Percival's lips curled into a smile, his eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.
The divine beauty of Vivienne's face, akin to a masterpiece carved by the gods themselves, made even someone like her-who prided herself on being no stranger to handsome men and beautiful women- pause in sheer admiration.
She belonged to him, and the fierce surge of possessiveness that rose from the depths of her heart quickly spread to her eyes.
Unabashed by her desire, Vivienne discarded her drenched dress. Her pale arms wrapped around Percival's neck. "What's so funny?" she asked, her voice sultry.
Percival's gaze flickered. "I've already shared my thoughts," he said. "Now's not the time, so we have to... postpone 'it' a bit longer."
Vivienne rolled her eyes internally. Who was really being put out here?
"You're not worried about Kaitlyn?" Percival asked just before their lips met, voicing the final question of the night.
Before Vivienne could respond, the sound of labored breaths filled the steamy bathroom, spreading throughout.
As her mind hazed over, she thought she heard her phone ring. But then she was pulled into a sea of desire by Percival, all thoughts forgotten.
At the Hawthorn residence, the clock struck midnight.
Dorian sat up in bed, sleep nowhere in sight. His gaze then shifted to the emails on his laptop, feeling as if a boulder weighed heavy on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
[By tomorrow, I want to see that Hawthorn Group has terminated the endorsement deal with Kala.]
He had been on edge for days, and those few words made his heart tremble once again.
He opened and closed Vivienne's contact on his phone, looking years older all of a sudden.
eyes were
while, a long sigh
supposed
The next day.
the path laid out for
to visit the Hawthorn residence with Leopold
complained as he followed Vivienne into the house. He'd been up late
knew it, he was waiting in his car beneath the
"Got a problem with
Leopold replied, shaking his head like a tambourine. "Besides, I've
tracks and glanced back at him. "What?
out corruption in the Vanguard Agency. Right now, anyone not assigned to an important person is basically on house arrest. Micah and Vance, too.
you yesterday.
him to be taken
the Boyd family?" Leopold didn't understand. Wasn't that the same as letting the tiger return
hummed in response, apparently not inclined to explain,
Vivienne called out several times, both upstairs and downstairs, but received no response, which soured
that morning with no answer and wouldn't have come over if it weren't for
soon, she was ready to call on
the second floor and pushed open the
"Dorian, why
at his desk, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, ready to walk out the door at a moment's notice, yet he was just sitting there, typing away at the computer. "Hm?" Dorian looked up, seeming to just now hear Vivienne's voice. "Vivienne, what brings
the fine
you didn't pick up, so I came
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