Silvana paced like a panther in a cage, her bare feet silent against the cold tiles, but her fury reverberating in the air. Aiden stood at the console, phone pressed to his ear. “Tell me you can stall this,” he barked into the line. On the screen: Attorney Gideon Hale, one of Aiden’s most ruthless legal minds, flanked by a team of assistants behind him. “I’ve filed a counter-injunction at the High Court in Grendale,” Hale replied, voice clipped and urgent. “But listen to me, Aiden — the judge who signed Amelia Reyes’ order? He was bought. And the petition was sealed to prevent us from objecting ahead of time.” Aiden gritted his teeth. “What about leverage? Background dirt? Anything to twist the judge’s arm?” “We’re pulling phone logs and offshore travel. But it won’t be ready in time.” Silvana stopped pacing. “Then we don’t have time.” She marched toward the secure weapons locker. Aiden turned. “Silvana—what are you doing?” Her hand hovered over the biometric lock. “She’s

The late evening sun cast a golden haze over the skyline as Aiden Romanov stood at the window, his reflection framed by the city he helped build. The room behind him buzzed with quiet tension. Gregory Vann had just entered, escorted without fanfare, as per Aiden's direct order.“Close the door,” Aiden said without turning.Gregory obeyed.Silence fell — thick, like a storm about to break.Aiden finally turned around, his sharp suit immaculate, but the fire in his eyes betrayed the fury beneath.> “You filed the motion, Gregory.”“You moved against me.”Gregory stood his ground, adjusting the cuff of his coat. “It wasn’t personal.”“Then why do I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back?”“Because you made it personal,” Gregory replied evenly. “You’ve gone rogue, Aiden. The board doesn’t see clarity anymore. They see chaos.”Aiden stepped forward, voice low but firm. “I dragged this company from its knees when my father let it rot. I gave you your seat at the table. And you — you — rep

Chapter 136Amelia Reyes paced the study, her phone clenched tightly in her palm. The conversation she just ended with Braise had been tense. Harper was closing in. Braise warned her to stay low. But everything was tightening around her — Zain growing impatient, Braise losing control, and Aiden's silence growing too deliberate.She poured herself a glass of water, trying to suppress the fluttering in her chest.> “Calm. Breathe. They still believe the lie. You’re still in control…”But then — something made her freeze.A chirp. A faint digital click.She turned.Her eyes darted to the hallway leading to Zia’s room.Another soft chirp. A flicker of pale blue light through the slight crack in the bedroom door.Amelia’s heart slammed against her ribs.She crept forward — barefoot, slow — and gently pushed open the door.Zia was curled up in bed, still hugging her stuffed cat… but the small digital watch on her wrist was glowing. Dim. Silent. But unmistakably active.Amelia stepped insid

Chapter 138The vote had concluded. The damage was done.Gregory Blackwood exited the boardroom with the smug ease of a man who had just stabbed someone — and made them thank him for it.His phone buzzed. A quick message from Zain:“Well played. He’s off balance.”Gregory smirked to himself and turned the corner—Only to find Silvana standing alone in the hallway, waiting.She wore a sleek black coat, her dark hair tied back, one hand tucked in her pocket. There was no smile. No warmth. Just cool, calculated fury behind her eyes.“Gregory,” she said calmly.He stopped, caught off guard for the briefest second before slipping back into his smug persona.“Silvana,” he said, his voice oily. “You look radiant, as always. Shouldn’t you be—resting?”“I should,” she said. “But watching you twist knives into Aiden’s back makes it hard to sleep.”Gregory chuckled, stepping closer. “Come now. You know how this works. Business is war. If Aiden wanted to stay on top, he should’ve seen this coming

Romanov Mansion – in Surveillance War Room The walls hummed with soft digital life. Screens flickered with security feeds, financial data, and encrypted comm lines. In the center of it all, Aiden and Silvana stood before the main console, the flash drive Gregory gave them slowly decrypting.Silvana leaned over the workstation, a blanket around her shoulders. She looked pale — the pregnancy, stress, and constant tension had drained her, but her mind remained sharp.Aiden watched the files populate: legal documents, internal memos, shell corporation trails. His jaw tightened.“Zain’s proposal wasn’t about board oversight,” Silvana murmured, her fingers flying over the keyboard. “It’s corporate vivisection.”Aiden leaned in. “Explain.”She pulled up a flowchart titled:> ‘Post-Vote Asset Realignment: Phase One – De-Romanov Transition Protocol’“This wasn’t about stripping you of power,” she said, her voice low and shaken. “It was about making sure you can never regain it. The board vot