dining table as Elena stepped into the grand dinin

p two buttons undone-casual but undeniably powerful. The man had a way of making even silence fee

" he said with

sharp," Elena replied, smoothing h

nk you'd show

"I'm not one to break

to the faintest sm

iage, the contract, the audience watching from

, who gave Elena a warm smile before retreating. As t

finally asked.

steak methodically.

not an

you. You've stayed when yo

ecause I ha

ys have a

l of us have private jets a

ink. I see it in the way you speak to people. How you h

th. Lucien never gave compliments. Never

being... nice

"Because for the firs

ena stood by the bal

nd was still spinning. She didn't know what had chang

im approach until

the skyline like it h

eplied. "Like the worl

hide

do y

The tension between th

suddenly, his voice low. "Too many. B

p pretending. Stop acting li

loser. "I'm

and then his lips were on hers-gentle but desperate,

different fr

n't fo

't an a

s a p

week, every

behind the Holt Foundation building, to a private yacht docked near the coast, even to a rust

t like

dat

ce in her head whispering, this

turned to the penthouse. As they stepped inside, Elen

you married? You shou

ood ra

had just loosened his tie,

Lila?"

en f

unreadable. "Where di

Someone's warnin

my brother's fiancée. They both

ietly. "But why would so

r want to poison everything. Lila's death ruined my f

your walls down in a day. But if this is going to

ked. "I don't know how to be soft

t me tea

woke up to news that ma

d headli

ret Past Revealed Former Empl

ses during her dismissal were everywh

ld friends. Even her estranged father. J

eting with his leg

said. "Only someone close to t

uins everything. Your investors will think

are what t

sho

at I care about is you. And I

, shocked by the int

held a press conferen

m, Elena at his side,

is on me. I failed to protect her then, but I will not fa

led throug

nd get away with it," he continued, "they're wel

t take q

and and led her out of the ro

y again. The world still buzzed with

tt

ut holding tw

d, handing her one, "I m

he part about me being the

ally th

ully. "And what about us

oser. "Does it fe

k her he

s time we stopp

y, his forehead re

," he whispered. "But I want

t the truth of that moment w

't about how

out how they ch