Novels by Mus Story

Liliana was in her element. She moved through the pre-event chaos with a serene, unshakable authority, a clipboard held like a royal scepter.“No,” she said calmly to a flustered lighting technician. “The uplighting on the west columns should be a soft champagne, not that ghastly yellow. We’re creating an atmosphere of timeless elegance, not a crime scene.”“And you,” she said, turning to a catering manager, “the canapés will be served on silver trays, not wood. This is a billion-dollar launch, not a rustic barn wedding. Please correct it.”Her team moved around her with a quiet, focused energy. They worshipped her. She was demanding, yes, but she was also brilliant, and she never asked for anything she couldn't do herself. For the first time in days, since Sebastian had re-entered her life, she felt completely in control. This was her kingdom.“Impressive.”The low, familiar voice behind her sent a jolt straight through her. She didn't have to turn. She could feel his presence, a mag

The restaurant was Sebastian’s choice, of course. A discreet, obscenely expensive, and dimly lit place called 'The Foxy Room,' where each table was hidden away in a private alcove shrouded by thick velvet curtains. It wasn't a venue for a business meeting. It was a venue for affairs and secrets. His power play was clear and arrogant. He would create a stage of intimacy, and she would have to perform on it.Liliana arrived at eight o'clock sharp, dressed in a simple but powerful black dress that radiated a cool professionalism. She found him already waiting, not rising, just watching her as she approached.“Ms. Dawnson,” he said, his voice as smooth as velvet. “Punctual. I’ve always admired your efficiency.”“I’m paid to be efficient, Mr. Blackwood,” Liliana replied, sliding into the booth, keeping as much distance as the cramped space would allow.A waiter appeared noiselessly. “Your usual wine, Mr. Blackwood?”Sebastian didn’t take his eyes off Liliana, a glint in his gaze in the can

The next morning, Liliana walked into the headquarters of Grandland Holdings feeling like a general entering enemy territory after signing an unwanted truce. She had been awake all night, Sebastian’s words, his touch, his almost-kiss, replaying in her mind like a storm. She hated him for trapping her. She hated herself even more for the traitorous shiver she’d felt when he was so close.Sebastian's assistant, a nervous-looking young woman named Clara, greeted her. “Good morning, Ms. Dawnson. Mr. Blackwood is waiting for you in his office.”Sebastian’s office was a reflection of the man himself: vast, minimalist, and commanding. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls offered a stunning, dominant view of the city, as if he owned everything the eye could see. The furniture was all dark chrome and black leather, expensive and uncompromising. There were no photos. No personal touches. Just power.He was standing by the window, his back to her, just as he had been on the first day. A deliberate power

Sebastian listened to her polite, professional dismissal, and a slow, dangerous smile touched his lips. It was a smile Liliana knew all too well. It wasn't a smile of amusement. It was the smile of a predator who had just seen its prey walk directly into a cage and then politely ask for the door to be opened.“Of course, Ms. Dawnson,” he said, his voice a low, smooth purr that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. “You are, as always, free to do as you please.”He stood up, the picture of magnanimous agreement. “I would never dream of forcing you into an uncomfortable working relationship.”Liliana eyed him with suspicion. This was too easy. The Sebastian she knew didn't give up. He conquered. "Good," she said, snapping her portfolio shut. "Then we understand each other. I'll inform the executives that my services are limited to their portion of the project only.""You could do that," Sebastian agreed, walking slowly around the table toward the bar cart in the corner of the room.

Sebastian Blackwood remained seated, watching her with a calculated control. The initial, raw shock of seeing her had passed, replaced by the familiar stillness of a predator who knows his prey has nowhere to run."A trap, Sebastian?" she said, her voice dripping with a contempt she had earned over five years of rebuilding. “After all this time, this is your grand move? Luring me into a boardroom under false pretenses?”“The pretenses were not false, Liliana,” he replied, rising from his chair. The movement was fluid, graceful, and utterly dominant. He began to walk slowly around the vast table, not toward her, but circling, his presence consuming the space between them. “Blackwood Corporation is launching a new global initiative. And they do need the best event planner to orchestrate the launch gala.”He stopped at the head of the table, opposite her, putting the entire length between them. “The only detail that was omitted from their initial brief,” he continued, a faint, humorless

“So, you have nothing to say?”Liliana’s voice was a fragile whisper in the silence of their bedroom. Every word felt like a shard of glass in her throat. She stood in the middle of the room, feeling small and defeated.Across the room, Sebastian Blackwood stood by the window, staring out at the storm raging outside. His taut back, perfect in its expensive suit, was a wall she could not breach.“There’s nothing left to say, Liliana,” he answered, his voice calm, controlled, and that’s what broke her. “You’ve made your feelings perfectly clear.”“My feelings?” Liliana laughed, a dry, humorless sound. “I just came from the doctor, Sebastian. The doctor who told me that I will never be able to give you the child you and your mother so desperately want. That’s not a ‘feeling.’ That is a fact that has shattered my life. And I came home… I came home needing you.”He didn’t turn. “I’m here.”“No, you’re not!” she cried, her voice finally breaking. “You’re standing over there, watching the ra

The opulence of the Reed mansion did little to cushion the devastating impact of Rose’s rage. Oliver Reed was finally dragged back to the estate by two nervous security guards and immediately ushered into his mother’s private study. The guards had found him at Aurelia, still half-asleep on the velvet sofa, his expensive suit rumpled, smelling faintly of stale whiskey and self-pity.Rose was waiting. She stood behind her desk, still wearing the severe gray suit from the morning, but her composure was gone. Her eyes burned with a cold, terrifying fury that promised imminent destruction.Oliver stood before her, his posture slumped, his face pale and contorted with fear. He attempted to straighten his jacket, a pathetic, futile gesture of defiance."Sit down, Oliver," Rose commanded, her voice dangerously quiet. The lack of volume was more menacing than any shout.Oliver didn't dare argue. He knew all along that he screwed up. He collapsed into the nearest leather armchair, his legs givi

The exclusive bar, Aurelia, pulsed with the intoxicating rhythm of manufactured success. Oliver Reed, basking in the fabricated adoration of Ashton’s hired performers, felt the familiar, addictive return of his ego. He held a glass of the most expensive champagne, already on his third refill, blissfully unaware that his "admirers" were highly paid assets deployed for his destruction.He was the undisputed center of attention."Mr. Reed, your insights into the market collapse are truly genius," said Mark, a handsome actor playing a venture capitalist, leaning in conspiratorially, his eyes wide with feigned admiration. "To liquidate your position, even partially, just before Elysian Dynamics’ total implosion. That’s a foresight only a true market survivor possesses.""Pure instinct, my boy," Oliver slurred, his chest swelling with self-importance. He took another deep swig of champagne, savoring the burn and the validation. "I saw the signs clearly. You have to be ahead of the curve. Yo

Avery nodded slowly. "You’re right, Ashton. It’s all too sudden. I can't let him manipulate me. Not after everything. If he ever wanted peace, he wouldn’t let all this happen in the first place. And also, he never cared about Adelia anyway."She took a deep breath, shaking off the soft plea of Oliver's voice that’s still echoing in her memory. "So, what’s our response? Do we release a statement rejecting his offer?""No. We don't acknowledge the offer. We only use his desperation," Ashton countered, his eyes gleaming with focused strategy. "Oliver is spiraling, right? He's humiliated by his mother and ruined by the market. What does a man like Oliver crave when he feels powerless, Avery?" He asked her directly.Avery thought for a moment, picturing the man she had been married to. "Validation, of course. He wants to feel important. He wants to be celebrated, away from Rose’s eye and pressures.""Exactly," Ashton affirmed. "He needs to prove he’s still the heir of the Reeds, even if he

The second article hit the press with devastating force. Unlike the technical, dry financial reports about Ariadne Holdings, this one was personal and emotional. A major investigative magazine published a feature titled "Blood, Sweat, and Betrayal at Reed Corp."The article detailed the heartbreaking story of David Chen. Although anonymous, his experiences were vivid. Twenty years of loyalty, reporting genuine safety concerns at the factory, only to be dismissed without cause and left to face crippling medical debt for his sick daughter. The narrative painted Oliver Reed not as a flawed executive, but as a cruel tyrant who prioritized his ego over human lives.The public reaction was immediate and fierce. The article went viral. Social media exploded with outrage. Reed Corp's carefully cultivated image as a pillar of the community, a reliable family business, crumbled instantly. The "creative accounting" story had worried investors because David Chen's story enraged the public.At the

The immediate aftermath of the Ariadne Holdings exposé was exactly what Ashton had predicted: denial from Rose Reed and chaos among the shareholders.Ashton, Avery, and Alistair were gathered in the study, reviewing the preliminary results. The financial damage was ongoing, but the PR strategy needed the next punch."Rose issued a full denial, claiming it's a standard offshore structure," Alistair reported, sounding tired but determined. "The denial is holding up, barely. But the public attention is fading. We need something big, Ashton. Another financial strike?"Ashton leaned forward, resting his chin on his steepled fingers. "No. We've hit their wallets enough. If we hit them again financially, Rose will simply double down on the 'corporate espionage' narrative. We need to shift the battlefield."Avery, who had been quietly watching the exchange, spoke up. "He's right. The public doesn't care about tax structures. They care about people."Ashton looked at her, his gaze intense. "Go

The latest news came like a bomb. Oliver was in his office, attempting to salvage some sense of control by staring at irrelevant stock reports, when his phone began to vibrate insistently. It wasn't a call; it was a deluge of alerts and messages.He opened his browser. The headline on a major investigative blog was taunting him: "Reed Corp's Creative Tax Practices: Smart or Illegal?"Oliver’s blood ran cold. The article didn't accuse them directly of criminality, but it meticulously detailed suspicious "consulting fee" transfers to an obscure Cayman Islands shell company named Ariadne Holdings. The questions posed were damning, designed to incite panic among shareholders.He immediately called his mother. Rose answered on the first ring, her voice tight and already sharp with awareness."Did you read it, Mom?" Oliver gasped, his voice thin with panic."I am now, Oliver," Rose replied, her tone dangerously low. "It's a nuisance. A total bullshit.""A nuisance, a bullshit? Mom, the stoc