LOGIN"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
The weight of his gaze hit her like a physical force. Cold. Sharp. Intimidating. Cassie instinctively stepped back, her breath catching in her throat. For a fleeting moment, panic surged through her. Every instinct screamed at her to turn around, to run, to escape whatever storm she had just walked into. But she couldn’t move. Her feet felt rooted to the ground, as if the very air around her had hardened, trapping her in place. Seconds stretched—And just when she thought she might break under the pressure— He turned away. As if she wasn’t worth even a second glance. The dismissal struck harder than his stare. “No—” The word almost slipped out, but she caught herself. Panic flared again, sharper this time. If he walked away now… it would be over. Everything would be over. “Please—!” Her voice rang out, louder than she intended, desperation bleeding through despite her effort to contain it. “CEO Wright!” The entourage slowed—but did not stop. Cassie forced her
"You’ll need to secure an appointment first, Madame Greene,” the receptionist said with a polite, practiced smile. “The CEO’s earliest availability is in a week—for a twenty-minute meeting.”“A week?” Cassie repeated, her brows drawing together.That was too long—far too long for a mere twenty-minute meeting.She didn’t have the luxury of waiting. Not now. Not when everything had already been set into motion.In a week, it wouldn’t just be negotiations on the line. It would be everything.Her company. Her name. The empire she had painstakingly built from nothing. All of it could be torn apart before she even got the chance to sit across that man.Her fingers curled slightly at her side, her mind racing through alternatives, calculations forming and dissolving just as quickly.“We can’t wait that long,” she said, her tone still composed, but firmer now. “Is there any way to move us to the nearest available slot? This is urgent.”Beside her, Zandrie stepped forward, offering the recep
"It seems the Pierces won’t be ruling Bay City for much longer.”Roel Danes’ voice cut through the noise, sharp and dripping with malice as he positioned himself right in front of Ashton—perfectly framed for the swarm of cameras crowding the entrance of Pierce Corporation’s main building.Flashes exploded like lightning. Microphones were thrust forward.The entire scene felt like a feeding frenzy.“This morning doesn’t seem to be going well for you, CEO Pierce,” Roel added with a sneer, clearly savoring every second of the spectacle.Around them, reporters surged closer, their voices overlapping in a chaotic wave of questions.“CEO Pierce! What is your response to the allegations against Pierce Corporation and Malakai Group?”“Is it true that your company engaged in illegal negotiations?”“Where is Chairman Cassidy Greene?”“Is she avoiding the issue?”“How do you plan to address these accusations?”“Is Malakai Group involved in intellectual theft?”The questions came one after anothe
"It should be Malakai Pierce,” Ashton said quietly, his fingers threading gently through Cassie’s hair.The earlier storm between them had settled into a warm, lingering calm.Cassie lay against his chest, her eyes closing as she leaned into his touch, a soft, contented smile forming on her lips. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her cheek grounded her, a quiet contrast to the chaos they had just finished.“Malakai…” Ashton murmured again, more thoughtfully this time. “You built an empire with our son's name.”There was no accusation in his voice—only realization.Cassie shifted slightly, tilting her head to look at him. There was something softer in her gaze now, something unguarded.“I didn’t just build it,” she said gently.“I protected it… and carried it to the top—for him.”Her fingers traced slow, absent patterns against his chest as her voice softened with memory.“When I had nothing—no name, no place, no power…” she continued quietly, “I had him.”A faint, bitterswee
A heavy silence settled over the boardroom after Cassidy’s departure.It pressed down on everyone—thick, uncomfortable, inescapable.Ashton and Zandrie exchanged a brief look, one loaded with frustration and restraint, before both men let out slow, measured breaths. The other board members sat stif
Donned in a pristine white business suit—and adorned with the new jewelry Ashton had bought for her the day before—Cassie stepped into Knowles Corporation with measured confidence.The diamonds caught the light with every movement.Heads turned. Conversations dipped into hushed murmurs. Curious gla
The night of glamour had finally drawn to an end, its glitter fading with the morning light. Cassie’s next appointment loomed far less forgiving: the stockholders’ meeting. The first since the acquisition. The first under a new name.Knowles and Greene Corporation.It would be her battlefield.The
“Ash—ton—” she tried to resist, but her strength paled in comparison to his. One arm locked around her waist, the other holding her in place, leaving her nowhere to retreat. The moment she tried to speak again, his kiss deepened, silencing her.It was consuming—overwhelming. She tasted wine on his







