LOGINZoya smiled. It was a very small and terrifying smile, but it was real."I will call the lawyers," Zoya said, pulling her sleek phone from her pocket. "They charge two thousand dollars an hour. And they require a massive retainer upfront.""I can afford it," Claire replied without blinking.Raphael walked over to his wife. He did not care that his executives were watching. He grabbed the back of her neck gently and kissed her hard. It was a kiss full of absolute pride and fierce love.Ethan covered his eyes with his hands. "Boss, please. We are currently in the middle of a hostile corporate takeover. We do not have time for romance."Raphael pulled back slowly. He looked down at Claire. His dark eyes were shining."Thank you," Raphael whispered softly."You would do the exact same thing for me," Claire said simply. She turned to look at the other two. "Now, we need to leave this building.""Leave?" Ethan dropped his hands, looking totally confused. "Why? This is our headquarters.""No
The silence inside the black Maybach was deafening.On the small television screen, Daniel Hayes was smiling at the flashing cameras. He looked perfectly polished. He looked like a billionaire.He looked like a Kingston."Raphael!" Ethan’s panicked voice screamed through the phone, breaking the silence. "Did you see it?! Tell me you are seeing this!"Raphael did not blink. His dark eyes were fixed on the screen. The glass of the car window was still faintly cracked from his fist."I see it, Ethan," Raphael said. His voice was not angry. It was completely, terrifyingly flat. It was the voice of a man preparing to burn a city to the ground."He is your brother?!" Ethan shrieked. "Daniel Hayes is a Kingston?! Why didn't I know this? I am the Vice President!""Half-brother," Raphael corrected coldly. "Lock down the executive floor. Do not let a single board member leave the building. I am on my way."He hung up the phone without waiting for an answer.Raphael turned to the front seat. "Dr
The morning sun spilled across the bed, but Claire didn't wake up to an alarm.She woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and warm pastries.She slowly opened her eyes. Raphael was sitting on the edge of the mattress, fully dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt and dark jeans. He wasn't wearing a tie. He wasn't holding a tablet. He was holding a silver tray loaded with breakfast."Good morning," Raphael smiled softly.Claire pushed herself up against the headboard, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked at the tray, then looked at the clock on the nightstand.It was 10:00 AM on a Wednesday."Raphael," Claire gasped, suddenly wide awake. "What are you doing here? You are three hours late for work! Zoya is going to murder you.""Zoya is currently handling a conference call with Tokyo," Raphael said calmly, setting the tray over her lap. "And she explicitly ordered me not to show my face in the building today. She said my lingering guilt was disrupting her workflow."Claire let o
The restaurant was quiet, romantic, and dimly lit. Soft jazz played from the speakers hidden in the ceiling.Claire sat in a plush velvet booth. A glass of untouched ice water sat in front of her.She looked at her phone. The screen lit up.It was 7:45 PM.Raphael was forty-five minutes late.A polite waiter walked over, offering her a sympathetic smile. "Can I bring you some bread, ma'am? Or would you like to go ahead and order?""No, thank you," Claire said, forcing a tight smile. "I will just wait a little longer."The waiter nodded and walked away.Claire felt a hot, uncomfortable flush creep up her neck. She hated this feeling. For three years, she had eaten dinner alone at the massive dining table in the penthouse while Raphael worked late. Sitting here, staring at the empty chair across from her, felt exactly like stepping back into a nightmare.Suddenly, her phone buzzed on the table.Claire quickly snatched it up, hoping to hear his voice apologizing, saying he was parking th
Ethan was sweating.He stood in the middle of Raphael's massive office, clutching a tablet to his chest like a shield."Raphael, you cannot be serious," Ethan said, his voice completely panicked. "You hired a new COO without telling me? What if they are terrible? What if they want to fire me?""I am not going to fire you," a cool, smooth voice echoed from the doorway. "Unless you cry. I do not like crying."Ethan spun around.A woman walked into the office. She was tall, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit that looked sharper than a knife. Her hair was a striking, icy silver, pulled back into a very practical, grounded bun. She had sharp features and cold blue eyes.She looked like a legendary assassin from an action movie."Ethan," Raphael said from his desk, completely relaxed. "Meet Zoya. She is the new Chief Operating Officer of Kingston Corporation."Zoya walked forward. She didn't offer her hand. She just looked Ethan up and down."You are the Vice President," Zoya said. She
The elevator doors opened on the top floor of Kingston Corporation.The entire executive floor went completely silent.Raphael stepped out. He wore a sharp black suit. He looked incredibly well rested. His dark eyes scanned the room, but the usual freezing glare was entirely missing.Ethan was standing by the reception desk. He held a coffee cup in front of his chest like a shield."Good morning," Raphael said.Ethan blinked. He looked around to see if Raphael was talking to someone else."Good morning, boss," Ethan whispered, taking a cautious step back. "You are smiling. Why are you smiling on a Monday?""It is a beautiful day," Raphael walked toward his office. "Bring me the Halcyon reports."Ethan followed him inside like a very confused puppy."The board is terrified of you right now," Ethan said, dropping a blue folder on the large mahogany desk. "They think your good mood is a trick. Davis actually asked me if you were planning to fire everyone before lunch.""I am not firing a
The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed 2:00 AM. Claire sat on the velvet living room sofa, staring at the muted television. The penthouse was massive, perfectly decorated, and entirely too quiet. Look, but don’t touch. Live in it, but definitely don't make a sound. Outside, the rain began t
"Give those back to me, Sophia," Claire said, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger. She took a step toward the armchair.Sophia didn't flinch. She elegantly tapped the thick stack of papers against her knee, her expression cold and completely unbothered."I don't think I will," Sophia rep
"I broke his heart?" Claire let out a sharp, bitter laugh, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't wake the man sleeping in the bed. "Are you insane, Ethan? He broke mine. He broke it into a million pieces, ground it into the marble floor, and didn't even notice the mess.""Keep your voice down," Eth
The squashed hospital sandwich lay sad and forgotten on the linoleum floor.Claire stared at the glowing screen of her phone in Raphael’s hand. Her brain completely short-circuited. Out of all the messages Daniel could have sent, it had to be the one spelling out her entire secret in bold letters.







