INICIAR SESIÓNArianna School was unusually loud that day.Not in a comforting way—more like the kind of noise that filled space just to avoid silence. Laughter bouncing off hallways, chairs scraping, footsteps rushing between classes. Everyone seemed busy with everything except what actually mattered.I sat in my seat longer than necessary after class ended, slowly packing my books.My phone buzzed.Once.Then again. And again.I already knew before I looked.Unknown number.Again.This was the third time.I unlocked it with a sigh.“Meet me. Same place I invited you to the last time. This time, don’t ignore it.”I frowned slightly.Same place?I hadn’t agreed to any “first” or “second” meeting. Whoever this was clearly had too much free time and not enough sense.Still, I didn’t feel scared.Annoyed, yes.But not afraid.People at school had been doing this sort of thing lately—random messages, fake accounts, weird attempts to get attention. Ever since everything with Aiden became… complicated, I
The moment Elder Yates left my office, the silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was deliberate. I was brooding, calculating.Pondering on what to do next. Their speciality seemed to reverse psychology, hiding and waiting patiently, for the right moment to strike. I stayed by the window for a moment without moving, watching the city below move like nothing in the world was wrong. Cars flowed through lanes, people crossed streets, life continued in its usual rhythm. But I knew better. Nothing stayed normal for long in my world. “Marcus,” I called without turning. The door opened almost immediately. “Yes, young master.” “Close the door.” The soft click behind him sealed the room. I finally turned around. My voice was steady, but sharper than before. “I want updates on the surveillance teams. Every unit assigned to be on their tail—real-time movement, no delays.” Marcus didn’t ask who I meant. He never needed to anymore. “Yes, sir. They’re already in position.” “Good. And Q,
Chapter Title: Shadows Behind Power The corridor had finally emptied. Silence returned to my floor, the kind that only followed after authority had been firmly asserted. The echoes of hurried footsteps faded, leaving behind nothing but stillness and intention. Elder Yates remained where he stood. Waiting. He was not a man who needed things explained twice. “Now,” he said calmly, adjusting his grip on his cane, “you mentioned another matter.” I studied him for a brief second. Then I turned. “Inside,” I said. We stepped back into my office, the door closing behind us with a soft but final click. The air in the room was still —private, contained, deliberate. I didn’t sit this time. Neither did he. “This isn’t something I intended to bring up today,” I began, walking toward my desk. “But considering your family’s… current situation, it has become necessary.” His gaze sharpened slightly. “You have my attention.” I picked up a thin black folder from the far edge of the desk.
Chapter Title: When Power Shifts Hands The agreement had been signed without ink, but it carried more weight than any contract ever could. Elder Yates sat across from me, his expression calmer now, though the heaviness in his eyes hadn’t fully disappeared. We had gone over everything—every document, every liability, every name tied to the corruption spreading through his family like rot beneath polished skin. I didn’t interrupt him once. Neither did he. Outside the office, the noise had only grown louder at first—raised voices, impatient shouting, the kind of chaos that came from people who believed access meant control. But Marcus handled them well. As expected. He had delayed them just enough. Enough for me to finish what mattered. When Elder Yates finally spoke again, his voice was lower. “I have only one request,” he said. I looked at him. He didn’t hesitate. “Do not harm my granddaughter.” A pause. “I promise she will not come near your wife again.
The moment I stepped into the building, I could already feel it.Tension.Not the kind that builds slowly, but the kind that arrives fully formed—thick, uncomfortable, and desperate.Waiting for me.The senior members of the Yates family stood in a semi-circle near the entrance of my office floor, their expressions tightly controlled but visibly strained. Some looked angry. Others looked anxious. A few simply looked exhausted, like they hadn’t slept after reading the email I sent earlier.I didn’t slow my steps.“You’re blocking the entrance,” I said flatly as I approached.No greeting.No acknowledgment beyond that.One of them stepped forward immediately, his face red with irritation.“Aiden, your father and I have been in business for over two decades. What is the meaning of this nonsense?”I finally stopped.Slowly, I lifted my gaze to him.“You call it nonsense,” I said calmly, “because I haven’t involved the authorities yet.”A pause.My tone didn’t rise.It didn’t need to.The
AidenHer voice was still echoing in my head.I was just thinking about you.That sentence alone had nearly derailed my entire meeting.I leaned back in my chair on the balcony, staring at the open laptop in front of me, though my attention was nowhere near it. The afternoon breeze was light, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.That little temptress.She said things so casually, with no awareness of the effect they had.Completely unaware of her own influence.I nearly kissed her cherry coloured lips in the moment.A low exhale left my lips.“She’s going to be the death of me,” I muttered under my breath.Almost on cue, my secretary’s voice came through the speakers again.“Young master, if you’re busy, we can continue another time.”Silence followed immediately.Not because I didn’t hear him—but because no one else on that call dared to speak.I could imagine it clearly.Frozen faces.Suspended breaths.People who had spent years hearing rumors about me now trying t
The ever heavily dressed Mrs Young stood at the grand entrance of her home, welcoming guests with a shiny, overly rehearsed smile. She was glammed to the nines, sparkling from head to toe like someone who had just been plucked out of a reality show and placed on a red carpet. Her gown was layered w
Aiden was dumbstruck, frozen in a rare moment of disbelief as the weight of the truth settled heavily on his shoulders. He blamed himself entirely—blamed his arrogance, his calm confidence, his underestimation of the Shadows. For years, they had preferred silence. They lurked in darkness, observing
Before the shock from Arianna’s call could fully settle in, Aiden shifted into saviour mode with a level of sharpness that would intimidate most grown men. His heart was still reacting to her unexpected voice—soft, breathy, almost trembling—yet his mind had already begun working, dissecting her wor
It was the morning of Arianna’s eighteenth birthday, and it felt as though the heavens themselves understood the weight of the day. The sun rose with unusual brilliance, casting streaks of gold across the Young family estate. The sky was clear—blue and endless—while a gentle breeze drifted through







