LOGINThe wind on the roof was freezing, but the air between the five of us was scorching hot. Damon didn't remove his hand from the back of my neck right away. His fingers remained wrapped firmly around my nape, hot and heavy, holding me against his broad chest while his dark, bloodshot eyes locked onto his three brothers standing near the roof door. Theo took two steps forward, his golden eyes fixed on Damonās hand. The playful, flirtatious smirk that usually graced his face was completely gone, replaced by a dark, dangerous scowl. "Take your hand off her, Damon," Theo said, his voice dropping into a low, quiet threat. "You aren't her knight in shining armor just because you ran up here first." "Try taking it off me, Theo," Damon growled back, his chest rising and falling against my shoulder. "Enough of the barterings," Kaiās voice cut through the wind like a broadsword. He didn't yell, but the sheer weight of his baritone forced an immediate, heavy silence over the high-rise roof.
I didn't take the elevator down to the lobby, and I certainly didn't wait for Kai or Theo to chaperon me like a disgraced child. Instead, I took the stairwell up to the roof of Hart Global, letting the door slam shut behind me. The crisp morning wind tore through my dark hair, whipping it across my face as I walked to the edge of the glass ledge, staring out over the sprawling city sky. My knuckles were white where I gripped the metal railing, my heart hammering a fierce, angry rhythm against my ribs. Apologize. Lucienās freezing voice echoed in my head, sending a fresh wave of white-hot fury through my veins. He had stood there in his pristine three-piece suit, looking down at me as if I were nothing more than a street rat who didn't know her place. He had chosen Lizaās pathetic, tearful theater act over me without a second thought, prioritizing his corporate reputation over the truth. "They're all the same," I whispered to the empty air, my voice laced with venom. "Cold, arrog
I slammed my bedroom door shut, leaning my back against the heavy mahogany wood as if it could physically keep out the suffocating storm brewing in the penthouse. My chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths. Down in the warehouse basement, Damon had looked like a bloodthirsty monster, a dark, ruthless mafia boss who killed without a second thought, his hands still warm with blood as he pinned me against the stone wall. Then, only hours later, Kai had held my jaw with shocking tenderness, his lips consuming mine in a kiss that had set my entire body ablaze, proving he was far more than just a cold, calculating strategist. And now? Now the entire penthouse was tearing itself apart because of me. Outside my door, the muffled sound of raised voices vibrated through the floorboards, Damonās low, guttural roar, Kaiās short-fused sharp retorts, Theoās cluelessness, and Lucien trying to keep his empire from fracturing from the inside out. I pushed off the door, crossing the expansiv
The drive back to the penthouse was an agonizing, suffocating silence. Damon didn't take his SUV. He forced me into the passenger seat of his dark Maybach, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel, driving through the city streets like a man possessed. Kai followed directly behind us on his sport bike, the low roar of his engine a constant, trailing tail in the rear-view mirror. When the elevator doors hissed open to the top-floor penthouse, the atmosphere inside was already volatile. ** Lucien stood near the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a crystal glass of whiskey balanced between his fingers. Theo was sprawled lazily across the sectional sofa, tossing a leather-bound knife into the air and catching it until he looked up and caught the expression on Damon's face. "Well, well," Theo murmured, catching the blade by the hilt, his golden eyes sparkling with reckless amusement. "Look who decided to return from their little midnight rendezvous. Lucien was just about to l
At ten o'clock, the agreed time to sneak out with Kai, I've completely gotten out of whatever Damon had made me go through, completely forgotten it and out with Kai. the atmosphere inside The Obsidian Room was dark, velvety, and thick with expensive jazz music. Tucked into a private, velvet-draped booth in the farthest corner of the lounge, Kai and I sat close together. The low amber light hit his jaw, highlighting the dark, impossibly handsome lines of his face. He had traded his tactical vest for a fitted black cashmere sweater that hugged his broad chest and shoulders. "Rule number one," I whispered, sliding my cocktail glass toward him. "Stop looking at the emergency exits every five seconds." Kai shifted his dark eyes back to me, a faint, dry smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "It's force of habit. Three exits, two armed guards at the bar, one surveillance camera in the upper corner." "Kai," I laughed softly, leaning across the small table. "You're on a date. Look at me
"A lesson?" Kai repeated, his dark brows pulling together as he brought the motorcycle to a smooth stop in the private subterranean garage of the penthouse. He cut the engine, the low roar dying down to a heavy silence. "Scarlett, I don't need a lesson." "You just told me you don't know how to hold a woman," I said, unbuckling my helmet and shaking out my hair. I leaned against the seat, looking at him through the dim garage light. Kai was undeniably stunning, strikingly handsome in a way that felt almost unreal. While Damon had a rough, terrifying grace and Theo possessed a golden, playboy charm, Kai had a sharp, sculptured perfection. High cheekbones, dark, almond-shaped eyes that seemed to see right through you, and a jawline carved from dark granite. "I didn't say I was a virgin," Kai said flatly, turning his head to look at me. His tone was smooth, unbothered. "Women approach me. I don't go looking for them. I know how to satisfy a woman in bed, Scarlett. I just don't do 'd
I woke up with the kind of headache that felt like a tiny sledgehammer was rhythmicly pounding against the inside of my skull. For a fleeting, blissful second, I forgot where I was. Then, the scent of expensive linen and the oppressive silence of the room hit me. The Hart penthouse. The lionās de
As I stepped in, someone moved with a speed that defied physics. Before I could even gasp, I was slammed back. My spine hit the wall with a jarring thud, and the cold, unmistakable press of metal was shoved against my temple. "What are you doing here? Who sent you? Who are you working for?" The
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chimeāa sound far too polite for the jagged tension crackling in the air. I stepped out last, my scuffed heels clicking against the black marble floor like a warning. I felt like an intruder, a smudge of dirt on a pristine canvas. The penthouse was breath
Scarlett's POV The heavy oak doors of the Hart Tower penthouse boardroom slammed shut behind me with a finality that echoed like a gunshot. Silence fell instantly. I felt the weight of four pairs of eyesācold, calculating, and dangerously beautifulālocking onto me. They looked at me as if I were







