The strategy room remained heavy with silence after the laptop alert faded. The glowing screens around the walls continued displaying streams of encrypted information, yet the tension inside the room had shifted away from technology and war.Now the tension stood between two people.Ethan and Victoria.Victoria remained standing beside the large strategy table, her fingers resting lightly on its polished surface. She had come with determination, believing she could convince Ethan to allow her into the war that was forming around him.But the look in Ethan’s eyes told her something painful.He had already made up his mind.Ethan slowly closed the laptop again and turned fully toward her. His face was calm, but the firmness in his expression carried finality.“I will find it so difficult to do this with you, Victoria,” he said quietly but firmly.Victoria felt her chest tighten slightly.Ethan continued speaking before she could interrupt.“I have no business with you. You are the least

The faint echo of the strategy room still clung to Ethan’s mind long after he left it behind. The marble halls, the cold tension, the metallic sound of Damian’s gun striking the floor — all of it replayed endlessly in fragments. Yet the calm mask he had worn there no longer existed.By the time Ethan arrived home, the night itself seemed heavier, darker, as though it sensed the storm brewing within him.The gates of his estate slid open silently, recognizing his vehicle before the guards even reacted. Lights illuminated the long driveway, revealing the vast modern mansion that stood like a fortress against the world. Glass walls reflected the moonlight, sharp edges cutting into the darkness like blades. Everything about the place spoke of control, precision, and power.But tonight, Ethan felt none of the peace it usually gave him.The moment he stepped inside, he loosened his tie with a sharp pull, tossing it onto a nearby table. His footsteps were faster than usual, heavier, each one

Ethan stopped midway toward the hallway, his footsteps slowing as though something invisible had tightened around his chest. The silence behind him felt heavier than before. He could sense Victoria still standing there—unyielding, stubborn, refusing to disappear from his world no matter how many times he pushed her away.Without turning back, he spoke, his voice colder than the marble beneath their feet.“Young lady,” he said sharply, “I am not here for romance. I have a war to fight—a fight that will earn me what I deserve. Do not be the one to distract my focus this time.”The words landed like blades.Victoria inhaled slowly, steadying herself. Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides, but she refused to let him see weakness swallow her completely.“I am not seeking romantic touch or love from you,” she replied quietly. “Even if I do… that comes later. It comes through a process.”Ethan let out a short, humorless laugh and turned around at last. His eyes were hard, almost mercile

Victoria slumped onto the worn leather sofa, her hands gripping the edges as if holding herself together would somehow stop the storm inside her. The evening sunlight had faded, leaving the room dim and quiet, yet the silence felt heavy, suffocating. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, each beat echoing like a hammer against her ribs. She had thought she was strong, that the divorce from Ethan would free her from pain. But now, knowing he had moved on, perhaps even betrayed her, that illusion shattered into pieces she wasn’t sure she could pick up.The sound of the front door opening made her flinch. Marcus, her father, strode in with his usual calm precision, his polished shoes clicking against the floor. His briefcase swung lightly in one hand, but his eyes, sharp and calculating, fixed on Victoria with an expression that was part curiosity, part amusement.“You didn’t get your match again, did you?” Marcus asked, setting the briefcase down with a soft thud. “I told you, Erher

Victoria had been watching Damian carefully for weeks. Every word, every gesture, every subtle glance he threw in her direction was carefully noted. She had almost allowed herself to believe that he was sincere, that his promises were true. Damian had grown stronger, more confident, more commanding. He approached her with a certainty that was almost intoxicating, whispering words of devotion and loyalty that made her heart flinch, even as she reminded herself that her heart beat for Ethan and Ethan alone.“You know, Victoria,” Damian had said one evening, leaning against the balcony railing in his office, the city lights stretching endlessly behind him, “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. Forget the past. Forget mistakes. All I can promise is that I’ll make you feel like the only woman in the world. No one else will ever matter.” His voice was deliberate, measured, meant to pull her in, to unsettle her defenses.Victoria’s lips pressed together. She shook her head, a tight,