All Chapters of The Tycoon's Redemption : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The Caelum ranch stood on a hill, its white-washed walls glowing like a beacon in the fading light; the ranch house’s structure seemed out of place, as if someone had plucked it from the Mediterranean coast and deposited it amidst the rolling hills and dotting pastures of California. From the bottom of the hill was a winding driveway lined with ancient oak trees and a rusted ranch gate, which led up to the house. Inside the ranch, an earthy smell filled the air, showcasing a rural setting. A pleasant reminder to rest. Driving up the driveway had a dreamlike effect on those in the rented car, but that had been where the dreams started and ended. Emily could not give in to indulging rest as she lay awake in her single bed. Something heightened Emily’s senses; No amount of tossing and turning could erase the face of the man behind the front desk from her mind. It was her anniversary weekend, and the ranch had been Owen's idea, who was now snoring away in the other single bed in the

Owen was already seated at the table, sipping on his black coffee. Emily smiled when she approached him. There were lines between his eyes that she had not noticed there earlier. He got up and pulled out a chair for her to sit. Still feeling a little flustered from her two seconds with Mark in the stable, she reached for the glass on the table and poured herself water from the pitcher. "I thought you would still be sleeping. I didn't expect to see you down so early." Emily smiled at Owen. “Your bed was empty when I turned; I decided to come down and look for you.” He had on that salesman smile, and Emily knew instantly that something was up. She was always able to catch him like that. The smile that didn’t reach the eyes. As she continued to look at him with adoration, Owen took an envelope from the table; Emily hadn't noticed it when she sat down; she'd been so flustered that she had missed the brown envelope with Owen's golden pen that he took with him everywhere. She kne

Grace raced past Nickolas and bolted straight in the ranch's direction. “Shit.” Nicholas sighed. He knew he had just blown his one and only chance to impress her. He debated between chasing after her and letting her cool off. Before he could decide, Jason appeared, panicked and breathless. “Sir…” he shouted as he came closer to Nickolas. And Nickolas was struck by the look on the young man’s face. “What is it?” he asked and decided against loading him with questions. Jason was not quick with his mind. When he had something important to say, if you were interested, it was always best to give him time to gather his wits about and let him tell you at his own pace. Once he had reached his boss, he crunched next to him, to catch his breath. “A fire-“ he wheezed. “Where?” Nickolas couldn’t wait for him to finish the sentence but looked up, and accurate enough, there was smoke rising to the sky. Panic seeped through him, and he broke into a run, letting the smoke le

Nickolas was beside himself with worry. He went to a room downstairs that was kept for the monitoring of the ranch, but with the ranch not having as much activity, they hardly ever went to the monitors but he needed answers. He played the tape back to the previous day when he last saw Grace. On the screen he could see himself when he went into her suit but there were not cameras inside the suits, that was mainly to protect the privacy of the occupants. Not long after he left her, she had gone out, only to come back running and closed the door behind. Something must have scared her. He wondered if she had seen Owen anywhere, but he remembered the log book that Lilith had shown him, new guests had arrived and it there was nothing out of the ordinary about the two couples and a mother with her daughter. He was ready to give up when at the corner of his eye, he caught movement on the tape. A bulky man appeared on the screen, he looked around the floor before he started for

The abandoned sawmill sat on the edge of town like a monument to forgotten days. Its weathered walls leaned with age, and the towering chimney cast a long shadow over the empty yard. It looked like nature had spent years reclaiming the place, weaving vines through broken windows and forcing weeds between warped floorboards. Nickolas killed the truck's engine nearly three hundred yards away. The old pickup gave one final groan before settling into silence. It had done its job beautifully. He remained behind the wheel for a moment, studying the mill through the dusty windshield, but nothing moved. The place was dead quiet. He climbed out and closed the door gently this time. The truck's tired hinges creaked in protest, but not loudly enough to carry. With his hat pulled low and his rifle slung across his back, he disappeared into the brush. Years of working the ranch had taught him how to move through rough terrain without announcing his presence. Dry grass brushed ag