Semua Bab The CEO’s Temptation : Bab 51 - Bab 60

[Two Days Ago.]********************************Rowe's POV*****************---I lingered by the study window, surrounded by symbols of my father's authority. The room's grandeur was palpable from the mahogany to the velvet drapes.Liam's voice. Polished. Cold. Hollow. Still echoed in my head from the press conference that ended 20 minutes ago.{I want to make it clear that I am not responsible for Sadie’s death.}He said it like he rehearsed it from a script. Like he was erasing her name in real time."You believe him? I asked.Behind me, my father poured himself a glass of Scotch. Twelve _year. No ice. Business as usual.He didn't respond immediately, the only sound being the clinking glass and the leather armchair's soft groan as he sat."Rowe," he finally said. "Grief plays tricks on the mind. We see what we want to see. Or don't want to see." I turned slowly.There he was__ the pain in his eyes was almost unbearable to witness, a poignant reminder of the human cos

*****************************"Rowe's POV*******************Airports have always held a strange kind of energy. A restless pulse in the floor tiles, in the artificial breeze of the climate control, in the way voices bounced and echoed through the polished terminals. Even in the private hangar of the smaller charter wing, the air trembled with motion—jets rumbling in the distance, luggage carts clicking across the concrete like distant insects. I stood beneath the cool shadow of a steel support beam, one hand in my coat pocket, the other clutched the thick envelope. The leather folder I held was warm, even through the cardboard. I hadn't let go of it since leaving his father’s house.Outside, the afternoon sun pressed hard against the windows, smearing light over the glossy floor like a pale fire. Inside, everything was clinical—cool steel, blue-grey walls, crisp echoes of footsteps. I hated airports. They were always beginnings or endings, never in-betweens. And today was most definit

**************************Etian's POV***********************"Here we are." Rowe Arizona said. He hand-cutting a lazy arc through the door.With a metallic groan, the door swung open, and Rowe Arizona entered his fluid and commanding.It wasn't unattractive__ the high ceilings scared beans, and expansive windows let it in a soft, wearing light that danced across the polished floor.To the left, a sleek living space unfolded__ bed, desk, dresser, all in quiet shades of 'get the job done.'On the right, my improvised office set up stood, with desk, chair, and cork board, awaiting the revelation I'd pin.A strip of tape on the floor demarcated the boundary between professionalism and necessityRowe scanned around it was his first time seeing. "Best I could do on short notice," he said as he scratched the back of his neck.I gave a small grunt. Approval, maybe.Honestly, I was somewhat impressed, but my expression remained impassive, revealing nothing.Rowe handed me the key__ a plain br

.************************(Aliana’s POV)********************** Two Days Ago.The sound of fork scraping plates, voices rising and falling like waves, and the occasional burst of laughter from a crowded booth in the corner. The smell of roasted garlic and buttery bread filled the air. But my plate sat in front of me untouched, the pasta cooling with every passing minute.The restaurant buzzed around me in its grandeur.I teased the pasta with my fork, not getting the taste of the glass of wine I sipped from. My focus was half on my phone and half on the growing knot of anxiety that had become my permanent shadow these days.I was supposed to be happy or at least pretend be to.Mack's victory as the CEO had left the whole city talking and Liam had been labelled a coward for not showing up on that day. And if he was angry, it somehow always landed back to me.I played with my food as I carved a line through the tomato sauce. I needed something that would take my min

[The real battle starts after a war is won]**********************Claire's POV**************************The sun slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long golden stripes across the office. I sat curled up on the couch; a thick folder of contracts sat abandoned in my lap. Mack stood across the room, hunched over his desk, scanning emails on his phone.I watched him quietly, letting the peaceful hum of the city below soak into my bones. For the first time in a long time, it felt like we could finally breathe.But peace never lasted long in our world.Mack's phone buzzed sharply, cutting through the silence like a blade. He stiffened, and his body language changed instantly. I sat upright, my heart skipped a beat.He glanced at his phone, he read the message once. TwiceHis jaw tightened, and his grip on his tightened. His eyes burned with anger."What is it?" I asked. Already aware that whatever it was, it wasn't good.He didn't respond right away. He set the phone down