Chapter 5

The heavy, water-resistant parchment of the eviction notice slipped from Julian Hayes's trembling fingers, landing with a soft, pathetic slap against the wet asphalt of the alleyway. The rain had begun to drizzle again, catching in the glow of the security lights, but nobody moved for cov

Chapter 6

"You own them?" Julian repeated, his voice cracking on the final syllable. A nervous, dismissive laugh bubbled out of his throat, high-pitched and hollow. "Elena, you're not making any sense. You're a prep cook. You chop my carrots. You reduce my stocks. I am the one who developed the *L'

Chapter 7

The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of *Lumière*, casting long, elegant shadows across the imported marble floors. Only twenty-four hours ago, this space had been Julian’s prized domain, a monument to his fragile ego. Now, it was utterly silent, stripped of his p