LOGINThe revolving doors spun quietly behind Daniel as he stepped into the grand lobby of Hart Corp. The polished marble floors reflected the afternoon sunlight pouring through the towering glass windows, while employees moved with purpose, conversations blending into a low hum that filled the expansive space.For a moment, he simply stood there.He had imagined this scene more times than he cared to admit.Now that it was finally happening, every carefully rehearsed greeting had vanished from his mind.The bouquet suddenly felt heavier in his hands.A pleasant voice pulled him back to reality.“Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to Hart Corp. How may I help you?”Daniel turned toward the reception desk, offering the young receptionist a polite smile.“Good afternoon. I’m here to see Amelia.”She looked up from her computer.“Do you have an appointment?”Daniel smiled apologetically.“No. I was hoping to surprise her.”The receptionist hesitated briefly before asking, “May I have your name, plea
Home.The word carried a different meaning now.As Daniel stepped into his apartment and quietly shut the door behind him, the familiar silence greeted him like an old friend. The trip had been exhausting, but beneath the fatigue was an excitement he hadn’t felt in years. Every mile he’d traveled had brought him closer to one person.Amelia.He dropped his duffel bag by the couch and stretched, his back protesting from hours of traveling. His apartment looked exactly as he’d left it—tidy, organized, untouched. Usually, returning home after a trip came with a sense of relief. Today, it felt more like a brief stop along the way.His eyes landed on the clock.Still early enough.Daniel loosened his tie as he walked toward the bedroom. “First things first,” he muttered to himself.A hot shower washed away the dust of travel, the warm water easing the stiffness from his shoulders. As steam filled the bathroom, he couldn’t help smiling.In just a little while, he’d see her again.Not throug
The flight home felt much shorter than the one that had taken Daniel abroad.Perhaps because his mind wasn’t occupied with meetings anymore.Or perhaps because every passing hour meant he was getting closer to home.Most of the flight was quiet.His assistant spent part of it reviewing documents on her tablet while Daniel answered a handful of emails that had accumulated during takeoff.Before long, even that was done.He leaned back against his seat and glanced out the window.Clouds stretched endlessly beneath them, bright white under the afternoon sun.For the first time in days, he felt completely relaxed.No interviews.No negotiations.No schedules packed from sunrise until night.Just a flight home.A soft chime echoed through the cabin.“Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent…”Daniel looked out of the window again.The familiar skyline slowly came into view.Home.A faint smile appeared on his face.Beside him, his assistant noticed.“Happy to be back already, sir?”
The final morning of Daniel’s business trip arrived sooner than he had expected.For the first time in days, his schedule wasn’t overflowing with meetings and paperwork.Instead, the hotel room was unusually quiet.Daniel stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, one hand tucked into his pocket as he overlooked the waking city below.It had been a productive trip.Everything that needed to be accomplished had been accomplished.The contracts had been signed.Future collaborations had been discussed.Every objective his father had assigned to him had been completed successfully.With a satisfied nod, he turned away from the window.His suitcase lay open on the bed.Most of his belongings had already been neatly folded inside.A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.“Come in.”His assistant entered carrying a tablet.“Good morning, sir.”“Morning.”“I’ve confirmed your flight.”Daniel accepted the tablet.“you mean ‘our’ flight.”“Departure?”“Eleven thirty this morning.”He nodded.“Perfect
Alexander sat quietly in his office, his fingers drumming lightly against the wooden desk.His thoughts refused to settle.Victoria had come.Left.And with her departure, she had somehow left him with even more questions than answers.But one thing remained certain.Daniel Carter.If Alexander wanted any chance of understanding what he was up against, he needed to know more about the man.At least try again, to know more about him.He reached for his office phone.“Come in.”A few moments later, there was a knock.His secretary stepped inside.“You called, sir?”“I need you to find someone.”She nodded.“Yes, sir.”“A private investigator.”“Another one?”A look from Alexander made her shiver.She quickly recovered.“I’ll arrange it immediately.”“Good.”Within the hour, the investigator arrived.Alexander wasted no time.“I want everything you can find on Daniel Carter.”The investigator accepted the photograph Alexander slid across the table.“Everything?”“Everything.”The man stu
Victoria had never considered herself a curious person.If anything, she preferred minding her own business.People came and went from her life all the time, and she had never cared enough to learn more about them.But Amelia Hart…For some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about her.Perhaps it was because of Daniel Carter.Perhaps it was because of her father’s request.Or perhaps…It was simply because Amelia continued to surprise her.The morning after visiting Alexander at the company, Victoria sat alone in the small lounge connected to her bedroom.A cup of coffee rested on the table beside her while her laptop remained open on her lap.She stared at the screen for a long moment.Finally, she reached for her phone.“Hello.”“Good morning, ma’am.”“I need a favor.”“Of course.”“I want a complete background report on Amelia Hart.”There was a brief pause.“The second largest shareholder of the company?”“Yes.”“How detailed would you like it?”Victoria leaned back against the so
Amelia didn’t realize when the tears stopped.Only that they had.Somewhere between Daniel’s steady voice, the quiet reassurance in his words, and the warmth of his hands holding hers, the storm inside her had softened, receded just enough for her to breathe again.Her chest still rose unevenly, he
Daniel didn’t interrupt.He hadn’t, not once.Even now, while Amelia sat across from him, shoulders trembling, her breaths uneven, her tears falling freely, he stayed exactly where he was.Present.Still.Grounded.His hands held hers firmly but gently, his thumbs moving in slow, absent circles aga
Amelia stared down at her hands.For a moment, the words refused to come.Her chest rose and fell slowly, like she was trying to steady something fragile inside her before it shattered completely.Then.“He’s actually my ex.”The words slipped out quietly.Carefully.Like they carried weight she di
True to his word.Amelia was having the time of her life.It started simple.Light.Easy.The way things between them always seemed to begin.Neither of them had eaten breakfast, so they settled into a small, cozy Chinese restaurant tucked just off the main street. The air was warm, filled with the







