CHAPTER 67 – DYNASTY AT STAKELARRY’S POV I literally stayed staring at my desk like it had personally offended me. The polished mahogany might as well have been lava because my thoughts were melting me from the inside out. Kane had just excused himself, smooth as a spy slipping out of a bad rom-com, leaving me alone in the aftermath of Davenport’s verbal nuclear bomb.Mr. Kane had just left, excusing himself with that faint, almost polite nod that reeked of calculated distance. Like he had read every chapter of my life and decided today was a good day to remind me just how messy I really was.I ran a hand over my face, pulling the edge of my tie a little tighter, Kane… you’re lucky you’re so damn polished, or I’d throw this tie at you. Kane had that talent... the uncanny ability to place a mirror in front of your conscience and make you squirm in the reflection of your own secrets I could feel the weight of the conversation pressing down on me, suffocating in a way that no empire,
CHAPTER 66 – LEGACIES AND LIESLARRY’S POVBy ten, I was in the shower. By twenty, I was already on the road. And by thirty, I was sliding into the company lot, dressed like the CEO’s nightmare but running strictly on coffee fumes and unholy amounts of attitude. I parked my car, threw on my best fake confidence, and strutted into the building like a man who knew the game was ninety percent appearance and ten percent caffeine.The glass doors of the company greeted me with their usual sterile shine, a cold reflection of power and money. Employees swarmed the lobby like ants, each carrying files, coffees, and fake smiles. They nodded at me as I strode past, some whispering my name like I was either a savior or a scandal waiting to happen.The air practically shifted the second I stepped into the executive hall... thick, heavy, like the universe already knew drama was waiting for me. Even before I reached my office, I caught the voices... smooth, sharp, dripping with that “I run the wor
CHAPTER 65– PAWNS AND PLAYERS MAYA'S POVWhat would you do if death brushed past you so close you could feel its breath? If your life literally flashed by like some bootleg Netflix montage? I don’t know about you, but me? I was totally freaking out. Like, the “my-soul-almost-left-my-body” kind of freaking out.I kept quiet the entire ride, and honestly, I was glad Damian did too... though I did catch him stealing glances at me.My hands were still trembling when Damian’s SUV screeched past the gates and rolled into the mansion’s driveway. The tires hadn’t even stopped crying before my lungs snapped for air like they’d been underwater for years.Damian killed the engine, but his death grip on the steering wheel didn’t ease up. His knuckles were practically throwing a tantrum, veins popping like every nerve in his body was screaming at him to stay in control. But his eyes? Oh no, his eyes gave him away. They were sharp, restless, searching the rearview mirror even though we were safely
CHAPTER 64– MAYA JESUS DAMIAN'S POV Just like that... some idiot just yanked me out of my daydream about my first kiss with my boyfriend. I swear, if I had a gun right now… maybe this hospital would have rushed into another surgery or something. But nope. Lucky me, no gun. Because that “idiot” turned out to be my detective... Detective Stanley, and, surprise, he actually came bearing good news. News that set my mind racing faster than any caffeine could. One moment I was in control, calculating, daydreaming... oops...scratch that please...strategizing, and the next… the universe dropped a curveball called Maya Perkins in my lap. He’d found her. Marvin’s ride-or-die, the girl he trusted more than anyone. And damn it, I wasn’t going to lie... I was jealous. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to be the man holding everything together, but here she was, fragile and fierce in the same damn hospital as him, both of them reeling from the same disaster.Stanley explained the si
CHAPTER 63– UNTOUCHABLE NO MOREDAMIAN'S POV «BREAKING NEWS: Authorities report a serious vehicular accident involving Marvin Perkins earlier this morning. Details remain limited at this time, and emergency personnel are on the scene. We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.»That's when I saw it on the news.The shower ran longer than usual and I lingered more than necessary, not out of luxury, not out of time wasted... but because I needed to think. But unfortunately, the showers had done nothing to wash off the weight of the day, or the mess that had landed on my shoulders like a goddamn storm. I’d stayed later than I should have, letting the steam crawl down my skin and seep into my thoughts, because thinking wasn’t something I could turn off, not when chaos was clinging to my heels like a rabid dog.Who would dare... no, who would have the audacity to attempt this? And why? There’s always a reason, and I have a way of uncovering it, piece by piece,
CHAPTER 62– RUN, MAYA, RUNMAYA'S POVThe tray tilted, and then the cup slipped.Before I could even curse, a rush of steaming coffee splashed over my lap, soaking through fabric, and burning into my skin."What the heck!" I hissed, springing up from the chair, as my breath catching in a furious gasp. The café went quiet, every pair of eyes snapping to me like I’d just set myself on fire.The girl froze in fear. “Oh my God... I’m so, so sorry!” she stammered.But I barely heard her. The heat was relentless, searing, crawling under my skin like it wanted to claim me. Coffee dripped down my legs, through the chair, and onto the floor like a slow, mocking countdown.And then… that was it. I snapped “Excuse me!” I barked, louder than I intended. I probably sounded like a full-blown lunatic, and honestly… I didn’t care. The old lady’s cat arched its back and hissed. The guy with the stroller froze, eyes wide, like he’d just seen a ghost. Even the girl behind the counter froze mid-swipe, s