have any idea what this place costs? The rent for a Platinum floor unit is like a... like a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. A month."
Mark froze. He knew it was expensive, but a hundred and fifty grand? Monthly?
"There’s no way she’s paying that herself," Martin added, shaking his head. "Soone with very deep pockets is taking care of her, Mark."
"Julian Blackwood."
Martin blinked. "Who?"
"She’s my fiancée," Mark said. "He doesn’t get to just, step in like this."
"But I thought the family broke off your engagent."
Mark glared at him.
"You don’t have to remind . Although it’s my hope we can get back together."
"What about Clarisse?"
Mark shrugged. "What about her?"
Martin looked at him in disbelief. "I an, she’s pregnant. Are you just going to abandon her?"
"Of course not," Mark replied casually. "But that doesn’t an I have to marry her."
"Does she know that?"
"No. She thinks am going to marry her."
"See?" Martin said, throwing his hands up. "That’s going to be a problem, Mark!"
"Let’s just get out of here," he said. "This whole ss will solve itseysoon enouy. As for Lyvana, she’s bound to start working eventually. She can’t hide from forever."
anwhile back in Ethan’s apartnt.
"Do you want to start another round my love?" Ethan asked, pulling Emily closer for a kiss.
A soft moan escaped her lips as he started running his fingers over her hard pink nipple.
"Ethan, no. I need to rest..." she protested.
He groans feeling disappointed. "Co on."
"Seriously, don’t you feel tired?"
"Nope," he answered with a grin.
Emily rolled onto her side, pulling the blanket up around her.
"I’m serious," she said, smiling faintly. "You’re going to be the death of ."
Ethan shifted closer anyway, resting his head against her shoulder. "That sounds like a complint."
"It’s not," she murmured.
"Okay, maybe I am a little tired," he admitted.
"Finally!" she muttered.
He tilted his head to look at her.
"But only because you wore out."
Emily giggled. "I did not!"
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
Ethan’s phone vibrated on the nightstand. He picked it up and listened for a minute, his expression turning serious.
"That was the building manager for The Royale," Ethan said, sitting up. "Apparently, Mark bribed a worker and used a key card to get onto Liv’s floor."
Emily sat up, the humor gone from her face. "He did what?"
"Yeah. The security team caught him before he reached her door."
"The nerve of that man!" Emily snapped. "What the hell does he want with Liv. I an after everything he did to her?"
"He said he just wanted to talk and make things right with her?"
Emily let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. "Make things right? How exactly does he plan to do that? By apologizing for getting another woman pregnant? Or for fucking her in his fiancée’s office?"
She stood up, pacing the bedroom. "He is delusional! He thinks he can just ’talk’ his way out of this, like it’s politics?"
Ethan starred at her. "Yea, that video was crazy insane. I will have to inform Julian when he returns to the country."
"You better," Emily said, finally stopping her pacing. She looked at the clock, her anger suddenly turning into worry.
"Wait... what ti is it?"
Ethan glanced at his watch. "Um, it’s 3:00."
"3:00? God, Ethan, we’re getting late," she said reaching for her dress. "We should be at the hospital already. It’s almost ti to pick up Lyvana."
Ethan nodded, already pulling on his shirt.
....
"Chairman Grant, did you just return?" Edward the buttler asked surprised to see the chairman.
"Isn’t it too late for you to still be awake, Edward. And shouldn’t it be my beautiful wife who is patiently waiting for ?" He looked up the stairs expecting to see Eleanor magically coming down the stairs as if she sensed his presence.
"The Lady has retired to her bed, Sir. Shall I have your dinner ward up?"
"There’s no need to bother the cook at this ti," he said already walking up the stairs.
When the Chairman reached the top of the stairs, he nearly ran into Zara.
She was leaning against the mahogany railing, her silk robe hanging open at the front to reveal a see-through nightgown.
"Zara. You have a lot of nerve standing in the hallway of my ho looking like that."
Zara smiled. "It’s our ho, Grant. Or have you forgotten that we built it together. I need to speak to you about Andrew."
The Chairman didn’t look at her with interest. Instead, he looked at her with disgust. He rembered the affair she had with his brother-in-law, Adrian.
"Firstly Zara, go back to your room," he said sharply. "And put on so real clothes. Secondly, I built this is house with my wife Eleanor. You are a guest here. Rember that."
He brushed past her without a second glance, leaving her standing alone and frustrated in the hallway.
Back at the penthouse. Julian had arrived ho, after a business trip with his father.
He started to unbutton his shirt as he walked toward his bedroom.
He checked the ti on his phone. It was far too late to call the hospital. He hadn’t spoken to Dr. Aris yet about the updates on Lyvana’s treatnt or the results of her latest tests.
I’ll call first thing in the morning, he thought.
He headed for the shower, wanting to wash away the stress of the trip. The hot water helped ease the tension in his muscles.
When he finished bathing, he walked naked back into the bedroom. He walked to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He drank it quickly, then headed back into the bedroom.
Julian looked toward the bed and froze. His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the shape under the covers.
Soone was lying on his bed.
He saw the familiar, calm face of his therapist.
Sasha.
"What the hell."
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