Chapter Sixty-TwoEthan stood beside the sleek black car, dressed in a crimson red tuxedo that fit him like it had been custom-tailored, which, of course, it had been. The rich color complemented his darker features perfectly, making him look handsome, enchanting, and impossibly masculine all at once. He checked his phone while he waited, his posture relaxed but alert, always aware of his surroundings.His mind wandered as he stood there. He wasn't planning to tell Victoria Chen—not yet—that he was now the CEO of Apex Consolidated Industries. That revelation would arouse too many questions, too much suspicion. She was brilliant and perceptive; she'd inevitably start digging deeper, connecting dots, and she might easily discover that he was now the Chairman—that he wielded more power than almost anyone else in Boston's business and underground circles.He knew he could probably cook up a convincing lie to prevent her from suspecting anything too specific. He was good at that—misdirecti

Chapter Sixty-FourEthan Cole heard the chairs scraping beside him—the unmistakable sound of someone deliberately making their presence known rather than settling in quietly. He turned his head slowly to see Sarah Wilson and Drake Hastings settling into the seats directly next to him, matching smirks of mischief and anticipated triumph plastered across both their faces.Ethan frowned immediately, irritation flickering across his features. Why were they sitting beside him specifically? How had they even spotted him in this dimly lit back section? And what were they doing here together at all?Together. That was the part that surprised him most.It seemed they'd already resolved their issues, or at least swept them under the rug, for them to be attending events as a couple again. But wasn't that resolution far too quick? He'd expected them to stay separated for much longer, for Sarah to maintain her anger and resentment about Drake's betrayal in that torture room.But no. Here they were

Chapter Sixty-Six Victoria looked puzzled for a moment, clearly sensing there was more to that interaction than his simple denial suggested. But she eventually turned her attention back to the stage as well, filing away the moment to think about later. "Twenty-one million dollars," someone's voice came up almost immediately after Pemberton set the opening price, a man in the front row raising his paddle confidently. "Twenty-one million, thank you sir," Pemberton acknowledged. "Do I hear twenty-two?" "Twenty-two million," a woman's cultured voice called out from the left section. Sarah suddenly turned and grabbed Drake's arm with both hands, her eyes lighting up with desperate desire. "Get that piece for me, Drake," she said urgently, moving her hair aside to expose her neck and collarbone, her hand gently tracing the bare skin with her fingers. "Don't you think it would look absolutely stunning on me? I need

Chapter Sixty-Eight Ethan and Victoria made their way through the mingling crowd toward the registration area—a designated section with several elegant mahogany desks where auction house staff waited to complete paperwork and process payments for successful bidders. The area was cordoned off with velvet ropes, giving it an air of exclusivity and importance. They'd barely taken ten steps when Sarah suddenly rushed forward from behind them, her heels clicking frantically against the polished floor. She reached out and grabbed Ethan's arm forcefully, her fingers digging into the expensive fabric of his suit jacket. "Ethan, stop!" she demanded, and yanked backward on his arm, trying to physically halt his progress. But Ethan's stance remained solid, unmoved by her attempt to pull him back. He was far stronger than her, and he didn't budge even a fraction of an inch. He simply stood there, powerful and immovable, then slowly turned his head to look down at her with an expression of

Chapter Seventy “The Chairman?" Sarah repeated, her voice barely audible. "You mean... the Chairman? The one everyone talks about in whispers? The most powerful person in Boston's underground and business circles?" "Yes," Drake confirmed, his face grim. "That Chairman. The one who controlled half the city's legitimate business and all of its underground operations." Sarah felt like the ground was tilting beneath her feet, like reality itself was reshaping around her into something she no longer recognized. "So how..." she started, then stopped, then tried again. "Why would Ethan Cole have that card? How did he get possession of it? Did he steal it? Is he working for the Chairman? What's happening?" Her voice was climbing higher with each question, hysteria creeping in at the edges. Drake grabbed her shoulders, partly to steady her and partly to keep her from drawing attention with another outburst. "I don't know," he admitted, and the fear in his own voice was unmistakable