جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 120

THEA’s POV The morning light felt way too bright as it hit the white marble counters of the kitchen. I stood by the coffee machine, my hands wrapped around a warm mug, staring out at the security guards walking the perimeter. My body still felt a little heavy from the collapse the day before, but my mind was running at full speed. I couldn't sit in this mansion for another minute. The walls felt like they were closing in on me."You aren't going anywhere today," a deep, firm voice said from the doorway.I didn't even have to turn around to know it was Elias. I took a slow sip of my coffee and turned to face him. He was already fully dressed in his sharp dark blue suit, his hair neatly combed back. He looked completely recovered from last night’s soft moment, his face turning back into the hard mask of the Vane chairman."Good morning to you too, Elias," I said, my voice flat. "And yes, I am going. The Daily Herald has a morning editorial meeting in an hour. I need to be there."Eli

THEA’s POV A black sedan pulled up to the curb fifteen minutes later. I got into the back seat without saying a word to the driver, and the car smoothly glided through the city traffic. I stared out the window, watching the gray buildings pass by, my mind completely blank.By the time the car pulled up to the grand entrance of the Vane corporate headquarters, the glass doors of the massive skyscraper reflected the gloomy sky.The moment I stepped out of the vehicle, the security guards at the front entrance straightened up, immediately bowing their heads in deep respect."Good afternoon, Mrs. Vane," the chief of security said, quickly holding the heavy glass door open for me."Good afternoon," I murmured, keeping my head high as I walked through the grand marble lobby. The employees passing by stopped and bowed slightly, whispering to each other in respectful tones. I didn't pay them any attention. I walked straight to the private executive elevator at the back of the floor, sliding

The rain had stopped, but the night air near the city docks was thick with a cold, heavy fog. Inside an old, abandoned shipping warehouse at the edge of the water, a single lightbulb hung from a long wire in the ceiling. It swayed slowly in the draft, casting long, dancing shadows against the cracked concrete walls.Sirius Vane stood by a dusty wooden crate, carefully pouring amber liquid into a glass. He was wearing an expensive gray suit, but he had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.Sirius was Elias’s older cousin, but he had spent his entire life standing in Elias’s shadow. While Elias was handed the keys to Vane International, Sirius was relegated to managing the minor shipping ports. His heart was full of a deep, burning jealousy that had rot over the years.He took a sip of his drink, his dark eyes tracking a movement in the shadows at the far end of the warehouse."You're late," Sirius said, his voice smooth and cold.Out of the darkness stepped Maya Sterling.She looked no

"Do you think I don't know how you got those construction files? You hacked into the Vane private server from an unauthorized terminal. You stalked George Vane’s private accountant for three weeks. That is corporate espionage and illegal stalking. My partner has the digital logs of your IP address. If you don't come with me right now to our secondary venue to upload that data, I will personally send those logs to the federal prosecutor. You'll be sitting in a prison cell right next to where I just came from."Emily’s face went completely white. Her hands shook against her purse as she realized Maya wasn't bluffing. She was trapped between a corrupt billionaire's wife and a madwoman with a corporate backing. "Now," Maya said, her fake sweet smile returning as she reached out a thin, dirty hand to grab Emily’s elbow. "Let's take a nice little walk to my car around the corner. We have a big banquet to prepare for on Saturday night, and your information is the final piece of the puzzle—"

Elias stared at Darius with deep suspicion. The night air was freezing, but the sudden tension between the two men made the driveway feel even colder. Elias did not trust a single word that came out of Darius’s mouth, yet the steady, confident look on Darius’s face told him this was not a joke.Without saying a word, Elias walked straight toward the heavy black transport van idling in the dark.One of Darius’s broad-shouldered security guards immediately stepped forward. He reached out and pulled the van’s side door open with a loud, metallic slide.Elias leaned in to look inside. The interior of the vehicle was dim, but the yellow streetlight was just bright enough to reveal a figure sitting tied up on the floor. Her hands were bound behind her back with thick plastic zipties, a heavy strip of black silver tape was slapped across her mouth, and her clothes were stained with alleyway dirt.Elias’s eyes went wide. His usual cold, unreadable mask completely shattered for a fraction of