Ree Joyce의 작품

Morning.Warm rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, spilling across Elena's bedroom.She remained curled beneath the blankets, fast asleep.Then—Ping.Her phone vibrated on the nightstand.She barely moved.Ping.Another notification.Then another.Her brows knitted together as she slowly stirred, squinting against the morning light streaming through the window.Last night's summit had drained every ounce of energy from her.The notifications refused to stop.With a tired sigh, she pushed herself upright and stretched before reaching for her phone.The screen lit up instantly.Dozens of unread notifications.Messages from the Annual Business World Summit organizers.News alerts.Social media tags.Business magazines.Photos from guests who had attended the event.Curious, she opened the first article.A large photo of her and Adrian entering the venue filled the screen.CEO OF RIVERA CORPORATION AND VALE INDUSTRIES ARRIVE AT THE AWBS SUMMIT IN MATCHING, COUPLE-LIKE OUTFITS.

Outside the venue, controlled chaos reigned.Reporters crowded behind security barriers, shouting questions at arriving executives, investors, and government officials. Camera flashes erupted relentlessly as luxury vehicles pulled up one after another at the grand entrance.Some attendees offered brief smiles.Others ignored the media completely.Drivers handed over their passengers before moving the vehicles away, making room for the next arrival.Tonight was not just another corporate gathering.It was the Annual Business World Summit.And everyone who mattered was expected to attend.---Inside, the atmosphere was entirely different.Elegant.Exclusive.Private.The noise of the outside world couldn't penetrate the massive hall.Round tables draped in pristine white silk filled the room beneath warm ambient lighting. Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead while soft instrumental music drifted through hidden speakers.Business leaders occupied many of the tables already.Some discus

A few days had passed since Richard's episode at the hospital.His recovery had been slow but steady, and under strict instructions from Jacob, any discussion about the past had been postponed indefinitely.Life, however, refused to pause.Business meetings resumed.Deadlines returned.And so did the endless exchanges between Elena and Adrian whenever Rivera Corporation and Vale Industries crossed paths.The Annual Business World Summit had finally arrived.One of the most anticipated events of the year.Executives, investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from across the country were expected to attend.Elena glanced at the time on her laptop before shutting it closed.She was already running late.Grabbing her bag, she hurried out of her office and headed for the elevator.The doors slid open.She stopped.Adrian stood inside.The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled neatly to his forearms. His suit jacket rested over one arm, and judging by his appearance, he was nowh

Richard held Elena's gaze.The room felt unusually quiet.Neither of them spoke.Elena sat at the edge of her chair, waiting.Questions.Doubts.Secrets.All of it seemed to have led to this moment.Richard took a slow breath."I suppose I should start from the beginning."Just as the words left his mouth, a knock sounded on the door.The handle turned.A doctor stepped into the room accompanied by a nurse.The doctor's expression immediately shifted when he noticed Richard sitting upright."Mr. Rivera, you're awake."Richard sighed heavily.The doctor walked over and began checking the monitor beside the bed."You shouldn't be exerting yourself yet," he said. "Your condition is stable, but you've only just regained consciousness.""I'm fine," Richard replied.The doctor ignored him and turned to Elena."Try not to keep him engaged in lengthy conversations. He needs rest."Elena opened her mouth to respond, but Richard spoke first."I've spent enough time resting."The firmness in his

The interrogation room smelled of stale coffee and cold tension.Edward Coleman sat rigidly in his chair, his hands resting on the metal table as he watched the detective across from him.The detective took a slow sip from his coffee while flipping through the documents before him."Edward Coleman," he said, glancing up. "Funny thing. I know another Edward Coleman."He chuckled."Just got off the phone with him this morning. Nice guy. Pilot. Loves talking about airplanes."Edward remained silent.The detective's smile slowly faded.He set down the coffee cup."Let's stop wasting time."The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly."I'm going to ask you a few questions. It would be in your best interest to cooperate."He leaned back in his chair."You know the drill. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court."Edward's expression didn't change.The detective folded his hands."Why did you authorize temporary elevated access that was later used to compromise Vale Indust

Elena stepped into her office and immediately spotted Adrian standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.One hand rested in his pocket while the other lightly touched the glass as he stared at the city below."What are you doing here?" she asked."Nice view," he replied, ignoring her question as he gestured toward the window.Elena rolled her eyes and placed her bag on the desk before turning to face him."You know, Mr. Vale, you're becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate.""Really?" he asked, feigning surprise.A flicker of irritation crossed her face."You've been getting on my nerves too, don't you think?" he countered as he wandered toward the bookshelf in the corner."How exactly? I barely contact you.""And that's part of the problem."He turned to face her.Elena let out a dry laugh."Oh, so there are multiple problems now?"Adrian ignored the sarcasm."If I remember correctly, I own a significant share of this company. When major decisions are made, I should be informed.""So