"I can’t believe you would do this to me, Lisa."Ray’s voice shook as he stood at the bedroom door, his hand still gripping the knob. His heart pounded so loudly he could hear it echo in his ears.On the king-sized bed, wrapped in silk sheets, was Lisa his wife. Her hair was messy, her lips swollen red, her skin glowing from the touch of another man. And beside her was Oscar Levine, his shirt unbuttoned, his smirk wide and arrogant as if the entire house belonged to him.Lisa gasped, startled for a brief second. But the shock faded almost instantly. Instead of guilt, her eyes turned cold, sharp, and unrepentant. She tightened the sheet around her body and glared at Ray."You weren’t supposed to be home tonight," she said flatly, as if he had interrupted a business meeting.Oscar chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Ray, buddy. You should’ve knocked. Privacy, you know?"Ray’s throat was dry. He felt like he was choking in the air around him. The weight of betrayal crushed down o

Lisa's POV "Raise your glasses! To the Oakford Empire, untouchable and eternal!" Lisa’s voice rang out across the glittering ballroom. Crystal chandeliers threw glows of light across the polished marbled floor. Guests cheered, champagne glasses clinked, and Lisa smiled, radiant and proud.Oscar’s arm looped around her waist, his smirk wide "See, Lisa? Everyone here is eating out of your hand. Ray has got nothing on you, his scandal is nothing but a distant memory."Lisa tilted her chin up, letting the praise wash over her. "Exactly. He’s gone, Oscar. Gone and forgotten. I built this empire, and no one can touch me."A soft hand on her elbow made her turn sideways. It was her mother. Elegant, sharp, and cruel just like her."You look beautiful my darling," her mother said, voice low and calculated. "And dangerous. That’s the way to win, Lisa. Never forget, power is everything. Never hesitate to crush anyone who stands in your way."Lisa grinned from ear to ear "Mother, you understand

“The man you thought you buried.”The words didn’t leave when he spoke them. They clung to the air, heavy, and suffocating, pressing down on Lisa until her knees nearly gave way. Her hands clutched the edge of her desk, her knuckles turned white, as if the polished wood were the only thing keeping her from collapsing.For once, the untouchable CEO wasn’t the flawless queen of Oakford Empire anymore. She wasn’t the woman who silenced boardrooms with a single glare. In that moment, Lisa looked cornered, like prey forced to face a predator.Her lips trembled. "Y-you..." Her voice cracked. "This... this can’t be real."Ray didn’t answer. He stood there, calm, his silence a weapon sharper than any blade. It made her squirm, it forced her mind to do the work she wanted desperately to avoid.This was exactly what he had wanted. Adrian’s arrival wasn't a coincidence, it was a move placed long before tonight. A whisper here, a call there. Pull one string, and Adrian would come running, eager t

Ray’s hand lingered on the velvet curtain as the voice echoed in the private lounge.“Raymond Carter,” he said again, this time, dragging the words.The sound of his full name felt heavy, like it carried years of dust and secrets. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the dim light, and the man before him stepped forward.He was tall, lean, dressed in a simple dark leather jacket and black pants, his presence filled the room without needing words. His face had lines and scars carved by time and survival, and his eyes, piercing, calculating, almost predatory, seemed to cut through everything they landed on.Ray’s gaze narrowed slightly. He knew that face. Not personally, but by reputation. And especially not when he wasn't who Ray came to meet. "Karl Mercer..."The name came out steady, though it was laced with both recognition and suspicion.Karl gave a faint, crooked smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "So the gossips still remember me. Good. I thought I had been buried with the rest of t