MasukThank you for reading!
ASHVINThe moment Ryan said Luna had fainted, something inside me went completely still.For several seconds, I simply stared at him.Luna.Evelyn's daughter.The little girl who had somehow managed to get under my skin without even trying. The child whose dark eyes unsettled me from the moment I met her because there was something painfully familiar about them. The child who called a monster like me handsome and kind, who looked at me with that innocent trust I had no right to receive.Was that why Eve was in tears as she approached me?My heart ached when I remembered that I missed her calls when she needed me the most. I took a deep breath as I turned to look at her.She was still lying motionless on the hospital bed, surrounded by machines and nurses who were doing everything they could to bring her blood pressure down.Every instinct in me screamed to stay.I had spent six years believing Evelyn had abandoned me, and maybe she had. But right now, at this point, none of it mattere
ASHVINNot now.Not when she had finally come to me.A doctor hurried toward us and immediately began asking questions.“What happened?”“She collapsed at my office.”“Did she lose consciousness immediately?”“Yes.”“Any known medical conditions?”I hesitated.I knew Evelyn had struggled with her blood pressure before, but I didn't know what her current condition was. Hell, even what I knew were scraps of information Isaac shared with me. “I don't know.”The doctor nodded and began examining her.“Get her blood pressure immediately.”The nurse wrapped the cuff around Evelyn's arm.I watched the numbers rise until they dropped again. 203/140I didn't need to be a doctor to know that was too fucking high. The doctor ignored me and turned to one of the nurses,“She appears to have gone into shock. The combination of the extremely elevated blood pressure and whatever caused the emotional or physical stress could have caused her to lose consciousness.”“Is she going to be okay?”The ques
ASHVIN“Eve, stay with me. Fuck, baby. Please. Tell me who I need to kill.” I whispered, all my resentment out the window. But she was already gone. Her eyes closed as her knees buckled and she was about to hit the floor but I rushed forward and caught her. I pulled her against my chest as her entire body went limp in my arms. Her head fell against my shoulder, her hair brushing my jaw, and for one horrifying second, I couldn't feel her breathing.My heart slammed against my ribs so violently that it hurt.“Evelyn?”I shifted her carefully, one hand sliding behind her neck while the other pressed against her cheek. Her skin was burning beneath my palm, yet she looked so pale that the sight of her made something cold crawl through my veins.“Eve, open your eyes.”But only silence followed.“Evelyn!”My voice came out louder this time, rough with panic I couldn't control.I faced hostile takeovers, lawsuits, threats against my family, boardroom betrayals and men who had tried to put a
ASHVIN My body locked, and every part of me was on high alert as I straightened.“What kind?”“System failure across several secured systems. Our security team detected unauthorized access attempts.”I nodded as I walked out of the boardroom with Ryan on my tail.“How far did they get?” My question echoed through the halls as I walked faster than I normally would.“We don't know yet.”“Then find out.”“We're already trying. But boss,” The hesitation in his tone made me halt and turn to face him.“There is one more thing.”“What?”“Security has classified it as Code Red.”I felt every muscle in my body tighten.Code Red.Those two words changed everything.Blackwood didn't use that classification for routine technical problems. It meant the threat had reached a level where sensitive company information could be exposed if we didn't contain it.Client information.Financial records.Contracts.Private transactions.Everything.If an attack like that succeeded, it wouldn't simply create
ASHVINThe moment the boardroom doors closed behind the last director, I checked my watch. Normally, being buried in work and making everyone work over time was my favorite part of the day.But not today. I had something else which was more important.Luna had sent me a message last night telling me about her first dance and asked if I could come. So, of course, I would. I'd give that little girl anything she asked of me. Which was strange because we weren't related, and I had no business being in her life like her mother constantly reminded me. But somehow, I ended up promising her, and I didn't know why that promise mattered so much to me.Whatever the reason, I intended to keep my word. So if this old man would stop talking so we could close, that would be awesome.“We really need to know if you're capable of pulling this off or if we need to have another plan, Ashvin. The profits are not doing well and the competition is getting tougher. We need fresh ideas, and that ceramic com
EVELYNMy heart pounded harder with every ring.But it went unanswered. I swallowed the lump in my throat and called again.Still nothing.Tears rolled down my face as I continuously ran a hand through my hair, shame long gone, and desperation sitting right in the front row. “Ashvin, please.” I paced back and forth.I didn't care anymore who saw me crying.I didn't care about the six years between us.I didn't care about the cheque, the betrayal, the hatred, or the pride that had kept me away from him.My daughter needed help.I called again and again.Still no answer.I lowered the phone slowly.He wasn't picking up.Maybe he didn't want to.Maybe he had seen my name and deliberately ignored it.The thought cut so deeply that I almost couldn't breathe.But Luna couldn't wait for my heartbreak.I was willing to be desperate this time. To put all my cards on the table for him.I was even willing to give him my company.The board would fight me but fuck them all.I wiped my tears with







