LOGIN“What, my 25th birthday? Is it really necessary to celebrate my birthday?” I asked, frowning slightly as I looked at Sasha.It had been a long time since I had celebrated anything like that, and the idea of turning it into something grand felt excessive, almost unfamiliar.Sasha did not seem surprised by my reaction. She exchanged a brief glance with Leonard before stepping closer, her expression calm but firm.“Well… It is not just about your birthday,” she explained gently. “This is the perfect opportunity to organize a gala dinner. You can gather your business partners, strengthen your connections, and at the same time make your official public appearance as Sierra Smith.”Leonard nodded in agreement, adding, “It will set the tone for how people see you moving forward.”I let out a quiet sigh, knowing that both of them were right. There was a clear purpose behind it, even if I did not feel entirely comfortable with the idea.But I guess it's okay, right?“Um… If you both believe it
— Two years later —Knock. Knock.“Come in,” I said, without looking up at first.The door of my office was opened, and I saw Sasha step inside, followed by Leonard. Both of them were holding documents, their expressions focused in a way that immediately told me this was something important.“Is this about the Dubai assets?” I asked, finally lifting my gaze toward them.Leonard nodded. “It is.”Sasha stepped closer and placed a folder in front of me before glancing up. “Did you know your mother owned several fashion stores across malls and commercial areas in Dubai?”I paused, then shook my head slowly.“I knew about the corporate side my father managed there,” I said, “but not this.”Leonard opened the file, guiding my attention to the documents Sasha had prepared.“It seems your uncle overlooked this entirely,” he explained. “Or perhaps he simply did not understand its value.”I leaned forward slightly, scanning the pages more carefully now.“The operations have been handled by som
I ran with Sasha toward the hospital where they said Dominic had been taken.My chest felt unbearably tight, each breath shallow and uneven as fear rose relentlessly inside me.“Dominic was shot in the head while chasing Michael.”The words echoed again and again in my mind, refusing to settle into something I could accept.Until now, I had only seen him injured in places that, while dangerous, had never felt final. But the head, oh God, that was different.That was something I could not force myself to think positively about, no matter how hard I tried.Gregori had told Sasha everything on the way, his voice calm, controlled, urging me to stay composed, to believe that Dominic would pull through.But I could not hear it, not after everything that had happened… After everyone I had lost… I could not bear the thought that Dominic might be the next to leave me.No, he had done so much for me, more than anyone ever had.He had stood beside me when I had nothing, guided me when I did not e
The official report concluded that the explosion at the Smith Building had been caused by an electrical short circuit.It was a simple explanation. Clean, believable, and convenient enough for the public to accept without question.Gregori made sure of that.With careful precision, he altered the footage, reshaping the truth into something safer—something that would not invite further scrutiny. No gunfire. No ambush. No bloodshed.Just an unfortunate accident but for those who had been inside the building that day—They knew because they remembered the sound of bullets, the chaos, the fear, and yet, not a single one of them spoke.Instead, the news focused on something else entirely. On me.
Boom…Bang. Bang. Bang.A relentless barrage of gunfire tore through the building, echoing violently through the halls without the slightest regard for who might still be inside.They were not holding back, not even for their own men.Dominic moved instantly. Without hesitation, he pulled me down and shielded me with his body, positioning himself between me and the incoming fire as bullets tore through the space around us.“Stay low, Sierra,” he said firmly, his voice steady despite the chaos.We crawled out of the room together, moving quickly past bodies lying motionless on the floor, the aftermath of the ambush already staining the ground.The air smelled of smoke and gunpowder.Gregori, Simon, Sasha, and the others were already positioned outside, taking cover behind whatever they could find as bullets continued to rain toward them.“They’ve lost their minds,” Simon said sharply, disbelief evident in his tone. “Their own people are still inside.”Gregori did not respond immediatel
For a moment, no one moved.The television continued to broadcast in the background, the reporter’s voice carrying far beyond the walls of the room, repeating fragments of truth that could no longer be taken back.Every word, every confession already released into the world.Michael’s gaze lingered on the camera in my hand before slowly lifting to meet my eyes.Then—He laughed. It was the kind of laugh that belonged to a man who had not yet lost that made me stare at him in disbelief.“You have always been far more dangerous than I gave you credit for,” he said, his tone almost conversational, as though we were discussing something trivial rather than the destruction of everything he had built.I did not lower the camera nor move.“And you have always been exactly what I thought you were,” I replied calmly. “A man who mistakes control for power.”Something flickered across his expression, though it vanished almost immediately.Dominic stood slightly ahead of me, his body positioned ju
I did not realize how far we had traveled until the city changed.Los Angeles slowly faded behind us, the familiar structure of crowded streets and bright buildings giving way to quieter districts, places that felt more controlled, more hidden, as though they existed outside of the world most peopl
The next morning, I made a decision. Not something small. Not something temporary. But something that would change everything. After everything that had happened the night before, after the fear that still lingered beneath my skin and the quiet
It was well past midnight by the time we arrived at the hotel. San Francisco did not sleep the way other cities did. Even at this hour, the streets carried a quiet, steady pulse of life. Lights glowed from distant buildings, cars passed occasionally along the wide roads,
The motorcycle slowed gradually, the roaring engine fading into a low, steady hum before finally coming to a stop. I loosened my grip on him slightly, my fingers still curled into the fabric of his shirt as I took a slow breath, trying to steady the mix of emotions that had been building inside m







