Breaking PointThe boardroom was silent, the kind of silence that hummed with suppressed fear. Ethan’s executives shifted uneasily in their seats, their eyes darting between him and the video screen mounted on the far wall.On it, Maximilian Kane’s face filled the frame. Smooth, confident, predatory. He wore a faint smirk, the kind that promised he knew far more than he was letting on.“Congratulations, Ethan,” Kane drawled, his voice amplified through the speakers. “It seems your… wife is more useful than I gave her credit for. Investors are suddenly less skittish. A neat trick. But tricks don’t last forever.”The jab at Clara was deliberate. Ethan’s jaw tightened, his fist curling beneath the table.Clara, sitting quietly beside him, straightened her back. She felt Kane’s gaze on her even through the screen—it was invasive, like a hand reaching into her chest. She fought the instinct to shrink away.“What do you want, Kane?” Ethan’s voice was low, controlled.Kane chuckled. “What I

Failed Attempt The morning sunlight stretched across the glass walls of Ethan’s penthouse, gilding the marble floors and catching the faint reflection of the city that sprawled endlessly below. Clara stirred awake, her body wrapped in a softness that felt oddly foreign after weeks of restless nights and counterstrike to kane's blows.The sheets smelled faintly of cedarwood and Ethan’s cologne, and for a moment she forgot the turmoil waiting for them beyond the quiet cocoon of the bedroom.She pushed herself upright, blinking at the sight before her. Ethan was already awake. He sat at the dining table in the open-plan living room, papers and files spread like an intricate maze in front of him. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, the faintest shadow of stubble lining his jaw. The Ethan Sterling she first met had always seemed untouchable—polished, controlled, every movement precise. But the man in front of her looked human. Exhausted, yet unwilling to yield.Her gaze lingered longer

Lines Begin To BlurThe night sky draped over the city like a velvet curtain, faintly glowing with scattered stars muted by skyscraper lights. Ethan sat at the head of his dining table, half-empty whiskey glass untouched before him. The amber liquid shimmered under the chandelier, but his thoughts weren’t on the drink. His mind lingered on Kane.Maximilian Kane had been two steps ahead too many times. Clara’s revelation of his embedded network had struck a nerve. The idea that Kane had people loyal to him—spies, strategists, even sympathizers—planted in companies, in governments, maybe even in Sterling & Co itself, gnawed at Ethan’s resolve.Clara entered the room quietly. She wasn’t dressed in her usual corporate armor tonight. Instead, she wore a simple cream cardigan over a silk blouse and dark jeans. It was startlingly casual for her, but perhaps that was what Ethan found disarming. She moved with quiet confidence, her hands carrying a slim folder.“You’ve been staring at that dri

BreachThe two still in their moment, then c as me the hiss of the elevator , followed by the slow, measured sound of footsteps. Kane stepped out as though he owned the room, tailored suit flawless, smile sharp enough to cut. Two men flanked him, both broad, silent, and armed—not with visible guns, but with the kind of stillness that made their presence a weapon.Ethan’s penthouse, usually a place of order and control, suddenly felt like a chessboard invaded by an opponent who had studied every move.“Kane,” Ethan said, his voice even, trying to God the guts and effontry he showed ,but there was steel in it. “Breaking into my home? That’s sloppy, even for you.”Kane’s chuckle was low and mocking. “You mistake boldness for sloppiness. I wanted you to know I could walk in whenever I please. Your fortress isn’t as secure as you think.”Clara stayed close, her hand curling unconsciously into the back of Ethan’s shirt. Kane’s eyes flicked toward her, lingering with unsettling curiosity.

In the DarkClara’s breath caught as the room drowned in silence. The blackout pressed in from every side, thick and unnatural. This wasn’t just a power cut. She knew it, and so did Ethan.His grip on her wrist was firm, grounding. She could feel the rapid thrum of his pulse beneath his skin, betraying the calmness he fought to project.“Stay behind me,” he murmured.The words sparked both safety and irritation in her chest. She hated being treated like fragile glass—but in that moment, surrounded by the suffocating dark, she clung to the sound of his voice.Somewhere below, a metallic clang echoed up the stairwell. Clara’s heart skipped. “Ethan—”“I know,” he cut in, already pulling her toward the far side of the room. His movements were swift, purposeful, like he’d rehearsed this a thousand times.Her bare feet brushed against something cold and hard. Ethan crouched, fumbling in the dark, and with a soft click, a drawer slid open. A dull metallic glint caught what little light leake