Chapter 5: The Frame-Up The storm had passed by morning, leaving the city slick and gleaming under a reluctant sun, but inside me, the chaos raged on. I dragged myself to Hale Tech with shadows under my eyes, the weight of last night's confrontation pressing like a vice on my chest. Marcus's words echoed—love, raw and desperate, clashing against Mom's warnings of manipulation and control. I'd slammed the door on him, on us, but sleep had evaded me, replaying every heated glance, every commanding touch from our stolen moments. Stepbrother or not, the pull between us was a live wire, dangerous and undeniable. The office buzzed with its usual rhythm—keyboards clacking, phones ringing, the hum of ambition in the air. I kept my head down, burying myself in spreadsheets and emails, my cubicle a flimsy fortress against the world. Elena Hale, the intern who blurred lines with the CEO. No one knew, or so I thought. But every time the elevator dinged, my pulse spiked, half-expecting his broad
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