Alicia remained silent, her eyes locked onto the man's gaze before her. There was something in Asher's eyes that laid bare her thoughts, as if reading her heart without needing to ask. And she knew, there was no point in lying about her feelings anymore.They sat so close, silence enveloping the room. Until finally, Asher let out a small sigh and leaned in closer. “I couldn't wait to start a life with you.”His voice was calm, yet filled with determination. “In a week, there would be a family meeting to discuss our wedding.”Alicia froze. Her fingers intertwined, her head bowed slowly as if trying to hide the turmoil within her chest.“Asher….” Her voice was faint, almost a whisper. “Would your parents… still accept me?”Asher immediately rose from his seat, then moved to sit beside Alicia. His movements were gentle, calm, full of control as always. But now, his gaze had tr

Soft music thumped in the background, and dim lights hung low in the private lounge owned by Waldric. The air was filled with the scent of alcohol mixed with expensive perfume. A model laughed loudly on the sofa while sipping a nearly spilling pink drink, while at the end of the room, Waldric sat relaxed, his jacket open, tie loose, and expression satisfied.He raised his glass toward Kaylery, who sat across from him, his smile wide, almost like a child who had just received an expensive toy."I can't believe it was this simple. You saw it yourself, didn't you? These models... wild, full of energy, and most importantly—profitable."Kaylery responded with a slight nod, sipping his drink, not saying much, just a subtle smile. He preferred watching Waldric puff out his chest, like a big boss who had just won something."I should have done this earlier," Waldric continued, chuckling while swirling his glass. "That drug... amazing. They become more... appealing on camera. More confident. T

Problems were divided equally, like a chessboard that needed to be cleared square by square. Asher dispatched Jett Carter to finalize the logistics issue—the smuggling of drug-laced candies that had infiltrated the port city of Baltimore. The city never slept, and from the docks to hidden alleys, the illegal goods circulated smoothly. Too smoothly.Meanwhile, Asher himself was buried in piles of files and data. His main focus was on the former construction company owned by Alexander. Every project in the Detroit area was monitored one by one. He reviewed all the reports, checked the contract documents, and even re-examined the field workers. No matter how exhausting it was. He forced himself to finish that day, even though time was insufficient. However, Asher never believed in the word “later.”It had been the fourth week since the conversation about his wedding date with Alicia. And since that day, Asher had not seen her even once. The scandal that struck Dixon had forced him to wor

Asher was standing in front of Alicia’s apartment door. He held a bouquet of pink roses and a high-end box of chocolates wrapped with a black ribbon. A calm smile adorned his face, but the corner of his eye shifted sharply to the left. Someone had been following him—quiet steps, but not stealthy enough to escape Asher’s notice. Now, he could hear a thought whispering from behind the bushes: “Damn! They’re still close? If this meeting started with even a small kiss… enough to make headlines. Barnnet could be in trouble!” Asher’s smile changed. It was no longer gentle, but a sly smirk was barely visible. He knew this was a golden moment. One shot, and it could overturn many of the hidden plans—especially Barnnet’s. He was curious to see how Kaylery Barnnet would react later. Click. The door opened. Alicia stood in the doorway. Her wavy black hair fell naturally, and a dark-gray knee-length dress framed her elegantly. Her gaze was calm, as always, until that moment. The next second,

Waldric winced in pain, his face bruised as Jorge—his loyal secretary—sat beside him, cleaning the wounds gently. Jorge’s fingers were skilled, but every touch still made Waldric flinch. He had been beaten by Kaylery, all because he had been overconfident that he could control that man. It turned out Kaylery was just as crazy as Asher—if not worse.“Arghh! Slowly, Jorge... slowly!” he snapped, brushing away the man’s hand as it touched the swollen cheek.Not only his face, but his entire body was battered. He had been lucky to escape that chaos. If he had been just a moment later, he probably would have been cold on the floor of Kaylery’s factory.“Argh! Damn it!” he yelled, kicking the table in front of him. Jorge froze, not daring to speak—just waiting for orders, as always. Meanwhile, Waldric’s eyes burned with anger.“Since when did Asher know that I was behind this?” he muttered, almost asking himself.He had arranged everything neatly, ensured the logistics went without gaps, an