LOGINI ordered wine. The work wasn't finished. The room was quieter. She took the glass without comment. Drank. Set it down and kept writing. She spoke about the eastern corridor communities directly, without framing or adjustment, as if they existed in the room with us. Her hand moved as she talked, m
Edward's POV The door opened behind me. No knock. She came in already talking. "I need your numbers from Rotterdam before we fix anything else," she said. "The version you gave him assumes—" She stopped. I didn't turn immediately. Just reached for the towel, dragged it once over my face, then
The auctioneer's cadence moved through the wall. I had built something without him. That was still true. It would stay true. Whatever I said next didn't touch it. "I don't know," I said. "That's the honest answer. Not the managed version." I met his gaze. "I don't know if what's left is enough to
Alicia's POV The older man was still talking. "Seven years," he said. "Four jurisdictions. We moved water infrastructure across borders that hadn't spoken to each other in a generation." His hands traced corridors in the air between us. "The archive is the proof it happened. That it worked." He tu
“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
Edward's POV The elevator doors closed. And she was gone. I stood there. Staring at brushed steel. My heart was pounding. I know what you did to my father's company. The words looped. I turned. Looked down the empty hallway. What the hell was she talking about? I walked back to where we'd b
I stepped closer. "You introduced me to Alicia. You knew about her family. Which means you knew what my father did." Philip's expression hardened. "I'm protecting you." "From what?" "From making a mistake you can't undo." The words sat heavy between us. "Talk to Alicia," Philip said. "Not me.
Edward's POV The front doors closed without spectacle. No slam. No display of force. Just the soft hush of a house sealing itself after performance. The estate exhaled. Somewhere down the corridor, glass chimed faintly. Staff cleared what elegance had left behind. Footsteps skimmed the marble.
"No. I was just... sitting." “Good. I need to ask you something—and I want you to hear me out before you say no.” I frowned. "Okay." "I want you to come to dinner tonight." A weight settled on my chest. "Dinner?" "At the Valentine Family estate. Seven o'clock." I stood. "Margaret, I—" "Bef







