LOGINThe tension inside the room became almost unbearable.Sean looked toward the board. "You want to remove me?"Nobody moved."Fine." He gestured toward the screen. "Then do it properly."The corporate secretary frowned. "Mr. Vale...""Vote."Edward looked at him.Sean didn't blink. "You called them here to remove me." He turned toward his father. "So remove me."A director immediately spoke. "I don't believe that's wise."Edward looked toward him. "Excuse me?"The man straightened. "Vale Group is already dealing with market instability. Removing the CEO hours after Miles Group's announcement could create further panic."Another director nodded. "I agree."Edward's expression hardened. "Sean caused part of that instability.""And replacing him this morning won't reverse Kennedy Miles' threat," another woman said.Sean remained standing.Edward looked around. "So we're simply going to ignore what he did?""No." Ms. Laurent finally spoke from halfway down the table. "But I think we're begi
The elevator doors opened. His assistant was waiting. "Sir."Sean stepped out. "How bad?"His assistant handed him a tablet. "Your father is already presenting."Sean's smile vanished. "Interesting."They walked quickly through the executive floor. "How many directors now?""Eleven.""Votes?""Potentially six against you."Sean stopped.His assistant stopped too.Six, enough to make this irritating, not necessarily enough to finish him.Sean handed the tablet back. "Anything else?""Chairman Vale is arguing that your personal relationship with Miss Miles represents a direct conflict of interest while Kennedy Miles is actively targeting the company."Sean's eyes became cold. "Has he mentioned her divorce?"His assistant hesitated.Sean's jaw tightened. "He did." Something dangerous settled over Sean's face. "Open the doors.""Sir...""Now."His assistant stepped forward.The enormous boardroom doors opened, conversation immediately stopped and more than a dozen faces turned.Edward s
The words weren't accusatory, that somehow made them worse.Kennedy's jaw tightened.Sean stood. "Partners are nervous. Stock is falling. My father has apparently decided removing me fixes whatever he thinks I caused."Kennedy remained silent.Sean looked upstairs again. "But Shannon...""Will still be here when you're done."Sean froze.Kennedy froze too. The sentence had escaped before he'd considered what it sounded like.Slowly, Sean looked at him.Kennedy immediately regretted everything. "What?"Sean's expression changed, something warmer entered his eyes.Kennedy scowled. "Don't."Sean smiled. "You just said...""I know what I said.""She'll still be here.""Because this is her home.""When I'm done."Kennedy pointed toward the entrance. "Leave before I change my mind about everything."Sean's smile widened.Kennedy's irritation grew. "Why are you smiling?""No reason.""You look ridiculous.""Thank you.""That wasn't a compliment."Sean reached for his suit jacket. For the fir
Meanwhile morning light slipped through the gap between the curtains and landed directly across Shannon's face. She frowned in her sleep, turned away, pulled the blanket higher, then froze.Something was touching her leg.Shannon's eyes opened slowly. For several seconds, she simply stared at the unfamiliar ceiling while the events of the previous night returned one by one. The party, her father, Rowan, Evelyn, the Vales, Kennedy publicly declaring his revenge, Sean offering eighty percent of Vale Group, the nausea, running upstairs, Sean following her, and then her hand moved immediately to her stomach.She was pregnant and Sean knew now. A smile slowly appeared.She remembered his face when she'd told him. The confusion, the disbelief, the way he'd dropped to his knees because he'd completely misunderstood her tears and thought she was rejecting him, then the absolute shock when she'd finally managed to say the words.I'm pregnant.Shannon covered her face. God. She was still smilin
Sean's eyes narrowed. "What?""You heard me.""No. Say it properly."Edward hesitated.Sean's voice became dangerously calm. "Say exactly what you're trying to say.""That woman or this family."Sean laughed. "Wrong.""What?""Shannon isn't up for selection."Edward went silent."She's not an option on a fucking ballot."Sean paced toward the window. "You want my position? Come for it.""Sean.""You want the board to vote?" He smiled coldly. "Let them.""You think they won't remove you?""I think half of those people owe their current fortunes to decisions I made while you were sitting at home calling yourself chairman."Edward's breathing sharpened."For years, I've run Vale Group." Sean's voice lowered. "I expanded it, I pulled it through two market crashes, I negotiated the acquisitions you told me were impossible, I built relationships in countries you couldn't get a meeting in, so if you think one emotional offer I made while trying to prevent your twenty seven year old enemy fro
Breakfast had barely progressed when Sean's phone vibrated beside his plate.He ignored it.Kennedy noticed, not because there was anything unusual about receiving a message at seven in the morning when you ran a company the size of Vale Group, but because Sean had glanced at the screen and immediately turned it facedown again.Kennedy continued eating.Sean looked toward the staircase, nothing.He checked the time. 7:23. Shannon still hadn't appeared. He wondered if she was awake or maybe Aria was awake.He could text Ariabut Kennedy had specifically told him not to do that.Sean frowned. Technically, Kennedy had told him not to text Aria to wake Shannon. If Aria happened to already be awake...His phone vibrated again.Sean glanced down. This time, he picked it up. URGENT: Board meeting moved forward to 8:30 A.M.His expression changed.Another message followed almost immediately. Major shareholders requesting immediate review of last night's developments. Several institutional par
The guest room was at the end of the hall.Shannon paused at the doorway, her fingers resting lightly against the frame before she stepped in.It used to be a storage room now it was neat, cleaned and prepared.A bed, fresh sheets and a wardrobe that looked barely used.Shannon exhaled slowly and s
The hospital discharged them the next day.Shannon didn’t know whether that was fate or cruelty.She stood just outside the building, her fingers gripping the thin discharge papers in her hand as the sunlight hit her face. Too bright. Like the world hadn’t just ended for her.A few steps ahead Rowa
Shannon’s knees weakened beneath her. Three months of silence. Three months of absence. Three months where she wasn’t there. Her breathing grew uneven. Three months where someone else was. Her gaze slowly shifted back to Rowan. And this time she understood. Rowan watched her, something sharp
Rowan sat on the bed, his arm wrapped loosely around Evelyn.Evelyn stood close, too close, and Rowan leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world.Like he had done it a hundred times.Like it belonged there.“Stop!”The word tore out of Shannon befor







