LOGINATHENA POVChloe didn't hesitate. She grabbed the silver tablet right off the desk, her manicured nails tapping sharply against the glass casing. Her eyes scanned the screen, tracking the flashing green confirmation log that showed the broadcast was active."You think a temporary block is going to save you, Athena?" Chloe asked, her voice dropping the polite facade entirely. She looked up, her gaze cutting through me like ice. "My development team is already sitting in the server room downstairs. The moment this broadcast registers on our network, they override your local encryption. You just saved us the trouble of digging through Lucien’s mainframe."She didn't wait for a response. She turned around, waving her hand toward the three compliance officers waiting at the door. "Secure the local terminal. Ensure no secondary data packets leave this office. I want the extraction line kept completely clean."One of the men stepped forward, a heavy leather briefcase in his hand. He didn't l
ATHENA POVChloe’s voice through the thick wood was way too calm. It was the same smooth, polished tone she used during her press conferences, completely stripped of any emotion. Hearing it now, right after surviving a simulated car crash and finding out her name was on the liquidation files of my father’s company, made my skin crawl.I looked at the mahogany door, then down at my hands. They were still damp from the rain outside, my fingers hovering over the glass screen of my tablet. Everything in my head was screaming at me to run, but there was nowhere to go. Fifty floors up, amber emergency lights pulsing against the walls, and the daughter of the man who ruined my family was standing right outside.Marcus was practically hyperventilating next to the bookshelf. He had his back pressed against the wood, his eyes wide as he stared at the door handle. He looked like a kid waiting to get caught."Lucien," Chloe called out again, followed by the faint click of her heels shifting on t
ATHENA POVThe heavy mahogany handle rattled a second time, a sharp, violent metallic snap that echoed like a gunshot in the quiet office.My body went completely rigid in the executive chair. My fingers stayed hovered over the tablet screen, frozen above the data lines pointing directly to Arthur Vance’s terminal. I looked up at Lucien.He didn't make a sound. His eyes narrowed, turning into cold, dark slits as his gaze locked onto the moving handle. With a fluid, silent efficiency, he reached into his jacket and pulled out the matte-black firearm. He didn't raise it yet. He kept it flush against his thigh, his large frame stepping smoothly between the desk and the door, completely shielding me from the line of fire.Silence descended on the room again, thick and heavy.Then, a frantic voice bled through the thick wood of the door. "Lucien! Open the door! It’s me."Marcus.I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, my shoulders dropping slightly. But the tension in the room
ATHENA POVThe rain didn't stop, but I barely felt the cold water soaking through my clothes. My eyes were fixed on the map coordinates on Lucien’s screen. The red pulsing dot sat squarely over the glass silhouette of Laurent Holdings Headquarters—the exact building where I had spent the last three days mapping out my revenge."Your board," I said, my voice cutting through the steady patter of the rain. "You told me you didn't have any leaks, Lucien."Lucien didn't answer immediately. He tucked the phone back into his coat pocket and turned back toward the dead SUV. His movements were calculated, completely devoid of the hesitation that was currently twisting my stomach into knots. He looked at his driver, who was standing by the damaged front fender, checking the scrape along the concrete barrier."Thomas," Lucien called out, his voice sharp and authoritative. "Leave the vehicle. Call the secondary team to tow it directly to the private warehouse. No police reports, no insurance logs
ATHENA POVThe engine screamed. The sudden, violent jerk of the SUV threw me forward, the seatbelt cutting hard into my shoulder. I slammed back against the leather as the vehicle accelerated on its own, the digital dashboard flashing a single, terrifying message: System Override Initiated."The steering is dead!" the driver shouted, his arms straining against the wheel. It wouldn't budge. It was locked completely rigid, forcing the heavy SUV straight toward the concrete barrier of the river bridge. "The brakes aren't responding!"Panic flared in my chest, hot and sharp, but my brain instantly kicked into developer mode. This wasn't a mechanical failure. It was a remote exploit through the vehicle's smart-grid firmware. Chloe. She wasn't just wiping servers; she was clearing the board.Beside me, Lucien didn't panic. His face was a mask of cold, concentrated fury. With one fluid motion, he reached across the console, his large hand gripping my wrist."Athena, the tablet," he said, his
LUCIEN POV Marcus’s name blinked against the black plastic of the console. The green answer icon pulsed, illuminating the interior of the moving vehicle with a rhythmic, sickly glow. Beside me, Athena’s eyes stayed fixed on the screen. She didn't say a word, but her fingers dug into the leather of her seat, her knuckles turning a bloodless white. I didn't like the fear in her eyes, but underneath it, there was a stubborn resilience that kept her from breaking. She was holding on. I reached down and swiped the screen, switching the call to the vehicle’s integrated Bluetooth system. The audio didn't start with Marcus’s voice. It started with the sound of a heavy, ragged breath, followed by a sharp, metallic rattle—like a set of keys hitting a hard surface. "Lucien," Marcus choked out. He sounded completely unhinged, the thin veneer of his high-society confidence entirely stripped away. "Tell me you haven't processed the paperwork. Tell me you still have the forensic drive in your p
ATHENA POVThe workspace Lucien provided inside his penthouse looked more like a premium tech lab than a home office. Three massive, curved monitors glowed in the dim room, casting a cool blue light over my face. It was 2:14 AM. My fingers flew across the mechanical keyboard, tapping out a sequence
ATHENA POV"Your fiancée," I repeated. The word tasted heavy and entirely foreign on my tongue. I stared at Lucien, looking for any sign of a joke on his face. There was none. His expression remained as stone-cold as the glass walls surrounding us."A temporary arrangement," Lucien clarified calmly
ATHENA POVThe matte-black business card felt heavy between my fingers. I sat on the edge of my bed in the tiny, cramped apartment I shared with two roommates, staring at the embossed silver lettering: Laurent Holdings. Lucien Laurent, Managing Director.I hadn’t slept. Every time I closed my eyes,
ATHENA POVThe heavy glass doors of the Grand Horizon Ballroom did not just keep the cold night air out; they kept a certain class of people in. I adjusted the strap of my cheap heels, feeling entirely out of place among the silk gowns and tailored tuxedos. But I forced a smile. Tonight wasn't abou







