Novels by Lady D

The embroidered invitation lay on Jace’s desk like a declaration of war. In cream colored packaging, and gilded lettering, lay the annual Luxembourg Economic summit Gala.Reynolds picked it up with a gloved hand with a grim expression on his face. “The guest list is a who’s who of your adversaries, sir. The Montgomerys, the Whitmans, half our restless board…and Marcus Foster, of course. It would be a strategic snub not to attend. But a public appearance…”“Is out of the question,” Jace finished, as turned away from the window. “I have no interest in being their main attraction. They would descend on me like vultures. But you are right, we can not ignore it. So, we won’t.”Then he turned to them, with a plan already fully formed in his eyes. “The two of you will go. In my stead.”Mila, who had been quietly observing the whole discussion, straightened up on her seat. “Sir? As your representative?”“Precisely. Reynold, you are the stoic presence. You will handle the old guard—the board m

Jace’s voice was a calm, authoritative buzz in the spacious office, as he addressed his international investors through the huge monitor. “The dip was always anticipated, gentlemen. It is a market correction, not a crisis. We are using it to secure our position. The panic sellers are simply finding our future acquisitions.”Suddenly, the door to his office swung open without a knock, and Marcus Foster stood there, with a feigned concern on his face.Jace did not flinch. He simply held up a single finger to his cousin, with his eyes fixed firmly on the screen. “If you will excuse me for one moment. The market in Tokyo seems to require my immediate attention.” He muted the call and said calmly, “This is a private conference, Marcus. It had better be urgent.”Marcus strolled in as if he owned the place, which Jace knew, was his intention. “Cousin. I am just checking in. We never finished our conversation about that…unfortunate leak. The board is restless. I am restless. I want to help. H

The sad gloom of the Whitman mansion’s drawing room was interrupted as Ethan Montgomery bursted through the doors, with triumph boldly etched on his face, so unlike his normal expression. He looked like a man who had just stumbled upon a well in a desert.“I found it! I found him!” He announced happily and threw a thick wad of document on the oak coffee table which scattered a few art magazines. “Giovanni ‘Gio’ Chan. A titan in Milan. Private companies, manufacturing, and a growing interest in cutting edge with medical tech. He is interested!”Stella, who had been staring wishfully into the fireplace, sprang to her feet, with her eyes bright with hope. “Ethan! Are you serious?”Finn Whitman, as the cautious brother, remain seated and folded his fingers together. “Interested is a long way from invested, Montgomery. What are the terms? What does he want?”“The terms are what we are to negotiate,” Ethan said as he paced with a restless energy. “But he is agreed to a meeting! This weekend

The luxury mall was a sanctuary of noise and chaos. Jace felt anonymous, in his simple outfit, like a ghost observing the world that had once rejected him. But the peace he felt was interrupted by a familiar, high pitched scream.“DADDY!”A small force of energy slammed into Jace’s legs and wrapped his tiny arms around him. Jace looked down in shock and saw the smiling face of Liam, the little boy he had loved as his own for six years. Before he could organize his emotions, Stella suddenly appeared beside him, with an expression of revulsion etched on her face and dragged Liam away from him forcefully.“Liam! Don’t you ever touch that!” She snarled, and shoved the little boy behind her. Liam scrunched his face in pain, with tears welling up in his eyes.Jace looked at her calmly and said, “He was just saying hello, Stella. No harm done.”“Hello?” She spat at him furiously, which drew the attention of nearby shoppers. “He has nothing to say to a man who sleeps in gutters. Look at you.

The Montgomery Medical boardroom was like a war zone. The long, polished table was like a battlefield, and Ethan and his father, Charles, were surrounded on all sides.“Sign over our remaining shares for a dollar?” Mr Albright roared, his face purple with fury. “It is not a negotiation, it is a execution! You have led us to our own slaughter, Charles!”“We had no choice!” Charles Montgomery shot back with hands trembling on the table. “The clinical trial data…if that gets out—”“You were the ones who buried it!” A mousy faced woman, Director Ivey, shouted and slammed her hands down on the table. “Your negligence, your secret, and now we are all paying the price with our livelihoods? The company has been brought to its knees by your family’s incompetence!”Ethan tried to regain control and raised his voice through the chatter. “We are not here to reminisce the past! We are here to decide on a path forward. This offer, however insulting, is the only one on the table.”“The only one from

Jace listened to Mila’s narration of the dinner, with a blank expression on his face. When she finished, he did not rage or celebrate. “A private meeting,” he snickered as he swirled the scotch in his glass. “They are that desperate.”“They are terrified,” Mila corrected with her arms crossed. “Stella offered me a million dollars in cash. Ethan looked like he was going to be sick. They are drowning, and they think you are the only one who can hand them lifeline.”“Oh, I will throw them a line,” Jace said, his voice turning to deadly whisper. “I will just make sure it is attached to an anchor.” He turned to Reynolds. “Set it up.”Reynolds didn’t shake. “Parameters, sir?”“Anonymous. Neutral ground. A private room at the Oak Room, tomorrow night at nine. Tell them the CEO will meet with Ethan Montgomery alone. No lawyers. No Stella. Especially no Stella. If he brings so much as a bodyguard, the meeting is over before it begins.”Mila frowned. “You are actually going to meet him?”“No,”

The marble lobby of Sterling & Gray, one of the city’s oldest law firms, was a monument to quiet money. Caleb was leaving a court case he had taken care of when a slick, familiar voice stopped him.“Well, of it is not the champion of the underdog. Or should I say, the champion of the has-been trying to be a comeback?”Caleb turned slowly. Peter Wesley leaned against a mahogany panel, with a smirk on his thin lips.“Peter,” Caleb said, keeping his tone neutral. “Collecting extra hours on advising your client on how to lose gracefully? It is a niche.”Peter smirk did not shake. “I advise on winning, Caleb. A concept your current client seems to be only temporarily acquainted with. That little boardroom show was cute. A valiant effort to dress up desperation as diligence. How long do you think he can keep that up Before he cracks under the real pressure?”“The only pressure I see,” Caleb replied, adjusting his cuff link, “is the kind you bill by the hour to create. Dante Vance does not c

The morning after his talk with the informant, Dante’s office at Vertex felt ready for a fight. Caleb was in a chair, looking over legal papers. Liam stood by the desk with a tablet in his hand.“He signed?” Caleb asked without looking up.“He signed,” Drake said as he stared out the window. “The deal is solid. He gives them fake news, and he gives us their real plans.”“Smart move,” Caleb said. “But we are just blocking their punches. We need to throw some of our own.”Dante turned from the window, with his eyes sharp and nodded. “You are right. We do. And Lotus boardroom is where we start. I am calling a special meeting for the shareholders.”Liam looked surprised. “Sir? You just joined. What is the reason?”“The reason is clarity and direction,” Dante said calmly. “Clara is leading with her temper, not her head. The company is shaky. The other owners felt that yesterday. I am going to be the steady hand.”Caleb leaned in. “What will you talk about?”“Not much,” Dante said with a sm

The bell at Crestview Academy chimed and a moment later, children began streaming out the main doors like a burst of confetti. Dante leaned against his car and spotted Daisy immediately. She was not walking, she was skipping, with pink backpack bouncing and a wide smile on her face as she chatted with a little girl beside her.“Daddy!” She yelled as she broke away from her friend and ran straight into his waiting arms.He scooped her up, and spun her around once before settling her on his hip, her familiar weight coming as a huge comfort. Then he asked lovingly, “There is my superstar! How was your day, sweet pea?”“Good! We painted butterflies! And I did not fall once in the gym! Not even a little stumble!” She announced with huge pride.“That is my strong girl,” he said as he kissed her cheek and caught the scent of crayons and childish happiness. “I knew you could do it.”As he buckled her into her seat, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Caleb….At Vertex. In your office with the

The front door opened, which broke off the heavy silence, and Mason entered, leading a tired looking Jasper by the hand. Clara was still in the sitting room, perched on the same chair, with a nearly empty glass of amber liquid held tightly in her grip, and her eyes pinned on the cold fireplace.“We are home,” Mason announced brightly which was too loud for the room’s atmosphere. He glanced at Clara and his charming smile wiped off from his face for a second at her posture. Then he asked with concern in his eyes. “Darling?” What is the problem? Bad day at the office after I left?”Clara looked up slowly and smiled sadly, which did not reach her eyes. Then she replied with a small voice. “No. Nothing.”Mason instinct surged. He turned to a maid hovering nearby. “Take Master Jasper upstairs for his bath and homework, please.” Once the boy had disappeared, Mason crossed the room hurriedly and settled on the sofa beside Clara, pulling her stiff body into a one armed hug.“Come on, my love.

“Gentlemen, the data is absolute. The binding time has improved by seventy percent. Neuro signal conductivity is holding steady. We are not looking at incremental gains anymore, we are looking at the threshold of viability.”Dante stood before a small group of three serious faced investors on Vertex’s conference room, with a holographic chart glowing between them.“These are impressive figures, Dr. Vance,” said Mr. Halstead, the lead investor peering at the glowing data. “But ‘threshold’ is not market ready. The market needs ‘certified.’ The world needs ‘available.’ The speed, while improved, still feels….cautious.” “The speed is deliberate,” Dante replied calmly. “This is not a race to a product lunch. It is a march towards a cure. Rushing a neuro-regenerative compound is how you cause catastrophic, irreversible damage. I will not have Exulum’s legacy be a lawsuit. It’s legacy will be healed patients.”Another investor, Ms. Reed, nodded slowly. “A principled stance. And a commercial

“You imbecile! Are you blind? This is a Venetian glass vase, not a beer mug! You polish it with the microfiber cloth, and not that rough rag! Do you have any idea what this costs? It is worth more than your yearly salary!”Clara’s shriek echoed through the grand foyer of the mansion. A young maid, Sarah, stood trembling, with a polishing cloth dangling from her hand, with tears welling in her eyes as she stared at the flawless crystal vase.“I-I am sorry, ma’am, I just thought—” The maid stammered.“You Do not think! You follow instructions! Now get out of my sight before I decide to deduct its value from your wages.” Clara barked angrily. As the maid scurried away, a dry familiar voice. Cut through the residual tension.“Well, well, well. What is all the tension in the place about? Did someone misplace the Crown Jewels?”Clara whirled around with fury still etched on her face, ready to unleash her wrath on the new intruder. She saw Eva standing in the open doorway, with one eye brow

The Lawson Tower - Gala NightLillian Stewart walked in through the towering glass doors of the Lawson Tower, and for a single, unguarded moment, her breath seized in her throat. The opulence of it all was like a physical blow, which is a brutal, beautiful declaration of power that made Bio-tech’s headquarters look outdated and insignificant. The crystal, the expensive architecture, the unmistakable buzz of victory, was every thing her father had ever wanted and failed to secure. Then a sharp, unexpected jolt of regret pierced through her heart. This could have been ours. This should have been ours.But the moment quickly passed as it came, with her mind fixed on her mission. She smoothed her crimson silk gown and stepped forward.She had not taken three steps into the glittering crowd when a familiar, mocking voice cut through the buzz of conversation like a sharp shard of ice.“Well, well. If it isn’t the queen of a fallen kingdom. I am genuinely surprised security let you through t

The Lawson Tower — Gala Night.The expensive looking black limousine stopped to a halt at the entrance of the hall, as its polished surface reflects the lights of the Lawson Tower. Through the tinted window, Mike saw a sea of reporters and photographers, flashing their cameras like lightning strikes, as they all spoke excitedly, hoping to be the one to go first.And then suddenly, a sharp memory flashed through his mind.He was twenty six. The moon was shining. He had just secured the Lockwood contract, which was the biggest in Bio-Tech’s history last year. His heart was hammering against his ribs, not from the climbing of the corporate headquarters steps, but from hope. Today was the day, Stewart would finally name him partner. He would take his father’s vacant chair as co - CEO of Bio-Tech group. The reporters had crowded him then, too. “Mike! Is it true you have just closed the Lockwood contract?”“Are you being promoted?”“How does it feel to be Stewart’s golden boy?”He had sm

Austra Headquarters - Conference Room. Mike was poring over the guest list for the gala when the static letters appeared in his vision, las a cold reminder of the unfinished buisness. [Austra Wealth System…] [Host: Mike Robinson..] [Primary Task: Acquire 15% controlling stake in Bio-Tech - PROGRESS: 1%] [Time frame: 28 Days Remaining.] [WARNING: Impending Hostile Action Detected. Nature: Unspecified. Threat Level: Elevated. Maintain Defensive Protocols.] Unspecified. The word was a crack in his mind. It was not danger or Buisness. It was something else, something the system could not or would not identify. Cartier’s voice seeped into his subconscious. “Sir, Mr Croft has arrived. He is in the main conference room with Mr Ginger, Mr Austin and Mr. Liam.” Mike stood and smoothened his tie. “Let us not keep our new friend waiting.” In the conference room, Alistair Croft, a man whose posture screamed of betrayal, was nervously accepting a glass of water from an

Bio - Tech Headquarters - Stewart’s office.The door to Charles Stewart’s office slammed shut with a huge force that rattled the windows. Stewart stormed across the room, with pure rage etched on his face. With a swing, he swiped a bottle of wine and two glasses off his desk, sending them shattering against the wall.“That fool! That back side peasant! How dare he speak to me like that in front of Gregory Lawson!” he roared with fury.Simeon stood by the door, with his hands fisted in anger. “And Lawson…his arrogance is beyond belief. Talking about Lillian as if she were…” he paused and forced his voice to be calm, even though it shook with rage. “The problem is Ginger. We almost had Robinson with the SEC. We were inches from putting the federal chain around his neck. Ginger is the shield. Before we can land a blow on Mike, Ginger has to be removed.”Stewart stopped his pacing and breathed heavily. He shook his head in a grim, defeated gesture. “You don’t get it, Simeon. Arthur Ginger

Austra Headquarters —Mike’s Office.Mike’s phone buzzed on his desk with Gregory Lawson’s name flashing on the screen. A wide grin spread across Mike’s face as he answered and placed it on speaker.“Gregory. Tell me you are calling with good news about our digital ghost.”Gregory’s rich laugh boomed through the office. “Patience, Mike. Even ghosts take time to materialize. I am on it. No, I am calling because I just had the most entertaining meeting of my entire career.”“Oh?” Mike leaned back and propped his feet on his desk. “Do tell.”“You will not believe who just showed up at Arthur Ginger’s office, with tails between their legs, begging for an audience.”Mike’s smile widened. “No.”“Yes,” Gregory confirmed with glee. “Charles Stewart and his attack dog, Simeon. I wish you could have seen it, Mike. The sheer, unadulterated desperation. Stewart actually tried to pitch an alliance. ‘For old times’ sake.’”Mike burst out laughing. “He did not! What did Ginger say?”“He gave him ten

Sawdust Industries - Arthur Ginger’s Office.The reception area of Sawdust Industries was going according to its name…rustic, solid and functional, with the rich scent of polished wood and parchment hanging in the air. It was a stark contrast to the cold glass and steel of Bio- tech or Austra.Charles Stewart stood there impatiently, feeling every ounce of that contrast, every second of the humiliating silence as the receptionist made them wait. Simeon stood beside him, like a statue with tension and worry etched on his face.Finally, the woman nodded. “Mr. Ginger will see you now.”Ginger’s office was an enormous space adorned with bookshelves of rare timber and framed blueprints of historical buildings. But Stewart’s eyes weren’t on the decorations. They were locked on the two men seated in the deep leather armchairs opposite Ginger’s desk.Arthur Ginger sat behind the desk, like a king in a throne room. And lounging casually in one of the chairs, swirling a glass of bourbon, was Gr