登入The wind outside howled like a restless spirit as Nathan sat behind his office desk, staring blankly at the wall clock.The once-golden Mills Corp was now a shadow of its former glory.Three years later, the company’s name which once echoed across the nation like a royal anthem; now, it had become a whisper, fading with every passing day.Contracts had dried up. Loyal investors had fled like frightened birds. Some had run straight into the open arms of Golden Aura — Charlotte’s company, the very empire he once thought would never match his.The irony burned deep inside him.The office door opened quietly. Marcel entered, his usual cheerful self dimmed by the heavy atmosphere. “Boss,” he called softly, walking toward the desk. “You’ve been staring at that wall for almost ten minutes. You’ll make a hole soon.”Nathan blinked, realizing he hadn’t even noticed Marcel enter. “Do you ever think about how quickly things change?” he asked, his voice low. “Yesterday we were kings. Today, we’re
The morning sun was still shy, painting the clouds gold when Caleb’s car rolled to a gentle stop in front of Charlotte’s gate. The hum of the engine faded, replaced by the sound of soft birdsong from the nearby trees. He turned to her, his face glowing with contentment.“Thank you for making last night the best I ever had,” he said, his voice low, sincere, almost boyish.Charlotte smiled faintly, her hand resting on the car door. She could still feel the warmth of his body from the night before, the comfort of their closeness lingering around her heart. “You’re welcome,” she said softly. “You deserve it.”He chuckled softly. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll kidnap you and never let you go.”She laughed and shook her head slowly. “You’re not serious.”Caleb leaned slightly closer, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Try me.”Charlotte pressed her lips briefly against his. “Bye, darling. I need to go get ready for work.”He exhaled deeply as though letting her go physically pained h
They reached his bedroom, laughter still dancing between them. Caleb pushed the door open, and Charlotte paused for a moment, her eyes sweeping across the large, elegant room. The white curtains swayed lightly to the rhythm of the air conditioner, and the scent of fresh lavender filled the space. Everything looked calm — intimate, too calm that her heart fluttered nervously.Caleb dropped her gently on the floor, smiling as he turned to lock the door. “Home, sweet home,” he said softly, brushing her hair aside.Charlotte chuckled, looking around. “You really live like a prince.”He shrugged. “Well, a prince just found his queen.”She hit him lightly on the arm, and they both laughed again.Caleb walked to the wardrobe and brought out two neatly folded night wears. “Here,” he said, handing one to her. “It’s new. I bought it the other day, hoping someday you’d need it.”Charlotte blinked. “You bought this for me?”He nodded. “A man can dream, right?”She smiled shyly, taking it from h
Megan sat cross-legged on the couch beside her elder sister, her phone in her hand as she replayed the videos of Charlotte’s engagement party. The television screen was also tuned to one of the popular entertainment channels still replaying the same scene from the night before. She laughed excitedly, pointing at the screen. “Look at your face here, Charlotte! See how you were just crying and smiling like a baby!”Charlotte smiled shyly, shaking her head. “You and this your video addiction,” she said softly. “You’ve watched this same thing since morning.”Megan ignored her completely, tapping on the screen again. “See how Caleb Briggs knelt down, ah! This part, this part!” she squealed excitedly, replaying the moment Caleb brought out the ring. “You were just standing like statue before you finally said yes. I almost shouted from the hall that night!”Charlotte rolled her eyes and rested her chin lazily on her palm. “You’ve said that a hundred times today,” she muttered, though the s
Marcel stood just by the door, breathing fast, his face pale like someone who had just rushed up a staircase. “Boss,” he said, still catching his breath, “have you not heard about your wife—”He paused immediately and corrected himself, realizing how that would sound. “Sorry, I mean Charlotte’s engagement with Caleb.”Nathan’s lips curved into something that looked like a smile, but it was empty, painful to even look at. He turned his face slowly toward the television still playing the clip of Charlotte and Caleb from last night.He pointed at the screen, his voice low and cold. “Oh, you mean this?”Marcel turned and saw the broadcast. “Oh,” he said, nodding awkwardly, “you’ve seen it.”Nathan just gave a dry laugh, the kind that carried no joy, only bitterness. Marcel scratched his head, stepping closer. “Look, Boss,” he said carefully, “I know it’s… hard. But maybe you should just be happy for her.”Nathan turned sharply, his eyes burning. “Happy? Why should I be happy for her? Why
The next morning, the internet was on fire. Every major news channel, blog, and gossip page had only one headline — “The Union of Two Titans: Charlotte Dean Engaged to Caleb Cooper.”The videos from last night’s event were everywhere. The clip of Caleb kneeling before Charlotte, the diamond ring sparkling, and Charlotte’s tearful “yes” was being replayed on every TV screen across the country.It was as though the whole world was celebrating a love story that had been long in the making. But for one man, the same story felt like a sharp blade piercing deep into his chest.Inside his office at Mills Corp, Nathan sat at his desk, the morning sunlight spilling across the table. Two men in black suits sat opposite him, presenting their reports on an ongoing project.Nathan was nodding faintly to their words, pretending to listen, but his mind was far away.Then, the television mounted on the wall suddenly switched from the financial news to the breaking headline.His attention caught it i
The car moved smoothly along the dimly lit road, the hum of the engine the only sound filling the heavy silence inside the SUV. Streetlights flashed past the tinted windows in slow, measured intervals, casting fleeting shadows across Nathan's face. He sat rigidly at the back, his posture stiff and
By nightfall, the city had grown quieter and more subdued, the earlier rush fading into distant hums of traffic and scattered streetlights that dotted the darkness like small beacons. Nathan stood outside a modest but well-kept apartment building, his posture rigid and tense as he faced Marcel wit
The urgent call from Marcel turned out to be strictly work-related, though it came at the worst possible time imaginable. A major client from New York—one Nathan had spent years carefully cultivating, had suddenly requested a face-to-face meeting, insisting emphatically that it had to be Nathan hi
A sharp knock echoed through the apartment, cutting through the fragile calm that had settled in the room like a knife through silk. Charlotte stiffened instantly, her entire body going rigid. Her hands paused mid-movement as she packed the ointment back into the first-aid box with careful precisi







