LOGINThe air in the penthouse was thick with unspoken words and the lingering heat of a shared victory. He stood before her, the ice in his gaze finally melted, revealing a raw vulnerability that stole the breath from her lungs. “This wasn’t part of the contract,” he murmured, his voice a rough caress as his thumb traced the line of her jaw. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird against the gilded cage of their agreement. “I know.” His fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck, tilting her face up to his. The world narrowed to the space between them, to the shocking warmth of his skin against hers. “Then tell me to stop, Ivy. Give me the rules. Give me the clause.” She should. Every instinct for self-preservation screamed at her to rebuild the walls, to remember he was her enemy, her jailer, her temporary husband. But as she looked into the stormy grey depths of his eyes, she saw not the ruthless CEO, but the man who had just looked at her daughter as if she were the most precious thing in the world. So, she didn’t speak. Instead, she rose onto her toes, closing the distance, her lips a breath away from his in a silent, devastating answer. The first kiss was not a conquest, but a surrender. It was not about revenge or contracts. It was a question, and in the shuddering breath he released against her mouth, she found her answer. The cold, platinum wedding band finally felt warm against her skin.
View MoreCalla's eyelids fluttered slightly, but she didn't wake. Lucian stood at the foot of the bed, his face etched with a vulnerability Ivy had never seen. "She's beautiful," he said softly. "Looks just like you." Ivy nodded, choking back a sob. "She has Theo's spirit, though. Always curious, always pushing boundaries. He used to visit her in secret, bring her stories about far-off places. He'd say, 'Calla, one day you'll conquer the world.'" Lucian moved closer, his hand hovering near Ivy's shoulder before settling there gently. "Why didn't he tell me? We were brothers—blood. I could have helped." "Because he knew your world," Ivy replied, her voice trembling. "The Thorne empire, the cutthroat deals, the endless scrutiny. He wanted to protect her from it. From you, maybe. He said you were too driven, too focused on the legacy to see the human cost." Lucian's jaw tightened, but he didn't pull away. "He wasn't wrong. I've built walls around myself, Ivy. After our parents died, Theo
The city lights blurred into streaks of neon as Lucian's sleek black sedan tore through the streets. Ivy sat rigid in the passenger seat, her hands clenched in her lap, knuckles white against the dark leather. The engine's low hum was the only sound at first, a mechanical heartbeat underscoring the chaos in her mind. Calla. Her little girl. The one secret she'd guarded like a fortress, now crumbling under the weight of this emergency. Lucian gripped the steering wheel, his jaw set in a hard line. He glanced at her sideways, his gray eyes no longer cold but stormy with unspoken questions. "How long?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "How long have you been hiding this from me—from everyone?" Ivy swallowed hard, tears stinging her eyes. She stared out the window, watching the skyscrapers whip by. "Since the beginning. Calla... she's five. Theo knew. He was the only one who did. He helped me keep her safe, away from the spotlight, from the Thorne family d
The second day of their captivity dawned as the sun rose over the city, painting the sky in shades of fire and gold. Light spilled into the penthouse, lighting up dust motes dancing in the air—and finding Ivy curled on a large sofa. A book lay open in her lap, but her eyes were not on the words. They were fixed on the man across the room.Lucian was a storm contained in a suit. He paced, phone pressed to his ear, his voice a low, angry hum—a dangerous sound, like a hive of disturbed bees.“I do not pay you for excuses,” he snapped. The words were sharp, cutting the quiet morning. “Find the weakness. Exploit it. I do not care how. Just get it done.”He listened for a moment. His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking—a tiny clock of fury.“No. That is a pathetic offer. They will laugh at us. Go back. Double the pressure. I want their signature by noon.”He ended the call, threw the phone onto a chair—a gesture of pure frustration—then ran both hands through his hair. He looked tired: the kin
The silence in the penthouse was complete—it was a living thing, pulsing around them. Lucian did not move, did not blink. He simply stared at Ivy. His gray eyes were wide with shock: no longer cold chips of stone, but deep pools of confusion, wonder, and sudden, sharp suspicion.“Say that again,” he said. His voice was a rough scrape of sound.Ivy kept her finger pointed at the screen. Her hand was steady, but inside she was trembling. She had done it now—opened a door, and she did not know what was on the other side.“The error is in the tertiary server array,” she repeated. Her voice was calm—the voice she used with Theo, the voice of the secret strategist. “Section 4B. Theo called it the silent snake. It hides, grows, then strikes.”Lucian looked from her face to the screen and took a step closer. His eyes scanned the line of code she indicated. He saw it: the subtle flaw, the misplaced command. It was so small, so easy to miss—but it was a cancer, killing his system.He picked up












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