ログインLara's POVThe elevator stopped at the executive floor of Hargrove Group with a soft chime.I held Rio's hand and stepped out. The corridor outside Arvan's office always felt composed — marble floors reflecting the light, glass walls partitioning the meeting rooms, employees moving quickly without much talk."Mama, where is Uncle Arvan?" Rio whispered, his head swiveling left and right."We'll see him shortly," I answered. "Remember what Mama said. Be on your best behavior."Rio nodded obediently.Before I could take another step, the door to the secretariat opened. A man came out carrying a stack of documents.Daniel.Arvan's personal assistant. The man who had always been trusting enough with me — and whose mouth was sometimes looser than he realized.He looked briefly startled, then smiled politely. "Mrs. Lara?""Daniel." I returned his smile warmly. "What good timing. I was hoping to see Arvan."Daniel glanced toward the door of the main office. "I'm sorry, Mr. Arvan is in an onli
Lara's POVI stared at my phone with a clenched jaw.My screen displayed a series of photos of Arvan and Reyna. All of them sent by the insider I had been paying to monitor Reyna's every move at Ashford Corporation.The first photo showed Reyna entering the conference room with a bag full of documents. The second showed Arvan seated at the far end of the table, his dark suit immaculate as always. The third made my fingers tighten around the phone.Arvan was watching Reyna.His gaze wasn't obvious. Anyone else might have taken it for ordinary professional attention. But I had known Arvan longer than anyone. I knew the way he looked at people. I knew how his eyes changed when someone caught his interest.And I did not like what I was seeing.The last photo made my blood boil.Reyna and Arvan both reaching for the blueprint on the table at the same time. Their fingertips nearly touching. Just a few centimeters apart."How dare she." I threw my phone onto the sofa. "That woman never gives
Aldric returned to the dining table with calmer steps.His expression had smoothed back out, controlled, as though the phone call moments ago had never happened. But I caught the lingering tension that hadn't quite left the corner of his jaw. The way he pulled out his chair just a fraction too carefully."Sorry," he said as he sat down. "Office matters that needed immediate attention."I wanted to ask. The question was already hanging at the tip of my tongue. Who needed to be moved, who was about to arrive. But I swallowed it back down.If Aldric didn't want to talk about it, pressing him would only make him feel cornered. I had learned to respect that boundary, just as he respected mine."It's all right," I answered, forcing a smile. "Work doesn't care what time it is."We continued eating. Aldric asked about my plans for the weekend, I answered with as much as felt natural. He told me something funny that had happened at the office, I laughed in the right places.Everything looked n
I stared at the phone screen for a long moment.How did Kevin know so quickly? My meeting with Mrs. Viviana had ended only a few minutes ago. Lara had just left the café. No one had even had time to spread the news.Yet Kevin already knew.I typed a reply, my fingers hesitating above the screen for a moment."Are you spying on me? How do you always know what's happening to me?"The reply came quickly, as always."Let's just say I have my own way of making sure you're okay."I frowned. An answer that didn't answer anything."That's creepy, Kevin.""Or caring. Depends on your point of view." There was a small laughing emoji at the end. "Now stop overthinking. Go home. You've worked hard today."I let out a sigh, but the corner of my lips lifted without me realizing it.Kevin was always like that. Mysterious, impossible to predict, coming and going like the wind. But somehow, in the middle of all the people trying to bring me down, his presence felt like the one safe place I could rely o
The room felt frozen by Mrs. Viviana's ultimatum.Lara stood behind her with a smile she could barely conceal. I knew she was savoring every second of this.Ms. Brennan looked at Mrs. Viviana with a furrowed brow. "Mrs. Viviana, I think you're being too hasty in your judgment—""I'm not judging, Olivia. I'm deciding." Mrs. Viviana lifted her chin. "I've been in business long enough to know that reputation matters. And I don't want my company's name associated with a woman who abandons her own family."I drew a quiet breath.I could stay silent. Let Ms. Brennan handle this. But silence would only let Lara's accusations take deeper root."Mrs. Viviana." My voice was calm and clear. "May I ask you one thing?"The woman looked at me with a condescending gaze. "What?""You said family is everything. I agree." I held her gaze without blinking. "Which is why I'd like to ask — would you entrust a business decision this important to just one version of a story you heard from a third party?"Mr
Reyna POVMorning came quickly.The first thing I did was send Cassius his gift.A simple watch, chosen carefully yesterday. Not extravagant, just something functional and durable — suited to a doctor who spent his life in hospitals. I wrote a small card, entrusted it to a courier along with the address Aldric had given me."For Cassius. Thank you for being there when I had no one. Come home soon, I want to meet you in person. — Reyna."I looked at the package for a moment before the courier took it away. A brother I'd never met, who had sent money when I was at my lowest, who Aldric said was always buried in his patients. Someday, I wanted to thank him face to face, not through a card.By midday, I arrived at the office.The atmosphere was different now. Whispers still lingered, but not as sharp as before. A few people even nodded as I passed — perhaps word had spread that the mansion project had finished on time.On my desk, Kevin's jacket sat neatly folded. Already clean. Before ge
Arvan POV "Damn it!" I cursed harshly while staring at the luxury car carrying Reyna into the villa area. The place I had visited some time ago. The villa where Aldric Ashford was hiding Reyna. My hand gripped the steering wheel tightly. My jaw hardened. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't care
The clock in the corner of the laptop screen showed eight o'clock in the evening as most employees began to leave. One by one, the room lights were turned off. The sound of keyboards and phones gradually disappeared until the design division floor became almost silent. I was still sitting at my d
I stood stiffly in front of Ms. Brennan's desk. Both hands clenched tightly at my sides. Ms. Brennan's last words echoed in my ears. "A low woman who only relies on her appearance to get a job." Lara still stood beside me with a thin smile full of triumph. "Ms. Brennan," I said in a voice I trie
Reyna POV Damian's car stopped in front of the villa. I got out while hugging the first place trophy that felt heavy and real in my hands. "Let's go in!" Damian said while grinning. "Aldric and Seraphina already know you won. They must have prepared something." I followed him with slow steps







