Kelvin's POV Zac is spiraling. The moment he finishes watching the unblurred sex tape, he dials Lydia. Once. Twice. Ten times. No answer. His voice messages grow more frantic, less coherent. But she doesn’t respond.He knows. He knows his life is about to fall apart.I imagine him pacing in that polished office, rage boiling beneath his skin. For a man who’s always been in control, the uncertainty is a knife to the throat.He doesn’t waste time. He gets his men to track down Lydia’s home address, and he drives there himself. What does he expect? That she’ll be scared? That she’ll fold under pressure like all the others?Lydia is many things. Fragile isn’t one of them.She returns home late, just as planned. Zac is waiting, standing at her doorstep like a ghost from the past. She opens the door, pauses, and doesn’t even flinch."We need to talk," he says, eyes wild."Do we?" she replies, stepping past him like he’s invisible. The security cameras catch every second.Once inside, he do

The media explodes with the scandal. Zac and Mary are everywhere on headlines, blogs, news reels. Their disgusting affair takes center stage, burying every other trending topic. Eclipse Group is under the spotlight now, not for innovation or corporate wins but for betrayal, adultery, and a crumbling empire.I scroll through the news reports in silence. There’s a picture of Zac stepping out of a luxury car, face hidden, but the headlines are brutal. “CEO Exposed in Revenge Porn Scandal” … “Justin’s Wife in Illicit Affair with Stepbrother Zac” … “From Boardroom to Bedroom.According to the narrative that’s been spun and I made sure of this Justin is the helpless heir who lost everything. His father's company. His position. Even his wife. The media paints him as a pitiful victim, robbed by his adopted brother and betrayed by his lover. And the public? They eat it up. The pity turns into sympathy. The sympathy, into rage. Zac is hated more than ever.The scandal ripples through the financ

Kelvin’s POV I’m pacing the length of the living room, fists clenched, jaw locked, my mind racing. Justin has just single-handedly messed up everything. The plan we had been executing for weeks strategically, surgically now teeters on the brink of collapse because of his impulsive violence.Mary sits at the far end of the room, her arms folded tightly, a fresh bruise darkening across her cheekbone. She avoids my gaze, and I don’t blame her. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t look at me either. I had delivered her right back into the hands of a man I thought I could control.I slam my palm against the wall and curse under my breath. “Damn it, Justin.”Eddy walks in, eyebrows raised. “You saw the news?”I nod tightly. “He beat her. In his house. After I told him to play along and wait for my signal. What was he thinking?”Eddy shrugs. “Probably that he’s still a man who owns things. Including her.”I close my eyes. The weight of it all presses into my chest. We were so close. The sex t

Pain pulses through my ribs with every breath.I hang from rusted chains, wrists aching and shoulders burning. My shirt’s soaked with blood some dried, some still fresh. The metallic tang of it mixes with the moldy dampness of the basement. Dim light flickers above, swinging slightly with the draft, casting shadows that dance like ghosts on the cracked concrete walls.Zac’s underground dungeon it reeks of his ego.He leans in now, lips curved into that familiar smirk I’ve hated since the first day I laid eyes on him.“Well, well… Chairman Kelvin.” His voice drips with sarcasm, but the venom underneath is real. “I always knew there was something about you.”I look up slowly. My face is swollen, one eye nearly shut. Blood trickles from a cut on my cheek. Still, I say nothing. Not yet.Zac walks around me, arms behind his back like some war general inspecting his prisoner.“You wanted to play dumb,” he says, chuckling. “Act like the humble strategist, hiding behind Lydia and Eddy. But it

Lydia’s POVZac’s back disappears into his black SUV, tires screeching as he flees the warehouse. *Not this time, you bastard.* I press my earpiece. “Olivia, track him. Now.” A pause, then Olivia’s crisp reply: “Got him. Moving northeast toward the waterfront.” Good. I kneel beside Eddy, my fingers pressing against his pulse point. His breathing is ragged, his face a mess of blood and bruises. Brianna grips my arm, her nails digging in. “Is he…” “Alive,” I snap. “But we need to move.” The distant wail of sirens grows louder. Right on schedule. Kelvin's POV As soon as Zac storms out of the basement, slamming the heavy door behind him, the silence that follows is deafening. Blood drips from my mouth. My muscles ache with every breath. My wrists burn from the tight rope binding them to the chair. But despite the pain, my mind clings to one thought, Lydia.She knows.She has to.I lean my head back against the cold wall, forcing myself to stay conscious, hoping she’s doi