Nigel Portman leaned back against his hospital pillows, satisfaction spreading across his face despite the constant pain radiating from his shattered legs. The meeting with Raymond Romano—conducted through Victor—had gone better than expected. The seeds were planted. The alliance was forming."Victor," Nigel said. "You've done excellent work. Keep monitoring the situation. I want hourly updates on any developments regarding Kane or the Romano alliance.""Of course," Victor replied, gathering his documents. "Is there anything else you need before I go?""No," Nigel said, waving him away dismissively. "I need to focus on my recovery now. The stronger I get, the more directly I can participate in Kane's destruction."Victor nodded and left the private room, leaving Nigel alone.Nigel pressed the call button beside his bed. Within moments, a nurse entered—a stern-looking woman in her forties who'd been managing his rehabilitation schedule."Mr. Portman?" the nurse said professionally. "Yo

Alessia stood frozen in the university parking lot, her mind replaying Raymond Romano's questions with growing unease. Something about the interrogation had been off—not just the intimidating presence or the veiled threats, but the specific nature of his questions.Why was he asking about my bodyguard? Alessia thought, frowning. He kept bringing it up. Kept pressing for details. But my bodyguard is Aria, not Darius. So why did it feel like he was really asking about someone else entirely?She remembered Raymond's exact words: "This Darius Kane. This bodyguard. This friend."He conflated them, Alessia realized. Made it seem like he thought Darius was my bodyguard. But I never said that. Never gave him that impression. So where did he get that idea?Josh stood beside her, his face pale, clearly as disturbed by his father's appearance as she was. He was staring at the spot where Raymond had been standing, his expression troubled."Josh," Alessia said carefully. "That was strange. The way

Two days had passed since Raymond Romano's unexpected appearance at the university. Two days of tension, preparation, and careful maneuvering as various parties positioned themselves for what was coming.Now, finally, the evening had arrived.The Romano estate was transformed for the occasion—not the formal, intimidating dinner Josh had originally planned, but something different. A welcome party for his older sister Jessica, who was returning to Duskfort after years studying business in California.The event was decidedly different from typical Romano family gatherings. The guest list consisted entirely of young people—wealthy scions and heiresses from Duskfort's most prominent families, university students from elite backgrounds, the next generation of power brokers and influencers.Conspicuously absent were the patriarchs and matriarchs. Raymond Romano himself would not be attending, having decided that this should be an event for the younger generation to network and socialize wit

Jessica Romano stood frozen in the center of the ballroom, her champagne glass trembling slightly in her hand, her eyes locked on the corner where Darius Kane had been standing just moments ago.It can't be, Jessica thought, her practiced composure completely shattered. It can't be him. Not here. Not now. Not at my welcome party. This is impossible. I must be seeing things. Stress from the flight. Jet lag. Something.She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her vision, to convince herself that what she'd seen wasn't real.But the image remained burned into her mind—that face, those eyes, that unmistakable presence that she'd known years ago under completely different circumstances.The young men who'd been surrounding her, competing for her attention, trying to make connections with the Romano family through her, noticed immediately that something had changed."Miss Romano?" Marcus Ashford said, his practiced smile faltering. "Are you alright?"Jessica didn't respond. Didn't even

Jessica Romano stood directly in front of Darius, so close that Alessia could see the tension radiating between them like an electric current. Neither spoke. Neither moved. They simply stared at each other with the intensity of two people who shared a history neither had expected to confront tonight.Alessia stood off to the side, her eyebrows raised, her mind racing with questions she desperately wanted to ask but didn't dare interrupt. The atmosphere was too charged, too delicate, like a single wrong word could shatter whatever fragile balance was keeping this reunion from exploding into something messier.What is happening right now? Alessia thought, watching the silent exchange between Darius and Jessica. This doesn't look like 'just friends' who lost contact. This looks like... something else. Something much more complicated.The silence stretched on—five seconds, ten, twenty—until finally Darius blinked, breaking the spell. He deliberately withdrew his gaze from Jessica's face,