Driven to Desire
ng to every hallway and conference room. Rumors no longer traveled in whispers; they were spoken in ful
longer than they should. Even his most loyal executive, Nathan Weiss, had seeme
d built Lancaster from his father's cold, dying legacy into a dominant
ally n
Phoenix skyline, bold and sunlit. But his focus was inward on the documents Sandra had uncovered the night
sabotage the merger she was pos
eve kn
ed his attention
me
al, polished, and far from the shy woman who once waited quietly by her father's c
ooking numbers, there's a trail. We find it, we go to t
sitated. "Steve... can
way
"Why her? Why Vivienn
r challenged me in a room. She was sharp, ambitious... I admired that. We
ows how to weaponize loyalty. She gets close. T
soft. "So this is
admitted.
d her first public meeting on
seeing you not just as my assistant bu
lled meeting room, her notepad rea
d in a sharp emerald suit, her heels
ienne said, her tone perfectly casual but laced
nch. "Sandra's e
rked. "Of co
performance, projections. But halfway thr
recent acquisition activities," she s
eyebrow. "Any
eetly. "Just
, who subtly opened her
enne was
m several senior staff members... about personal
om wen
ra f
n't shift. "Rumors are
oothly, "but perception s
Poisoning the roo
Steve reached beneath the table and gave her hand a quick, reassuring
f the 40th-floor executive lounge,
le us in front of the bo
" Steve admitted.
him. "Are you s
charming grin, but som
re abou
ith Sandra beside him, he felt the exhaustion of leade
tled between them. Not just a
ya
like you're living two lives?" she asked. "One where you're powerful and in
her. "That's what power is. Holding som
him. "And wh
er. Because love... mea
"I don't want to
eve said softly.
that moment, the world, with all its t
tter of keyboards and hushed conversation had given way to t
rla, knocked on his d
ething you n
e folder he'd been re
Phoenix Business Ledger. You
e reached for the sleek,
ationship Raises Ethical Concerns" was a grainy photo Steve exiti
nymous senior executive" questioning Steve's
ien
without eve
paper in his
Sandra?"
said carefully. "They ask
hey did," St
of HR, a stiff man named Gerald Nokes, who looked at
concerns," he said, his h
a repeated, keepi
n elevation to sensitive projects, and your involvement in acquisi
through her. "I've worked late every night, contributed actionab
Nokes interrupted. "We just need to ensur
ght in the eyes. "And w
at libert
ienne's handprints
ed Sandra on he
barely containing his fur
plied quietly. "And
she can scare you off. Undermine your position. She
im. "And what about you,
his voice. "Then we burn it
lf-smile. "I'm ho
ith his most trusted circle Nathan Weiss, the CFO; Tara
not as a silent observer,
at the head
"This article, the HR stunt it's all calculated to force
nervous. They're worried about perception, yes,
," Steve snapped. "
's been laying this groundwork for mo
id. He turned to Sandra.
ing her USB drive
etwork of shell companies, her use of Lancaster funds to backchannel investmen
get her investigate
first," Steve added,
t a war," Natha
d the table. "We'r
alone. Sandra had stayed late at the offic
beneath him, but hi
the edge of the floor-to-ceiling windows, watchi
hone
made your move. N
the message,
as co
't stop until
ice, the sound of her fingers tapping agai
dn't recognize a transfer receipt burie
Steve's ap
s Nat
Opened the
wired to an offshore account
omach
been playin
grabbing her phone
said the moment he answered. "
didn't
The night staff barely managed a startled nod as he strode down the corridor, his foots
, startled. "Ste
the
linked b
printed bank lo
n this?" he asked,
e, scanned it, and let o
"Half a million, disguised as consulting. Of
ivienne came to me six months ago. She said she had backing
d have co
ted. "But you were... distracted.
se, slamming both
blame her for
n fli
u're done. I want your
e, co
t o
hen he stood, straightened his tie,
leather couches, tablet in hand. When Steve entered, he looked lik
she aske
s go
Then we move
her. "The p
ing. I checked the board's calendar Vivien
urse s
ands their evidence, their data, their case.
at her, his
than most people I've pai
. "Maybe it's because I'm n
out, took
are you
I believe in you. Even
eard words like that before but never fr
serve you,"
e barely above a whisper
isse
e. It was desperate a collision of everythin
strategy or power p
y h
ext M
Vivienne, and to everyone's surprise Sandra,
smile was
ect you to bring your... assistant
"She's my advisor. And she's the reason
expressio
Transfers. Email correspondences. Offshore accounts
n bleeding this company for the last year. Orchestrated through multiple
xploded wi
ly. "Steve... This is
She clicked to the next slide a timeline of tr
e last nine months. With no board approval. And three false audit reports signed by
his isn't a question of ethic
flinch. She rose
built this company's reach while Steve was still clinging to Daddy's ghost. You want to believe her
e only thing that's going to
of Operations, cl
Cross on administrative le
followed.
smile final
vote?" St
t one a silent holdou
tion p
stared
he hissed. "I'll dra
"You'll be lucky to wal
her heel and
et of his penthouse, Steve
rying two glasses of wine. She ha
'll come back?" s
said. "People like h
re ready
y looked at her. "Not jus
her head again
weeks, Steve Lancaster a