LOGINThe car slowed.I looked up instinctively.We had stopped.I blinked as I looked out the window.In front of us stood a towering glass-fronted building, its name displayed in clean, bold lettering.BW.A Blackwood (BW) flagship.My brows lifted slightly.Of course.I had heard about it. Everyone had. A luxury fashion label under the Blackwood Group—favored by celebrities, influencers, the elite crowd. The kind of place where a single piece could cost more than a year’s salary for most people.And now—I was here.The door opened.I stepped out quickly, adjusting my posture without thinking.By the time I turned—Kael was already out, the files neatly folded in his hand.Effortless.Composed.Like nothing about the last hour had happened.I fell into step behind him.Instinctively.Maintaining distance.Maintaining form.A group of managers rushed forward to receive him, their movements quick, respectful, almost… rehearsed.“Sir.”“Good evening, sir.”He acknowledged them with the slig
Kael stepped out of the building without a word, and I followed, matching his pace almost instinctively. The evening air felt different after everything that had just happened—quieter, heavier, like the world hadn’t quite caught up yet.The car waiting outside caught my attention immediately.A Mercedes-Benz S-Class.Even standing still, it carried a presence. Sleek black finish, polished to perfection, the kind of car you don’t just own—you arrive in. My steps slowed for half a second, just enough for me to take it in.I had always loved cars like this.Not in a loud, showy way—but as a goal. A quiet promise to myself. One day, I’d build something of my own, something big enough that I wouldn’t just admire from the outside.One day, I’d drive one.Kael opened the door and slid in without breaking stride, like it was nothing, like this was just another part of his routine.I snapped out of my thoughts and walked to the other side, reaching for the front passenger door.“Come back.”Hi
The door shut behind us with a soft click.Too soft.After everything that had just happened outside—the shouting, the fear, the crack of power in the air—this silence felt… wrong.He didn’t look at me.Didn’t say a word.Kael walked straight in, past the seating area, past the glass panels that overlooked the city, and stopped at the edge of his desk. His back faced me, broad and immovable, like a wall I had no intention of trying to break.I stepped in slower.Measured.Carefully.Like one wrong sound would set something off again.My throat felt dry.Still—I cleared it.“Was there anything, Mr. Blackwood?”My voice came out steadier than I expected.But inside—it wasn’t.Not even close.Because no matter how much I tried to focus on the present—on work, on composure, on distance—my mind kept circling back.To that one sentence.*For touching what’s mine.*My fingers curled slightly at my sides.Did he mean—No.I shut that thought down immediately.Too dangerous.Too… indulgent
Kael stepped forward.Not fast.Not loud.But the moment he did—the air shifted.It wasn’t just tension anymore.It was pressure.Heavy. Commanding. Absolute.Liora felt it before she saw it.The rise of something far more dangerous than anger—control stretched to its limit.She didn’t turn.Didn’t move.For the first time since this began—she allowed herself to be still.“Beta,” Kael said.His voice was low.Measured.Unquestionable.“I request an audience.”Every gaze moved to Jayden.Jayden didn’t nod.Didn’t speak.He simply stepped aside.And the room understood.Authority had shifted.Silence deepened.Not waiting.Not watching.*Bracing.*Kael didn’t immediately step ahead of Liora.He stood beside her for a second.Close.Grounding.Claiming—without saying a word.Liora’s expression didn’t change.But something in her steadied.Then—Kael moved.One step forward.The sound echoed.Nicole flinched.He didn’t rush.Didn’t crowd her.Not yet.“Three questions.”His voice was c
I didn’t think.I didn’t hesitate.The moment I saw that article, something inside me sharpened—like a blade being drawn clean from its sheath.Enough.I shrugged into my jacket in one swift motion and walked out of my room, my steps quick, controlled, purposeful.No confusion.No fear.Just clarity.I descended the stairs——and stopped.Jayden stood at the base, arms relaxed but posture alert, as though he had been waiting.For me.His eyes met mine.A brief pause.“You saw it,” he said quietly.Not a question.I didn’t respond.I walked past him.He followed.—The drive was silent.But it wasn’t empty.There was something unspoken sitting between us—an understanding, a readiness.When the car stopped in front of the towering Blackwood headquarters, I stepped out immediately.Today—This building didn’t intimidate me.It provoked me.The glass doors slid open.And the moment I stepped in—The air shifted.Whispers began like a ripple.Then spread.“She’s here—”“That’s her—”“The on
The next morning felt deceptively normal.Almost like the world hadn’t tilted off its axis the previous day.The cool air still clung to my skin as I finished my jog, my breath uneven but steadying with each step toward the pack house. For a brief stretch of time, it had just been me, the wind, and silence.No accusations.No boardrooms.No mistakes.But the moment I stepped inside—Reality returned.The faint clatter of cutlery echoed from the dining hall, accompanied by low voices. Familiar ones.I slowed just slightly as I entered.They were already seated.Kael Blackwood at the head, composed and unreadable as ever.Jayden across from him, mid-conversation.Jayden looked up first.Our eyes met briefly.A simple acknowledgment.Nothing dramatic.Just… understood.I gave him the slightest nod.And moved on.I didn’t look at him.Not once.Instead, I walked straight to the table, my focus entirely on the spread in front of me.And there it was.Waffles.A small, involuntary spark of
Five days.Five relentless, consuming, breathless days.That was how long it had been since the boardroom had shifted beneath my feet—since a single presentation had rewritten my place in the company. And in those five days, I had barely lived outside the campaign.Sleep had become optional. Food—s
The ride back was quieter than it should have been.Not silent—no, the hum of the engine filled the space, tyres gliding over familiar pack roads—but there was something unspoken sitting between the three of us. Something heavy. Something that had followed us from the chaos of the carnival and refu
He exhales sharply, the sound rough, restrained, like he is holding back far more than he is willing to show.His hands move to his hips, fingers pressing into the fabric of his clothes as he tilts his head slightly back, dragging in a slow breath as though trying to gather himself.“It is dangerou
My skin still hummed where his arms had wrapped around me.Even after he loosened his hold, the warmth lingered—like a brand I could not see but felt everywhere.A sharp, deliberate sound cut through it.Jayden cleared his throat.The moment snapped.I turned slightly, my breath still uneven, to fi







