LOGINThe past few months had been rough.Especially with issues going on with most of the businesses.At first, it didn’t seem like something that would turn into a problem. Everything was already running smoothly, so I thought it would just be a matter of reviewing the documents, understanding the details properly, and then gradually taking control.It didn’t work like that.Some of the businesses had been left in the hands of partners. Others were being managed by people who had worked under my father for years. And for a while, that was fine. They kept things running. Some of them even did a good job.But the longer my father had been gone, the more things shifted.Decisions were made without any real oversight. Some agreements were changed. Some things were… conveniently left undocumented. And in a few cases, people started acting like what they were managing actually belonged to them.At first, it was subtle.Delays when we requested certain documents. Excuses when we tried to review
A month later, things had started to fall into place.I had reapplied to school, sorted out the paperwork, and resumed classes like I’d never left. It wasn’t as strange as I thought it would be. No one made a big deal, and honestly, I preferred it that way. I didn’t need friendships or attention. I just needed to finish what I started.Most days, I went to class, kept to myself, and left as soon as I was done. I wasn’t avoiding people, I just didn’t feel the need to entertain anything that didn’t matter.By the time I got home, my focus shifted completely. Zander was usually already there. Uncle J was too. Sometimes he’d be at the laptop, fingers moving fast across the keyboard, screens full of spreadsheets, codes, or company accounts. Papers were spread out across the table. Zander’s study had become… ours, in a way. Not officially, but we all knew it.At first, it looked overwhelming: different files, different companies, different names. But once we started going through everything
The drive back home was quiet, but not in a bad way.I leaned my head back against the seat and watched the road ahead, not really focused on anything in particular.By the time we got back, I felt lighter than I had in a long time.Zander parked, stepped out, and I followed. We walked inside together, and the house felt the same as always. Calm. I walked further in, stretching slightly before heading toward the living room, and noticed Uncle J was sitting in the living room.He had two files on the table in front of him.He looked up when he saw us.“Oh, you’re back,” he said. “How was it?”I walked closer, my eyes briefly going to the files before I answered. “It was refreshing,” I said. “I cried though.”He nodded like that was expected. “Yeah. That’s normal.”Zander stepped in beside me, his attention already on the table. “You brought it?”Uncle J nodded. “Yeah. I just got back.”He tapped the files lightly. “These are the ones he left.”I sat down without saying anything else.
Zander didn’t say where we were going. He just drove.I didn’t ask either. I already had an idea of the kind of place he would take me. He always preferred somewhere quiet, somewhere we wouldn’t be disturbed.The drive felt different from before. Not heavy. Not tense. Just calm.I rested my arm against the door and looked ahead, my mind not as crowded as it used to be.After a while, he pulled into a familiar kind of place. Nothing new. Just one of those restaurants he liked.He parked and stepped out. I followed without saying anything.Inside, everything was the same as expected. Calm, polished, quiet. He spoke to the staff, and we were led straight to a private room.I sat down across from him while he took the seat opposite me.A waiter came in, handed us menus, and left.I looked through mine, already knowing I wouldn’t spend too much time deciding.When I looked up, Zander was already looking at me.I held his gaze for a second. “What?”“Nothing.”“You’re staring.”“No, I’m not.
I told Zander I wanted to visit my mother’s grave.I needed to ask for her forgiveness before I started anything new. I didn’t know how I would feel standing in front of her, but I knew I couldn’t avoid it anymore.She deserved that much.Even if it didn’t change anything.The drive was quiet.Zander focused on the road while I stared out the window, watching the city pass by in a blur. Cars, people, buildings—everything moved like normal.My fingers stayed locked together in my lap. I didn’t even realize how tight I was holding them until they started to ache.I tried to relax them, but it didn’t help much.I was nervous.Not scared… just—I didn’t know what I was going to feel when I got there. Standing in front of her.When it finally became real.“Hey,” Zander said. And I turned to look at him.His eyes stayed on the road, but his voice was calm.“You’ll be fine,” he said. “You can do this.”Like he could already see what was going on in my head.“Don’t be nervous.”He glanced at
“I want to take over my mother’s empire.”Zander choked immediately, coughing as he reached for his water. Uncle J paused mid-bite, staring at me like he wasn’t sure he heard me right.“What?” Zander asked after he recovered, his eyes fixed on me.The three of us were seated at the dining table, breakfast laid out in front of us like every other morning. “I want the world to know about my mother,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “I want to give her back her name. Her legacy.”Neither of them spoke immediately. They just looked at me, then at each other, like they were silently asking if I was serious.I was.“Uncle J,” I continued, turning to him, “I think I need those documents now. The ones my father gave you. The properties and accounts he left for me.”He leaned back slightly, still watching me carefully.“And I’ll need both of you to help me find everything else,” I added, glancing briefly at Zander. “Every business he owned. Every asset. I want everything transferred to my nam
I woke up to silence.My eyes fluttered open slowly, my body sore in places I didn’t want to think about yet. The sheets were cool beside me.Empty.My heart skipped as awareness rushed in all at once.This wasn’t my room.The ceiling was too high. The bed too large. The smell in the air—dark, clea
The moment I stepped into the hall, the noise died.Every head turned. Every whisper paused mid-breath.It felt like walking into a spotlight I hadn’t asked for, my skin prickling as eyes tracked every step I took. I kept my gaze low, my fingers curling into the strap of my bag as I moved forward,
Without warning, he swept me off the table and carried me in his arms.My breath hitched as his arms locked around me, strong and unyielding. One hand supported my back, the other firm beneath my thighs. His eyes never left mine as he started up the stairs, each step slow, deliberate, like he wasn’
He didn’t slow down.His body moved against mine with relentless force, each thrust deliberate, punishing, as if he was daring me to break first. His eyes never left my face, watching every reaction, every crack in my control. I tried to hold the sound inside my throat, biting down on it, but it sl







