The world was still burning inside the glass tower, even though night had descended heavily on the city. Tatiana could feel the weight of the long-stretching shadows of ambition and power bearing down on her chest. The Queen chess piece on her desk, with its sharp angles shining in the artificial light, drew her fingers. The game seemed to have paused, waiting for the next move, rather than ever having ended.Mira stood by the window, staring out at the dark city below, and she had been unusually quiet. She had always been reserved and introspective, but now she carried herself differently. She felt as though the burden of all that had transpired was now bearing down on her."Mira," Tatiana remarked in a quiet but authoritative tone, "you must be aware of what's going on. You must realize the depth of this.With wide, unblinking eyes, Mira turned slowly. "I know." She spoke in a raspy voice. "How about Ghost Daddy, though? Is he truly... no more?Sharp and weighty, the words hung in t

The penthouse's blinds let in a meager amount of dawn light, which created lengthy shadows around the space. Tatiana sat near the window, finding little solace in the soft buzz of the city below. Her mind had been racing with the potential outcomes of the day, and she had been up all night.She now had her father's history in her hands, like a delicate gem ready to break. However, the gaps were getting deeper despite her best efforts to keep them together. Now that Harrison Whitmore had staked his claim, things were going to get personal.She was startled out of her thoughts by a gentle knock on the door. She knew who it was without having to look. Grayson had been a pillar of support throughout her life, a shadow that followed her everywhere and never wavered in his devotion. She motioned for him to come inside.Silently, he moved in, his stance as stiff as before. He stated, "We have a problem," without introducing himself.Tatiana's eyes narrowed, and she straightened. "What now?"

The once-imposing building had been reduced to twisted metal and debris, and the crumpled remains of the wreckage were strewn across the empty streets. Tatiana stood at the brink of destruction, heavy plumes of smoke rising from the debris. As she examined the damage, her eyes were focused and filled with a chilly determination. The smell of burning metal and plastic pricked the air as she stepped closer, her heels clicking hard on the concrete.The explosion had been enormous, much larger than she had expected. There was nobody, though. No sign of Grayson.She clenched her jaw and murmured under her breath, "Where is he?" With the stakes so high, she had no time for this kind of uncertainty.Even though she knew it was pointless, she yelled, "Grayson!" once again, her voice piercing the smoke.The group sifted through the debris, working swiftly and methodically. Tatiana tried to follow, but a voice behind her stopped her."Looking for something, Tatiana?"Her muscles tensed. She whi

As Tatiana sat in her office, staring at the screen in front of her, the night's hum seemed to pulse through her bones. Outside her window, the metropolitan skyline glowed with the last of the sun's rays, its golden radiance abrasive against the growing darkness. It was all poised on a precipice, about to topple. Her heart was racing, though, because of that final, risky bit of knowledge.Lucy's suicide letter.The silence was broken by her phone ringing, and the words "Confirmation of Lucy Martin's final message, S." appeared on the screen. Whitaker is still alive. Mira's place made two sales.Tatiana's eyes widened as she repeated the phrases, still unable to believe what she was reading. Lucy Martin, the longtime devoted and helpful woman, had just sealed her own doom. It was more than a simple betrayal. It was a war declaration.Mira. Her daughter. sold twice.Tatiana's fingers clenched around the desk's edge. She sensed that her rage was growing inside of her like a beast that wa

Tatiana was sitting at her workstation in the darkened room, her fingertips hanging over the top of the smooth glass table, even though the morning sun had not yet risen. The weight of the previous few days, betrayals, power struggles, and murmurs that seemed to reverberate throughout the Whitaker mansion's halls pervaded the air. However, her thoughts were now focused on the note she had discovered in Lawrence Bridgerton's office.The mansion remained quiet, as though it were holding its breath, anticipating something. Tatiana's eyes were focused on the tiny, folded piece of paper that had arrived in her hands only a few hours before. Lawrence had always kept secrets, but the one he left behind was going to make all the difference.Slowly, like she was opening a Pandora's box, she unfolded the note. Even though the paper was old and had yellowed at the edges, the ink was bold and bright, as though it had been penned just a few days prior. The words were straightforward but impactful: