LOGINThe negotiation took longer than anyone expected. Bianca sat in her father's study, flanked by Charles on one side and Elena, her mother on the other, while Ethan occupied the opposite end of the room with Richard and Victoria. The space felt smaller than it usually did. The tension pressed against the walls like something alive.Richard spoke first. "The arrangement is straightforward. Bianca moves into the mansion. The public perception strengthens. The merger proceeds without unnecessary speculation.""That's not happening," Bianca said.Richard's eyebrow lifted. "Excuse me?""I said that's not happening." She kept her voice steady. "I'm not moving out of my apartment permanently.""The purpose of this arrangement...""I understand the purpose." Bianca met his gaze. "I also understand that I have a life outside this arrangement. A job. Friends. A home that I'm not willing to give up."Richard's jaw tight
Bianca spent the rest of breakfast trying to convince herself that Richard's suggestion was nothing more than another business strategy. Something that would eventually disappear if she ignored it long enough.She knew better. The moment she looked at Ethan, she saw the same realization in his eyes. Neither of them had gotten a chance to object properly. Richard had simply stated his decision and moved on. Victoria had followed his lead, asking about moving dates and furniture arrangements like they were discussing a vacation.Sophie had watched from the doorway with that same unreadable expression. She hadn't said a word. By the time breakfast ended, Bianca felt like she'd been swept along by a current she couldn't fight. The first opportunity they got to speak privately came later that afternoon. They had just left the mansion together, Ethan's car pulling away from the gates, the city spreading out ahead of them. The silence
Bianca woke earlier than she'd intended to. The guest room at the Anderson mansion was larger than her entire apartment, but the unfamiliar ceiling and the strange quiet of an unfamiliar house had kept her restless through most of the night. She'd finally given up on sleep around 6:30, slipped into the borrowed clothes Victoria had left outside her door, and made her way downstairs.She expected an empty kitchen or maybe a housekeeper preparing something. Instead, she found Ethan.He stood in front of the coffee machine, glaring at it like it had personally offended him. His hair was still slightly disheveled. He wore a rumpled shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and his expression carried the particular frustration of a man who had been defeated by household appliances.Bianca leaned against the doorframe. "Having trouble?"Ethan didn't turn around. "No.""You've been staring at that machine for long.""I'm waiting for it to work.""That's not how coffee machines work." Bianca bit b
Bianca saw Verity coming from across the lobby and immediately knew she was in trouble.The takeout bags were a dead giveaway. Three of them. Enough food for an army. And the expression on Verity's face said she hadn't come for the food."I brought lunch," Verity announced, holding up the bags. "And questions. Lots of questions."Bianca sighed. "I thought we covered everything yesterday.""We covered nothing yesterday." Verity fell into step beside her as they walked toward the elevator. "You deflected. You changed the subject. You made me talk about London for an hour while you nodded and smiled.""I was being polite.""You were being evasive, Bianca."The elevator doors slid open. They stepped inside, and Verity pressed the button for Bianca's floor."Fine," Bianca said. "Ask your questions. I'll answer what I can.""That's not the same as answering everything, bestieeeee!""It's the best I can do right now."Verity studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. But I'm holding you t
Daniel Reed had never believed in luck. Luck was what wealthy people called advantages they were born with. Luck was the word people used when they didn't want to admit how much harder they had to work for the same opportunities. Luck was for people who could afford to wait for things to happen. Daniel couldn't afford to wait.Three days after Victor gave him his assignment, he was already moving. The file on Adam Kareem sat open on his passenger seat, pages covered in notes he'd made after multiple readings. He'd learned more about Adam in seventy-two hours. Which gym he visited before work. Which route he took home. Which sports teams he followed with near-religious devotion.And most importantly, which bar he visited every Thursday evening without fail. Daniel arrived thirty minutes early.He chose a seat near the corner, where he could see the entrance without being obvious. He ordered a drink he didn't plan to take and waited.Adam walked in at exactly 7:15. He looked tired. The
The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Ellington Group's lobby as Bianca stepped inside, coffee in hand, already mentally running through the day's schedule. Meetings, training sessions, more meetings. The routine had become familiar over the past few weeks, and she'd grown comfortable with it.Her phone buzzed as she reached the elevators. HR Department: Please stop by our office when you arrive. Just a quick check-in.She frowned slightly but didn't think much of it. Probably more onboarding paperwork. There was always more onboarding paperwork. The elevator doors slid open. She stepped inside and pressed the button for the seventh floor.The HR corridor was quiet when she arrived, Bianca walked toward the reception desk, preparing her polite smile. Then she heard the voice. "Bianca Ellington!" She barely had time to turn before someone collided with her in a hug so enthusiastic it nearly knocked her backward."Verity?" Bianca laughed, the sound surprising







