LOGINThe soft hum of the engine filled the narrow space like a distant echo from a dream that had not fully released her yet. Naomi stirred slowly beneath the soft blanket covering her body. Her head still felt heavy, her throat dry, and every breath felt like waking after a long illness. It took several
In the end, Lydia gave a faint smile. “No. Of course not.”“Let’s move,” Cale said flatly.They left the suite at a brisk pace. The hotel corridor looked calm, too calm, with thick carpet swallowing the sound of footsteps and warm yellow lights making everything appear normal. Yet that very stillnes
Three knocks sounded at the suite door, soft but clear enough to cut through the tension hanging in the air. No one moved for a fraction of a second. It was as if the entire room had stopped breathing together.Lydia, standing near the table, instinctively turned toward the door. Her fingers were gr
Don Falcon’s office occupied the highest floor of the mansion, overlooking a stretch of city that seemed small beneath the vast glass windows. But that morning, no one in the room dared appreciate the view. The air felt heavy, dense with pressure that came entirely from the man seated behind the gle
“Not if it’s treated immediately.” The doctor looked at Cale calmly. “But she needs complete rest. No stress, no fear, and she must not be left alone.”Lydia raised a brow. “That last part sounds important.”Dr. Weber took out fever medication and wrote an additional prescription. “I’ll give her an
The hotel room door flew open harder than usual. Fast footsteps entered the main suite, followed by a rush of cold air from the hallway before the door could close again.Cale came in first, still wearing the same suit he had left in that morning. His face was unreadable, but the tight line of his j
That morning, Althea tried to move through her routine as if nothing had changed, even though her eyes still felt heavy from the lack of sleep. She didn’t complain—not once. But the air felt different today, hollow somehow, now that the funeral was over. It was as if a new, aching emptiness had carv
“Here’s the report you requested, Sir.”Arsen placed a thick folder on Daven’s desk. The room hadn’t changed much—except for a framed family portrait positioned deliberately as the focal point of the space. He set the file down carefully, fully expecting Daven to pepper him with questions.Daven fli
“I heard you know her, Chris?” Cale asked, his eyes never leaving the documents his brother had given him.“When I first saw this photo,” Chris picked up one picture from the table, “I didn’t remember a thing. But… when she showed it again during our talk at the restaurant, bits of it started coming
“She brought complete documents—official stamps, medical signatures… everything looked valid,” Althea admitted, though the same doubt twisted inside her.Cale dragged his hand down his face, frustrated. “This… this makes no sense. Chase has never hidden anything from me. There’s no way he’d have a c







