Masuk**KIRA**
Kira stepped off the yacht, her hand in Lily’s, still trying to process everything that had just happened. The skywriting. Her name across the entire sky. The yacht. The champagne. The ocean. It was the best birthday she’d had in nine years. Maybe the best birthday she’d ever had. The dock was crowded with people who’d gathered to watch the yacht come in. Strangers were smiling at her, some even clapping. A few held up their phones, taking photos. Kira felt exposed but also strangely light. This was what it felt like to be celebrated. To be seen. Her parents walked beside her, her mother’s hand resting on her back. Elijah stayed close, carrying Lily’s small bag and the extra champagne bottle the crew had given them. “That was incredible,” her father said, his voice warm. “Marcus really outdid himself.” “He did,” Kira agreed, h**KIRA**Kira stood in front of her bedroom mirror, adjusting the collar of her black suit.Sharp. Professional. Powerful.The jacket was tailored perfectly. The pants fell just right. She allowed her fall like a model. Red bottom heels completed the look.This was CEO Kira.Not housewife Kira. Not invisible Kira.This version didn’t apologize. Didn’t shrink. Didn’t second-guess herself.She grabbed her bag and walked downstairs.Marcus was in the foyer, coffee in hand, scrolling through his phone.“Ready for your first day?” he asked.“As ready as I’ll ever be.”“Nervous?”“No.”He looked up and smiled. “Good. You shouldn’t be. That hotel’s been waiting for someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”“Is it really that bad?”“Worse. Three managers in two years. All of them quit or got reassigned. Staff morale is low. Revenue is down. It’s a mess
**ADRIAN**It was the next Monday morning.Adrian sat behind his desk, staring at the report in front of him.Empty.Blank pages with nothing useful.He’d paid good money for this. Called in favors. Pushed his team to work through the weekend.And this was what they gave him?Nothing.He picked up his phone and dialed his secretary’s extension.“Sir?”“My office. Now.”“Yes, sir.”Two minutes later, Davis knocked and entered. He looked nervous. His tie was slightly crooked, and he carried a thin folder in his hands.Adrian gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit.”Davis sat.“Tell me you have something.”Davis opened the folder slowly. “Sir, I’m sorry, but there’s very little information available on Elijah Kane.”“What do you mean very little?”“I mean almost nothing. Basic public records. His restaurants. Some culinar
**KIRA**The car was quiet.Kira sat in the back seat, staring out the window as the city lights blurred past. Her feet hurt. Her face felt tight from smiling all night. Her head was full of voices and faces and conversations she’d already started to forget.But one conversation she couldn’t forget.Adrian.Standing in front of her. Asking to talk. Reaching for her hand.And Elijah stepping in.Your replacement.Kira smiled slightly at the memory.Beside her, Elijah sat with his jacket off, his tie loosened. He looked relaxed. Comfortable.He hadn’t said much since they left the gala. Just asked if she was okay. She’d said yes, and he’d left it at that.No pushing. No questions.Just quiet.Kira appreciated that.The car turned onto a quieter street. They were almost back to the Ashford Estate.“Thank you,” Kira said suddenly.Elijah looked
**ADRIAN**Adrian stood in the middle of the ballroom, watching Kira walk away.Her hand was in his pocket.That man. Ohh that man.The one who’d stepped in front of him. The one who’d smiled and said “your replacement” like it was a joke.Adrian couldn’t get that conversation off his head. He kept replaying it.Who the hell was he?Vanessa appeared beside him, her hand on his arm. “Adrian, let’s go.”He didn’t move.“Adrian.”“Who is he?”“What?”“That man. With Kira. Who is he?”Vanessa glanced in the direction Kira had gone. “I don’t know. Does it matter?”“Yes, it matters.”“Adrian, we should leave. People are staring.”He finally looked at her. “I don’t care.”But she was right. People were staring. Whispering. Phones were probably already out, recording everything or anything that’ll stand as gossip.He’d just been publicly humiliated by his own wife.Ex-wife.No. Not yet. They weren’t divorced yet.Adrian clenched his jaw and turned toward the exit. Vanessa followed close behin
KIRAThe gala was winding down.People had moved from their seats to stand in groups around the ballroom. Conversations filled the air. Laughter. The sound of champagne glasses clinking.Kira stood near the center of the room, talking to an older man in an expensive suit. Mr. Peterson. CEO of some tech company Marcus said she should meet.“Your brother speaks very highly of you, Miss Ashford,” Peterson said.“That’s kind of him.”“He mentioned you have plans to expand the hospitality division into international markets.”“I do. We’re looking at Europe first. Then Asia.”Peterson nodded, impressed. “Bold. I like it.”Beside her, Elijah shifted slightly. His hand rested lightly on her waist. It had been there most of the night. Steady. Supportive.And every time she moved, he moved with her. When her dress trailed on the floor, he bent down slightly to lift it without her asking. When someone stepped too close, he was there, creating space.Kira hadn’t asked him to do any of it.He just
**ADRIAN** Adrian stood at the back of the ballroom, his champagne glass frozen halfway to his mouth. Heiress. The word kept repeating in his head. Heiress to the Ashford legacy. Not just some distant family member. Not just the daughter of a wealthy businessman. The heiress. The entire Ashford empire. Hotels. Resorts. Real estate. Investments spanning the entire country. And Kira was at the center of it all. Adrian’s hand tightened around his glass. He’d known she was an Ashford. He’d seen the news. Seen the articles. But this? Director of Hospitality and Culinary Innovation was one thing. That was a position. A job. Something she could handle or fail at. But heiress? That was power. Real power. The kind that controlled boardrooms and influenced







