All Chapters of UNDER HIS RULES: Trapped in his game: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

"He called, didn't he?"The words lingered between them.Quincy didn't answer immediately. Her fingers tightened around the warm mug as she watched the steam disappear into the cool air.Across the table, Maggie didn't ask again. She'd known Quincy long enough to understand what the silence meant.Quincy let out a slow breath."Yes."Maggie's hand closed around hers."Quincy... you need to go to the police.Quincy shook her head before Maggie could finish."No.""Quince—""No police.”"Why?" Maggie stared at her in disbelief. "Why do you always do this, Quince?"Quincy said nothing.Maggie shook her head. "Every single time, you tell me it's fine when it isn't. You changed your number, and he still found a way to reach you. What if he already knows where you live?"She hesitated."...What if he already knows where you work?”Quincy looked away, her eyes settling on the rain-streaked window."The police can't fix this, Mags."Her voice was barely above a whisper."They look for evidenc

By Monday morning, the storm was gone. Sunlight poured through the glass walls of Kael Industries as employees settled into another workday. The sound of keyboards, ringing phones, and quiet conversations gradually filled the office."I'm telling you, Quincy, I ended up going to three different grocery stores," Peter said, leaning against her desk with a paper cup in one hand. "Apparently the ridges on the pasta matter. I bought the smooth one, and Maya made me drive back in that rain just to exchange it. I swear I looked like someone returning stolen goods.”Quincy smiled faintly without looking up, straightening the stack of files on her desk. "Did you find the right one?”"Eventually," Peter sighed as an email notification popped up on his screen. "I'd better get back before Marcus finds a reason to lecture me." He gave her a quick wave and walked back to his desk.Once Peter left, the office settled back into its usual rhythm. Quincy glanced across the floor toward the executive o

The cab crawled through the evening traffic.Quincy rested her head against the window, watching the lights drift past.She still wasn't sure why she'd agreed to this.If she didn't love Maggie this much, she'd be curled up on her couch by now, enjoying the peace and quiet of her apartment.But she'd made a promise.By the time the cab pulled up outside the bar, Quincy took a deep breath, paid the driver, smoothed down her sweater, and stepped out.Maggie was already waiting at a table near the back.The moment she spotted Quincy, she grinned and waved both hands in the air.Quincy scoffed as she walked over."You actually came!" Maggie said with a grin as Quincy sat down."I was starting to think you'd text me and say your boss refused to let you leave.”"I kept my promise," Quincy said as she settled into her chair."Good," Maggie said, sliding the menu across the table."Tonight, you're not thinking about work.”"You're going to eat, have a drink, and help me figure out why my life

The quiet hum of the executive floor was broken by the sound of incoming emails.Quincy glanced at her screen.MANDATORY ATTENDANCE — CONFERENCE ROOM A — IMMEDIATE.Quincy grabbed her notepad and followed the others out."Did you know about this?" Peter asked quietly as they walked toward Conference Room A."No," Quincy murmured. "Not a word.”Conference Room A was already filling up.No one spoke as the senior executives took their seats.The door opened, and Kaelen walked in.He didn't greet anyone.Instead of taking his seat, he remained standing.Behind him, Marcus connected a tablet. A spreadsheet lit up on the screen."Three months ago, we started seeing irregularities in our Eastern distribution records," Kaelen said."This morning, the audit confirmed what we suspected.”He looked straight at Arthur Grey."Arthur," Kaelen said. "Page four.”Arthur cleared his throat."Mr. Sanders... if this is about the quarterly reports, my team is already looking into it….”"Three months ago

The penthouse sitting room was quiet, lit only by the soft glow of the city lights streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Dark walnut panels lined the walls, while minimalist leather furniture and an unlit marble fireplace gave the space a clean, expensive feel. It was beautiful, but it didn't feel like a home. It felt cold, as though no one had ever truly lived there.Across from the marble bar, Julian sat on a charcoal sofa with a slim leather folder resting open on his lap. As the Sanders family's longtime attorney, he had spent three decades handling both their public affairs and private troubles. Tonight, the usual calm on his face was replaced by a quiet, weary concern."Arthur's arraignment is scheduled for Thursday morning," Julian said, breaking the silence. "Kaelen's legal team delivered the forensic logs to the prosecutor's office at dawn. By noon, every account linked to Arthur had been frozen under a court order.”Adrian stood behind the marble bar, slipping off