LOGIN“You entered without cause,” I said. “You stayed without one.” “I don’t know what this is between you two but—” “My wife.” No variation in tone. No additional weight needed. Alicia’s hand lifted a little, then halted mid-motion and settled again without completing the gesture. The woman exhaled
Edward’s POV “Forty thousand. Do I have forty-five?” The paddle was already raised. Alicia’s hand remained under mine, unchanged in position, as though neither of us had adjusted to its presence since it settled there. “Forty-five.” I raised. “Fifty. Fifty-five.” On the left, a man leaned forw
The fifth lot began. Edward moved to speak to someone at the side of the room. I watched the auctioneer. She crossed the room toward him. He turned when she spoke. She laughed. It had worked before, that laugh. I scanned the sixth lot. Mixed media, authenticated 2019, provenance verified. Her h
Alicia's POV Volkov was already at the door when we came in. His eyes went to my dress and came back up. Lazily. He turned to Edward, and they shook hands. It ran a half-second longer than it needed. "You both came," he said. "You invited us," Edward said. "I invite many people. They don't alwa
Edward's POV He still thinks he came here for the meeting. The room absorbed it. Nobody spoke. Alicia studied the table. Volkov’s attention stayed on her, patient, certain of the space he occupied. I picked up my water glass. Drank. Set it down. He leaned forward. "What I bring isn't only cap
"Two weeks," he said. "Who handled it?" "Me." He looked at me steadily. "You built a structure to reduce dependence on any single person. And the first time it was tested." "I was there and it needed handling." "You're always there." His eyes moved to Edward and back. "That’s what I’m trying to
Vivienne had helped destroy us. And she'd never stopped. Every cruel word she'd ever said to me. Every dismissive look. Every time she'd made me feel worthless and small and wrong. It wasn't personal dislike. It was practice. She'd done it to my mother first. Perfected it on her. Then aimed th
Alicia's POV He believed the story ended when I walked away. He forgot who wrote it. The Uber rolled to a stop. For a moment, I didn’t move. The city breathed outside the tinted glass—horns, distant laughter, the low sound of traffic climbing through the summer night. My reflection stared back
The words reached me through layers of cotton. "The majority stake in Valentine Industries is yours by right of inheritance." My nails bit into the armrest. "All company decisions and stakeholder authority defer to you as the primary heir." He stopped. Silence dropped over the room like a weigh
Edward's POV I arrived at six-fifteen. The lobby was subdued, a stillness reserved for buildings where decisions were made far above the ground. Marble floors gleaming, soft light reflecting off muted walls with faint traces of polish, and curated scents. Security stood at the elevator checkpoint







