LOGINMorning crept slowly into the hotel suite, still wrapped in silence. The heavy curtains had not been fully opened, leaving only pale lines of light stretched across the floor. In the guest room, Naomi woke with ragged breaths, her body drenched in cold sweat. Her hands clutched the sheets tightly, a
Morning arrived in Berlin beneath a pale sky, the air still carrying the last bite of the night’s cold. On the upper floor of Brandon’s modern office tower, the main conference room had been prepared an hour earlier. A long wooden table was lined with final documents, the presentation screen already
The office door opened slowly, and three men stepped inside with uneven, limping strides. Their faces were bruised, one of them with a split lip. Another held his ribs, struggling to hide the pain every time he breathed. None of them dared lift their heads too high.The spacious, dark-toned room sud
The car cut through the increasingly quiet streets of the night. City lights flashed past the windows, but Naomi didn’t see any of it. Curled up in the back seat, she wrapped both arms around herself, still trembling from head to toe. Every few breaths caught in her throat before breaking into stifl
Naomi stumbled back against the wall, gasping for breath, able only to stare with wide eyes.The man who had slapped her seized her again, yanking her close as a shield. “Don’t come any closer!”Liu looked at him without blinking. “Let her go.”“Or what?”Liu moved so fast Naomi barely saw it.In on
BANG! BANG! BANG!The pounding on the apartment door felt like a hammer striking directly against Naomi’s chest. Her fingers trembled as she held the phone to her ear, waiting for the call to connect. But before anyone could answer, she heard the sound of metal being forced from the outside. The doo
“I think so.”Selena smiled faintly. “I thought as much. You must have liked talking to your grandmother, right? That’s only natural. Just imagine how wonderful it would be to talk to her all the time. Every day. To receive that kind of warm attention from her.”Eli fell silent, and Selena seemed co
That morning, Callister Group resumed its operations with sharp, measured precision. Daven stepped into the main building with a calm expression, confident strides, and a brightness that hadn’t been there the day before. From the outside, no one could have guessed that his mind was filled with dozen
“We’re here,” Lydia said. All this time, Althea—sitting beside her—hadn’t spoken a word. Lydia didn’t mind. In moments like these, silence wasn’t about creating distance. It was about giving space to find the best way forward.“Oh… you’re right.” Althea let out a long breath. “I didn’t even realize.
Eli couldn’t bring herself to answer.Josh let out a short breath. “You don’t have to answer me. But listen to this.” He paused for a moment. “If you come to me with demands like that again, you won’t get what you want.”“I wasn’t demanding anything,” Eli protested softly.“But your words sounded li







