SCOTT'S GUEST HOUSE Scott was sitting on the living room couch, one leg hanging off the edge, his phone resting facedown on the armrest beside him.He looked relaxed in sweatpants and a plain grey t-shirt, flipping casually through a magazine he clearly wasn’t reading."How are you so relaxed. This list is important, and you should pay attention," Leah said as she sat across from him on a smaller sofa, legs tucked under her...she scribbled onto a notepad balanced on her knee.“Do you have milk?” she asked without looking up.“Nope,” Scott replied flatly.She paused her scribbling and glanced up. “Eggs?”“Nope.”Leah frowned. “Bread?”“Nope.”She blinked. “Scott, seriously—what do you have in this house?”Scott shrugged, still not looking at her. “Me. And peace.”Leah scoffed and shook her head. “You call this peace? This is borderline wilderness.” She scribbled more aggressively. “What have you been surviving on?”“Water, mostly,” he said with a faint grin.Leah rolled her eyes. “You

GULF CLUB HOUSE The sun was high at the golf course. Benjamin Moore swung his club with practiced grace, the ball soaring across the field with precision. He stood back, satisfied, and adjusted the white gloves on his hands.One of his assistants approached from the edge of the course, carrying his phone carefully like it was an antique. “Sir,” he said quietly, stopping a few feet away. “You have a call.”Benjamin turned, a little annoyed at the interruption, but he held out his hand. “Who is it?”“It’s from the surveillance unit. Says it’s urgent.”Benjamin raised an eyebrow and took the phone. “Yeah?”“Mr. Moore,” the voice on the line said, sharp, “I just sent you something I believe you’ll want to see immediately. It’s from this morning’s observation.”Benjamin’s eyes narrowed. “Lisa?”“Yes, sir. Images from the city mall.”“I’m listening," Benjamin said.“Well… let’s just say, I think this one might push your buttons.”The call ended, and a second later, Benjamin’s phone chimed

Laura stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her with deliberate control. She stood there for a moment, breathing in the silence as if trying to calm the storm still rumbling inside her. Dinner had been a show...a painfully quiet one. Gale barely touched his food, and when he did, he chewed like a man biting into his own failure. Not a single kind word, no attempt at warmth or affection. He was stuck in his spiral, and she had been nothing more than a placeholder at the table. Again."Why did I even bother?" she said to herself.Kicking off her slippers with a soft clatter against the floor, Laura sank onto the bed, reaching for her phone. She didn’t have to scroll far. Her finger hovered for half a second before she tapped Camilla’s name. The line rang twice before her best friend’s voice came through.“Wow. Took you long enough,” Camilla said. “I was starting to think you’d finally snapped and strangled him with one of those silk ties.”Laura let out a bitter laugh. “

GALE'S MANSION The sunlight barely peeked through the curtains as Laura stirred beneath the luxurious white sheets. Her arm reached across the bed, brushing against the cool space beside her just as Gale emerged from the bathroom, tying the belt of his robe.“You’re up already?” she asked, voice groggy as she sat up, hair falling messily around her face. “Why so early?”Gale glanced over at her while adjusting his robe. “I need to take a proper shower and head out. I’ve got a meeting with the legal team this morning. From there, I’ll be going straight into a board meeting.”Laura frowned and leaned back into the pillows, crossing her arms lazily. “I thought the legal team already met yesterday.”“They did,” Gale said, moving toward the closet. “But that meeting was adjourned. Half of them didn’t even show up, including Damian...his car apparently broke down on the way. We couldn’t get much done without him. He’ll be there today though.”Laura froze for a brief second, her heart skip

HARRINGTON DYNAMICS Gale took a deep breath just outside the boardroom door, his hand clenched around the folder he’d been holding for the past hour.He adjusted his tie, straightened his jacket, and forced his confidence to the surface. No stammering, no uncertainty...just calm, control, and clarity. He stepped into the room and the tension hit him immediately.Half the board members were already bickering in low, irritated tones. A few were scrolling on their tablets; others were leaned over the conference table, whispering angrily to one another. The murmurs died down somewhat as Gale entered.He offered a nod and moved to his seat at the head of the table. “Good afternoon, everyone.”Some returned the greeting with polite nods. Others didn’t bother.“Let’s get straight to it, shall we?” said Mr. Kamal, one of the investors, folding his arms tightly across his chest. “We’ve received some troubling updates, and we expect clarity.”Gale opened his folder and began pulling out docume