Novels by Timmie Grey

POV: Maya SantosEmma showed up at the Santos Justice Foundation the morning after the gala, ready to volunteer. I was surprised she actually followed through, but I put her to work immediately. The Foundation helped families affected by corporate fraud and medical malpractice, exactly the kind of people Morrison Pharmaceuticals and Cross's network had victimized.Emma spent her first day filing paperwork, answering phones, and listening to victims' stories. I watched her carefully, looking for signs she was faking commitment or seeking publicity. But she was genuinely engaged.When a mother broke down crying about losing her husband to Morrison's falsified drug trials, Emma sat with her for an hour just listening.Ethan called during lunch asking how it was going."She's trying," I said honestly. "Whether it lasts remains to be seen."By the end of the week, Emma had become invaluable.She'd organized our filing system, created a database for tracking cases, and connected several vic

POV: Ethan ColeCole Industries' annual charity gala was tonight, the first one since my return as CEO.Last year Daniel hosted it while I was supposedly dead, probably using embezzled money to look generous. This year I was hosting it as a statement of reclamation.Maya wore the Maharaja necklace I'd bought her last month, one point two million dollars of diamonds, and a black gown that cost eighty thousand. I was in a custom tuxedo that fit so perfectly the tailor had almost cried when I picked it up.We arrived fashionably late in the Bentley.The Ferrari was too ostentatious for charity events, and honestly, the "JUSTICE" plates sent the wrong message for childhood cancer research.The Grand Marquis ballroom was filled with five hundred guests who'd paid ten thousand dollars per ticket, business leaders, politicians, society figures who wanted to be seen supporting the right causes. Many of them thought I was dead six months ago. Their reactions to my entrance were priceless."Tha

POV: Maya SantosEthan visited Daniel in federal prison three days after buying his Ferrari. I went with him because facing Daniel alone felt too heavy, and honestly, I wanted to see this for myself.The prison was medium security, not the violent hellhole Daniel had probably feared, but definitely not comfortable.Daniel was brought to the visitation room in an orange jumpsuit, thinner than I remembered. He saw Ethan and started crying immediately. Just broke down right there while the guard was still uncuffing him.Ethan sat down across from him and waited."I'm sorry," Daniel said, his voice cracking. "For everything. The betrayal. The accident. The conspiracy with my father. I knew what I was doing was wrong but I convinced myself you were weak and didn't deserve Cole Industries."He wiped his face with his sleeve."I thought ruthlessness was strength. Now I know ruthlessness without loyalty is just cruelty."Ethan listened without interrupting, and I could see the complicated emo

POV: Ethan ColeDaniel's red Ferrari 488 Spider was sitting in a dealership service department, technically still his property until the federal seizure processes completed.I decided to accelerate that process by buying it directly.Maya thought I was being petty."You're absolutely right," I told her over breakfast. "And that's exactly the point. Pettiness is a luxury I can finally afford."She laughed. "At least you're self-aware about it."Marcus called while we were finishing coffee, he'd been settling into his new role as CFO of Cole Industries and loving every minute of it."Boss, the board finalized your full reinstatement," he said. "You're officially CEO again as of today. First day back is scheduled for this afternoon.""Perfect timing," I said. "I'm buying Daniel's Ferrari this morning."Marcus was quiet for a second. "That's incredibly petty.""Everyone keeps saying that like it's a bad thing.""It's not. I'm just impressed by the commitment to pettiness." He paused. "Lil

POV: Maya SantosWe got back to Ethan's penthouse around midnight, and the adrenaline from the restaurant was still buzzing through my veins."You enjoyed that way too much," I said, kicking off the heels that had been killing me for the past hour."I enjoyed it exactly the right amount." He was pouring whiskey, expensive stuff that probably cost more than my old apartment's monthly rent."Thomas crying. Ashworth's wife slapping him in front of everyone. The standing ovation." I accepted the glass he handed me. "You're turning public humiliation into performance art.""They deserved it.""I'm not arguing. I'm just saying you looked very satisfied watching that maître d' get escorted out."He smiled, and the butterflies that I thought were dead rose in my stomach. Fuck!"Come here," he said.I set down my glass and crossed to where he was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. He pulled me close, and I felt the shift in energy. "We haven't talked about what thi

POV: Ethan ColeThe CIA agents stood there waiting for an answer, and I looked at them like they'd asked me to donate a kidney."No," I said.The lead agent, tall, crew cut, that weird federal authority posture, stepped closer. "Mr. Cole, this isn't a request. The Vengeance Protocol represents unauthorized neural interface technology with national security implications. We need to examine it.""You need to prove it exists first," I said. "And even if it did, you'd need a warrant. Do you have a warrant?"His jaw tightened. "We can obtain one.""Good luck with that."I pulled out my phone and called Victoria.She answered on the first ring. "Mr Cole.""CIA agents outside the courthouse demanding access to technology they can't prove exists. Can you handle this?""Immediately." She hung up.Three minutes later, both agents' phones rang simultaneously. They answered, listened, went progressively paler.Victoria's legal team was apparently very persuasive.The lead agent lowered his phone.