MasukChapter 164~Kesley~ The panic had been like a heavy weight in my chest ever since my mother cornered me in the kitchen. When she demanded to meet Niklaus, I was sure everything was over. I spent the whole morning walking in circles, trying to think of excuses. He’s too busy. He’s in a big meeting. He’s out of town.Then, my phone buzzed. I had sent him a text telling him he had to come, even though I was sure he would say no.No problem. I will be there tomorrow. I stared at the screen. My heart was thumping. He was actually coming.…The next day, I had woken up extra early to go to the restaurant and wait there for him so I could see how he looked, analysing him before getting to my mother. I was outside the restaurant waiting for him.A little while later, a shiny, black luxury car pulled up to the restaurant. In his fancy grey shirt, he looked way too big for our living room when he enters, way too big for our whole neighborhood.After I sat down and he spoke to me, trying to
Chapter 163~Niklaus~By the time I broke away from the investors and returned to the spot where I’d left her, the space was empty. She had gone. She wasn't anywhere in sight. I felt a sharp spike of panic rise in my chest. "Kesley?" I muttered, my eyes darting through the crowded ballroom. Seeing through a lot of tuxedos and evening gowns felt like a suffocating maze. I scanned the hall, looking for a pretty girl in her gown, but there was nothing. My gaze landed on Rebecca, who was holding court near the buffet. She looked up, caught my eye, and offered a cold, smug tilt of her head. For a moment, I suspected her was capable of anything, but her stillness suggested she was merely enjoying my sudden distress rather than causing it.Fred appeared at my shoulder, sensing the shift in my energy. "Sir? Is something wrong?""She’s gone, Fred. Find her.""I'll check the security feeds immediately," Fred replied, his voice a calm anchor against my rising frustration. As Fred disappeared
Chapter 162~Taraji~I practically stormed out of the hospital, I was eager to hear what Kesley had for me. My fury was directed at Niklaus. By the time I burst into the apartment, I was ready to swing at something.That was how much I was ready to do for my best friend. I found Kesley slumped on the sofa, looking like she’d been put through a paper shredder."Okay, spill it," I demanded, dropping my bag with a heavy thud. "I’ve seen the headlines, I’ve heard the whispers, and if even ten percent of it is true, I am going to need a very sharp pair of scissors and Niklaus's home address."Kesley looked up, her eyes hollow. "It’s worse than the headlines, T. Grandfather announced the wedding. Three days. He did it in front of the press, the board, everyone."My jaw hit the floor. I began pacing the small living room, my hands flying as I talked. "Three days? Who does he think he is? Some sort of corporate deity? I am going to castrate him, Kesley. I’ll make sure he can’t even sit down
Chapter 161~Kesley~"What? Marriage? In four days?"Everything felt blurry. Niklaus opened his mouth to explain, his eyes searching mine, but Fred appeared where we were standing, whispering urgently. Something required his immediate attention."I’ll be back, Kesley. I promise," Niklaus said, his expression clouded with guilt. "We’ll figure this out together."I watched him walk away. Around me, the party continued in a swirl of champagne and laughter. Everyone else was celebrating, but for me, the weight of everything I signed up for had just crashed down. I knew the wedding was part of the deal, a necessary step for Niklaus to secure his position as CEO, but four days? This was what I’d signed up for, yet why did my chest feel like it was being squeezed?A single tear escaped and tracked down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, gripping my clutch until my knuckles turned white. I couldn’t stay here. I needed to move. Fast.Avoiding the main entrance, I slipped through a side exit.
Chapter 160~Kesley~The apology from Niklaus had caught me off guard. There was a raw sincerity in his voice that I hadn’t expected, and for a moment, the icy wall I’d built around myself started to crumble. I wanted to tell him it was okay, that I understood the world he lived in and the beef he had with his sister. But before the words could leave my lips, the music shifted. The tradition of the partner-switch, and I was swept away into the arms of the next man in line.I tried to keep my head on straight. Niklaus was charming, yes, and his apology felt real, but I couldn't let my guard down entirely. I had too much at stake. Across the room, I caught Rebecca’s gaze. She was glaring at me with such intensity that I felt the heat of it from yards away. Instead of looking down, I straightened my posture and met her eyes with a cold, level stare of my own. I wasn't a scared little girl. I wasn't about to bow down to her or anyone else in this hall.The partner switch brought me face
Chapter 159~ Niklaus ~The ballroom was filled with people and the crowd made it noisy, but my focus was narrowed to a single point across the room. Kesley. Grandfather was leading her through the crowd like a prized jewel, and I found it increasingly difficult to pretend I was interested in the tech jargon being spewed by the CEO standing in front of me.“The integration of AI in the latest Specter model is…”“Yes, fascinating,” I interrupted, my eyes tracking the way the black fabric of her gown caught the light. I followed the gaze of several other men in the room. Near the buffet, I saw Dante and a few other guys from the office. They weren't even trying to be subtle. They were staring at her with an intensity that made my jaw tighten. But knowing they knew her as a worker too was something I haven't handled. I will discuss it with Dante on Monday.A familiar presence moved into my peripheral vision. Fred stepped up beside me, his expression as unreadable as ever, though his e
Chapter 83~ Kesley ~I had barely finished saying the words when the suite door burst open.Fred came rushing in, his jacket slightly disheveled, his glasses askew, clearly having run from wherever he'd been.And then he stopped dead.Because I was standing there in my brassiere and panties.Becau
Chapter 71~ Kesley ~I couldn't wait in the office anymore.The clock had hit 4:45 and there was still no word from Taraji. My desk felt like a cage, the walls of my cubicle closing in with every passing minute. The silence of the nearly empty department was oppressive, making every small sound—th
Chapter 11~ Niklaus ~I would recognize that outfit anywhere.Simple black pants, white blouse, navy blazer. The same desperate woman from the traffic light this morning, surrounded by shattered electronics and an angry delivery person. She'd caught my attention then — something about the way she'd
Chapter 8 ~ Niklaus ~ The leather seat of the Mercedes was cool against my back as Fred navigated through Monday morning traffic. I stared out the tinted window, watching the city wake up — coffee shops filling with bleary-eyed workers clutching their cups like lifelines, street vendors setting







