Norah Fisher had no intention of answering the relentless knocking at her door. Only her parents and Lionel Ross even knew about this apartment, and she'd already told her parents where she was, so they wouldn't be worried.

But the knocking just kept coming.

Norah stood, ready to give whoever was outside a piece of her mind. "Can you just stop—" The words died in her throat when she opened the door and found Jamie Olson standing there.

"Jamie? What are you doing here?"

"Your mom mentioned you weren't coming home tonight. She was worried something might've happened, so she gave me your address and asked me to come check on you," Jamie explained.

His eyes landed on the red, swollen skin of her face, and his expression turned serious, a fierce protectiveness settling over him.

Norah quickly looked away, not willing to let Jamie see her like this. She missed the hard, determined glint in his eyes. "It's nothing."

"Who did this?" Jamie asked, his voice dropping low. Before Norah could respond, he guessed, "Lionel?"

Norah stayed silent.

Jamie's gaze went cold. "You went to see him?"

"Fisher Corp has a partnership with Ross Corporation. They're pulling out, and it's a huge loss for us," Norah explained, not entirely sure why she felt the need to justify herself to him.

Jamie stepped inside, gently steering her toward the sofa. Then he went to grab an ice pack and pressed it against her cheek.

At this close distance, Norah could see Jamie's striking features more clearly. She caught the faint, clean scent of his cologne, warm and solid like his presence.

"I... I can do it myself," Norah said, taking the ice pack from him to put some space between them.

Jamie didn't push. He asked gently, "Have you eaten?"

"No," Norah admitted, shaking her head.

Without another word, Jamie headed to the kitchen.

Curious, Norah followed, watching Jamie roll up his sleeves and start preparing a meal. She couldn't help the spark of intrigue. "You can cook?"

"Yes," Jamie replied simply, his movements skillful and practiced.

Norah watched him chop with precision, realizing he probably cooked often. There was something undeniably attractive about a man who was at ease in the kitchen. She'd once hoped Lionel would cook for her, but he'd always dismissed the idea, spouting some backward nonsense about how the kitchen wasn't a man's place. In all their years together, Lionel had never cooked her a single meal.

Jamie glanced back, catching her watching him, and the corner of his mouth lifted. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Okay," Norah nodded, her mood lifting a little, especially as the smell of the dishes began to fill the air.

"Here, taste this and tell me if it's any good," Jamie said, serving her a portion.

Norah didn't hesitate. She took a bite, and her eyes widened. "I didn't expect you to be this good in the kitchen."

"Then have some more," Jamie encouraged, piling another helping onto her plate.

Norah dug in, genuinely enjoying every bite. "Weren't you planning to expand your business in Boston? Aren't you busy?"

She was curious—Jamie seemed to have plenty of free time.

"Not busy. Most of it's already handled. What's left is small, and my team can manage it," Jamie replied.

Back so soon and already mostly settled? Norah figured it had to be a small company. Still, she offered, "Jamie, since you cooked for me, if you need anything here in Boston, you can reach out to me."

Fisher Corp wasn't huge, but it had been in Boston for years and had a solid network. Jamie's company, just starting out here, could definitely use that.

"Alright," Jamie agreed with a nod.

Taking in the spread on the table, Norah went to the wine cabinet and pulled out a bottle and two glasses. "Good food like this deserves wine. Let's have a drink to celebrate."

"Sure." Jamie was on board with whatever Norah wanted.

Norah poured two glasses, handed one to Jamie, and downed her own. "Ah, that hits the spot."

She looked relaxed, like everything was fine, but Jamie knew she was using the wine to numb the pain.

"Cheers," Norah said, refilling her glass and throwing it back in one go.

After three glasses, she was dizzy and struggling to stay upright.

Jamie watched her getting tipsy, torn between amusement and affection. He got up to steady her. "You shouldn't drink that much if you can't hold your liquor."

Norah waved him off. "I haven't had that much."

"Okay, you haven't," Jamie said, keeping his hands on her so she wouldn't topple over.

"Jamie, do you know why? Why did he hit me? My parents never laid a hand on me, so why did he? I want to hit him back. I want to find someone to teach him a lesson."

"Alright, let's find someone to do it," Jamie said calmly.

Norah nestled against Jamie, surprised by how safe he felt, and burrowed deeper. A faint blush crept up his face.

He helped Norah into the bedroom and eased her onto the bed. Still clinging to his neck, Norah accidentally pulled him down with her as she fell back. Thrown off balance, Jamie caught himself on the bed before he could crush her—but that left him hovering over her, and the position was undeniably intimate.

Looking down at Norah, now out cold, Jamie's face burned even hotter. He swallowed hard, quickly retreating and covering her with a blanket.

His gaze landed on the mark on her cheek, and he reached out on instinct, only to stop just short, afraid he'd hurt her more.

Once he was sure she was asleep, Jamie stepped back to the window. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his eyes steely and stripped of all warmth as they stared out into the night.

**********

Late that night, Lionel was speeding down the highway in his sports car when four or five cars suddenly boxed him in, forcing him to a stop. More than a dozen men climbed out, metal rods in hand.

"What do you want? Do you know who I am?" Lionel started, but before he could finish, the crack of a rod slamming against his car cut him off.

A sharp pain exploded through his head.

Norah jolted awake, sitting straight up in bed.

She'd been dreaming—dreaming that she'd found a group to give Lionel a taste of his own medicine, and it hadn't been pretty.

The shrill ring of her phone cut through the silence. She picked it up and answered.

Hattie Ross's commanding voice came through the line. "Norah Fisher, Lionel's been beaten up badly. Get to the hospital immediately and take care of him."

Lionel had actually been beaten up? Was this really happening?

It felt like a dream come true.

When Norah didn't respond right away, Hattie's voice sharpened. "Norah Fisher, are you listening? Get to the hospital. Now!"

Norah Fisher stared at her phone, her mind a tangled mess, before ending the call. It rang again almost immediately. She was about to hit decline when she noticed the name on the screen: her best friend, Elia Dean. But wait—wasn't Elia supposed to be on vacation?

Confused, Norah answered.

"Norah, I was in a car accident. I'm at the hospital now."

"What? Hold on—I'm on my way," Norah said, already breathless. She threw on clothes, didn't bother with her hair or makeup, and rushed out of her apartment.

"You're up?"

Jamie Olson's voice stopped her in her tracks as she stepped out. Did he crash at her place last night?

"Breakfast's ready. Care to join me?" Jamie offered, pulling her back to the present. But with Elia lying in a hospital bed, Norah didn't have a second to waste.

"Thanks, but I have to get to the hospital," she replied, darting out the door.

Jamie watched her leave, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes as he murmured, "To the hospital?" Her sudden exit left him deep in thought.

Norah got to the hospital as fast as she could.

"Norah!" Elia called out, her voice still carrying a teasing edge even from a hospital bed.

Norah rushed over, scanning Elia for any sign of serious injury. "Are you okay? Nothing major, right?"

"Just a few scrapes, nothing serious," Elia assured her with a bright smile.

Relief washed over Norah, and she sighed. "Weren't you supposed to be on vacation with Matthew? What happened? Did you two get into a fight?"

Elia and her boyfriend, Matthew Spencer, were known for their bickering, unlike Norah and Lionel, who rarely quarreled. Norah used to think her relationship with Lionel was perfect, but now everything had changed.

"Oh, please. I rushed back because of you!" Elia replied, feigning irritation. "You didn't even tell me about your engagement, let alone the complete mess it blew up into."

The engagement had been a spontaneous decision, and Norah hadn't wanted to ruin Elia's vacation with the news—or the drama that followed.

"Where's Matthew? I haven't seen him around," Norah asked, changing the subject.

"He went to visit Lionel," Elia replied, steering the conversation back with a teasing tone. "Come on, spill. I asked Matthew, but he clammed up."

"It's over between Lionel and me," Norah said plainly.

Elia blinked, momentarily surprised, then nodded in understanding. "If that's your decision, I'm with you. Honestly, Lionel was never good enough for you."

Elia had never liked Lionel, especially after Vivienne Powell came back into the picture. Vivienne's behavior had infuriated her on Norah's behalf.

"Maybe I should break up with Matthew too and embrace the single life with you," Elia declared with mock drama, just as Matthew walked in.

"Elia, quit messing around," Matthew scolded, clearly rattled by her words.

"What?" Elia snapped.

"Don't use breakups as a threat every time," Matthew warned.

As they launched into another playful argument, Norah quietly slipped out of the room.

"Norah. You're here."

Norah found herself face-to-face with Vivienne Powell just as she stepped out. Of course, Elia's room was right next to Lionel's.

Vivienne approached with a practiced smile. "Norah, I'm so glad you came. Lionel's been asking about you nonstop. He'll be thrilled to know you're here."

"I'm not here for him," Norah replied coolly, already moving to leave. "I have other things to do."

Vivienne reached out to stop her. "Norah, are you still upset with me? What do I need to do to make it right? Just say the word."

Norah let out a quiet scoff. Vivienne's empty promises were transparent. By the end of the day, Vivienne would spin the story to make herself the victim.

"Vivienne, you've played your part perfectly. I did what you wanted—I ended things with Lionel. Can you just leave me alone now?" Norah shook off Vivienne's hand.

Vivienne let out a dramatic gasp and crumpled to the floor, drawing every eye nearby.

Lionel, looking banged-up and bruised, emerged from the next room with the help of Marshall Ross.

Matthew and Elia followed, drawn by the commotion. Lionel's expression hardened the second he saw Vivienne on the floor.

"It's not Norah's fault. I tripped," Vivienne insisted weakly, making Norah look even worse.

"Norah, that's heartless! Vivienne is pregnant, for crying out loud! If anything happens to her, the Ross family won't let this slide," Marshall spat, hauling Vivienne to her feet.

"Please don't blame Norah," Vivienne said, her voice dripping with fake innocence.

Elia could barely contain herself, ready to lunge forward, but Matthew held her back.

Lionel's face was stony, completely devoid of warmth. "Norah, apologize to Vivienne."

A small, bitter smile flickered across Norah's lips. Of course. When it came down to her or Vivienne, Lionel would always choose Vivienne.

"Lionel, are you blind? Norah would never do something like that," Elia interjected, her anger finally boiling over.

"Lionel, it really wasn't Norah," Vivienne chimed in again, playing the innocent martyr.

The manipulation was masterful. Every fake defense only made Norah look guiltier.

"Norah, I'm telling you to apologize to her," Lionel repeated.

Norah nodded. "Fine. I'll apologize."

She stepped closer to Vivienne, and Lionel's expression eased slightly.

"I'll apologize for anything I've done. But first, let me do something actually worth apologizing for."

With that, Norah cracked her hand across Vivienne's face, hard enough to send her sprawling to the ground.

Blood dripped from the corner of Vivienne's mouth as she lay there, stunned.

Norah turned to Lionel, her gaze cold and steady. "See? If I really wanted to hurt her, it wouldn't have been some weak little shove."

Elia felt a surge of satisfaction and had to stop herself from clapping.

Vivienne was seething on the inside, but she'd never expected Norah to actually hit her.

Lionel's face darkened.

"Norah, are you out of your mind?" Marshall roared, stalking toward her.

Matthew Spencer, who had stayed silent until that moment, stepped between Marshall Ross and Norah Fisher.

"Marshall, this is between Norah and Lionel. Stay out of it."

Marshall opened his mouth, but Norah cut him off. "Matthew, I've got this."

Matthew frowned, worried. He knew Marshall could be a real piece of work.

Even so, Norah gently nudged Matthew aside and walked straight up to Marshall.

"Norah Fisher, apologize to Vivienne right now, and we'll pretend this never happened," Marshall demanded, all swagger and no clue who he was dealing with.

Norah knew exactly how little respect Marshall had for her.

Across the room, Elia Dean pushed, "Lionel, say something."

"Norah should apologize to Vivienne," Lionel said coldly, as if she had embarrassed him.

To him, Norah was just making a scene at the hospital, showing up only to stir up trouble.

With Lionel backing him, Marshall got even bolder. "Norah, get on your knees and apologize to Vivienne, and we'll let it slide."

Norah smirked, stepping close enough to rest her hand on Marshall's shoulder.

"Norah, what are you doing?" he asked. Before he could react, Norah delivered a swift, brutal kick to his groin.

She didn't hold back. Not even a little.

Marshall crumpled to the floor, groaning in agony.

Norah stood over him, completely unfazed, and landed another solid kick. "Marshall, didn't your cousin tell you I know self-defense?"

Matthew winced on Marshall's behalf, realizing his earlier worry had been misplaced.

"Marshall Ross, I tolerated you out of respect for Lionel. Now that Lionel and I are done, do you really think I'm going to stand here and let you disrespect me?"

Norah shifted her glare to Lionel.

"And you, Lionel. We're over. Stop talking to me like you have some kind of authority over me. You don't."

Lionel's expression flickered, anger bleeding into something that looked a lot like regret—worse, somehow, than any bruise.

"Norah Fisher, if you bring up breaking up one more time, we're done for good," Lionel warned.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Norah scoffed.

She turned to Elia. "Let's catch up another time. I'm leaving."

Elia nodded. "Okay."

Norah walked away without a backward glance, each step echoing with quiet resolve.

Lionel watched her go, a flicker of panic racing through him. It was a feeling he'd never had with her before, but it had been building, growing sharper after everything that had happened.

Matthew walked over to Lionel and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Lionel, you know Norah better than that. You really crossed a line."

"She attacked someone, and you're taking her side?" Lionel snapped.

To Lionel, Norah was just some spoiled girl throwing a tantrum.

Elia tugged Matthew away. "He's blind and heartless. Why waste your breath?"

People like him wouldn't listen anyway.

Ending things with Lionel was the right call for Norah.

Matthew sighed and followed Elia back inside.

"Lionel, don't be mad at Norah. If she's upset with anyone, it should be me for ruining your engagement," Vivienne Powell said, every inch the picture of innocence, her voice trembling with fake tears.

Marshall, still seething, added, "Bro, Norah's taking advantage of your feelings. She's out of control. If you don't put her in her place now, who knows what kind of chaos she'll cause once she marries into this family?"

"Shut up. She's your sister-in-law. Even if she's wrong, it's not your place to run your mouth," Lionel shot back.

Still, Norah's behavior genuinely irritated him.

Suddenly, Vivienne gasped, clutching her stomach.

"Vivienne, what's wrong?" Lionel rushed to her side as she let out a pained groan.

"It's my stomach... I must've hurt it when I fell," she said, wincing with far too much drama.

"Marshall, get a doctor," Lionel ordered, scooping Vivienne up and carrying her into the hospital room.

***

Outside the clinic, Norah took a deep breath, feeling unexpectedly light.

Breaking up with Lionel wasn't as hard as she'd imagined. She felt free—free to be herself, no strings attached.

She'd planned to head straight to the office, but she realized she'd left her phone behind in her rush and needed to grab it before dealing with the fallout of the breakup.

When she got home, Norah was surprised to find Jamie Olson still there. "You haven't left yet?"

"Are you trying to kick me out?" Jamie asked, feigning a wounded look.

Norah panicked a little. "No, that's not what I meant."

For some reason, the hurt flicker on Jamie's face tugged at her heart.

"I saw you rush out without your phone. I was worried and couldn't reach you, so I decided to wait."

She had, in fact, left in a hurry that morning.

"I went to the clinic. My best friend was in a car accident, and I went to see her."

Norah felt the need to explain—maybe because of the sincerity in Jamie's eyes, or because she didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

But what wrong idea was there to get?

Jamie's eyes brightened at her words. "Is she okay?"

"Just a few scrapes."

Thinking back to the night before, Norah asked hesitantly, "Jamie, I drank a lot yesterday. Did I... say anything stupid?"

"You were quiet. You fell asleep at the table," Jamie said earnestly.

Could that really be true?

Norah wasn't so sure. She'd been told before that she got chatty when she drank—once she'd even announced her feelings for Lionel in public.

But those days—when Lionel was still crazy about her—were long gone.

Love—or the lack of it—was painfully obvious now.

Still doubtful, Norah studied Jamie's honest face and decided to take his word for it.

"Have you eaten? Let me make you something."

"Okay." Norah didn't argue. She was hungry.

As she watched Jamie move around the kitchen, she couldn't help but say, "Jamie, with your cooking and the way you take care of people, any woman who married you would be really lucky."

She hadn't known him long, but Jamie seemed kind and considerate—a good man to have in her corner.

"Then why don't you marry me?" Jamie asked as he set a tray of food in front of her, his eyes completely serious, not a single trace of teasing in them.