Somewhere else, Kaylery’s laughter echoed within his private room. The tone of satisfaction and victory was unmistakable.On the television screen, Aldric Pervaz’s face was displayed prominently—embroiled in a scandal that had now become public consumption."Look at you now, Aldric," Kaylery murmured, his eyes narrowing with mockery. "It was so easy to ruin your reputation."He leaned back on the sofa, swirling a glass of vodka in his hand. The long-held grudge inside him felt slightly avenged.Once, Aldric had rejected him. Considered him unworthy as a son-in-law. Not someone fit to stand beside Alicia. And now? The great name of Pervaz was being torn apart by the media.And Alicia… Yes, Alicia was still by Asher’s side. Kaylery clenched his jaw at the thought of it. Worse, when he had casually checked the surroundings of her apartment, he had been furious to discover that Asher had stayed the night there. His eyes gleamed with obsession."Now, all that’s left is taking Alicia from A

Asher stared at his laptop screen without truly reading. His mind was overwhelmed. The wall clock showed it was nearly nine in the evening. The office was quiet, with only the sound of the air conditioner and the rustling of papers from Kailos, who remained faithfully standing beside the desk.The issues with the former Alexander company's branch had nearly driven him mad that day. Overlapping reports, unsynchronized logistics distribution, and an old system not yet fully integrated. He had contacted the branch head in Detroit earlier that afternoon, his tone flat, though his eyes betrayed fatigue.After filing away the last document, Asher leaned back in his chair. He exhaled deeply. His back felt heavy—as if the weight of the company clung to it, refusing to let go."A report from Dixon just came in; I'll place it here," Kailos said, setting a thin folder on Asher's desk. "There's also a request from the hotel branches to recheck their purchasing systems."Asher nodded, opening the