He paused, a flicker of cold amusement passing through his eyes.“Besides, your wife doesn’t need me as her private investigator. She’s more than capable of finding the truth herself, if she hasn’t already. Or perhaps…” His lips curved faintly. “She was just waiting for a reason to stop pretending you were worth the effort.”Alister’s grin faltered as he looked up at his wife.To his horror, Genevieve was no longer looking at Sean.She was looking down at Alister with a small, razor-edged smile that sent a jolt of real terror through him.It wasn’t the smile of a victim.It was the smile of a hunter who had just heard the trap snap shut.“He’s right, Alister,” she said softly, her voice silk wrapped around steel. “I already knew you were fooling around. I’ve had my suspicions for months. I just didn’t have the stomach to deal with the paperwork until I heard you standing here, in my own lobby, talking about how disgusted you were by me.”She leaned down slightly, her shadow falling ov

Tiffany flinched. She hadn’t been expecting that accusation.“I didn’t take anything!” Tiffany shrieked, her voice cracking as she finally broke her silence. The panic in her eyes was quickly replaced by frantic, desperate boldness.“I didn’t take a single cent for myself! Everything was done through the proper channels through the manager, Mr. Graves!”She gripped her tablet so hard the screen flickered. “I have the authorization! Alister…Mr. Grayes financed the initial processing himself. He’s the one who gave me the access codes and told me to close this deal immediately. He said you were too busy with ‘unimportant’ things to be bothered with the Sterling Shell!”Tiffany straightened, her chin trembling but defiant. “If you don’t believe me, call him! Go ahead, call Alister right now! He’ll tell you exactly what I’m telling you. He’ll tell you this is a legitimate transaction and that you’re the one who’s out of the loop!”Genevieve froze.The confidence in Tiffany’s voice, the wa

Thud!Sean hit the pavement, his knees absorbing the impact perfectly. He straightened slowly, rolling his shoulders as he faced the twenty stunned thugs.The courtyard went deathly silent for a heartbeat.The man in the suit stumbled back, shocked that anyone would be crazy enough to jump into the middle of a literal wolf pack.Sean surveyed the circle of thugs, a dark, predatory glint in his eyes.“You wanted us to come down,” he said, his voice a low, lethal vibration. “Now tell me… which one of you wants to be the first to test the medical-grade flooring?”The man in the suit and his wife glanced up at the balcony, their eyes widening as they gauged the distance Sean had just fallen. It was a drop that would have shattered the ankles of a normal man, yet Sean stood there as if he had merely stepped off a curb.For a moment, fear rippled through the group. Then the man in the flashy suit recovered, a sneer twisting his face.“Oh, look at that! A grand entrance!” he mocked, clappin

Seeing them hesitate and peer back at him, Sean’s eyes darkened further.The word had been quiet, but it carried more weight than any shout. The man and his wife didn’t wait for a second invitation.They didn’t look back at their twenty unconscious guards, and they didn’t stop to collect their dropped belongings. They scrambled through the gate, their expensive shoes pounding against the pavement as they sprinted into the darkness, fueled by a level of terror they had never known in their privileged lives.Sean stood at the threshold for a moment, watching them disappear into the shadows.Then he turned back to the courtyard, surveying the live-fire test he had just conducted.The building was secure.The perimeter was proven.And the trash had been cleared.He looked up at the balcony.Genevieve was still standing there, her hands gripping the railing, staring down at him with an expression that blended awe, relief, and a deep, newly forged respect.“The transfer,” Sean called up to

Sean looked at the nurse, his eyes narrowing as he processed the sheer absurdity of her complaint.The rage burning in his chest didn’t come only from her cruelty, but from her ignorance.“You’re complaining about being underpaid?” Sean said, his voice sharp as a lash. “Do you even know where you are? I personally structured the compensation for every staff member on Liana’s team. I pay them so well that they wouldn’t even consider a side job, let alone working at another facility. They are the highest-paid medical professionals in this region.”The nurse opened her mouth to retort, but Sean stepped closer, cutting her off.“I didn’t just give them salaries,” he continued coldly. “I know these people. They love research. They love the science of healing. That’s why I built this entire floor with state-of-the-art equipment. I made sure they could conduct their own private research here, using my facilities free of charge, without begging for grants or spending their own money. I create