جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 70

DAVIES"Try the roasted duck, son. The new chef really outdid himself tonight."My father pointed his silver fork toward the center of the massive mahogany table, offering a warm smile that felt entirely out of place. Sitting in the formal dining room of my parents' estate usually felt like bracing for a firing squad, but tonight carried a different, unsettling vibe. Soft jazz played from hidden speakers, filling the quiet spaces between the clinking of expensive crystal glasses.Taking a small portion of the meat, I placed it on my porcelain plate while keeping a close eye on the man sitting at the head of the table. He wore a casual navy sweater instead of his usual tailored suit, projecting a relaxed image that set every single alarm bell ringing inside my head. My mother sat across from me, sipping her red wine and dabbing her lips with a cloth napkin, looking like the picture of wealthy domestic bliss."Your midterms are coming up soon, right?" she asked, her voice light and conv

AUTHOR’S POV."This level of defiance is beyond unacceptable," his father growled, pacing the length of the extravagant living room with a crystal glass tight in his grip. "He is risking our entire legacy over a passing infatuation with a girl who does not even belong in our zip code."Standing near the massive stone fireplace, the older man stared into the dancing flames as if they held the answers to his escalating problems. His wife sat on the plush leather sofa behind him, crossing her legs with practiced grace. She held a cup of warm tea, watching her husband march back and forth across the expensive Persian rug. Generations of their family followed a strict, calculated path to power and wealth, building an empire that required careful maintenance. Their son was currently driving a wrecking ball through those ancient traditions, and his father was not ready to let a poor girl from a low-class family destroy a century of hard work."Clara is everything a man in his position should

AUTHOR’S POV."Give me two minutes of your time, Captain, or you are going to regret missing this."Stepping out from behind a concrete pillar in the underground parking garage, Chloe blocked the narrow path leading to his black truck. The lead gossip blogger for Wartburg Live held her pink smartphone like a loaded weapon, her knuckles turning white around the plastic case while a frantic, desperate energy radiated from her small frame.Wiping a towel across his sweaty forehead, Davies let out a harsh, exhausted breath that plumed in the cold garage air. He spent the last four hours punishing his body on the ice, running brutal suicide drills until his lungs burned and his muscles felt like lead. Dealing with the campus media circus was the absolute last thing he wanted to do right now."Move out of my way, Chloe," he warned, his voice dropping into a dark, feral register that usually sent opposing players running for the bench. "I am not doing any interviews tonight. Talk to the athle

AUTHOR’S POV."Who gave you those files?"The heavy soundproof door of the campus media suite clicked shut, trapping Chloe inside the small editing room. Fluorescent lights buzzed above them, casting a pale glow over the expensive mixing consoles and scattered microphones. Davies stood blocking the only exit. His massive shoulders seemed to swallow the tiny space, casting a long shadow across the carpet.Chloe clutched her pink smartphone to her chest, taking a nervous step backward until her sneakers hit the edge of a rolling desk chair."I tried to tell you last night," she shot back, raising her chin to mask her rising panic. "You practically bit my head off in the parking garage and told me to post whatever garbage I found. Do not come in here acting like I blindsided you when you literally pushed me away."Grinding his teeth, a muscle ticked tight along his bruised jawline. The exhaustion from the morning drama burned behind his eyes, making it hard to think straight. He knew she

AUTHOR’S POV"Do you expect me to believe a pair of hired guards managed to send you packing?"His father hissed the question into the encrypted phone. He gripped the device with brutal force, his knuckles turning white against the dark plastic. Pacing the length of his private study, he listened to the Russian operative explain the botched mission. A warm fire crackled in the hearth, casting long and dancing shadows across the rows of leather-bound books lining the walls. This entire situation was spiraling into a frustrating mess, pushing his patience past its breaking point.His intention was never to order a murder. Death brought police tape, federal investigations, and the kind of permanent scandal that ruined corporate empires. He just wanted to teach the girl a brutal lesson. He hoped a midnight scare would make her suffer enough to pack her bags and leave his son forever. He wanted her terrified, desperate, and running for the hills without daring to look back.Instead, his ow