LOGINWhen Arthur reached the villa, Sarah Vance was in the kitchen. Cooking was never her forte—she had spent her marriage being the "perfect socialite" and an elite intellectual, not a housewife. But she knew how to boil noodles and fry an egg, and tonight, that was enough.The doorbell chimed, a sharp, intrusive sound. Sarah didn't flinch. She tapped a key on her laptop, which sat on the marble counter. The screen flickered to life, displaying several high-definition camera angles. In the center frame, Arthur stood at the gate, his gaze lethal and fixed directly on the lens.He had come.He was faster than she expected, and notably, he was alone. No guards, no lawyers, no Yvonne Blue. It seemed Victoria Vance and Liam Vance had successfully cracked his resolve.The noodles were ready. Sarah plated them with a perfectly crisped fried egg and carried the bowls to the dining table. Maddy came running over, her little face lighting up. "Mommy, someone’s at the door!"Sarah didn't answer. She
Victoria Vance let out a long, weary sigh over the phone, the sound crackling with a mix of fear and indignation. "I just called her, Arthur. That woman... she’s far more calculating than we ever realized. She’s wired that entire villa with hidden cameras. When I went there to reclaim the 'family assets,' she captured everything on video. Now, she’s using that footage to blackmail me. Her heart is as cold as a stone."Arthur’s entire aura turned frigid. A vein pulsed in his temple. "She did what? How dare she?""What is there she doesn't dare to do at this point?" Victoria replied sharply.In truth, Victoria was terrified. She wasn't just worried about the public seeing the footage; she was terrified that Arthur would see it. She had spent years maintaining the image of a refined, noble matriarch. She couldn't let her son see the sharp-tongued, predatory version of herself that Sarah had captured in high definition."What exactly did she demand from you?" Arthur asked, his voice low.
In the backseat of his car, Arthur Vance listened as his secretary attempted to spin the disaster. "We can claim your mother simply wanted to see her granddaughter," the secretary suggested. "We can say Sarah was being obstructive, so we 'borrowed' the girl and returned her shortly after."Arthur shook his head, his voice tight. "No. I already declared at the press conference that we’ve been divorced for three months and that I have custody. If I admit I 'borrowed' her, I’m admitting I don't have control. We need that divorce certificate. A physical document online is the only thing that will kill this fire."The secretary hesitated before speaking the hard truth. "Sir, if threats against her family didn't work, there is only one logical move left: Give her custody of Maddy. If you don't, Sarah will never stop. Your reputation will be buried, the Vance Group’s stock will hit zero, and eventually...""And eventually," Arthur finished, his voice a hollow rasp, "the Board of Directors wi
Sarah Vance already knew what would happen after that phone call with her father.The consequences would come fast.The Vance Group would attack the Bishop family business without mercy. Her father might completely cut her off. Everything connecting her to her past… would be destroyed.But she didn’t hesitate.After taking a deep breath and calming herself down, Sarah picked up her phone and called Lulu.“I need ten new phones,” she said calmly. “They must be untraceable. Deliver them immediately.”She paused for a second before adding, “And don’t tell Chloe about this.”Lulu didn’t ask questions. She never did. She simply followed orders.But Chloe was different. She was smart and observant. If Chloe found out, she would definitely ask questions—and Sarah didn’t want her best friend to get involved in what was coming.Because the road ahead… was dark.After ending the call, Sarah opened her laptop and logged into her social media account.For the past forty-eight hours, she had said
"Dad."Sarah Vance glanced at her sleeping daughter, Maddy, before stepping onto the balcony to answer the call.Immediately, her father’s voice roared through the receiver, laced with a fury that had nothing to do with concern and everything to do with ego. "The city is in an uproar, and not a single word from you! Do I even exist to you as a father?""I didn't want to worry you," Sarah replied, her voice steady despite the tremor in her heart.Charles Bishop let out a heavy, theatrical snort. "If you didn't want me to worry, you wouldn't be picking a fight with Arthur Vance! Have you thought about the position you’re putting the Bishop family in? Our business depends on the Vance Group. Do you even care?"Sarah fell silent. It was true that over the last few years, Arthur had funneled significant contracts to her father. But now, the mask was off. Charles wasn't angry because his daughter was hurt; he was angry because his benefactor was threatened."Speak!" he demanded."The family
Even as he stood in the heart of the Grayson Group, Arthur Vance remained deluded. He was certain that Xavier’s mention of Chloe Bishop was merely a sophisticated smokescreen—a way to lower the Vance Group's share of the profits while maintaining a superior moral high ground."Mr. Grayson, business is business," Arthur said, his voice tightening. "Let's not let domestic gossip distract us from the billions on the table."Xavier leaned back, his expression as calm and indifferent as a still lake. "Mr. Vance makes a valid point. However, last night I gave my word to my wife. I promised her I would never collaborate with a man like you. And in this house, my word to her is absolute."Fong, standing by the window, nearly choked. Never collaborate with a man like you! He looked at his Boss, stunned. Xavier wasn't just rejecting a deal; he was publicly assassinating Arthur's character.Arthur’s legendary composure finally shattered. He didn't offer a polite farewell; he didn't even acknowle
The leader of the thugs, still clutching Coach Lee’s broken phone, pointed a calloused finger toward the practice field where the fleet of race cars sat. "Destroy them!" he roared. At his command, a dozen men dragged their iron pipes across the asphalt, the screech of metal on stone echoing like a
The two men lowered their windows almost simultaneously—one cold and regal, the other gentle yet distant.Their icy glares collided in mid-air, and the surrounding temperature seemed to plummet to the freezing point. Xavier Grayson’s face was a mask of frost, his gaze razor-sharp with a silent warn
Chloe reached up once more, meticulously smoothing the fabric of his tie. After checking it from several angles to ensure it was flawless, she whispered, "There. How does that look?"Xavier Grayson gazed down at her, his expression unreadable. "Tuck it back in."Chloe blinked, genuinely confused. "
Xavier didn't say another word, and Chloe turned off the lamp, settling back into the expansive bed. Although they shared the same mattress, the bed was so vast that they lay on opposite edges. The distance between them was a physical chasm; even if she stretched out her arm fully, she wouldn't be







