Semua Bab Under His Command : Bab 111 - Bab 120

Jaxon's POV The elevator hummed softly as it ascended to the top floor of Steele Enterprises. My coffee was warm in one hand, a welcome change against the chilled, calculated environment of my company. The morning rush had seemed ordinary enough as I entered the building—polished floors, a field of ringing phones, and the steady shuffle of employees moving to their posts. But as I exited the elevator into the open expanse of my floor, the usual air of efficiency felt…off. Eyes darted in my direction—furtive glances stolen from behind computer screens, a few whispers quickly hushed as I passed. Conversations died the moment I entered earshot, and a few employees pretended to be busy with tasks that were clearly fake on the spot. “What the hell is going on?” I muttered under my breath, straightening my tie and walking with purpose. By the time I reached the door to my office, my agitation was simmering beneath the surface. My assistant, Natalie, was already waiting for me. No

Riley's POV An Hour AgoThe coffee in my hands was warm, untouched since Chloe and I left the café near her apartment. I wasn’t really tasting anything today—not the coffee, not the sandwich I barely finished earlier. All I could feel was the suffocating weight of last night pressing down on me. “So, you didn’t sleep at all?” Chloe asked, glancing at me as we walked toward the office building. “No,” I admitted, the exhaustion heavy in my voice. “Not really. I kept going over everything Eric said. Everything I said.” Chloe frowned, her grip tightening on her own coffee cup. “I still can’t believe it. You and Eric… done, just like that?” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It’s not like I didn’t see it coming. I’ve been pulling away from him for weeks now. Months, maybe.” “But not like this,” she pressed, her voice tinged with worry. “Not with him finding out the way he did. That’s rough, Riley. For both of you.” “I know,” I said, my voice quiet. “I didn’t want it

Riley's POVMy knees were pulled tightly to my chest, my arms wrapped around them in a desperate attempt to feel small—to disappear completely. I stared at the bottom of the restroom stall door, as though it were my last line of defense against the world outside. Jaxon’s voice cut through the silence again, calm but insistent. He had been talking to me for a while now, though I couldn’t bring myself to really focus on the words.“Riley,” he said softly. “You can’t stay in there forever.” I squeezed my eyes shut, my breaths shallow and shaky. "Yes, I can", I wanted to say. I could stay here until everyone forgot I existed. Until they forgot my name. “I know it feels easier to hide,” Jaxon continued, his tone unwavering. “I know what it’s like to want to shut the whole world out when it turns against you. But trust me, Riley—running won’t fix this.” I flinched at his words. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe him, but hearing it out loud made it worse. It made the humiliation fe

Riley's POV I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The moment Arthur Steele stepped into the room, it was like all the oxygen had been sucked out, replaced by the weight of his presence. “I'll ask again, what the hell is going on here?” Arthur’s voice was calm but laced with anger.Jaxon who was still in front of me, shielding me from his father’s gaze like some kind of human barrier steadied himself.“What are you doing here?” Jaxon countered.Arthur raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “What am I doing here? Did you honestly think I wouldn’t hear about this circus you’ve created?” I watched Jaxon’s jaw tighten, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “I don’t need you here, Dad. Whatever you came to do—you can turn around and leave.” Arthur took a step forward.“I came to fix this disaster before it spirals out of control. You don’t get to tell me what to do.” Jaxon’s laugh was humorless, bitter. “Fix it? You think you’re helping?” He gestured toward the doorway, his voice risi

Riley's POV “Let go of me!” I snapped, twisting my body in their hold. My voice echoed off the concrete walls of the underground garage, but no one was here to listen.“Shut up,” one of the bodyguards growled, his fingers digging painfully into my arm as he dragged me forward. “Where are you even taking me?” I demanded, my voice breaking slightly as anger and frustration mixed with a sharp pang of hurt deep in my chest. Jaxon’s words back in the lobby still rang in my ears like a cruel song I couldn’t turn off. *Riley blackmailed me.*I shook my head hard, trying to block it out, trying to focus. *No. No, that’s not him. That’s not the Jaxon I know.* Something had happened. Something had made him say those things. I knew it had to do with Arthur. “Do you hear me? Let me go!” I shouted again.“Enough,” one of them snapped, his voice cold as ice. “Keep moving.” “No!” I twisted violently this time, anger blinding me. “I said let go!” I don’t know if it was my refusal to coop