The voice belonged to Amelia, who stood at the end of the hallway, her tablet clutched tightly in her hands. Her face was pale but resolute as her gaze darted between Vivian and Damon. “It’s Lorenzo,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. Vivian’s expression froze, the name hitting her like a physical blow. “What?” she asked, her tone sharp and disbelieving. Amelia nodded, taking a cautious step forward. “He confessed it just now. He walked out on us. All the evidence points to Lorenzo. He’s been working with Tyler Prescott, and Tyler is his nephew.” The silence that followed was deafening. Vivian’s stomach twisted, and for a moment, she couldn’t process the words. “Lorenzo?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s impossible.” Damon’s eyes flicked to Vivian, watching as the truth began to sink in. “Lorenzo has been with this company for years,” Vivian continued, her voice gaining strength. “He’s one of our most trusted executives. My father relied on him—

The voice belonged to Amelia, who stood at the end of the hallway, her tablet clutched tightly in her hands. Her face was pale but resolute as her gaze darted between Vivian and Damon. “It’s Lorenzo,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. Vivian’s expression froze, the name hitting her like a physical blow. “What?” she asked, her tone sharp and disbelieving. Amelia nodded, taking a cautious step forward. “He confessed it just now. He walked out on us. All the evidence points to Lorenzo. He’s been working with Tyler Prescott, and Tyler is his nephew.” The silence that followed was deafening. Vivian’s stomach twisted, and for a moment, she couldn’t process the words. “Lorenzo?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s impossible.” Damon’s eyes flicked to Vivian, watching as the truth began to sink in. “Lorenzo has been with this company for years,” Vivian continued, her voice gaining strength. “He’s one of our most trusted executives. My father relied on him—

18. Hope leaned in slightly, her gaze unwavering. "Start with Ethan. What exactly went down between you two?" Jeremy hesitated for a moment, the weight of the memory clearly making him uncomfortable. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he recalled the events. "I was at the office. Just taking a break, trying to get some air. Then I saw Ethan... he was harrasing one of the younger girls in the company, some kid who probably just started. Jeremy's voice grew tight as he continued. "Ethan was practically cornering her, making her feel small, like she didn't belong. He was saying stuff about how she wasn’t cut out for the job, pushing her around like she was some kind of punching bag. I couldn’t stand it." His eyes darkened, the anger still fresh in his mind. "So, I stepped in." Hope leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on him, sensing the deeper layers to his actions. "What did you do?" Jeremy's jaw clenched. "I told him to back off, that the kid was just trying to do

That night, Damon lay awake longer than he wanted. He turned on his side, then onto his back, staring at the ceiling where faint lines split across the plaster. The jade necklace rested on the table beside him. Each time he closed his eyes, the memory of Vivan holding her own jade piece came back. The two stones had almost burned when they touched, the light from them filling the room. He could still see the way her eyes widened, how both of them froze like they were tied to something older than themselves. He sighed, pressing his palm to his face. Sleep barely touched him before the alarm rang. When the morning came, he dragged himself up, showered quickly, and dressed. His shirt collar felt stiff, his tie sat uneven, but he didn’t bother fixing it twice. He slipped the jade into his pocket, grabbed his case, and left unhurriedly for work. At work, Damon threw himself into catching up. He didn’t want anyone saying he had slacked off, not after all that had happened these past few

The first punch landed on Damon’s jaw, and his head snapped to the side. His back hit the wall, and the second man grabbed his shirt and slammed him hard against it. The third man swung his elbow into Damon’s ribs, and air rushed out of him in a short grunt. Damon tried to push forward, but another fist smashed into his stomach, folding him over. His knees bent, and he dropped halfway to the ground while they kept hammering at him.He tried to cover up, as he used his arms to cover his face, but they were three and they came from every side. One kicked his leg, another grabbed his shoulder, and another shoved his head back against the wall again. His eyes stung, and his lip split, and he felt the hot taste of blood at the corner of his mouth.“Think you’re better than us?” the stocky one yelled, his spit flying close.Another punch hit his side, and his body shook. Damon wanted to shout back, but no sound came out. He could only breathe rough and hold his ground. His back slid down t