Chapter 31: The Decision"Grace… It's Chase Corporation."Grace frowned. "Okay? So? That's the name of the company. I'm already loving it.""Grace!" Amanda grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at the screen. "It's Chase Corporation. Dylan's company."Grace's smile faltered.Her eyes focused on the screen.Chase Corporation.The words stared back at her like a curse.Her heart stopped."What?" she whispered.Everything started clicking into place. Piece by piece. What Amanda said finally registered in her mind.Chase Corporation. That's Dylan's company. The one everyone's been raving about. The one plastered across every news channel, every magazine, every billboard."Oh no. No, no, no." Grace's voice cracked.She pressed her hands flat against the dining table, leaning forward as if the weight of the realization was too much to bear.What had just happened?She'd been actively searching for a job for years. Years of rejection after rejection. And now—now—the one company t

Chapter 33: The Auction of Power"Brother!" Caleb called out, rushing forward. He stopped just short of the entrance. Dylan had already stepped inside. The guard's arm shot out, blocking Caleb's path.Dylan was in.Caleb was out.The symbolism wasn't lost on anyone watching."Brother, how have you been?" Caleb's voice was too loud, too eager. "You're looking great. Really great."Dylan turned slowly. His jaw tightened. His brows furrowed. His eyes dragged over Caleb from head to toe—cold, assessing, intimidating.Caleb fidgeted with his hands, then forced himself to straighten up.You have to do this. Bond with your long-estranged brother. You have to survive in this new hierarchy. Dylan won't throw you aside. He can't.Caleb paused, the thought catching in his throat.Dylan isn't a pauper anymore.He was a big man now. An elite. Bigger than the Steeles. Bigger than almost everyone here."Brother, I've been here the whole time," Caleb continued, his words tumbling out in a nervous rus

Chapter 35: Parallel WorldsCaleb watched Dylan's car disappear into the night, his face darkening with every passing second. His jaw clenched so tight it ached.Errand boy.Dylan Chase—the man he'd tormented for years—had just asked him, Caleb Steele, heir to the Steele empire, elite among elites, if he could be his errand boy.Damn him. Damn karma.Caleb turned and walked back toward the entrance, his mind churning.How did it turn out this way?"Hey!"Kevin's voice cut through his thoughts. Caleb stopped as Kevin jogged up to him."I saw you chasing after Dylan," Kevin said, his tone curious. "What did you two talk about?"Caleb shrugged stiffly. "Just this and that."Kevin frowned. "Why are you running after him like some lapdog? It's pathetic, Caleb. That boy is nothing."Caleb's eyes flashed. "He's nothing? He just outbid you on almost every item tonight."Kevin's face reddened. "Oh, shut up. At least I bidded. What did you do? You sat there like some hired help, watching everyo

Chapter 37: The UndergroundDylan emerged from the shadows of a quiet side street, his eyes landing on the sleek motorcycle parked by the curb. A man in dark clothing stood beside it, his posture alert, waiting.Dylan wore all black—black trousers, a fitted black shirt that hugged his frame, and a black mask covering the lower half of his face. Only his eyes were visible, cold and sharp in the dim streetlight.He approached.The man straightened and held out a set of keys. "Sir."Dylan took them without a word. "You can leave."The man bowed slightly and disappeared into the night.Dylan mounted the motorcycle—a custom Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 worth over $40,000. Matte black with carbon fiber accents, aerodynamic lines that looked like they'd been carved from shadow itself. The engine purred to life beneath him, a low, dangerous growl.He kicked off and tore through the streets, heading toward the outskirts of the city.---For the past two years, Dylan had been fighting in underground