เข้าสู่ระบบAnika’s fingers tightened around the edges of the printed photo until the glossy paper bent. The image of Tobey’s shattered glasses on the concrete server floor made her stomach do a sudden, sickening flip.Christopher noticed the shift instantly. The soft, victorious look vanished from his face, replaced by a razor-sharp focus as his hand remained locked on the small of her back. He leaned down, his chest brushing her emerald gown as his breath fanned against her temple."What is it?" Christopher asked, his deep voice a low, dangerous murmur that stayed strictly between them.Anika handed him the black envelope, her classy mask perfectly rigid despite the frantic hammering in her chest. "Freddy took Tobey. He left this on the server floor right after we locked down the registry downtown."Christopher took the photo, his blue eyes narrowing into slits of pure, lethal ice. A heavy, terrifying aura radiated from his chest, making the remaining country club waiters back away from their t
Anika slowly lifted her forehead from Christopher’s shoulder, the steady beat of his heart still echoing in her ears. Her classy mask was fully back in place, but the cold, calculating focus in her eyes had returned. She turned around to face the back of the room.Santiago was still leaning against the mahogany table, looking like a ghost. Anna was shivering beside him, her fingers frantically twisting the useless diamond ring on her finger."Your backer just left you with nothing," Anika said, her voice a flat, level blade that cut through the quiet room. "Freddy took your shell accounts, he took the Gold reserves, and by Monday morning, your seat on the makeup division board is completely void. You are both finished."Santiago raised his head, his lower lip trembling with a childish, desperate panic. "Anika... please. I didn't know he was draining the funds. I was just trying to protect Anna. If the media finds out about the illegal transfers—""I don't care about your excuses, Sant
The small white flower sat perfectly still on the guard’s dark uniform jacket. The petals were clean, unbruised, and completely fresh, looking entirely out of place against the dusty, oil-stained concrete of the basement floor.Christopher didn't hesitate. He grabbed Anika’s shoulder, his grip heavy and firm as he violently shoved her behind his back. His broad chest turned into an absolute iron shield, completely blocking her view of the dark hallway. He didn't pull his phone out to call Phil. He just stood perfectly still, his legs spaced apart, his dark blue eyes turning into narrow slits of pure, lethal anger as he stared into the shadows of the corridor."Stay behind me, Anika," Christopher muttered, his deep voice dropping into a low, rough register that carried a terrifying authority.Anika’s fingers tightly gripped the back of his charcoal suit jacket. Her heart did a sudden, chaotic skip against her ribs—not from the dark hallway, but from the sudden, overwhelming awareness o
Anika stared at the screen, her thumb frozen over Shawn’s text. There was no electronic chime this time. No sudden vibration. Just a flat, silent block of text that made the air in the greenhouse feel instantly thin.They bypassed the session and are moving the final vote for "That Position" to a secret location in the city tonight. Anna is already on her way there."They didn't try to hack the terminal," Anika said, her voice flat, devoid of any emotion as she looked up at Christopher. The classy, cold mask was completely back on her face. "Santiago knew Freddy would block him on the corporate server. He took the physical ledger books. They’re doing an old-school, offline board signature at the private legal archives downtown."Christopher didn't waste time asking questions. His face turned to pure ice, his jaw clenching so hard a small vein twitched near his temple. He didn't text his security detail or call Phil. He walked straight over to her, his hand wrapping firmly around her
The gold seal on the heavy parchment seemed to glow under the soft penthouse lights, but the air inside the room had turned entirely freezing cold. Anika kept her hand resting flat against the marble kitchen counter, her classy mask sliding back into place, though her pulse was drumming wildly against her ribs. Fifty-one percent. Absolute ownership. The supreme title of "That Position" was right here, giving her the legal right to permanently strip Santiago and the entire Gold family of their power with a single move."I need the core founders' board to verify this document, Christopher," Anika said, her voice dropping into a low, deadly calm. "Under the Delacroix bylaws, a master title transfer requires an immediate, unanimous vote from the registry council to go live. We have to force an emergency session before Monday morning."Christopher stood right beside her, his broad shoulders perfectly straight as his dark blue eyes tracked the intense, cold fire in her face. He didn't look
The morning sun hadn't even fully cleared the horizon when Christopher’s black sedan pulled onto the gravel lot of the old Delacroix archive warehouse. The air down by the industrial docks was thick, smelling heavily of saltwater, rust, and damp wood. A dense fog rolled off the water, wrapping itself around the towering steel structures.Anika sat perfectly straight in the passenger seat, her hands flat on her leather folder. She was determined to find the physical backup drive before Anna could lay a finger on it. But as she stared at the massive, rusty iron gates blocking the driveway, her brow furrowed."We can't just cut the chains," Anika muttered, her voice low in the quiet car. "This facility is locked under senior board jurisdiction. It requires a dual fingerprint scan from a director just to clear the main electronic seal."Christopher kept the engine idling, his dark blue eyes tracking the path. "Santiago knows that. That's why he isn't trying to hack it from his office. He’
Immediately, everyone began to laugh out loud. Anika was too stunned to even understand the situation. How could she be this humiliated like this?Anna grabbed her purse, "I'm gonna head out. Bye, friend." Then ran away. They laughed and kept chatting as if Desiree had not just bullied her. Anika
No one might had known Anika had cried all night. She always raised her head up high and smiled through it all. "You're basically Cinderella at this point," Anika's friend Anna said to her. Anika had just finished the laundry. "Exactly. Because I'm married to my prince charming," she smiled, thro
Anika just stared at him as he explained, then, to back up all of his points, he paused, opened the black bag he'd been carrying, and brought out a neat brown envelope. She frowned but collected it from him to open it. This was his proof after all. NOTICE OF INHERITANCE. To Ms. Anika Delacroix
Christopher felt his leg turn into a log of wood. He wanted to run, to hide his shameful face from her? Why was this death so personal to him? He had killed the poor woman. Suddenly, her eyes met with his. He could see fire burning in them. "You!" Rage overwhelmed her as she ran towards him. "You







