บททั้งหมดของ The heir's mask : บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

Steve arrived in his black SUV. He had ditched his usual armored town car for something less conspicuous, the kind of vehicle that whispered “wealthy but trying not to” rather than Vanderbilt heir on full display. Ken sat in the passenger seat, fingers drumming against his thigh, living a different type of life. The silence between them was thick enough to cut.“You’re quiet,” Steve observed, his voice low. One hand rested on the wheel while the other brushed Ken’s knee, as if he couldn’t help himself. “Regretting saying yes already?”Ken shot him a glare, but there was no real heat in it. “I’m regretting letting you blindfold me with secrecy. Where the hell are we going? Another one of your power plays?”Steve’s lips curved into that sharp, devastating smile that always made Ken’s stomach tighten. “No boardrooms tonight. No cameras. No Eleanor breathing down our necks. Just us.” He turned onto a quiet side street in the Meatpacking District and pulled up to a discreet entrance tucked

Steve's phone exploded with notifications. Ken was halfway through his second cup of coffee, scrolling through code on his laptop, when Steve's sharp curse cut through the quiet."What?" Ken asked, glancing up.Steve's face had gone stone-cold, jaw tight. He turned the screen toward Ken. A gossip site headline screamed in bold Vanderbilt Heir's Secret Nights? Exclusive Photos Spark Questions.Below it, grainy but damning images filled the page. One showed them leaving the private club after their date, Steve's hand at Ken's back. Another captured them on the boat, laughing close together, Steve's arm slung around Ken's shoulders. A third was worse: the two of them on the rooftop terrace, locked in a heated kiss under the city lights.Ken's stomach dropped. "How the hell""Mark." Steve's voice was ice. He swiped through the article, eyes narrowing. "That bastard's been digging for weeks. These angles... he had someone tailing us."Ken stood, pacing to the window. The city below looked

The penthouse felt smaller under the weight of another day of managed chaos. Steve's crisis team had established a formal war room in the conference room down the hall, whiteboards covered in stakeholder maps, message matrices, and escalation protocols. Ken stood in the doorway watching Carla run the morning briefing while Steve leaned over the table, marker in hand."Core framework," Carla said, pointing to a chart. "Transparency where possible, deflection on personal matters, and consistent messaging across all channels. We treat this as a reputation-repair scenario: acknowledge the friendship, emphasize business value, and redirect to future innovation."Steve nodded. "Key messages: 'Long-term collaboration built on trust.' 'Acquisition strengthens market position.' No comments on private life. Monitor sentiment hourly and adjust tone empathetic but firm."Ken slipped away before they noticed him, retreating to the main living area. The framework sounded clean on paper. In practice

Steve sat at the edge of the bed, looking worried, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. The day's strategy sessions had gone well stock steady but the weight of Ken's questions pressed heavier than any boardroom battle. Ken emerged from the bathroom, a towel slung low on his hips, water still dripping from his shoulders. He paused when he saw Steve's posture."You're thinking too hard again," Ken said softly, crossing the room.Steve looked up, the vulnerability he usually buried cracking through. "I keep turning it over. Us. The leaks. What happens when the next wave hits." He reached out, fingers brushing Ken's wrist, then gripping it like an anchor. "I'm scared I'll lose you to all this."Ken sat beside him, the mattress dipping under their weight. "You won't. But I see the fear in your eyes when you think I'm not looking." His voice dropped, raw. "I'm terrified every morning that today's the day Eleanor forces your hand. Or that I'll wake up and realize I gave up everything

Steve emerged from the study, phone in hand, his usual sharp posture softened by concern. “You’ve been quiet since you got back. Tell me again what she said.”Ken turned, meeting his gaze. “She laid it out clearly. Money, a new start overseas, total severance from your world. All I had to do was disappear and sign away any future contact.” He paused, the decision settling deeper. “I refused. On the spot.”Steve crossed the room at full speed and pulled him into a strong embrace. For a long moment, neither of them spoke a word.“You chose me,” Steve whispered with a full smile, his voice rough with emotion. “Even knowing what it could cost you.”Ken pulled back just enough to look at him, hands resting on Steve’s chest. “There was never a real choice. Walking away from you isn’t freedom it’s losing the one person who makes everything else bearable.” His voice carried the vulnerability they had shared the night before. “The rumors, the photos, your mother’s pressure… they’ve made things