MasukMichael's POVI watched the morning headlines scroll across my tablet screen, each one more sensational than the last. The coffee in my hand had gone cold, forgotten as I absorbed the media storm I'd carefully orchestrated. James Vale's past splashed across every major outlet, old wounds torn fresh again.But Alexandra wasn't reacting the way I expected.When I'd orchestrated this little media circus about James Vale, I'd been certain she would crack. That those perfectly curated headlines about his wife's death would send her running for safer ground. Alexandra had always been obsessed with her pristine reputation—it was one of the things that had driven us apart in the end.But she didn't run.Instead, she stood by him. Publicly. Defiantly.I caught a glimpse of them in some society photographer's lens—her hand on his arm, chin lifted, eyes challenging anyone to question her choice. The image made something twist in my gut. Jealousy? No. Something darker.That's when it hit me—Alexa
Michael's POVI watched the morning headlines scroll across my tablet screen, each one more sensational than the last. The coffee in my hand had gone cold, forgotten as I absorbed the media storm I'd carefully orchestrated. James Vale's past splashed across every major outlet, old wounds torn fresh again.But Alexandra wasn't reacting the way I expected.When I'd orchestrated this little media circus about James Vale, I'd been certain she would crack. That those perfectly curated headlines about his wife's death would send her running for safer ground. Alexandra had always been obsessed with her pristine reputation—it was one of the things that had driven us apart in the end.But she didn't run.Instead, she stood by him. Publicly. Defiantly.I caught a glimpse of them in some society photographer's lens—her hand on his arm, chin lifted, eyes challenging anyone to question her choice. The image made something twist in my gut. Jealousy? No. Something darker.That's when it hit me—Alexa
Michael's POVI watched the morning headlines scroll across my tablet screen, each one more sensational than the last. The coffee in my hand had gone cold, forgotten as I absorbed the media storm I'd carefully orchestrated. James Vale's past splashed across every major outlet, old wounds torn fresh again.But Alexandra wasn't reacting the way I expected.When I'd orchestrated this little media circus about James Vale, I'd been certain she would crack. That those perfectly curated headlines about his wife's death would send her running for safer ground. Alexandra had always been obsessed with her pristine reputation—it was one of the things that had driven us apart in the end.But she didn't run.Instead, she stood by him. Publicly. Defiantly.I caught a glimpse of them in some society photographer's lens—her hand on his arm, chin lifted, eyes challenging anyone to question her choice. The image made something twist in my gut. Jealousy? No. Something darker.That's when it hit me—Alexa
Michael's POVI watched the morning headlines scroll across my tablet screen, each one more sensational than the last. The coffee in my hand had gone cold, forgotten as I absorbed the media storm I'd carefully orchestrated. James Vale's past splashed across every major outlet, old wounds torn fresh again.But Alexandra wasn't reacting the way I expected.When I'd orchestrated this little media circus about James Vale, I'd been certain she would crack. That those perfectly curated headlines about his wife's death would send her running for safer ground. Alexandra had always been obsessed with her pristine reputation—it was one of the things that had driven us apart in the end.But she didn't run.Instead, she stood by him. Publicly. Defiantly.I caught a glimpse of them in some society photographer's lens—her hand on his arm, chin lifted, eyes challenging anyone to question her choice. The image made something twist in my gut. Jealousy? No. Something darker.That's when it hit me—Alexa
Michael's POVI watched the morning headlines scroll across my tablet screen, each one more sensational than the last. The coffee in my hand had gone cold, forgotten as I absorbed the media storm I'd carefully orchestrated. James Vale's past splashed across every major outlet, old wounds torn fresh again.But Alexandra wasn't reacting the way I expected.When I'd orchestrated this little media circus about James Vale, I'd been certain she would crack. That those perfectly curated headlines about his wife's death would send her running for safer ground. Alexandra had always been obsessed with her pristine reputation—it was one of the things that had driven us apart in the end.But she didn't run.Instead, she stood by him. Publicly. Defiantly.I caught a glimpse of them in some society photographer's lens—her hand on his arm, chin lifted, eyes challenging anyone to question her choice. The image made something twist in my gut. Jealousy? No. Something darker.That's when it hit me—Alexa
Michael's POVI watched the morning headlines scroll across my tablet screen, each one more sensational than the last. The coffee in my hand had gone cold, forgotten as I absorbed the media storm I'd carefully orchestrated. James Vale's past splashed across every major outlet, old wounds torn fresh again.But Alexandra wasn't reacting the way I expected.When I'd orchestrated this little media circus about James Vale, I'd been certain she would crack. That those perfectly curated headlines about his wife's death would send her running for safer ground. Alexandra had always been obsessed with her pristine reputation—it was one of the things that had driven us apart in the end.But she didn't run.Instead, she stood by him. Publicly. Defiantly.I caught a glimpse of them in some society photographer's lens—her hand on his arm, chin lifted, eyes challenging anyone to question her choice. The image made something twist in my gut. Jealousy? No. Something darker.That's when it hit me—Alexa
Undisclosed Location – 48 Hours Later The news blared from the television mounted on the wall of our secure apartment, the anchor's voice carrying the practiced gravity reserved for world-changing events. Outside, Paris continued its everyday rhythm—café patrons lingering over espresso, tourists
Private Jet – En Route to Geneva – 5:19 AM Griffin slept fitfully across two seats, his body finally surrendering to exhaustion after thirty-six hours of continuous alertness. I'd draped my cashmere wrap over him, tucking it around his shoulders the way I used to when he was small. Even in sleep,
Reykjavik Server Farm – 3:41 AM The neon glow of the countdown timer pulsed like a heartbeat—02:08:37—as Griffin's small hands trembled on the keyboard. The harsh industrial lighting of the server farm cast everyone's faces in a ghostly pallor, the mechanical hum of cooling systems providing a co
Lane International Jet – Somewhere Over the Atlantic Griffin slept across three seats, his coding manual open on his chest, the blue glow of his tablet screen still illuminating his face. At sixteen, he should have been worried about college applications and first dates, not corporate espionage a







