ログイン~VICTOR'S POV~“You’re still here?” I called out, my voice sharp though my chest tightened.A shadow moved in front of the doorway, and my heart skipped a beat. Fear gripped me in a way it hadn’t in years. My eyes narrowed as I strained to see, the dim light from my desk lamp casting long shadows across the private office.“It’s me, Dad,” came the calm, low reply.I froze for a moment, then exhaled slowly as my son, Miles, stepped into the room. He looked older than I remembered, taller, with that same cold composure that seemed to have settled into his bones ever since his mother left. I had always thought that being wealthy could buy comfort, but no amount of money could fill the absence of a mother’s love.“Miles,” I said, my voice softer this time, trying to hide the sudden lump in my throat. “What are you doing here?”“I wanted to see you,” he said simply, hands shoved into his pockets. His gaze was steady, unyielding. It wasn’t the anger I expected. It was something harder to re
~ARIA'S POV~I stood in my small apartment, my fingers brushing over the edge of the suitcase under my bed. Next month, I would return to my old luxury mansion.I picked up my phone and dialed Luca’s number. I did not hesitate. He answered almost instantly, his calm tone carrying that quiet reassurance I had always relied on.“I can tell from your silence that you have made up your mind,” Luca said.“I have,” I replied. “I am moving back to the mansion next month. And I need you to help me get everything organized. Today, we are going to see Adrian at the Bureau. Everything you gathered at the event must go straight to him.”“I am ready,” Luca said. “I will be there shortly.”We had always moved as a team, like siblings, and I appreciated that. He arrived within minutes, parked casually in front of my building, the same easy presence that had always grounded me.“You handled everything so well,” I said as we walked toward the car. “At the event, with Marcus, with all the evidence. I k
~AT THE HAYNES MANSION~“You should have spoken to me before making that move,” Victor said.Ethan paused just inside the grand living room of the Haynes mansion. The crystal chandelier above cast a muted glow across the marble floor, making the space feel colder than it already was. He loosened his tie slowly, careful not to appear defensive.“I knew you would be upset, which is why I came myself,” Ethan said.Victor turned away from the fireplace, a glass of whiskey in his hand. His face was calm, but the tension in his eyes told a different story.“Upset is an understatement. You requested an enormous loan without consulting me,” Victor said.“I did what had to be done for the company,” Ethan said.“For the company or for you,” Victor asked.Ethan straightened his shoulders.“If the company collapses, we both lose everything,” Ethan said.Victor walked closer, placing his glass on the table with deliberate care.“You asked Caleb Ryder for twenty-five million dollars. That is not a
~AT HARBORLINE~Employee 1 : “Did you hear what happened between Vanessa and the manager this morning?”Employee 2 replied : “Everyone heard. She stormed into his office like she owned the place.”Employee 3 added: “Her heels were loud enough to announce trouble. I knew something was wrong.”Employee 4 said quietly, “It was about Amelia, right?”Employee 1 answered, “Of course it was. Vanessa could not stand that Amelia was not at work today.”Employee 2 scoffed, “She actually said Amelia thinks she can come to work whenever she wants.”Employee 3 frowned, “That sounded personal. Very personal.”Employee 4 asked, “So what did the manager say to her?”Employee 2 replied, “He was calm. Too calm. He told her he gave Aria the day off.”Employee 1 laughed softly, “The look on Vanessa’s face must have been priceless.”Employee 3 nodded, “She did not expect that at all. She thought he would back her up.”Employee 4 whispered, “After everything that happened last night at the event, she proba
“You sounded urgent on the phone,” Caleb Ryder said as he stepped into Ethan Cole’s office. His voice was calm, measured, the kind that never rose no matter the situation. “That is not your usual tone.”Ethan rose from his chair and extended a hand. “Thank you for coming on such short notice, Caleb.”Caleb shook his hand briefly and looked around the office. “You have not changed anything in here. Same view. Same order. You like control.”“It keeps the mind clear,” Ethan replied, motioning toward the chair opposite his desk. “Please sit.”Caleb took the seat slowly. “Now tell me why a man who runs one of the most respected corporations suddenly sounds like he is running out of time.”Ethan sat down, clasping his hands together. “Donovan Corporation is standing at a crucial phase.”Caleb tilted his head slightly. “Every CEO says that when cash flow tightens.”“This is not about survival,” Ethan said firmly. “It is about expansion.”Caleb crossed his legs. “Your last financial statement
~ARIA'S POV~I slipped off my shoes and stood still in the dim room, my heart still racing from everything that had happened. The first thing I did was reach for my phone.No missed calls.I refreshed the screen, my thumb hovering, hoping Sienna’s name would suddenly appear as if I had imagined her absence. Nothing. My chest tightened slightly, but I forced myself to breathe.“She said she would call,” I whispered to myself. “She will.”I placed the phone on the table and sank onto the edge of the bed. The room was modest, nothing like the apartment I once lived in, but it was safe. That was why I chose this life. Quiet. Ordinary. Invisible. I bent down and reached under the bed, my fingers brushing against a familiar cardboard box.I pulled it out slowly.The box looked older than it really was, coated in thick dust, as if it had been waiting patiently for me to remember who I was. When I opened it, the dust rose into the air, making me cough.“Oh come on,” I muttered, waving my hand