جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 90

NYLA"What do you mean?" He shot me a quizzical look."You know exactly what I mean Kael." His face tightened, words failing him for the first time I could remember. My mind raced with everything Evans had dumped at my feet.“We should leave the party,” he finally said, voice rough. “Go somewhere private to talk.”I nodded even with a very tight chest. “If that will get you to spill, then be my guest.”We slipped out through a side exit, avoiding the cameras and curious stares. The drive felt endless, tension crackling in the car like live wires. At some point I wondered why he drove so far away from the main city. He pulled into a quiet overlook near the river, his engine cutting off to leave only the distant noise of traffic and the rush of water below. “Why did you bring me here?” I asked, with my arms folded.“I thought this would be a better place to have a conversation.” I rolled my eyes at his response. I stepped out first, arms wrapped around myself against the chilly night

NYLA“We hit the weak spots in the departments first thing, lock in two key clients before Jason can move, and I’ll pull some strings with suppliers for better margins. We move fast and quiet.”I nodded, still processing everything and the fear of what the next day’s boardroom would bring with those corrupt executives already leaning toward Jason. “It better work. Those executives who never liked me will try to trip me up. I can feel it.”Kael glanced over, voice steady. “We have to win this, I owe you after all. Strictly business if that’s what you want, but I’m not letting you walk into that alone.”“Thank you,” I said. He smiled faintly. “I can be your first investor if you want. I wouldn’t mind at all.”I pulled back slightly but stayed in his hold. “You know how that turned out the last time. Besides, I don’t want people thinking things are being handed to me. I need to prove my worth on my own.”“That’s fine,” he said softly. “Anytime you need my help, I’ll be right there. No s

NYLA “I’m at the private airfield on the east side, hangar number seventeen. Come quickly.” The line went dead. My stomach dropped. Without a second thought I grabbed my bag and dashed toward the door. I stopped only long enough to tell my assistant, “Dig up anything you can on Mr. Westwood. Every deal, every connection, every dirty secret. Send it to me as soon as you have it.” I didn’t wait for her reply. I ran out of the office, ignoring the curious stares, and told the driver, “East side private airfield, hangar 17. You need to get there fast.” The drive felt endless even though the car moved quickly. My mind raced with worst case scenarios. When we arrived, a sleek private jet sat on the tarmac with a small crew of attendants already waiting. Confusion hit me hard. “Where is Kael?” I asked one of the attendants, voice tight. “He called and said he was in danger.” “He’s inside the jet, ma’am,” the attendant replied calmly. “Please board.” I hesitated, skepticism

NYLAKael’s jaw clenched. “We need to get back home.”We packed quickly and drove through the night back toward the city. The mountain roads gave way to highways, headlights cutting through the dark. Tension filled the car like smoke. I couldn’t stay silent.“You knew Westwood was connected to Grimes, didn’t you?” I asked, turning in my seat to face him. “All that talk about breaking free, was any of it real, or am I just another piece in whatever game you’re playing with your past?”Kael kept his eyes on the road, knuckles white on the wheel. “I knew Grimes had reach, but I didn’t know Westwood was in his pocket. Not until tonight. I broke ties years ago. You have to believe that.”“Believe you?” I laughed bitterly. “You lied about the danger to surprise me for my birthday. You hid your betrothal to Mia. Now this. How many more secrets are there, Kael? Tell me honestly, did you know Westwood would come after me because of that punch?”“No,” he said sharply. “I reacted that night beca

NYLAI stormed into the strategy room on the tenth floor at 6 a.m., coffee in one hand and my tablet in the other, the emergency board vote still burning in my mind. Forty eight hours. That was all the time I had before they measured me against Jason and decided who deserved the keys to everything my father built. My team was already there. Sarah from sales, Marcus on operations, and Lena handling supplier contracts. They looked as exhausted as I felt.“Listen up,” I said, setting my things down hard. “We don’t have time for long meetings. We need quick wins. Sarah, pull every old lead from the last six months that went cold. Offer them a fifteen percent discount if they sign by the end of the week. Don't make it feel urgent.”Sarah nodded, fingers flying over her laptop. “I’m on it. I can have personalized emails out in an hour. One client alone could bring in forty thousand if we close fast.”“Good. Marcus, review every expense line from last quarter. Cut anything that isn’t deliver