LOGINAmber POVJason arrived at my office before I even made it to the parking garage.The moment the elevator doors opened, he stepped out already moving toward me, dark suit slightly disheveled, expression sharp enough to make nearby employees scatter instinctively.“We’re pulling them out now,” he said immediately.No greeting.No hesitation.Pure instinct.“I’m already going,” I replied while grabbing my coat from Clara’s hands.“No.”The word came fast. Absolute.I froze briefly.Jason stepped closer immediately, lowering his voice the moment he noticed employees nearby pretending not to listen.“I’ll get the children.”His jaw was tight enough to hurt.“You are not placing yourself in danger if the Vincents are making a move.”I stared at him for a second, understanding exactly where this was coming from.Not control.Fear.Because if the Vincents recognized Iris—Or connected her to us—Things could escalate very quickly.“Jason,” I said carefully, “I’ve been the one picking them up
Amber POVWhat we feared happened the very next morning.I was halfway through reviewing security reports inside my office when my private emergency line vibrated.Not my phone.My watch.Only four people had access to that number.Jason.Alex.Alice.And the emergency relay system connected to the fairy house.The moment I saw Alex’s name flash across the screen, every instinct in my body sharpened instantly.I accepted the call immediately.“Alex?”His voice came through low and controlled, eerily calm for a six-year-old child calling from school.“Mom Amber,” he whispered quietly. “I think something is wrong.”Ice slid down my spine.“Tell me.”“I heard Ms. Green talking to the principal,” he said carefully. “They’re preparing the school for shareholders.”A pause.“They arrive in four hours.”I straightened immediately in my chair.“Shareholders?”“Yes.”Another pause.“One of the Vincents is on the school board.”Everything inside me went still.Alex continued before I could resp
Amber POVEmory was fully aware of the video before it was released.Hell—He had practically directed it.The image of him escorting rescued victims out of the White company apartments had not been accidental.The angle.The timing.The federal presence.All of it had been carefully orchestrated.It was bait.We needed the Vincent family to move.Not carefully.Not politically.Emotionally.Desperately.Because suspicion was not enough anymore.We needed evidence.Real evidence.Public evidence.The kind that could not disappear behind lawyers, bribes, or diplomatic pressure.Unfortunately…That meant placing Iris directly in the center of the storm.The realization sat like poison in my chest every time I looked at her.Because if the Vincent family discovered she was alive—And worse—That she was with us—They would come for her.We were absolutely certain of it.Jason hated the plan immediately.Not cautiously disliked it.Hated it.“She’s a child,” he snapped during one of the l
Amber POVThe media frenzy became absolute chaos within hours.Every network wanted statements.Every financial analyst wanted reactions.Every reporter suddenly remembered that Jason and I had nearly finalized a collaboration with the White company before the scandal exploded publicly.By noon, our public relations teams were overwhelmed.Phones rang endlessly.News vans gathered outside both Phoenix Ashes headquarters and Cronos Tower.Social media platforms exploded with speculation.Were we involved?Did we know beforehand?Had the Ashers and Suns secretly supported Samuel White?It was exactly the kind of confusion the Vinny family needed.Jason stood beside me inside the press room we had arranged on the executive floor of Phoenix Ashes.He looked calm.Too calm.The kind of calm that usually meant he was already planning how to ruin someone permanently.“You ready?” he asked quietly while adjusting my microphone.I looked toward the wall of screens displaying the growing headli
Samuel White announced the merger less than a week later.Publicly, it was described as visionary.A strategic consolidation between the White company, the real estate branch Adrian had stabilized, and White Lotus Construction—Samuel White’s personal construction empire.On paper, it looked perfect.The media praised it relentlessly.Financial analysts called it “a generational restructuring.”Investors celebrated the possibility of centralized leadership under the White family.Business channels spoke about recovery, legacy, and stability.And most importantly—It gave Samuel White complete control.Exactly as intended.Jason watched the live announcement beside me from the office lounge, one arm resting behind my chair while Samuel White smiled confidently from every financial screen in the country.“My family has worked tirelessly to restore confidence in the company,” Samuel White declared smoothly during the press conference. “And now it is time for us to move forward as a united
Amber POVThe plan moved forward three days later.Publicly, it looked brilliant.Privately, it was a controlled detonation.Adrian and I appeared together for the first time in weeks during a scheduled investor conference hosted at one of my commercial towers overlooking the ocean.The media reacted exactly as expected.Questions exploded immediately.Had the cousins reconciled?Was Adrian returning to work alongside me?Were the White and Asher groups preparing a merger?Neither of us answered directly.That only fueled the speculation further.Exactly as planned.The real announcement came twenty minutes into the conference.The White company would be acquiring a premium beachfront property location.At what Adrian described as “a strategic acquisition opportunity unlikely to appear again in the next decade.”The phrase alone sent investors into a frenzy.Especially once the images of the property appeared across the massive presentation screens.Crystal-blue water.Private marina
Adrian left the office, but not before stopping at the door. “You will regret ever standing in my way, Amber.” His voice was low. Controlled. Promising. Then he walked out. I remained standing in front of Grandfather’s desk, the Zoom meeting still active behind me. The screen displayed a gri
By day ten, my company was officially operational. Contracts were signed. Staff were onboarded. Security systems were fully integrated. The only position left to fill was my assistant. And that, somehow, felt like the most dangerous decision of all.
Once again, we were awakened by loud knocking at our door. Not hesitant. Not polite. Insistent. Jason was already sitting up before I fully opened my eyes. “I’ll get it,” he said quietly. I pushed myself upright, heart racing, and reached blindly for my phone on the nightstand. 7:02 a.m. Wh
As Jason gently woke Alex, I noticed something that made my spine straighten. Ms. Patric was holding a small recording device. Not just a tablet. A separate recorder. She turned it in her hand casually, but I saw the red indicator light. Without drawing attention to myself, I reached into the







