Mag-log inWinnie Carter forced a polite, apologetic smile and dipped into a small, deferential bow.
"Miss Hayes, Mr. Knight Sr., I'm so sorry. I didn't notice who was behind me."Her voice was soft, gentle. Her posture humble, overly deferential.Winnie's gaze flicked to Gerald Knight, supported carefully by Clara Hayes. She nodded slightly, demeanor perfectly respectful."Are you accompanying Mr. Knight Sr. to the exhibition, Miss Hayes?"Clara Hayes rolled her eyes. She was tAlexander frowned. Before he could even open his mouth, I peered out from behind him, my eyes tracing the man in the doorway."Luke," I said, my voice laced with amusement. "How much did you actually have to drink?"Luke's gaze flickered to me, his eyes looking even more bloodshot under the hallway lights."Not enough," he growled. "But enough to come here and settle the score with you two."He suddenly straightened his posture, jabbing a finger toward Alexander."You. For the sake of your precious little wife, you had me seduce your own fiancée."Then his finger swung toward me."And now Elena wants nothing to do with me. So, what are you two going to do about it?"Alexander's brow tightened, his voice dropping into a cold, dangerous register."Is that why you're trying to kick my door down?""What else was I supposed to do?"Luke let out a sharp, frustrated laugh."Weren't you the one who told me to break up the en
The light in the living room hit Elena like a slap the moment she pushed open the heavy front door of the Voss mansion.Shards of argument shattered the air.Edward Voss stood with veins bulging at his temples, jabbing a finger at Linda's face."Have you lost your mind? Undermining the Knights in front of the entire elite circles like that!""Now the engagement is dead, our reputation is in the gutter, and the Voss family is the laughingstock of everyone!"Linda's spine was ramrod straight. Her face was pale, a cold smile frozen on her lips."I am the crazy one? If you weren't so desperate to climb into bed with the Knights, so eager to sell your daughter for profit, would I have had to go this far?""Now you blame me? Brother, you didn't hesitate for a second when you agreed to trade Elena for leverage!"Elena's mother stood between them, tear tracks streaking her face, her voice shaking."Stop it... What good is fighting now?""We
Luke's fingers tightened around her wrist. A barely perceptible flinch.The dim overhead light inside the car carved sharp lines along his suddenly tense jaw.He stared at her. The usual cocky grin was gone. What remained was something darker, deeper."You know?"His voice dropped low, rough with the weight of an approaching storm."Since when?"Elena didn't look away. The faint smile on her lips wavered, but she held it in place."Luke, I'm not actually stupid.""All those wild nights the past two weeks. There was always something off underneath. Something I couldn't quite name.""You showed up too perfectly. The timing of your whole'rebel phase'was too convenient. I had my suspicions back then.""You got close to me because Alexander asked you to. To blow up the engagement. Right?"She wasn't naive. Growing up in the Voss family, she'd just learned to curl into herself. To survive.But that didn't mean she was blind.
Gerald's pupils contracted sharply."Knight Group is massive,"Alexander continued, his voice steady."Strike at me alone, and the company survives."He lifted his eyes. Met Gerald's freezing gaze directly. Unflinching."But one move. And everything shifts.""If word gets out that I walk away with nothing, the stock drops. Competitors circle.""The family bleeds. For what? Nothing."His tone was calm. But every word cut.Silence.The sandalwood incense burned. Ash fell. Soft. Final.Gerald stared at him. Then slowly, he clapped his withered hands together. Veins standing out on his wrists.The silence stretched. Suffocating.Finally, a low laugh scraped from Gerald's throat."Good. Very good."His laugh was rough. Almost appreciative. But poisonous."Alexander. You're smarter than your father.""He knew how to protect his woman. But he only knew how to fight head-on. In the end, he lost everything.""Not y
I looked up at the courtyard lights swaying in the distance."Southwest China."My voice was quiet.I didn't avoid the question."We confirmed things after Yunqi Temple."Roy Shen went still for a moment.Then something clicked behind his eyes.Understanding."Of course..."He murmured it.Then a knowing smile crossed his face.Self-mocking."So that landslide. The road closure. You weren't on a business trip.""No wonder you fought so hard to get through the blocked zone.""I kept wondering what project could possibly be worth that kind of risk to you."He paused.His gaze dropped to the ring on my finger."The vibe was off back then. I just didn't see it."The night breeze stirred his hair.He turned to look at me.Studied my face."Lisa. I don't get it. What are you after?"His voice dropped.Something rare flickered in his eyes.Seriousness."The Knights.
Gerald paused.His knuckles rapped against the table. A dull thud."A piece of paper. Legal recognition. That's supposed to settle it?""I'm not dead yet. This family doesn't answer to you alone.""A wife is chosen for virtue. For the union of two houses.""You're running Knight Group now. You should know better. Know when to compromise.""Throwing away everything for a moment of impulse. Gambling the company's future on—this."His voice dropped. The last two words landed light. But they hit hard."Is she worth it?"The question hung in the air. Aimed at Alexander. Aimed at everyone watching.A challenge. And a warning.Warning Alexander. Warning them all.He didn't recognize this marriage.Knight Group's future was still in his hands.---My chest tightened.I felt Alexander's grip on my hand. Suddenly firmer.His knuckles went rigid. Veins rose on the back of his hand. But his face stayed ca
A lingering gloom hung over the White Mansion.Since the scandal at Nebula Hotel and the ten million ransom, the White family had been severely weakened. Chloe White stayed home all day, her former arrogance gone.Winnie Carter’s visit felt like an unwelcome intrusion."Chloe
Ethan's head spun. A vein bulged at his temple.She dared to call him that?He instinctively took it as a vicious insult, payback for the things he'd hurled at her back at the cove."Lisa!"His voice came out as a low growl. His fists clenched tight at his sides.He wante
Marcus White slammed his fist on the table."Who do you think you are?!""Lisa White, stay in line."His voice dropped to a menacing growl."Without the Whites, you're nothing but dust."Elaine White's fingers trembled with rage.She pointed a shaking finger at me.
Friday morning, ten o'clock.Knight Group execs packed the top-floor conference room.Ethan Knight stepped in. His gaze locked on the figure by the projector screen.I wore a milky satin shirt tucked tight into a slim skirt that hugged my narrow waist, the fabric clinging to my back and tracing the







