Edward Sterling sat in his study, slowly rolling his chair back and forth as his mind worked through the problem that had consumed him for days. His assistant stood in front of the desk, equally deep in thought about how they could discover the truth about Damon's identity."We can't force a DNA test," Edward said, breaking the silence. "Even if I tried using my connections with the police, Damon seems like someone who wouldn’t let that happen unless he wanted it. He’s very smart and always makes sure he’s safe."His assistant nodded in agreement. "He's certainly made it clear he has no interest in cooperating with any investigation into his background."Edward stopped rolling the chair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "There's another way we could verify if he's my son, but it requires getting close to him physically.""What do you mean?" the assistant asked."My expelled son has our family crest tattooed on his back," Edward explained. "It was done when he was ve

Serena's eyes slowly cracked open, her vision blurry as the harsh hospital lights stabbed into her consciousness. Her head pounded and her body felt like it had been drained of all strength. The arrogant, aggressive woman who'd always commanded every room she entered now lay weak and helpless in a hospital bed.She turned her head and immediately spotted Michael sitting in the chair beside her. His face was completely emotionless, but his eyes burned with something dark and terrifying as he stared at her without blinking.Despite her weakness, Serena managed to scoff. "Why are you looking at me like that? Like you want to wrap your hands around my throat and squeeze it?"Michael's lips curled into a chuckle that made her skin crawl. "That's exactly what I wanted to do when they first brought you in here unconscious. But plans change."Serena felt a chill run down her spine at his tone, but she pushed it aside. "How sweet of you to restrain yourself.""Tell me something first," Michael

Lucas sat on the cold concrete floor of the jail cell, his back pressed against the grimy wall as he tried to make himself as small as possible. There were four other men sharing the cramped space with him now, and each passing second made him feel more irritated and disgusted with his situation.He'd never imagined spending even a single day in a place like this. His entire life had been lived in luxury, treated like royalty by everyone around him because of his family's wealth and status. But here, none of that mattered.At first, Lucas had tried to pull rank on his cellmates. He'd announced who he was, bragged about his family's money, and acted like he was superior to these common criminals. That had been a mistake.The men had surrounded him within minutes and taught him a brutal lesson with their fists. They'd made it crystal clear that whatever power he had outside these bars meant absolutely nothing inside them."In your mansion and out on the streets, you might be a king," th

Michael's hands clenched into fists at his sides as he stared at Serena's triumphant expression. "You're actually happy about this? Happy because you think you've trapped me?""Of course I'm happy," Serena shot back, propping herself up slightly on the hospital bed. "But don't twist it like I planned this whole thing. I had a feeling I might be pregnant before, and it turned out I was right. We both made this baby, Michael. It takes two people, remember? So stop acting like I went and got myself pregnant all by myself."Michael's jaw tightened but Serena kept going, her voice gaining strength."You need to forget about leaving me now. That ship has sailed. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not." She pointed at him, her eyes blazing. "You wouldn't want your child growing up without both parents, would you? So just stop fighting this and put a ring on my finger already. Let's get married and spend our lives together like we're supposed to. Even your parents can't stop me from

Alexander sat sprawled on the leather couch, his shirt completely unbuttoned to show off the intricate tattoos covering his chest and arms. Dark ink snaked across his skin in patterns that made him look more like a gangster than a businessman. Two women flanked him on either side, their hands rubbing his chest while he held a cigarette between his fingers.The phone in his hand suddenly went flying across the room and shattered against the wall."Damnit! She's still not picking!" Alexander roared, his face twisted with rage.One of his men immediately stepped forward with another phone, the tenth one that day. Alexander snatched it from his hand and scrolled through his contacts until he found Marcus's number. He jabbed the call button so hard his finger turned white."Where is Vivienne right now?" Alexander demanded the second Marcus picked up."She's still inside her house, boss. She hasn't come out all day."Alexander's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you absolutely sure she's not