Harry pulled into Alfred's driveway after what felt like the longest day of his life. The forced partnership with Frank, the impossible project timeline, the weight of everyone's expectations—all of it pressed down on him like a physical burden.But as his car came to a stop, Harry's exhausted mind snapped to attention. A expensive black Mercedes was parked in front of the house, and standing on the porch, arms crossed and face twisted with rage, was Richard Anderson."Oh, for the love of—" Harry cut himself off, taking a deep breath before getting out of his car. "This day just keeps getting better."Richard spotted Harry immediately and stormed down the porch steps. "You! You kidnapped my daughter!""I what?" Harry stopped in his tracks, genuinely confused."Don't play innocent with me, Solomon!" Richard advanced on him aggressively. "Alice disappeared from home, and now I find out she's been staying here with you! You kidnapped her!""Mr. Anderson, I didn't kidnap anyone," Harry sa

Harry watched the argument unfold outside, his anger simmering just below the surface. He wasn't angry at Richard Anderson's threats or even at the situation itself.He was angry at Alfred—the one person he'd thought he could count on to understand boundaries, to recognize when something was a bad idea.But Alfred had agreed to let Alice stay. Had welcomed her into the house without even consulting Harry first. And now Harry was stuck dealing with the consequences.His eyes drifted to Mona, who stood beside her father's car with an expression of concern that Harry knew was completely fake. She kept glancing at him, her eyes calculating, measuring, planning something."She's up to something," Harry muttered to himself. "She's always up to something."Mona caught his gaze and gave him a small, sad smile—the picture of a reformed woman who'd learned from her mistakes and just wanted peace. But Harry had lived through this before, in his previous life. He knew Mona's games, knew her tacti

Harry stood frozen, Alice's words echoing in his mind. She liked him. Really liked him. And she wanted to know if he felt the same way.Did he?Harry thought about the question honestly. He liked having Alice around—her presence was comforting in a way few people's were. She was kind, genuine, and unlike most people in his life, she asked for nothing except his company. But was that the same as romantic feelings?He didn't know. And more importantly, he didn't want to figure it out right now."Alice," Harry said carefully, stepping back slightly. "I don't think we should make decisions based on fleeting emotions. You just had a huge fight with your father. You're cut off from your family. You're emotional and vulnerable. This isn't the time to—""To what?" Alice interrupted. "To be honest about how I feel?""To confuse gratitude and proximity for something more," Harry replied. "Alice, you're staying here because you needed somewhere safe. That doesn't mean you have feelings for me. I

Frank sat in his car in the TechNova parking lot, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. Mona's words kept replaying in his mind, each one cutting deeper than the last."Useless. Failure. Joke."The worst part wasn't that she'd said those things. The worst part was how easily she'd dismissed him, like he wasn't even worth her time anymore. Just weeks ago, she'd smiled at him, flirted with him, treated him like someone important. Now she looked at him like he was nothing."It's Harry," Frank muttered. "It has to be Harry."The logic seemed clear in Frank's mind. Mona's sister Alice was staying at Harry's house. Obviously, Alice had told Mona terrible things about Frank. And Harry, being the manipulative bastard he was, had probably encouraged it. He'd poisoned both sisters against Frank to make himself look better."If Harry wasn't around, Mona would notice me," Frank said to himself. "She'd see that I'm the one with real potential, real vision. But Harry's i

Frank climbed into the back of the van, his heart pounding with fear. Victor Kane sat across from him, flanked by two massive bodyguards who looked like they could break Frank in half without breaking a sweat."Sit," Victor commanded, gesturing to the bench opposite him.Frank sat, his hands trembling. The van started moving, driving to an unknown destination that made Frank's stomach churn with anxiety."Do you know what offends me most, Frank?" Victor asked conversationally."No," Frank whispered."The fact that you thought I'd forget," Victor continued. "The fact that you borrowed three million dollars from the Vultures, used our money to prop up your pathetic company, and then acted like the debt would just disappear when we got raided.""I didn't think that!" Frank protested. "I was just—""Busy?" Victor interrupted with a cruel laugh. "Too busy to pay back the people who saved your ass when no legitimate bank would touch you? Too busy to honor your obligations?""I was trying to