Semua Bab Seduced by His Touch: Bab 91 - Bab 100

The Coleman-Hartmann drawing room's candlelight flirted with walls hung with family portraits, casting Ruth's face in golden warm light. She stood behind an extremely small cake sitting on top of a Venetian glass platter—white frosting, sugar-dusted violet petals, and sixteen taper candles glowing. At the table, a handful of close friends and colleagues of the foundation: Dr. Elena Vargas, Marissa Chen, and Simone Park among them. Their laughter and gentle toasts wove a fragile thread of normalcy into the tension that had wrapped the family for these weeks.Liana sat beside her mother, her sapphire dress a radiant contrast to the ivory softness of the room. She grappled for a bright smile as each guest rose to offer birthday wishes, to celebrate the woman who had borne so much on young shoulders. Leo stood at the edge of the room, his eyes both haunted and proud, looking at his daughter with tenderness and fear. With each round of applause, Liana experienced a pang of guilt—her birthd

The sky was slate-gray when Liana Coleman and Alex Cole arrived at the Sterling Tower boardroom, its glass face reflecting off the oncoming storm. Inside, the conference table glowed under harsh fluorescents, the seated directors grumbling in clipped tones. At the head of the table, Malachi Voss's own handpicked proxy, Helena Pritchard—lips pressed into a well-practiced smile—sat on either side of five mutinous board members with hard faces that said more about ambition than concern. Ruth and Leo sat opposite them, face set, by their lawyers. The room vibrated with tension.Ruth looked at Leo, her face begging him to keep calm. He nodded once, shoulders tense. The chairman banged the gavel. "Today's emergency session is in response to charges of mismanagement and fraud at Hartmann Enterprises," she read. Helena rose, her posture upright, charisma masked by politeness. "New evidence has surfaced concerning Mr. Hartmann in the misuse of improper accounting practices. We recommend a vote

Dawn light was filtered behind Coleman-Hartmann estate plantation shutters, slipping in exacting rectangles across the breakfast nook's marble face. Outside, spring had entered bloom: arched over a drift of pale blossoms the cherry trees were along the front lawn, scents of bloom carried on open windows. And inside, the thrum of new peace, silent histories pulsating, charged the air. Leo Hartmann sat directly across from Alexander Cole, unenthusiastic mouths spoony oatmeal by each of the two men. Between them lay tables and printouts—financial forecasts, legal memoranda, and a list of investor contacts relocated overnight to boost liquidity. Liana Coleman sat on a third chair at the head of the table, her teal silk blouse echoing the bright morning hue. She folded her napkin, ready for the subtle challenge ahead: mending her father's bruised pride and the man who became her unexpected friend.Alex looked up from his tablet, pushing coaster-wrapped coffee to Leo's side. "I don't condu

Liana Coleman sat behind her glass-topped desk, late afternoon light bathing her papers with amber glow. Jasmine Patel, her best assistant and closest confidante, hovered near the file cabinet, tucking behind her ear a wayward piece of hair. They had battled scandals together-boardroom coups, server hacks, never-ending lawsuits-but nothing like this nervousness.Liana glanced up from her computer. "Jasmine, would you mind taking a glance at the investor deck? I'd like your honest opinion before I send it to Alex." Her tone was bright, the corners of her mouth curving up into a natural, habitual smile.Jasmine nodded, crossing over. She sat down onto the stool next to Liana's chair, notebook open on her lap, pen poised. "Sure, Liana. Let's take a look."As Liana scrolled through slides of projections and talking points, Jasmine offered concise feedback—phrasing tweaks here, a graphical suggestion there. Liana valued Jasmine’s input more than anyone’s; she trusted her instinctively. Wit

The midday light streaked across the polished wood of the boardroom table as Liana closed her laptop and fixed Malachi with a steely gaze. Her pulse thudded; adrenaline and resolve focused into one purpose. Alex sat beside her, hand on her arm—a quiet anchor amid the brewing storm. Malachi’s dark eyes radiated venom, but Liana met them without flinching. The board chair cleared her throat. "The board is in session. Miss Rosario, you requested to be heard?" Liana asked, "Yes." She knocked on her laptop. The screen flashed to life: spreadsheets, graphs, and the big headline Asset Transfers Audit filled the screen. The other board members leaned forward; Malachi's jaw clenched. Liana began softly. "These graphs trace the money you funneled through shell companies and off-shore accounts back into your pockets," she said, her voice firm. “Here are the emails, bearing your forged signatures. Every suspicious transfer is flagged by our forensic audit.” A hush fell around the table. Several b