Aria's POV
Of course I knew Chad didn't just see me as a friend.
But he never crossed the line. He was always respectful, even when I didn't make things easy.
And me? I knew exactly where my boundaries were.
Even if Kane and I were only bound by a contract, I'd never betray him.
Not like that.
But…
"I'll make sure he dies."
That voice still echoed in my head—cold, dangerous. I'd overheard it that night by accident, but it was burned into my memory.
I clenched the sheets beneath my fingers.
Should I tell Kane?
The thought barely formed before I crushed it.
No. With his temper, he wouldn't just confront Chad. He'd destroy him—physically, emotionally, completely.
And terrifyingly enough… I believed Kane could do it without leaving a trace.
I forced the turmoil down, keeping my voice calm. "Whatever his intentions are, I know what I'm doing."
Kane let out a
The girl, with strength that seemed to come from nowhere, as if she had taken a strength-boosting pill, suddenly broke free from Aria and pushed her.Aria lost her footing and stumbled to the side, but unexpectedly fell into a man's arms.Her heart leaped with joy, thinking it was Kane. But when she looked up, she saw an unfamiliar face. Aria frowned slightly.The man in the floral shirt had been waiting for an opportunity, and the girl's push had given him one.Holding Aria, the man in the floral shirt felt how soft she was and how good she smelled. Her look of panic only excited him more.Seeing that he had no intention of letting go, Aria wiggled in his arms. "Thank you, I can stand on my own."The man in the floral shirt snapped out of his daydream. He let go, and Aria stood in front of him.Once she was stable, Aria rushed to find the girl. Seeing that the girl had run to the stairs, and worried that she might jump from a high place, Aria immediately started running after her.Th
Derek's face lit up when he heard Kane was interested. He immediately signaled his assistant.The assistant understood and took out a tablet.Derek opened a video and gestured for Kane to watch.The video was a 3D architectural design showing the health center from every angle.Kane glanced at Derek. Not many people would bring such a detailed presentation to a partnership talk. It was clear that Derek had come prepared."I know what you're thinking, Kane. Since I'm willing to show you this, it means I trust you won't do anything underhanded," Derek said, beaming with pride.Kane narrowed his eyes, tapping his fingers on his leg. "Derek, with a project this good, why not find a local partner?"Derek swirled his wine glass and smiled. "Because I know ATTA has two resorts."Kane raised an eyebrow and gave Derek a sidelong look."ATTA and the ACE Group are currently working on a resort in West End. I've been told that New York's new port is planned for that area."Derek had done his rese
"Exactly!" Eden clapped his hands. "On the surface, they're a legitimate company, but in reality, they're just a front."Kane's expression darkened. "The Jepson family has quite a bit of ambition. Those two idiots are being used without even realizing it!""I wouldn't say that!" Eden disagreed with Kane. "Evan and Ivan aren't clueless. I've checked their bank statements. While their local accounts seem fine, they have a joint account abroad with tens of millions in it."Kane scoffed. "And my mom dotes on them so much!""Kane," Eden said, a serious note in his voice as he brought up Natalie. "Are you sure you want to keep digging?""If your mom finds out we're investigating them, I'm worried you'll be in an awkward position.""Keep digging," Kane said, determined to take down the JE Group. "For the JE Group to fall, there has to be a price to pay."Eden was speechless for a moment, then he gave a sly grin. "You're so cruel, using those two as pawns!""They have only themselves to blame
After their relationship improved, Kane gradually stopped being so controlling with Aria.After much persuasion from Aria, Kane finally agreed to let her go back to work at the ACE Group.Even though there were many negative rumors about her at the ACE Group, Aria's diligent and hardworking attitude quickly won over her colleagues.In her office, Emma looked at Aria with admiration."Aria, you've done a great job. The client is very happy."When Aria had first returned to the company, she had to leave again after less than a day because of an emergency at home. She had been on leave for a while.While Emma hadn't said anything on the surface, she wasn't happy about it.Since the partnership with ATTA to develop the West End resort, the ACE Group had seen a lot of new business.This was a time when they needed all hands on deck. Aria's absence meant she was taking up a spot for nothing. Even when she returned, she was still a novice. So Emma was a bit annoyed.But Emma was surprised. A
Thanks to Elena's encouragement, when Kane came to pick up Aria in the evening, she no longer gave him the cold shoulder.As they left the hospital, Kane took Aria's hand and inspected it carefully."What's wrong?" Aria asked, confused by his actions. She looked down at herself. "Nothing's wrong. What are you looking at?"Kane shook his head and smiled mysteriously. "I feel like you've changed.""Changed how?" Aria frowned, then wiggled her finger with the bandage on it. "Got a new cut?"Kane's face fell. He grabbed her injured hand."Are you laughing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with a look of displeasure. "So the cup broke. Why did you pick it up with your bare hands? Don't you know how to use a broom?"Aria stuck out her tongue. "I didn't think about it.""You didn't think about it!" Kane said, knocking her on the forehead in frustration. "Hospitals are full of germs, and you go and cut yourself on purpose? Are you trying to get into trouble?"Aria pulled her hand away and gave h
As soon as Gabriella and Rod arrived at the Brookside Club, Alger called Kane.Alger had someone listening in on their conversation, so he heard everything they said.In Alger's view, Gabriella would be unwilling to be at Rod's mercy, so he had to get his hands on the evidence Rod was holding before Gabriella could.Thinking about Rod's obsession with the Brookside Club, Kane smiled at Alger. "Rod's a real sly fox.""I love dealing with foxes," Alger said with a chuckle. "It's so entertaining to watch them play themselves out."Kane nodded. "Then I'll leave this to you.""Of course. Eden can't handle everything by himself." Alger thought of something else and gave Kane a concerned look. "If you don't trust Baron, why don't you get someone else? That way, you won't have to deal with outsiders and keep an eye on your own people at the same time.""Baron is good at his job, and he's truly loyal to ATTA," Kane said, rejecting Alger's suggestion.In Kane's opinion, Baron's loyalty to ATTA