Mag-log in"Good. Then take care of her.." Elara said softly. "I brought her into your world so you could finally let her see you, the real you. Give her time, Sin. Let her see the man beneath the dark reputation, and she just might fall for you."Sin gulped, his fingers clutched Bridget’s file. He nodded slowly."Does Killian know you're in the building?" Sin asked, his eyes remaining glued to the folder in his hands."Your brother and I are officially divorced, Sin. He doesn't need to keep tabs on my every move anymore. Besides... I won't be coming back around here anytime soon."Sin lifted his head, his jaw clenching."Before you go... I need you to know that Kiel and I have Roman Sterling locked away. Killian doesn't know, and neither does Father. If either of those two gets a whiff of where he is, they’ll slaughter him before we extract a single useful word about Cassius."Elara rubbed her temples with a tired exhale. "Roman is a pawn, Sin. Trust me... he's entirely useless in the scheme."
At the Vane Enterprise..Courtney walked down the hallway, a stack of leather-bound files clutched tightly against her ribs and her phone pressed to her ear.Her stilettos clicked hard against the floor."...Listen, I don't know that yet.. no news yet.." Courtney hissed quietly into the receiver. "I haven't seen her step onto the floor. And you had better keep your end of the damn deal, or we’re both finished. I will inform you the second–"Courtney slammed straight into a soft shoulder, nearly dropping the folders onto the floor. She reeled back, her face instantly twisting as she glared at the stranger."Are you fucking blind or what?!" Courtney sneered.."I am so sorry about that.." a soft voice replied quickly. "I was just looking for–""Ugh, insufferable low-class trash.." Courtney scoffed, rolling her eyes in disgust.The young woman’s brows furrowed, irritation breaking through her calm face. 'I said I was sorry.' she thought. 'Was coming here on an email invite even a good id
"Insane... man.." Elara muttered under her breath, a breathless laugh escaping her lips as she walked toward her car. She pulled the high collar of her dress up around her throat, carefully adjusting the fabric to conceal the dark red bite marks painted across her skin before anyone could see them. "Elara." She paused, turning her head to see Sin walking toward her across the lawn, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression heavy with concern. "Hey, Sin.." she murmured. "What is really going on here?" Sin asked, stopping a few feet away, his eyes searching her face. "Tell me the truth." Elara’s eyebrow twitched slightly. "You heard what I told the family in there–" "That’s the problem.." Sin interrupted, "None of it sits right with me. You don't have to throw yourself to a bastard like Cassius just to save the Vanes. We can handle him, Elara. You don't have to leave." "You really care about what happens to me, don't you, Sin?" Sin faltered, his jaw clenching as he qui
Two days went by.."This still makes no sense to me!" Rosaline cried out, her heels clicking aggressively as she paced back and forth. "How could Elara make a choice like this on her own? Stepping directly into the firing line without telling a single soul?"Around the room, the rest of the Vanes sat in silence. In the center of it all, Killian sat draped over a armchair.He looked completely still, that keeping everyone in the room on edge.His gaze was locked onto the doorway, waiting."Mom... breathe.." Sin said, leaning back against the mantle with a grave expression. "She went into Cassius’s territory alone. Who knows what kind of sick leverage he held over her head?"Rosaline let out a shaky breath, finally collapsing onto the sofa beside her husband, immediately wrapped a arm around her shoulders, gently rubbing her back to soothe her tremors, though his eyes remained fixed on his eldest son.He knew Killian was a ticking time bomb waiting for the slightest trigger."Look, she
Killian’s car screeched to a halt directly in front of the reinforced building. The door swung open, and he stepped into the cold air.He slammed the door with enough force to rattle the windows, his jaw locked so tight the muscle throbbed furiously against his skin. His dress shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing thick forearms strained with bulging veins, his fists clamped so tight his fingers were turning pale.He surged straight through the outer entrance, only to be cut off by a towering set guard who stepped directly into his path to block the hallway.Killian stopped, staring at the man with entirely lifeless eyes."Where is Cassius?" Killian asked, his voice completely devoid of warmth.The guard folded his arms over his chest, an arrogant chuckle escaping his throat."This isn't an empire you get to dictate, Mr. Vane. Turn around and walk out before things get ugly."Killian’s jaw twitched, a single vein pulsing on his temple."Move."The guard’s smirk only wid
"Okay... this is bad. This is really bad." Patrick’s strained voice echoed through the speaker. "Look, Elara, you know how much I loathe Killian Vane, but you need to tell him what’s going on. Or at least the ex mafia boss himself."Elara let out a sigh, rubbing her throbbing temples with her free hand."Did you not hear a single word I just said? Cassius isn't bluffing, Pat. He isn't playing by normal rules–""And you can't fight this fight alone!" Patrick cut in fiercely. "I can move legal mountains behind the scenes to lock down that land Sterling is trying to seize from your mother's hometown, but Cassius Blackwood is pure venom, babes. He's lethal.""I am not divorcing Killian, Pat.." Elara said sternly.."Honestly? I'd throw a party if you did–""Patrick!" she sternly warned under the tension."What?!" Patrick sighed, the sarcastic edge deflating into frustration. "I'm still allowed to be pissed off that the bastard stripped away years of our friendship the second he put that ri
"M-Mr. Vane..." Roman stammered, as blood continued to drip from his nose onto his expensive shirt.Killian didn't even blink in his direction, his gaze was pinned entirely on Elara.an uncomfortable heat rushed through her, and she took a cautious step backward.The moment she retreated, a subtle
"Why are you looking for him?"Elara stepped in front of her father. She was a bit of the size of the men, but her desperation made her tall."We have a warrant for his arrest." the lead officer stated, "He's being charged with grand larceny and systemic fraud. The IRS has also flagged several offs
Every corner of the Grand hall was covered in white orchids, the scent thick and cloying, matching the crushing pressure of the expectations in the room.At the altar, Roman Sterling adjusted his cufflinks.He looked every bit the polished heir."Oh, you look so handsome, son." his mother whispered
Elara let out a heavy sigh. She had expected her father to be worried, but as she looked closely at his face, she realized this went far deeper than basic anxiety.His eyes weren't just wide with fear, they were entirely wide from horror."Tell me, Elara..." he choked out, his fingers digging into







