Michael's POV
The penthouse was silent when I finally stepped inside after a long day, the city lights stretching below like a scattered constellation I could never hope to reach. I had worked late again, staring at spreadsheets and budgets for the new acquisition, pushing every other thought aside.
The buzz of my phone went unnoticed as I placed it on the side table, Ryder’s name kept flashing, but I ignored it. I didn’t need distractions right now.
I poured a neat whiskey into a glass, the amber liquid catching the light, and sipped slowly, trying to scrub away the tension coiling in my shoulders, but it didn’t leave.
Because at the moment my mind kept drifting back to that night in the club, the flash of her laughter, the reckless way she had followed me, and the fact that she wa
