LOGINNaomi watched it all in silence.Their respect for Cale felt absolute, yet the warmth they showed Lydia was just as clear. The couple seemed to belong to a world completely different from hers.She was placed in the back seat of the first car with Lydia, while Daniel took the front passenger seat. C
The jet’s wheels touched the runway with a smooth jolt, still strong enough to be felt through Naomi’s weakened body. She opened her eyes slowly and looked out the oval window beside her seat.The sky had changed.No longer pale white above the clouds, but blue washed with gold, reflecting between r
The 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
“No,” she growled under her breath. “Not today.”Eli opened her eyes; her breath caught in her throat.“Tomorrow is important,” Selena continued, more to herself than to Eli. “Your face can’t look ruined.”Eli stared at her mother, confused. “Important for what?”“Go to your room,” Selena ordered. “
“Yes. He didn’t like it,” Lydia continued. “He said if Selena had a goal, why did she have to force Eli like that? Josh felt sorry for her. He said… Eli is a good girl.”Silence followed, as if each of them was processing the weight of Lydia’s words. None of them had expected Selena to be using Eli
Oscar slowly lifted his head. His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling unevenly.“If you refuse,” Cale continued—his voice calm, stripped of any overt threat, which somehow made it far more terrifying—“you never should’ve thought about refusing in the first place. You do remember your
“Once you’re inside,” Oscar continued, his voice dropping even lower, “Callister Group will be paralyzed. The board of commissioners will scramble to save themselves, including Bret, who personally gave me my orders. Domestic and foreign investors will start pulling out. I think it began a few days







