LOGINBay City descended into chaos the moment Cassie and Ashton returned.The news had spread faster than anyone could contain. Every outlet carried the same headline—the fall of Malakai Group.Speculation flooded the streets. Some were shocked. Some were uncertain. But not everyone was mourning. Some were celebrating.“In just a matter of hours, Malakai is finished,” Roel Danes declared in front of the press, his voice carrying easily over the noise. A smug, triumphant smile stretched across his face.“It seems the company wasn’t as powerful as people believed.” He let out a short, mocking laugh. “And even Ashton Pierce can’t do anything about it.”Cameras flashed as reporters leaned in, eager for more.“No one escapes the reach of the petroleum giants,” he went on, his tone laced with satisfaction. “Malakai Group made the mistake of crossing them.” He paused, letting the words settle.“And now they’re paying for it.”A few murmurs rippled through the crowd.“Let this be a lesson,” Roel
"Nothing was stolen from Petrov Petroleum.”Vasili’s voice was calm, final—his eyes fixed on Cassie. The statement landed harder than she expected.After the tense encounter yesterday, they were back in the same scene again. Different venue, but same men.But this time, Cassie wasn’t walking in blind. She knew where she stood. And more importantly—she knew who she was dealing with.“Nothing?” she repeated, her brows pulling together, confusion clear on her face.Vasili didn’t look away.“Reports of a stolen patent did surface,” he said evenly. “And yes—there was an incident.”That didn’t help. If anything, it made less sense. Cassie’s confusion deepened, her gaze sharpening as she tried to follow.“There was an attempt,” Samuel added, his tone more composed than the day before. No mockery this time—just clarity. “But it failed.”He leaned back slightly, watching her reaction.“They triggered the Petrov firewall,” he continued. “And in doing so… exposed themselves.”Cassie’s eyes narr
The room emptied one by one, the Petrov men filing out as if the meeting had simply paused, not ended. Even Zandrie was ushered along with them, leaving without protest.The door closed. Silence settled again. This time, it felt different.Cassie was left alone with Ashton. He didn’t move. Didn’t speak.Across the table, their gazes met and held. Neither of them looked away, but whatever had filled the room earlier—tension, power, control—had shifted into something heavier. Quieter.Personal.“I left Bay City… because I was scared for Malakai Group.”Her voice broke the silence, softer now, stripped of the control she had forced earlier.Ashton didn’t interrupt.“On the way here, I couldn’t stop thinking,” she continued, her breathing uneven. “About what would happen if everything collapsed… the people who depend on me. The farmers. Their families.” She swallowed hard, steadying herself, but her voice still trembled.“I kept imagining it—losing everything. Thousands of lives affected
"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chairman Greene… CEO Wallace.”Ashton’s voice was casual, controlled. He gave a slight tilt of his head—polite, but without deference.“The honor is ours, CEO Ashton Pierce.”Zandrie answered smoothly, stepping in without hesitation, fully aware Cassie had yet to recover from the shock.This wasn’t something they had expected. Not his presence—and certainly not the way the Petrov men received him.There was no formality in their tone, expected for business associates. The exchanges carried familiarity, ease. It wasn’t just simple association.They knew him, and Cassie felt it immediately. And yet, no matter how she tried to speam, she couldn’t find her voice. The words wouldn’t come. It was as if the moment had stripped her of them entirely.Ashton didn’t speak again right away. His attention stayed on her. Steady. Measured.His gaze lingered longer than it should have—long enough to be noticed. Then he looked away.Vasili was already watching him.“What
"Please—have a seat, Chairman Greene… CEO Wallace.”The man standing beside Vasili Wright spoke with quiet authority, gesturing toward the vacant seats positioned to the CEO’s left.The invitation felt less like courtesy—And more like a summons.Though every man in the room carried an air of refinement—sharp suits, striking features, commanding presence—it did nothing to ease the suffocating tension that coiled around them.If anything—It made it worse.Cassie and Zandrie exchanged a brief glance. A silent exchange of resolve. Then, without hesitation, they stepped forward.Cassie could feel it—every pair of eyes tracking their movement.Weighing. Judging. Dissecting.By the time they reached their seats, her chest was already thundering against her ribs.Still—She did not falter. They took their places. Across from them were the men Vasili had referred to.Petrov men.Their presence alone altered the air—sharp, oppressive, radiating a kind of power that did not need to be declared to
“And what makes you think I would be interested in what you’re offering, Madame Chairman?” CEO Vasili Wright asked coldly, his gaze sharpening as it locked onto hers.The question struck harder than Cassie expected. For a brief moment, she faltered.Silence pressed in as her mind raced, searching—grasping—for the right words, the right angle, anything that could reach a man like him.But there was no clever answer. No strategy. Only truth.“I’m fully aware,” she began, her voice softer now but steadying as she went on, “that you possess more wealth and power than most could even comprehend, CEO Wright.”She subtly took a deep breath.“There is nothing I can offer you that you don’t already have.” Her fingers tightened slightly at her side.“But Malakai…” she continued, lifting her gaze to meet his without retreat this time, “is everything I have.”The words carried weight—earned, not declared.“It is the only thing I can place on the table before you.”She paused.“It was built from n
"Yeah… you’ve told me that countless times.”She gave a small, hollow chuckle and nodded, as if agreeing with something long settled, something she no longer had the strength to argue against.Turning away from him, she faced the lagoon. The water was calm, the surface reflecting the quiet sky—but
“Why do you keep showing up in places where you’re clearly not welcome, Cassidy?”The mockery in the voice was unmistakable as Rima Knowles stepped forward, deliberately blocking Cassie’s path to the elevator.Cassie paused, her gaze shifting calmly from Rima to Mirriam, who stood beside her with t
“Pending investigation, you are placed under suspension until further notice, Miss Knowles” Ashton said calmly, as though he were merely announcing a routine administrative matter. No hesitation. No sympathy. Just finality. His gaze hardened as he continued.“I will not allow any employee to claim
"This can’t be…” Rima Knowles whispered, shaking her head as her eyes remained fixed on the documents trembling in her hands.“You can’t do this to us, CEO Pierce,” Red Knowles muttered, his fists clenched tightly over the folder he had just finished reading.“Well, I have nothing to do with the co







