جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 540

Ryan’s POVThe first time I heard the word re-election spoken out loud in reference to the International Jewelry Association, I was holding a cup of coffee that went cold in my hand.It wasn’t whispered. It wasn’t dressed up as speculation. It was said plainly, in a glass-walled conference room three floors above Crown Luxe’s flagship showroom, by a man who had survived this industry longer than my father had ruled it.“Maximilian’s position is being questioned,” Chairman Liu says, folding his hands neatly on the table. “Openly.”I kept my face neutral. Years of practice. Years of learning how not to react when my father’s name was used like a loaded weapon.“That’s… unprecedented,” I say.Liu nods. “That’s why I asked to see you.”Chairman Liu was not an emotional man. He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t posture. He wore power the way other men wore tailored suits, comfortably, without needing to prove it fit. As Chairman of Crown Luxe’s board, he had always been my father’s counterw

Celeste’s POVBy the time I arrived at Ryan’s penthouse, my body felt like it had been wrung dry and left out in the sun.The city glowed below, all glass and gold and indifference, but inside his apartment everything was muted, soft lighting, the low hum of the city filtered through reinforced windows, the scent of cedar and something warm I couldn’t quite name.Ryan opened the door before I could knock properly, like he’d been standing there waiting, counting my footsteps.“You look exhausted,” he said softly.“I am,” I replied, stepping inside and letting the door shut behind me. The sound felt final in a good way, like a seal.He didn’t ask questions right away. That was one of the things I loved about him, he knew when words would bruise instead of heal.He took my coat, guided me toward the couch, pressed a glass of water into my hands like he’d rehearsed the movement a thousand times.For a while, we just existed. I curled into the corner of the sofa, my legs tucked beneath me,

Celeste’s POVEven though life hadn’t settled into anything I could call stable, that didn’t mean it had to stop. It didn’t mean birthdays waited patiently for court cases, boardroom wars, or fractured families to resolve themselves.Children didn’t pause their growing for adult chaos. And Molly was turning seven.That alone felt like reason enough to celebrate.Vivian and I planned it together, sitting across from each other at her kitchen table with calendars, color swatches, and Molly’s very strong opinions guiding us.Purple, not pink. Butterflies, not unicorns. Chocolate cake, no fruit anywhere near it. Vivian took notes like it was a board meeting, nodding solemnly while Molly stood on a chair and demonstrated how the balloons should be arranged “so they look like they’re flying.”The party was held at Vivian and Steven’s place, a warm, spacious home that still smelled faintly of fresh paint and lavender candles.Steven had flown in from Belgium just for the birthday, and when Mo

Celeste’s POVDamien asked me to meet him for lunch on a weekday, which was how I knew it wasn’t casual.He didn’t phrase it as urgent. He never did. Damien liked to pretend that his life was still governed by schedules and reason, that everything wasn’t constantly teetering on the edge of implosion.But I’d known him long enough, loved him long enough once, to recognize the difference between an invitation and a request for help.I agreed.We met at a quiet restaurant near Imperial Aurium Group’s headquarters, the kind of place where the booths were upholstered in dark leather and no one raised their voice.Damien was already there when I arrived, seated with his jacket draped neatly over the chair beside him, hands folded on the table like he was bracing himself.“You look tired,” he said instead of hello.“So do you,” I replied, sliding into the seat opposite him.He gave a faint, humorless smile. “Occupational hazard.”We ordered without much discussion. Damien waited until the ser

Celeste’s POVThe envelope didn’t look important at first.It was cream, heavy-stock, embossed, but that was standard fare when you ran a company like Rosemary Atelier. Invitations, galas, thinly veiled power plays disguised as compliments. I almost left it unopened on the corner of my desk while I finished adjusting a wax model that refused to behave. My hands were steadier when they were shaping metal than when they were opening things that might change my life.I opened it anyway.International Jewelry Association.The words landed with a strange weight, like a name you hadn’t said out loud in a long time but that still knew how to hurt you. I sat. Not because the letter asked me to, but because my knees decided for me.We formally invite Ms. Celeste Sinclair to accept the position of Honorary Board Member…Honorary. Board. Member.The room went quiet in that way it did when your body was trying to catch up to your mind. The hum of the lights faded. The city outside the windows beca