Ryan found his voice in the chaos, and desperation made it louder than logic."This is a setup!" He jabbed a finger toward the screen where damning evidence played on repeat. "She fabricated this! It's AI-generated! Anyone with basic software can fake security footage these days!"The accusation landed with enough force to make some heads turn, doubt creeping into expressions that had been certain seconds ago. In the age of deepfakes and digital manipulation, skepticism was survival.But before the doubt could metastasize, a man stood from the audience with the kind of authority that made the room instinctively quiet.Marcus.The AxisCore executives recognized him immediately—not his name, but his significance. He represented their founder, the invisible hand that had built this company from concept to industry leader. When Marcus spoke, he spoke with weight that transcended his own position.The executives' faces shifted to careful attention, though they were professional enough not

Ethan stood slowly, and the movement felt like watching a king rise from a throne he'd been pretending not to own.Every eye in the conference room tracked him as he descended from the back row, footsteps measured and deliberate against carpet that suddenly felt like it should be red. The silence was so complete that Lily could hear her own heartbeat hammering against her ribs, could hear the rustle of fabric as reporters shifted to get better angles, could hear the sharp intake of breath from someone who'd just recognized something important.He walked down the aisle like a man who'd done this a thousand times in rooms far more intimidating than this one. No hesitation. No apology. Just steady, inexorable forward motion that made space rearrange itself around him.When he reached the stage, he didn't stop at a respectful distance. Didn't position himself as supporter hovering in the background. He walked directly to Lily's side and stood there—equals sharing space, not protector and

The penthouse felt like a mausoleum built for someone else's dreams.Lily stood in the center of the living room, still wearing her presentation clothes, and felt the weight of all that empty space pressing against her skin like atmospheric pressure trying to crush her from all sides.She'd won.Destroyed her enemies in front of everyone who mattered. Secured the partnership that would rebuild her company. Proven she could rise from bankruptcy to brilliance in six months.So why did victory taste like ashes?Her phone sat on the counter where she'd thrown it the moment she walked in. Screen dark. Silent. Mocking her with its lack of notifications from the one person who should have called.Lily grabbed it, checked for the hundredth time in the last two hours. No missed calls. No texts. No voicemails from Ethan explaining why he'd declared her his lover and then vanished like smoke in wind.Just an endless stream of messages from reporters, investors, people who suddenly wanted her att

The private club smelled like old money and older secrets.Lily followed a hostess through corridors where power wasn't displayed but assumed, where the art on the walls cost more than most people earned in lifetimes.Victoria Blackwell waited in a private dining room that overlooked the city like a queen surveying her kingdom.She was stunning in a way that transcended age—probably in her fifties but could have been forty or sixty depending on the light. Designer clothes that fit like they'd been sewn directly onto her body. Hair that fell in perfect waves suggesting both hundreds of dollars in maintenance and effortless natural beauty. The kind of woman who made other women feel simultaneously inferior and inspired."Ms. Morgan." Victoria stood with fluid grace, extended a hand that was cool and firm. "Thank you for coming. Please, sit."Lily sat, and before she could even reach for the menu, Victoria gestured to the hovering waiter."We'll have the salmon tartare to start, followed

The elevator ascended with the same inevitability as fate catching up to poor decisions.Lily stood perfectly still while her reflection stared back from polished doors, and Victoria's contract sat in her purse like a loaded gun waiting to be fired. Her finger trembled over the emergency stop button—one press and she could avoid this confrontation, could turn back, could choose the devil she'd just met over the angel who might be infinitely worse.But her hand fell away.The elevator continued its climb toward midnight and truth and whatever destruction waited on the rooftop.When the doors finally opened, Lily's breath caught despite every intention to stay controlled.The rooftop garden was breathtaking in that way expensive things always were when lit by starlight and desperation. Trees grew in massive planters, their leaves whispering secrets to wind that smelled like jasmine and rain. String lights hung like captured stars between branches. The city sprawled below in glittering c