Chapter 30
Chapter 30:
She stormed into Liam’s office at the Manor.
“You moved her into a penthouse?!” Seraphina screamed. “You told me she was kicked out! You told me she was living in a dorm p>
Liam looked up from his paperwork. “What p>
“Look!” Seraphina shoved the phone in his face.
Liam stared at the photo. The Spire. He knew the building. The rent was fifty thousand a month.
“I didn’t pay for that,” Liam said, frowning. “I thought she rented a student flat p>
“Who paid for it then?” Seraphina demanded. “Does she have a sugar daddy p>
Liam stood up. Jealousy, hot and irrational, flared in his chest. “Don’t be ridiculous. Skye doesn’t… she wouldn’t.” But the doubt was there.
“I live in a condo!” Seraphina wailed, tears streaming down her face. “A shabby condo! And she has a penthouse! It’s not fair, Liam! I have nothing p>
Liam rubbed his temples. “Your condo is worth two million dollars, Sera. It’s not shabby p>
“I want to go to the university too,” Seraphina decided suddenly, wiping her eyes. “I need to keep an eye on her. She’s up to something p>
“You want to study?” Liam asked, surprised.
“I want to take art classes,” Seraphina sniffed. “To… improve myself. And to make sure she isn’t spending your money on gigolos p>
Liam sighed. “Fine. If it keeps you busy. Register for the classes p>
That night, Skye stood on her balcony, a glass of red wine in her hand. The wind whipped her hair. She felt free.
Movement on the adjacent balcony caught her eye. The balconies were separated by a ten-foot gap, but visible.
A figure stepped out.
It was Ethan Vance. He was wearing pajama bottoms and holding a beer.
а𝘥d𝘪c𝘵𝗂𝘷e ոo𝘃𝖾𝗅𝗌 оո 𝖻𝘦𝗅𝗇о𝘷еls.𝗰𝗈𝘮
He saw her. He did a double-take.
“No way,” Ethan laughed. “You’re my neighbor p>
Skye groaned. She rolled her eyes toward the heavens. “Of course you live here p>
“And here I thought I moved to the penthouse for the view,” Ethan grinned, leaning on the railing. “Turns out the view moved in next door p>
Skye narrowed her eyes. “Alistair knew,” she muttered to herself. “He put me next to the one person who would annoy Liam the most p>
Ethan raised his beer in a toast. “Fate, sweetheart. Fate p>
“Stalking, Vance. Stalking,” Skye corrected.
She turned and went inside, sliding the doors shut.
But she was smiling. Just a little.
The lecture hall for Advanced Corporate Finance was packed.
Skye sat in the front row. She was exhausted. She had been up until 4 a.m., monitoring the Asian markets for Oracle Holdings. Her skin was pale, the dark circles under her eyes masked by concealer. But it wasn’t just lack of sleep. Her body was screaming from the past week. The deep bruising along her ribs had yellowed, yet it still ached with every breath, and the adrenaline crash from her double life—the constant pain management, the lying, the strategic maneuvering—had left her physically hollowed out.