LOGINRosa’s POVFor a moment, I thought the gift was from Alex. My heart was racing with excitement. Everyone was looking at me and even my dance partner had stepped away. Just before I took the gift, I caught Alex watching. He didn’t look happy.That was when I realized the gift wasn’t from him.When I turned back to the delivery man, my heart was beating differently.I managed to speak. “Who’s this from?” I demanded.“It’s signed," he said, pointing to a small card.I braced myself and peeked at the card. It was my favourite poem. Only one person knew that. Charles Baker. I started shaking my head. “I cannot accept this,” I said.“I’m sorry, miss,” was all the delivery man responded.The longer I delayed, the more people around watched. Phones were already lifted and they were videoing the moment. I grabbed a pen and signed. Then I pointed to a corner. “Keep it over there, please.”I had no intention of touching the gift. And whatever Charles Baker was doing had to end. I excused myse
Rosa’s POVTonight was Kane Tech’s anniversary. I was feeling dull all day and tucked in bed —maybe it was the after effects of visiting William Bush and the outcome of the meeting that made me feel this way. But I knew I had to be present for the ceremony.Alex had insisted we arrive together, maybe it would be the perfect time to tell the company about our relationship.“A hint,” he said, pulling me to himself. It was a tempting offer. But I knew the risks involved.“I’ll be right behind you,” I told him. “In my own car.”He kissed me softly on the lips, and even that little touch sent electricity through my body. “If you keep kissing me and holding me this way, we might both be late to the event.”“I don’t mind,” he responded.I pushed him off. “The CEO can’t be late to his event.”Presently, I sat in my car, exhaling deeply as I stared at the lavish decorations that were wrapped around the building. It was a sight to behold. But dread curled up in my chest the longer I stared at
Rosa’s POVThe interior of the penthouse was a statement. It wasn’t loud, but you could see all the intention put into it to make it perfect. Every item whispered money, the kind that didn’t need to announce itself, the type that had seen kings rise and fall. The room was lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed the city like it belonged to him, and I imagined it was one of his favorite spots. And when I had finished looking at the window, original large sized art and photographs of William Bush with presidents, monarchs, and oil magnates welcomed me.He knew I was stunned. In fact, he had created this room for that purpose —to introduce who he was without saying a word. And suddenly, I felt like a flea that had wandered into a banquet hall.He stood by the bar, his expression unreadable, as he poured wine for the two of us. Knowing he was powerful, I knew I had to find a way to make him listen to what I had to say. If Charles got him by his side, they would ruin Kane. And I
Rosa’s POVThe first thing I felt when Charles stepped into my office was shock. Then, fear registered. He was not supposed to be here. No one here knew that we had been together and I was pissed that he was now walking into my office. I moved fast. Closing the door wasn’t enough, so I locked it. My heart was beating so loudly that I was sure he could hear it. “What are you doing here?” I demanded, turning around to face him. “Have you lost your mind?”He looked off. Well, at least he’s got his knotting game figured out or he and Nancy were back to being sweethearts. Whatever rocked their boats. Point is, I don’t need him rocking mine. “You shouldn’t be here,” I continued, my voice low but noticeably shaky. “You don’t get to walk into my life like this anymore. You don’t get to —”“I’m not here for that,” he cut in.His words stopped me mid sentence. “This,” he said, gesturing between us. “we’ll talk about it later. That is not why I came.”I didn’t want him around me anymore. An
Charles’ POVI woke up feeling proud of myself. Now, there was no proof that I had tampered with the Valis document. And the icing on the cake? Bush and Alex were at loggerheads. I didn't care why they couldn’t stand each other, all I needed was for William Bush to continuously be by my side…until Baker Tech could stand on its own.Nancy was still asleep beside me, her arm on my chest, and her breath against my skin. For a second, I let myself lie there and pretend that I was fine with having her instead of Rosa. That I hadn’t lost anything and Rosa, leaving, hadn’t taken away something that I yearned for. Nancy stirred. My thoughts about Rosa must have given her a nightmare. When she saw that I was awake, she smiled. I forced back a smile. “Hey babe,” she said softly. “Awake already?”She was careful these days when we spoke, like I was fragile and she didn’t want to touch the wrong part of me. “Busy day today,” I told her. We played normal as we stood up from the bed. She mad
Rosa’s POVI couldn’t sleep that night. Alex’s words kept circling around my head like vultures. There was an insider in Kane Tech. That insider had walked into Alex’s office, wiped the prints on the documents, and he had walked into my room too.The thought made me shudder.All along, I thought it was Charles. But Alex said it himself: he had been with Charles all through. And now, every time I closed my eyes to sleep, I saw Alex’s face. I knew it was eating him so badly that he was losing control of his company. The media didn’t help matters. Everything he did, didn’t seem to be perfect in their eyes —at least, not as perfect as Old man Kane had handled it. Whoever was doing this knew exactly where to hit him because he had gotten Alex’s attention. And then, there was William Bush, another contender. I had looked him up after Alex casually mentioned his name and William Bush was more than a wealthy man, he was the son of the city. Men like him did not wage petty wars and steal s







