Semua Bab My Father's Rival Is My Lover : Bab 91 - Bab 100

The Phoenix Labs grand launch wasn’t just a milestone, it was a resurrection.Grace stood before a sea of reporters, her voice strong as she introduced the world to the future of ethical biotech. Behind her, the minimalist silver logo of Phoenix Labs pulsed like a heartbeat.“Our mission,” she declared, “isn’t just to heal. It’s to restore trust. In science. In each other. In truth.”Applause followed, but her mind was a thousand miles away.Not on the speech.Not on Julian Creed’s ongoing criminal trial.But on Nathaniel.The way he hadn’t come home last night.Grace paced her penthouse after the event, clutching her phone. Six calls. No response.He never ignored her like this.Her thoughts raced.Had something happened? Was he avoiding her? Was he... pulling away?Her heart, so often steeled in boardrooms and press conferences, suddenly felt fragile.A message buzzed through.From: Unknown NumberWe warned you. He’s the price of your success.Grace’s blood turned cold.She dropped

Grace stared at the crimson key in Julian Creed’s outstretched palm, her heartbeat pounding louder than the wind howling around them on the balcony. The city glistened far below, unaware of the battle for power waging above its skyline.This was no ordinary key.Julian smirked as he held it higher between his thumb and forefinger, like a god taunting fate. “One key. One vault. One truth.”“You want immunity,” Grace said flatly, her arms folded across her chest. “From what exactly?”Julian coughed, his body frail in the moonlight. “From prosecution. From Phoenix Labs. From the Ashford Estate. I want out with whatever’s left of my dignity, and my money.”Grace eyed him carefully. “Why would I trust you? You’ve tried to ruin me and Nathaniel. You built your empire on blood and betrayal.”“And your father didn’t?” Julian snapped. “Don’t kid yourself, Grace. Vincent was the architect of secrets. I just learned from the best.”Her fingers itched to snatch the key and toss it off the edge. B

The desert winds whispered secrets.As their plane descended over the Moroccan landscape, a vast ocean of sand stretched endlessly beneath them. The fading sun cast long shadows across the dunes, painting the world in hues of amber and blood. To Grace Ashford, it felt like flying into a memory she had never lived but somehow always known, one soaked in secrets, loss, and unspoken power.Beside her, Nathaniel sat quietly, reviewing encrypted files on a tablet. His jaw was clenched, a sure sign he was worried, but trying not to show it.“Do you think he knows we’re coming?” Grace asked, her eyes locked on the horizon.“If he’s anything like you,” Nathaniel replied without looking up, “he knew the moment you decided.”She gave a tight smile. “Then let’s not disappoint him.”The team they assembled wasn’t large, but it was precise: Ava, former MI6 hacker and cybersecurity ghost. Kadeem, a Moroccan ex-spy turned mercenary, who knew the desert like it was part of his soul. And Quinn, a demo

The Ashford Estate in France had gone eerily quiet.Grace sat alone in one of the antique drawing rooms, where the gold-framed oil paintings of long-dead aristocrats stared down at her with judgmental eyes. Her dress, once perfect for the gala, was now slightly torn at the hem, a faint stain of champagne near her hip. Her makeup had faded, but her resolve had not.Vincent Ashford had been arrested. Every global channel was broadcasting the collapse of his empire. She should’ve felt victorious.But her heart wouldn’t rest.She felt it in her bones, the storm was far from over.Nathaniel entered without knocking. His tailored shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled to his forearms, hair tousled from either stress or wind, or both.He closed the door behind him and leaned against it.“You disappeared after the drop,” he said.“I needed time,” Grace replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “To think. To breathe.”Nathaniel crossed his arms. “To think about Malachai?”She met

The jet cut through the morning sky like a blade through silk, sleek and silent. Inside, Grace sat by the window, her fingers absently tracing the condensation forming on the glass. Below, the vast landscape of Europe sprawled, rolling hills, rivers like veins, cities pulsing with quiet life.She was going home.But nothing about it felt like a homecoming.Across from her, Nathaniel studied a folder brimming with legal documents, press statements, and merger plans. Ashford Industries had collapsed like a house of cards once Facility X was exposed. The international fallout had been swift and brutal. Shareholders fled, the board dissolved, and assets were frozen pending investigations.And yet… amid the ashes, something new could rise.“We’ll land in forty,” he said without looking up. “Your name is officially clear. Interpol’s dropped all connections between you and the rogue assets. You’re in the clear.”She nodded distantly. “Thanks to you.”He closed the file and looked at her. “No