DANGEROUS GAME They sat across from one another in Nathan's office, where the long shadows created by the city lights made the atmosphere heavy with anxiety. Anita's thoughts whirled. She was no longer able to afford to be passive. In addition to shaking her to her very core, Harry's unrelenting assault on her reputation threatened to bring Nathan's business to its knees. Her gut lurched at the thought. Losing Nathan wasn't an option since she had come to care for him in ways she wasn't ready to acknowledge.Sitting across from her, Nathan's piercing gaze seemed to be measuring every reaction she made. His voice was low and controlled as he declared, "We're going to hit Harry where it hurts." "But I need to know that you're on my side." Anita's heart was pounding. Was she prepared? The stakes had been rising daily, and everything had been happening so quickly. Everything she had battled for, including the life she had forged from the ashes of her past, her newly discovered
Tension was evident as Anita stood in the great entrance of Nathan's estate, her fingers jammed firmly around the delicate champagne flute she was holding. Despite her mastery of the game, the stakes felt heavier tonight than ever before. Victory was not as vital tonight as survival. Nathan was hosting a charity dinner that attracted the city's elite, showcasing his wealth and influence. High heels clicking on marble floors, laughter reverberating off gold-trimmed walls, and a soft buzz of whispered secrets everywhere—the atmosphere was entrancing. Although Anita didn't want the attention, she felt the burden of being in the spotlight. No, she didn't come here to impress tonight's guests. She was determined to take the lead.She looked around the room before looking into Nathan's eyes. Even though his typical group of business associates was all around him, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She felt a surge of need from his piercing gaze, but there was more sinister inten
The tense atmosphere that pervaded the estate was oppressive. It was the knowledge that everything Anita had worked for was on the verge of collapse, not just the weight of the scandal. Following Stacy's cryptic remarks, the room descended into chaos, and the air buzzed with uncertainty as the reporters surrounded them. Despite her beating heart, Anita's intellect stayed concentrated as she stood alongside Nathan. She could see it in his eyes; he was fighting to keep things under control, but there was more going on inside of him than that. Frustration, anger, and... fear. He feared losing her more than he feared losing the empire. That was not going to happen, Anita.For a minute, the outside world vanished when Nathan's fingertips touched hers. Even though it was brief, his touch was reassuring. Together, they were in this. With a steady yet strained voice, Nathan said to her, "I need you to stay calm." Anita's eyes locked with his, and she felt a chill go through her. I
The night of the gala, when Anita looked down at Harry and Stacy and felt for the first time that the balance of power was changing in her favour, had been two weeks ago. But beneath the triumphant exterior, a disquieting quietness lurked. Anita knew better than to fall for it, even when the media frenzy had subsided. Harry was silent. Too silent. And that could only indicate that he was planning something much more sinister.She was safe from the vultures that were surrounding their marriage and the inquisitive eyes of the press thanks to Nathan's increased security around the estate. It was insufficient, though. Anita sensed the Grant family's divisions growing. Eleanor's contempt for her had grown, Stacy had disappeared from the public view, and Harry—well, Harry was far from finished. With her fingertips lightly touching the lip of her coffee cup, Anita sat in the opulent dining hall. She noticed Nathan was preoccupied as he read the morning paper across the table. Some
As Anita lifted her glass, her remarks reverberated with calm control throughout the Grant Family Charity Gala's large hall, which was alive with whispers and conjecture. Her composed smile and Nathan's steadfast support were captured by the flashing cameras. Harry's grin wavered across the room. For the first time, he recognised that the gullible girl he had dumped was no longer the woman he had once controlled. Anita's smile widened as she met his gaze, perhaps daring him to do something next. "Shall we dance, Mr. Grant?" With her fingers sliding inside Nathan's, Anita whispered to him. As Nathan escorted her onto the dance floor, his gaze grew softer. She was being guided in perfect sync by Nathan's hand on her waist as the gentle melody of the violin filled the room. With a quiet voice that only she could hear, Nathan whispered, "You're playing a dangerous game, Anita." She said, "I know," with determined flickering in her eyes. However, I'm done running. I will grant Harry a bat
It was raining on the Grant estate's glass windows when Anita woke up. With the storm building inside her heart, the early light hardly broke through the dense grey clouds. The battle was far from done, but she had won one last night. There was no one on Nathan's side of the bed, but the linens still had a hint of his cologne. With a constricting heart, she ran her fingertips across the chilly area. Did he still question her? They were still separated by a wall despite everything they had experienced.After dragging herself from her bed, Anita put the silk robe around her. Nathan was in his home office, staring out the window with his broad back to her, as she came downstairs from the bedroom. He was clearly tense in his shoulders. The way his fingers clenched into fists at his sides caught her attention as she stood in the doorway. At last, she murmured, "You're up early," in a softer tone than she had meant. Nathan swivelled around, his black eyes locking with hers. They
That night, the Grant family mansion exuded icy elegance. Eleanor Walker ruled at the head of the table, her piercing gaze slicing through Anita like a sword, while the large dining hall was lighted by crystal lights. Anita sat next to Nathan with her head held high and her back straight, but behind the composed exterior, her mind was planning every action. It was hostile territory. From the other side of the table, Harry grinned, his eyes blazing with nefarious laughter. As though she already knew the hidden card Harry was going to play, Stacy's delicate features glowed with triumph as she sat next to him. Despite having a knotted tummy, Anita showed no signs of dread. Not this evening. She would give Harry a war if he desired one.Eleanor said, "How charming," in a tone that was brimming with pettiness. "Anita, it's almost... funny how fast you've adjusted to our world. However, individuals who are desperate tend to act strangely, don't they? Nathan's jaw tightened next t
Even after the Walkers had departed, the tension on the Grant estate was palpable. Anita was more troubled by Nathan's quiet than by Eleanor's contempt and Harry's threat, which lingered in the background. After defending her at the dinner table, he had remained silent. Upon ascending the opulent staircase to their bedroom, Anita sensed the distance between them growing once more. Slowly, the storm that she had worked so hard to keep outside these walls was beginning to creep in. After opening their bedroom door, Nathan entered. Anita trailed behind, not knowing what to anticipate. Would he at last confront her about the fact that Stacy and Harry had forced upon her? Or would he withdraw once more into his icy, aloof shell? Standing at the window, Nathan's wide figure was softly lit by the city lights. His mouth was knotted in silent annoyance, and his hands were in his pockets. Anita was silent for a moment. "You haven't spoken since supper." Nathan's eyes never left the starry sky.
The weight of choices taken, vows made, and threats that now loomed like a storm on the horizon made the air in the apartment feel heavier with every second that went by. Nathan stood by the wide window, watching the city below pulse, its lights a blur of movement, as though everything was changing all the time. For a brief time, he wanted he could be somewhere else instead of here, confronting the truth he had been avoiding, as the enormity of it appeared to engulf him whole.Anita paced tensely and quickly behind him. There were many unspoken statements in the deafening quiet between them, but neither of them felt willing or able to break it. Even though they had experienced a lot together, it seemed like the tipping moment. Their marriage was now on the verge of breaking due to the strain that had been building for weeks and months beneath the surface. He sensed it, like a tense wire about to break. "Why didn’t you tell me, Nathan?" At last, the quiet was broken by Anita's
On the morning following the scandal, Anita stood in the centre of her penthouse, gazing at the city skyline that she had once thought was her stronghold. Normally a source of pride, the vista now felt like a mocking reminder of the mayhem she had let loose. On the sofa table, her phone was constantly buzzing. For the time being, she disregarded it. The world could wait. With her head still reeling from the events of the previous few hours—Pierce's premeditated blow, Stacy's treachery, and her choice to turn the tables on them both—her fingers caressed the edge of the marble counter. The cost had only just started to become apparent, and the satisfaction was bittersweet.Max had performed his duties with surgical accuracy. Pierce had to deal with the damage right away because the leaks had struck hard. Anita was aware, however, that the billionaire businessman was not the kind to back down for very long. Retaliation would occur, and it would affect all parties. Even those wh
The next morning brought a storm Anita hadn’t seen coming—not from the frontlines, but from within the walls of the fortress she had so carefully built.Anita entered the boardroom at Grant Holdings, expecting support, strategy, and a unified front. Instead, she walked into silence and stiff backs. The tension was visceral, as if the air itself was laced with suspicion.Nathan sat at the head of the table, jaw tight. Across from him, Reva Langston, the very woman who had shaken Anita’s hand just hours ago, now stared at her with cold detachment.“What happened?” Anita asked, setting her tablet down.Reva didn’t blink. “Dominic Pierce filed an injunction against you, Anita. He claims your press conference was a smear campaign backed by falsified documents.”“That’s absurd. We verified everything.”Nathan spoke then, voice clipped. “Pierce is claiming the documents you presented were stolen from a secure database in Switzerland—and that Grant Holdings was complicit in cybercrime.”A chi
Dominic Pierce thought he’d rattled her.He’d sent the orchid as a warning, veiled in civility. But Anita wasn’t the girl she’d been when she first walked into Nathan’s world. She’d been made, broken, burned, and reborn.She knew now that in games of power, silence was never safety—it was strategy.Anita stood before the mirror in her office, buttoning a crisp ivory blouse. Her reflection stared back with poise and purpose. Behind her, Patricia’s photograph smiled faintly on the bookshelf. That reminder was all she needed.Nathan appeared in the doorway, his frame a towering presence. “The press conference is set. Noon.”She turned, slipping gold hoops into her ears. “Are the files ready?”“They are.” He stepped closer. “Are you?”She met his gaze. “You’re not the only one who keeps leverage, Nathan.”He raised a brow. “You’ve been building something?”“I learned from the best.” Her voice was calm, but there was steel beneath. “Remember when I asked you to assign me as your proxy on t
Anita didn’t speak during the drive home.She sat in the back of the armored black Maybach, eyes fixed on the lights bleeding through the city skyline, replaying every word Dominic Pierce had said. The man didn’t blink. Didn’t threaten. He didn’t need to. His offer wasn’t just power—it was a declaration.He didn’t want to destroy Nathan. He wanted to replace him. With her.And that made this war far more personal.When the car pulled into the private elevator bay at the Grant penthouse, she stepped out, shoulders straight, heels echoing like declarations of defiance. The moment the elevator doors opened, Nathan was already there—jacket off, tie undone, eyes stormy with anticipation.“Well?” he asked.Anita let out a slow breath. “He wants to recruit me.”Nathan’s brow twitched. “Recruit?”“Full takeover. My own firm. Resources. Autonomy. And I’d never need you again.”Silence settled thickly between them.He crossed the room slowly, eyes scanning her face. “And?”“I told him to go to
The Calm Before the WarThe rain had stopped, but the tension hadn’t.Nathan stood at the balcony of the penthouse, shirt sleeves rolled up, the city sprawled beneath him like a conquered battlefield. Yet victory felt heavy, laced with exhaustion. His mind replayed every detail from the boardroom, every reaction—Delacorte’s twitching eye, Chen’s collapse, and Anita’s unflinching resolve.She’d been magnificent.Behind him, Anita moved through the living room, barefoot, still in the suit she hadn’t changed out of since the night before. Her hair was slightly tousled, and fatigue clung to her frame like a second skin, but her eyes… they were alive. Sharp. Focused.She approached him quietly, holding two mugs of black coffee. No celebration. No champagne. Just coffee. Because they weren’t done yet.“You’re not sleeping,” she said, offering the cup.He took it, brushing her fingers with his. “Neither are you.”She leaned on the railing beside him. “We just humiliated one of the most corru
Shortly after midnight, the storm broke out. Rain battered the penthouse windows as lightning illuminated the skyline and thunder cracked over the metropolis. Everything was moving in Nathan's battle room, which used to be his office. Anita leaned over a computer table showing the activities of shareholders, Gregor yelled orders into a secure queue, and Nathan Nathan observed her. Something about her had changed. Once standing unsurely at the edge of wolf-infested boardrooms, the woman now stood in the middle, unwavering. Making calculations. Sharp.While looking over the information on the encrypted server that Nathan had previously concealed from even his own legal advisor, Anita remarked, "We're going to need proof." "The board's plan cannot be overturned without concrete proof of wrongdoing or manipulation." "Misconduct always occurs," Gregor mumbled. "These men didn't reach the summit without stepping on people." "Then we discover the corpses," she answered in a firm
As Anita's remarks reverberated across the room, silence descended once more, this time more profoundly. It's time to invite those they never thought to invite. It's time to reverse the situation. At first, Nathan remained silent. He looked her, truly studied her, and his eyes narrowed, calculating. He was constantly aware of Anita's intelligence and fortitude. However, this? This was a very different matter. Instead of cowering in the shadows behind him, she was stepping into her own and daring to confront the machine that had moulded their world. "Who are they?" With care in his voice, Gregor asked in a low murmur. "We need details if we're going to take action. Right now.Anita averted her gaze from both of them and looked up at the glistening skyline. In addition to her face, the mirror in the glass depicted the woman she had grown into, one who had withstood manipulation, treachery, and a web of power struggles that would have destroyed anybody else. She whirled aro
The air was packed with unspoken words as they locked the doors of Nathan's private office. The slight bustle of the metropolis beyond the glass walls felt distant, replaced by an oppressive silence that hung between them. Nathan stood at the far end of the room, his back to her, hands clasped behind his neck, gazing out into the darkness. His figure was black against the lighted skyline, with the weight of leadership—and everything they had worked for—weighing heavily on him.Anita took a deep breath, feeling the chilly air on her skin as she stepped into the chamber, her shoes' heels clicking quietly on the polished marble floors. Despite the opulence of the setting and the vista, everything about this moment felt off. The tension between them was real, like an invisible thread about to snap. She had never seen him this remote, closed-off.She opened her mouth to speak, but the words died on her lips as Nathan turned around, his face determined. His gaze met hers, his face op