“Welcome.” Blake Walter - the butler of the Mirano family greeted his young master with a curt nod as he came into the VIP lounge of one of the family’s restaurant. The evening air was heavy with anticipation because that evening would determine the rest of the young master’s life. He returned the butler’s greeting and sat down. Anxiety tickled his fingers as he could not help but fiddle with them. ‘If only Norah was here,’ he thought to himself. With a sigh, he adjusted his position on the seat and nodded for the butler to begin. Blake snapped his fingers and a Corporately dressed lady walked into the lounge with a letter in the Gold tray on her hand. She bowed to the young master and waited for Blake to take the letter before bowing again and exiting the room. He stared at the letter that held the news that would make or mar him. As Blake opened the letter, he read the content, and took a deep breath, trying to hide his excitement for his young master. He met the eyes of the ag

The city lights blurred into streaks of neon as Shane-Leo wandered the streets, the sting of betrayal a constant dull ache in his chest. Sleep evaded him, the events of the previous night replaying on a relentless loop in his mind. Every harsh word, every cold glance, felt like a fresh wound.One moment, anger flared, hot and raw, at Norah's betrayal. The next, a wave of despair washed over him, threatening to drown him in a sea of self-doubt.The memory of his past, a stark contrast to his present reality, surfaced. At the age of eighteen, banished from his wealthy family.He rested his head back and closed his eyes. Flashbacks from the day he left, flooding his mind.The air crackled with nervous anticipation as 18-year-old Shane-Leo stood before his parents, Theodore and Eleanor Mirano. The grand mahogany study, adorned with portraits of stern-faced ancestors, felt suffocating despite the cool evening breeze wafting through the open windows."Shane-Leo," his father, Theodore, be

“And what would that purpose be other than finding a job?” Anderson sneered.“Simple, I was invited.”Anderson, mistaking his seriousness for a desperate attempt to save face, burst into laughter. It was a harsh, grating sound that echoed in the stillness of the night. "Invited?" he wheezed, wiping tears from his eyes. "Oh, that's a good one! If you were invited, then I'm the King of England!"Anderson let out a bark of laughter, "Come on, sweetheart," he said, his arm tightening possessively around Norah's waist. "He's obviously bluffing. If he was really invited, he wouldn't be standing here like a lost puppy."Shane-Leo met his gaze, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh, I assure you, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." He reached into his pocket, his movements deliberate, and pulled out his phone."In that case," Anderson sneered, leaning in towards Norah, "if he's such a big shot, why doesn't he prove it? And if he was actually invited, I’d strip and run around the bu

Noticing his silence, she cast a dismissive glance at him, her lips pursed in a haughty frown. "Stop following me around, Shane-Leo," she mocked, her voice laced with sheer pride. "We clearly don't belong in the same world anymore."Shane-Leo stared after Norah's retreating figure, a bitter taste settling on his tongue. Her words hung heavy in the air, they were like a dagger to his heart, He didn't move, his gaze locked on her retreating figure. She was right, they were no longer on the same page. His journey had taken him to a place where love mattered more than money, where respect and understanding mattered more than appearances.Love, for her, seemed to be a transaction, calculating equation where success and status were the sole currency. He wasn't a real man because he prioritised genuine love over a 'utilitarian' relationship? He thought it to be crazy. He'd built an empire from the ground up, weathered storms that would break lesser men, and yet in her eyes, he still wasn't

The butler was about to introduce Shane-Leo to everyone at the party, but when the waiter told him what happened, he felt it was serious so he went ahead to inform Shane-Leo.Fury simmered beneath the surface as Shane-Leo listened to Blake's frantic explanation. Drugging a guest in his own home? It was a blatant violation of everything he held dear, and a potential threat to Norah's safety. He wouldn't allow it.Even though Shane-Leo and Norah were divorced, he never wished her evil, and he definitely never wishes for her to be raped or assaulted, so he decided to find where they were. Shane-Leo marched towards the nervous waiter who had witnessed the incident. "Describe this 'partner' of Ms. Kent," he commanded, his voice low and dangerous.The waiter, a young man whose hands trembled slightly, stammered out a description. "Tall, blonde…expensive clothes…seemed arrogant."It wasn't much, but it was a start. Shane-Leo's mind raced, piecing together the fragments of information. Ander