LOGINSebastian stepped into his private office the next morning with dark circles shadowing the skin underneath his eyes. His expression was grim as he hung up his coat. He had spent the entire night pacing, practicing exactly how he would handle the delicate issues currently at hand.The main, suffocating issue was the threat of Eric running an in-depth medical screening on Autumn. If a specialist checked her blood for anomalies, the entire game would be up. Sebastian knew he had to halt any further poisoning immediately. He just had to stop,for now, at least. Even if the sudden pause temporarily slowed his progress, he could always resume the dosages when the time was right, or when the household dynamic grew calmer.The abrupt vibration of his phone cut through his spiraling thoughts. Running a hand through his hair, he pulled the device from his pocket.“Hello,” he answered, not even bothering to glance at the caller ID.“Hi, Sebastian,” Autumn’s voice drifted through the line. She sou
The grand dining room of the estate was buzzing with a low energy as Eric sat alone, waiting for Autumn to return. He had specifically instructed the kitchen staff to prepare her favorite dishes for dinner. Fin had already been tucked in safely for the night, leaving the expansive table set for the adults.To pass the time, Eric kept himself busy, scrolling through briefs on his phone while he waited for her to show up.The sound of approaching footsteps echoing down the hallway brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up expectantly, a rare soft smile beginning to form on his face only for it to be completely wiped away, instantly replaced by a scowl.“Throne,” Eric said, his voice dropping into a low register as his eyes locked onto the intruder. “What the hell are you doing in my home?”“Chloe invited me,” Sebastian replied smoothly. Entirely unbothered by the venom in Eric's tone, he calmly pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table.
Sophia paced around her office anxiously, the clicking of her heels against the hardwood flooring did little to soothe her racing mind. She didn’t know what else to do but worried herself tired. Ever since her meticulously crafted plan had gone up in smoke, she was entirely at a loss for how to proceed.Initially, she had only designed the media leak to teach Autumn a harsh lesson, a warning to stop getting herself involved in a relationship where she didn't belong. But the scheme had backfired spectacularly. The memory of it still made her blood run cold.[A Few Days Ago]Sophia sat in her plush leather chair, twirling herself around with pure joy. A smug grin graced her features as she stared at the ceiling. ‘By now, they’ll be trapped in a vicious argument, screaming at one another over who leaked their private marital drama to the public,’ she thought maliciously.A firm knock at the office door instantly wiped the smile off her face.“Come in,” she called out, smoothing down her
Autumn returned to her office, immediately throwing herself back into sourcing a replacement lead for the project. The Senior Director's revealing words at the Ministry had caught her completely off guard, and the embarrassment of it still burned. Finding out that their primary financial backer was teetering on the edge of ruin and hearing it directly from a government official had made her feel like an inexperienced fool on the grand stage. This was the exact professional nightmare she had fought to avoid, and her fear had been actualized solely due to the gross financial mismanagement within the Kingston Group. Which brought her to her current debacle: cutting the Kingston Group entirely out of the Nexus Project. She wasn't afraid of Eleanor or whatever pathetic corporate retaliation the woman might attempt, but Eric was her true concern. Despite the fact that he was no longer acting as the CEO, it was still his family's legacy. It was his father's life's work. That history was t
Sebastian, true to his word, had started with his new task, waiting for the perfect moment to begin the poisoning process with the potent new drug. He was completely determined to initiate it as soon as possible so he could help speed up the separation between the couple.His plan was as simple as it could be: cause Autumn’s miscarriage and immediately use that devastating opportunity to distance her from Eric. He would lead her straight to a divorce, striking a definitive, fatal blow to Eric’s untouchable ego. He was going to turn Eric's newfound adoration into his biggest weakness, exploiting it until nothing remained of the Kingston name.Sebastian had spent the entirety of the morning and early afternoon staring intensely at the surveillance feeds of the office floor, hunting for a single window of opportunity to apply his first concentrated dosage. But it seemed virtually impossible with her being anchored to her computer screen all day, completely buried in h
The rhythmic tapping of leather shoes was the only sound that echoed through the vast, dimly lit living space. Sebastian sat on the lone sofa, his gaze fixed piercingly on the midnight sky beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. His face was set in a permanent scowl, twisted by the recent turn of events.His initial strategy to isolate Autumn, separate her from Eric, and cause chaos within their household had tremendously backfired. Instead of fracturing, the couple had made up. The gaping hole he had managed to create in their marriage had been repaired by some unknown variable. He had gone fishing for details from Chloe under the guise of a concerned friend, but that endeavor had proven entirely frivolous. She had gently rebuffed his prying, stating she didn't want to get involved in her uncle's marriage because he finally seemed happy. She had even asked Sebastian point-blank if he wasn't happy about this new development. He had quickly diverted the topic, feigning deep concern that C
The car pulled up to the Seta by Antonio Guida, and we were led through the sleek, turquoise-accented halls of the hotel to Seta by Antonio Guida. Eric had reserved a private section, a secluded nook that felt worlds away from the bustling streets of Milan. The lighting was low, the air filled with
"No, no, no!" the man shrieked, his voice hitting a pitch that probably had the neighborhood dogs howling. "Dear God, I am going to die of a heart attack from how unceremoniously ugly your taste is!" He began fanning himself dramatically with a silk-bound lookbook, his face twisted in a mask of the
The day after the gala, the Headinberg estate was enveloped in a deceptive quiet. The morning sun filtered through the high windows, but the atmosphere inside was thick with the aftermath of the previous night’s revelations. In the morning room, the large television was tuned to the entertainment n
Eric povThe day of the event had finally arrived—the formal introduction of Autumn as Eric’s wife and the undisputed Mrs. Kingston. This wasn't just a party; it was a reclamation. Eric had spent years in a cold, sterile world, and tonight, he was bringing the fire back into it.He had already issu







