LOGIN"Coincidentally," Cole added smoothly, his fingers shifting to rest lightly at the dip of my collarbone, "I’ve had a few gala invitations sitting on my desk for weeks. High-society galas, official charity parties...things I was invited to purely out of courtesy."I frowned, searching his face. "And?""And I never planned on attending a single one of them," he said simply. "Even the elite organizers who sent those golden invitation envelopes weren't actually expecting me to show up. They know I'm far too busy to stand around drinking cheap champagne with them."His smirk widened, lethal and calculating, as he leaned down until his mouth was right beside my ear."Which makes it all the more glorious when I walk through their doors eventually," he murmured, his breath hot against my skin. "With you on my arm.""Which parties?" I blurted out. Why was everyone just planning to have me hanging on their arm without telling me anything? "What time are these parties? Are you really sure you s
I couldn't get up.My knees felt like lead, stuck to the cold floor as my mind fought to catch up with the sheer momentum of his words. I hesitated, the terror and exhaustion from rushing all the way here and barely keeping my mind sane finally getting to me.So, like a dummy I knelt there...my eyes wide and trembling as I stared up at him.Cole didn't give me time to drown in it.Before I could sink any deeper, his large hands came down, his fingers wrapping firmly around my shoulders and pulled me straight up off the floor, placing me back onto my feet. Insteae pf finally letting go of my body, he stepped directly into my space, crowding my vision until there was nothing left to look at except him.He tilted his head down, his eyes staring straight into mine."You need to stop bowing," Cole growled, his voice a low, heavy vibration against my skin. "You need to stop fretting, and yeilding, and succumbing."His thumb pressed into the delicate bone of my shoulder, grounding me comple
"I had nothing to do with it!" I said again, my voice cracking under the weight of pure panic.I slammed the heavy door behind me, tossing my bag onto the marble floor with a loud, desperate clatter. My hands were shaking so violently I couldn't keep them still, gesturing wildly into the quiet space between us."I swear to God, Cole, I didn't agree to taking that picture. I didn't know it was being taken, and I definitely didn't even want to be in the same city as him! You have to believe me!"Cole didn't move an inch. He just stood near the floor-to-ceiling glass, towering in the dim light of the penthouse, a low-ball glass of scotch held loosely in his hand. His dark dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up his forearms, looking entirely relaxed while my entire world was burning down around me."I know you saw the headlines," I spilled, my chest heaving, words tumbling over each other like a broken dam. "I know you saw those trashy, fake-ass photos! And I'm so fu
"Why, Dad? What were you thinking?" I demanded, my voice tight.My father didn't flinch. He sat up a little straighter, his jaw setting as a flash of his old, stubborn pride surfaced in his eyes."I did it back when Daniel was family," he said, his voice level despite his failing body. "Back when he was a man I trusted to build this empire alongside us. We sealed it in my study over drinks." He paused, a dark flicker of frustration crossing his face. "After the two of you fell apart, I wiped the damn thing from my mind. I had a company to run.""Well, Daniel clearly still remembers," I said bitterly. "And he's using it to strip us of everything."His eyes narrowed, a cold, severe edge hardening his features."Then start acting like a Luther, Celene," he snapped, his voice carrying the full weight of the man who built an empire. "Stop being so young, wild, and reckless. You can’t throw a tantrum every time the board is set against you. You’re not a girl playing house anymore...start th
The streetlights blurred as I drove, my hands gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were white.My phone sat on the passenger seat literally begging me to pick it up...Call Cole. Call Cole right now!!The thought crossed my mind over and over, but I instantly shut it down.No. Calling Cole right now would be a terrible idea. I couldn't reach out to him until I spoke to my father and confirmed what Daniel said was actually true. I needed to see the documents and hear the story from my father's own lips first.Besides, Cole Ryder was a total loose cannon. He was far too unpredictable, and I had no idea what he would do if I tossed a mess like this into his lap. I couldn't afford to bring someone so volatile into the picture when I didn't even have my facts straight yet.I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept my eyes on the road. I had to talk to my father first.By the time I pulled into the estate driveway and cut the engine, my hands were still shaking. I stepped out
He had to be fucking kidding me!!!!"Are you really going to go this far just to marry me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. I was so fucking cold and trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief as I trued to sit still. "You’d blackmail me? Destroy my father? Tear down everything my family built... just for me to marry you?"Daniel’s expression didn't flicker. He leaned back, adjusting his cuffs with sickening composure before looking up to meet my gaze."Yes," he said simply. "Because I love you, Celene. I've always loved you."He rested his arms on the table, his eyes darkening with a quiet, lethal finality."But if you choose to go the other route..." Daniel tilted his head, his voice dropping into a harsh, warning thread. "If you refuse, I’ll take it as confirmation that you have no intention of ever being my family. And the moment you decide you're not my family... I become your enemy. And trust me, Celene, you do not want me as your enemy."I almost told him the moment he bro







