The Yates Tower rose into the California sky, cold and unyielding. Inside, the 50th-floor conference room was a cage of glass and polished big table. Selene smoothed the front of her suit, her fingers grazing the silver lily brooch. She was "Elena" today... the Thorne consultant, the strategist, the ghost. But as the heavy glass doors swung open, the air in the room seemed to vanish. Lucas Yates was already there. He wasn't sitting at the head of the table, he was standing by the window, staring out at the Pacific. He hadn't put on his blazer yet... his white dress shirt was crisp, the sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms that bore the faint, jagged reminders of a life lived in the shadows before he claimed his secret billions. He turned as Selene and Julian Vane entered. His gaze didn't land on Julian. It went straight to Selene, tracking her with a slow, heavy intensity that felt like a physical touch. "You’re early, Julian," Lucas said, his voice a low rumble that vibrated i
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