Nathan didn’t sleep well that night. The apartment was quiet, but the silence pressed against him like a living thing. He lay awake, mind spinning through the events of the past week — the board meetings, the whispers, the anonymous threats — and through the subtle, ever-present tension within his own family. Every alliance felt conditional, every conversation potentially layered with strategy and deception.By early morning, he rose without a word. Cassandra and Liam had already left for their respective assignments — Cassandra to coordinate media outreach and community liaisons, Liam to monitor operations and potential leak points within the company. Nathan remained alone in the living room, staring out at the city that had begun to stir, its streets slick with remnants of yesterday’s rain, reflections of neon and traffic lights fracturing into rivers across the pavement.He ran through the day’s plan mentally, methodically. Today was crucial. Not just for corporate positioning, but

Morning arrived heavy with heat and tension, the kind that made the city feel like it was holding its breath. Nathan stood in front of the mirror in his apartment, adjusting the cuff of his shirt with slow, precise movements. The quiet around him felt deceptive. After Dana’s call the night before, he knew something had shifted. Not a storm yet, but the air carried that unmistakable pressure before thunder breaks.His phone buzzed. A single message from Cassandra: Press conference moved to noon. Someone leaked the guest list.Nathan stared at the screen for a moment, then slipped the phone into his pocket. Of course they had. Nothing stayed quiet for long anymore.By the time he reached the lobby, Liam was already waiting, leaning casually against a marble column, but Nathan noticed the tension in his shoulders.“You saw it?” Liam asked.“Yeah.” Nathan’s voice stayed even. “Whoever’s pushing Dana is moving faster than I expected.”“Not just Dana,” Liam added, handing him a tablet. “Loo

Late afternoon sunlight stretched across the living room floor, soft and golden, warming the quiet corners of the Sterling estate. Lukas stood near the grand piano, fingers resting lightly on the polished wood, not playing, just listening to the silence settle after the long day. The boardroom confrontation still lingered in his mind, but instead of adrenaline, he felt something slower. Heavier. Real.Behind him, laughter echoed faintly from the kitchen. Cassandra’s voice blended with Eleanor’s, their conversation moving between teasing remarks and serious planning. It felt strange, almost unreal, how naturally the house had begun to feel like a home instead of a battlefield.He walked toward the sound.Cassandra leaned against the counter, sleeves rolled up, helping Eleanor prepare dinner. The sight alone made him pause. Cassandra rarely allowed herself moments that simple. When she noticed him watching, she tilted her head.“You survived,” she said, a faint smile pulling at her lips

The Sterling estate was unusually quiet the next morning, the kind of silence that followed an emotional storm rather than a peaceful night’s rest. Lukas stood near the tall windows in the study, reading through a set of proposals that blurred together the longer he stared. Outside, the garden shimmered under early sunlight, dew clinging to the roses Cassandra had insisted on keeping despite Eleanor’s preference for simpler landscaping.He closed the file slowly.For the first time in weeks, nothing urgent demanded his attention. No crisis. No boardroom conflict. Just the steady rhythm of a life that was beginning to feel real instead of strategic.Footsteps approached behind him.Cassandra entered with her usual quiet energy, holding a tablet under one arm. She paused when she noticed he wasn’t working as intensely as usual.“You’re taking a break?” she asked, teasing gently.“Thinking,” he replied.“That word again,” she said with a faint laugh. “You use it whenever you don’t want t

The city had already settled into its evening rhythm when Nathan pulled into the underground garage of the Sterling estate. Rain had started again, a slow drizzle that made the streets shimmer with reflections of neon and headlights. He didn’t rush, letting the engine idle as he stared at the polished concrete walls. Something about the quiet hum of the car, the distant murmur of the city above, always cleared his head.Liam was already there, leaning against his motorcycle, helmet in hand. His posture was casual, but Nathan could feel the tension in the set of his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened whenever he noticed Nathan watching him.“You’re late,” Liam said without looking up.“I needed a minute,” Nathan replied, cutting the engine. The silence hung between them, heavy, almost fragile.Liam finally looked at him, eyebrows raised. “A minute? You mean to think, or you mean to hesitate? Because hesitation doesn’t suit you.”Nathan stepped out of the car, rain soaking his jacket