The Hostile Takeover: Signed, Sealed, and Claimed의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

"So, you finally crawled out of the wreckage to watch the fire, Ethan?"Caleb didn't even look up from his glass. The amber liquid swirled, catching the dim, moody light of the bar. He looked like hell—expensive, tailored hell. His tie was loose, top button undone, and his hair was a mess. But the way he sat there, like he still owned the square footage under his boots, made Ethan’s teeth ache."I didn't come to watch," Ethan said. He pulled out the chair opposite Caleb, the wood screeching against the floor. He didn't sit. He leaned over the table, pressing his palms into the mahogany. "I came to buy the ashes. Morgan Industries is dead, Caleb. You’re just the last one to get the memo."Caleb let out a short, dry bark of a laugh. "Buy the ashes? With what? That 'conservative' capital you’ve been hoarding while I was actually building an empire?" He finally looked up. His eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with the kind of exhaustion that breaks men. "You’ve been waiting for this for ten yea

"You’re late. I thought you liked being on top of things, Ethan."Caleb leaned back in the plush leather chair behind Ethan’s own desk, his feet kicked up on the mahogany surface. He looked immaculate. Not a hair out of place. The bruises Ethan had worked so hard to leave the night before were hidden beneath the high collar of a fresh, slate-gray dress shirt. He was nursing a cup of black coffee, the steam curling around a face that held no trace of the man who had been screaming against a piano lid a few hours ago."Get your feet off my desk," Ethan snapped. He slammed the door shut, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the silent office. Every step he took toward the desk sent a sharp, stinging reminder of the previous night through his lower back and thighs. He was walking with a stiffness he couldn't hide, a physical brand of his "victory."Caleb didn't move. He just tilted his head, a slow, shark-like grin spreading across his face. "Your desk? Check the news, boss. Or did you spe

"Where the hell do you think you’re going, Ethan? The cameras are still rolling."Caleb’s hand clamped onto Ethan’s elbow like a vice. He didn't look at Ethan; he kept that plastic, billionaire smile plastered on his face for the benefit of the press corps. They were standing in the gilded foyer of the Metropolitan, the gala for the 'merger' in full swing behind them."Get your hands off me, Caleb. Now." Ethan wrenched his arm away. His shoulder throbbed. The skin there was still tender, a map of purple teeth marks hidden under his bespoke tuxedo. "I've played the part. I stood on that stage. I let you gut my renewable energy project in front of the board. We’re done for tonight.""We’re never done." Caleb stepped closer, crowding Ethan into a marble pillar. The scent of expensive gin and dominance rolled off him. He reached out, his thumb dragging slow and heavy over Ethan’s lower lip. "You’re staying until the last bottle is empty. You’re my supportive partner, remember? Smile for t

"Where the hell is the ledger, Ethan?"Caleb’s voice sliced through the hum of the server room. He didn't look up from his monitor. The blue light washed over his sharp features, turning his skin into marble."I’m working on it." I didn't look back. My fingers flew across the mechanical keyboard. Each click sounded like a bone snapping in the silence. "The encryption on these offshore accounts is heavier than you said. You’re hiding more than just tax breaks, aren't you?""I'm hiding us." Caleb stood up. His chair scraped the floor. A harsh, grating sound. He walked over, his shadow swallowing my desk. "Don't dig where you don't belong.""I belong wherever my name is signed." I hit Enter. A progress bar crawled across the screen. 12%. "And since you tied my personal assets to your debt, I’m digging until I find the kill switch.""The kill switch?" Caleb laughed. It was a cold, jagged sound. He leaned down, his hand catching the back of my neck. His thumb pressed into the sensitive ski

"Get your head down, Ethan. Now."Caleb’s palm slammed against the back of my neck. He shoved me toward the floor of the black SUV. Outside, the world was a riot of blue and red strobes. The air tasted like pulverized concrete and ozone."I can't Caleb, I can't breathe""Stay down!" He barked. He didn't look back. He was already rolling down the bulletproof glass. The roar of the press surged into the cabin like a physical wave. "Back up! Clear the perimeter! My partner is injured. If one lens touches this car, I'll have your credentials pulled by morning!"He sounded like the king of the world again. Not the man who’d been bleeding in a warehouse. Not the man who’d just pinned me to a panic room floor. He was the CEO. The Alpha. The shield."Mr. Thorne! Was this a targeted attack on the merger?""Is Ethan Vane safe?"Caleb didn't answer. He shoved the door open and stepped out into the chaos. He didn't let go of my shoulder. He hauled me out with him, tucking me under his arm, his la