เข้าสู่ระบบLyra froze halfway through reading the digital proposal on her monitor. She scanned the first page again, then the second, making sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. A strategic partnership with Vance Biotech. Her pulse quickened; Damian had just handed her the very thing she had spent months attempting to secure direct access without drawing his suspicion.A slow, deliberate smile touched her lips. He had no idea what he had just unleashed. Her desk phone buzzed, cutting through the happiness. “Ms Moretti, Mr Kade is waiting for you in the private conference room.”Lyra closed the file and stood up. “I’ll be right there.”She slipped the folder beneath her arm and walked down the quiet corridor toward the meeting room. Damian was standing by the floor-to- ceiling windows, staring out at the city skyline, and when the door clicked shut behind her, he turned.“You came,” he said softly.“You asked for a meeting.”“I was hoping you’d say yes.”Lyra pulled out a chair and sat opp
Lyra woke to the sound of her phone vibrating on the nightstand. She reached for it without opening her eyes.Hayden: Good morning, beautiful.A smile spread across her lips.Lyra: You’re becoming predictable.His reply came almost immediately.Hayden: Only when it comes to you.She laughed softly, her thumb swiping across the screen.Lyra: Do you ever sleep?Hayden: Not when I know you’re awake.She shook her head, her smile lingering for a man carrying so many unsaid burdens; Hayden knew how to make her feel grounded. That was what frightened her most; she had fallen for him without reservation, and experience had taught her that the things held close were the ones that cut the deepest.She set the phone aside and rose; she had work to do.By then, Lyra was buried in acquisition filings at Moretti Holdings; her latest target was moving strictly according to plan, but for now she didn’t want to rush it. She wanted him to feel comfortable, wanted him to feel secure, and when he final
Morning arrived quietly.Lyra woke up to the steady warmth of Hayden beside her, his arm resting loosely over her waist. For a few moments, she lay still listening to his steady breathing as pale sunlight filtered through the curtains.It felt peaceful, almost too dangerous. She shifted carefully to turn toward him, but Hayden’s dark eyes were open.“You’re staring,” he murmured, his voice rough and thick with sleep.“You caught me.” A slow, lazy smile touched his lips. “I don’t mind.”“You look exhausted.”He arched an eyebrow. “That wasn’t your assessment last night.”“I was just being polite.”“Liar.”Lyra let out a soft laugh as Hayden pulled her closer, burying his face into the crook of her neck. “Stay for five more minutes.”“I have work.”“You always have work.”“Well, someone has to keep your world spinning.”“My world?” he looked up, his eyes softening as he caught her gaze. “I thought I was yours.”Lyra shook her head, trying and failing to fight off a smile. “You’re becom
Hayden stared at the text long after his phone screen dimmed to black. Then tell her the secrets you’ve been holding. His jaw tightened. Whoever was on the other end knew about Lyra, knew where she lived, and somehow knew he was keeping crucial details from her.He glanced toward the bedroom door. Lyra was sound asleep, blissfully unaware of the threats accumulating beyond the walls. Hayden wished he could keep her in that quiet sanctuary forever.The phone vibrated, breaking his dark loop of thoughts. It was the private investigator he had dialled to trace the photo.He answered instantly. “Tell me you found something.”“I did,” the investigator replied. “That picture wasn’t taken on a whim. I managed to trace the lens signature.”Hayden straightened. “Where?”“An old closed-circuit setup wired to a Vance property.”“Which one?”“The eastern facility.”Hayden knew the site well. It had been largely decommissioned after Richard Vance died, though parts of it were still used for off-
Hayden didn’t sleep. Long after the call ended, he sat in his study with the photograph resting beneath the desk lamp. The shot had been taken from a distance; Lyra was outside the building, unaware the lens was aimed at her. It was the date stamped on the back that turned his stomach. It was weeks after her return; someone had known she was alive long before he did, and they were tracking her every move.He picked up the print, staring into the shadow behind her. “Who are you?” There was no answer, only silence.His gaze dropped to the handwritten warning on the back: She’s not as hidden as you think. His jaw tightened; he dialled the one contact he trusted with something dangerous.“It’s late,” a voice rasped after four rings.“I need a trace.”“On what?”“A photo.” Hayden scanned the print and hit send.A long pause stretched over the line. “Where did you get this?”“Does it matter?”“Yes.”“Just trace it.”“I’ll need time.”“You have until morning,” Hayden said, cutting the connec
By late afternoon, the rain had finally cleared, leaving sunlight streaming across the office floor. The acquisition documents lay open on Lyra’s desk, but her mind had drifted far from the figures.Her phone vibrated; she glanced at the screen:Hayden: Are you still working?A faint smile touched her lips.Lyra: Unfortunately.His response came almost immediately.Hayden: I have a solution.Lyra: I’m listening.Hayden: Dinner, no work, no business. Just you and me.Lyra stared at the screen; the day had been exhausting. Her mind was filled with numbers, strategies, and questions about her father’s past. She needed an urgent escape.Lyra: Fine, but you pick the place.Hayden: Already done. I’ll pick you up at seven.Lyra: Don’t be late, Hayden.Hayden: Never.Settling the phone down, she felt the tension in her shoulders ease. For once, revenge wasn’t occupying every corner of her mind.At seven precisely, Hayden pulled up outside Moretti Holdings. He was already standing by the pass







