LOGINDamian stood in Roman’s office—running his fingers along the edge of the massive mahogany desk. The leather chair still held the indent of its previous owner, and he took particular pleasure in settling into it, feeling the way it conformed to his body.Everything about this room screamed power. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. The original artwork on the walls. The shelves lined with awards and achievements. All of it had belonged to Roman King.Damian swiveled in the chair, taking in the view. Forty-two floors up, the city sprawled beneath him like a kingdom waiting to be claimed. He'd waited so long for this moment. Years of planning, maneuvering, positioning himself.And then the opportunity had presented itself so beautifully. The accident. The perfect accident.His phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen. Viktor.He answered. "Tell me.”"It's done." Viktor's voice was gruff, efficient. "The real Mr. King is secured. No one knows where he is. You're p
The elevator ride to the forty-second floor of King Holdings felt like an eternity.Ava stood beside Roman, watching the floor numbers climb. She could feel the tension radiating from him—his jaw was clenched, his hands flexing at his sides. He'd been quiet the entire drive, staring out the window like he was trying to memorize a city he supposedly knew.The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.The King Holdings reception area was all gleaming marble and floor-to-ceiling windows. The company logo—a stylized crown—dominated the wall behind the reception desk. Sarah Chen stood waiting, her professional smile faltering slightly when she saw Roman."Mr. King. Mrs. King." She stepped forward, her hands clasped in front of her. "It's so good to see you both."Roman said nothing, just stared at the logo on the wall like it was written in a foreign language."Sarah, thank you for getting everything ready," Ava said, filling the silence. "Is the conference room set up?""Yes, ma'am. The t
Ava watched her mother's face crumple, saw her father's jaw tighten. But Ava took a breath. Then another. The tears that had been threatening to fall dried up, replaced by something harder. Something that felt like resolve."Mom. Dad." Her voice was steady. "Can you please excuse us? I need to speak with Roman alone.""Ava, honey—" Mrs Morgan started."Please." Ava turned to her mother. "I'll come by the house later. I promise."Edwards hand found his wife's shoulder. He understood. "Come on, dear. Let's give them some space."Mrs Morgan looked like she wanted to argue, but she nodded. She moved toward Ava, pulling her into one more quick embrace. "You're stronger than you know," she whispered in her daughter's ear. "Don't forget that."Edward was the last. He squeezed Ava's hand, then looked at Roman—who was still pressed against the wall, watching them all with suspicious eyes."Take care of yourself, son," Edward said quietly. "Whether you remember it or not, we love you."Roman s
"Mrs. King. Please, come with me to my office. The doctor said slowly. We need to talk."Ava looked back at Roman one more time. He was still watching her with those stranger's eyes, his expression a careful mask of polite concern. It made her want to scream."Okay," she whispered.The doctor led her down the hallway, past the nurses' station, past rooms filled with the sounds of monitors and hushed conversations. Her legs felt numb. Everything felt numb. The doctor's office was small, cramped with filing cabinets and a desk cluttered with papers. He gestured to a chair."Please, sit."Ava sat. She didn't know what else to do.The doctor settled into his chair and pulled out a thin manila folder. He opened it, and Ava caught a glimpse of Roman's name typed at the top of several documents."Mrs. King, I'm Dr. Patterson. I've been overseeing your husband's case since he was brought in." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "What I'm about to tell you may be difficult to hear.""Just
The first thing Ava noticed was the sterile smell—antiseptic and unnervingly clean. Her eyelids felt heavy, as if weighted down by stones, but she forced them open. Harsh fluorescent lights blurred above her, and she blinked slowly, trying to make sense of the white ceiling tiles, the IV stand beside her bed, the steady beep of a monitor somewhere to her left.Where am i?Her mind felt foggy, thoughts moving through molasses. She tried to sit up, but her body protested with a dull ache that spread from her ribs to her shoulders. The hospital gown rustled against the thin sheets as she shifted, and that's when it hit her—she was in a hospital.Ava's breathing quickened as fragments of memory began to surface, jagged and incomplete. She'd been in the car. Roman had been driving. They'd been talking about—what had they been talking about? The details escaped her, but she remembered his hands on the wheel, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the dashboard.And then—The mem
The car slowed and rolled to a stop in front of the house gate. Roman cut the engine abruptly and stepped out, the tension in his body still coiled tight.Ava watched him from the passenger seat, confused, as he walked around the car and opened her door. He held out his hand to her. “Come on. Get down.”She stared at his hand instead of taking it. “Roman… what are you doing?”He frowned slightly, as if her question didn’t make sense. “We’re home. You need to go inside. I have somewhere I need to go.”Ava’s lips parted in disbelief. Slowly, she pulled her hand back and shut the door. The soft thud echoed louder than it should have.Roman straightened, then caught her eyes in the side mirror. For a moment, he just stood there, frustration flickering across his face. He opened the door again, lowering his voice. “Baby, please. Go inside. I don’t want you getting hurt.”Ava shook her head. “No.”“Ava—”“No,” she repeated firmly. “You haven’t told me anything. You drag me out of the statio







