The living room felt smaller than it had any right to, oppressively so, as if the walls themselves were closing in.Adrian sat on the sofa beside Sophia, his posture relaxed, one arm draped casually along the backrest behind her. He’d changed into the spare clothes she’d given him…a simple black shirt and dark jeans that actually fit reasonably well. His hair was still damp, pushed back from his face, and he looked… composed. Completely, maddeningly composed.Sophia, on the other hand, sat rigid beside him, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She’d changed into a cream-colored blouse and slacks, but her discomfort was palpable. Her eyes kept darting between her mother and the door, as if calculating escape routes.Across from them, the situation was decidedly less calm.Sophia’s mother…Mrs. Laurent…sat in the armchair with her spine straight and her expression caught somewhere between shock and fury. Her designer suit was immaculate, not a thread out of place, but her face had gone

Adrian lay on his bed, with one arm draped across his eyes, his body finally surrendering to the exhaustion he’d been ignoring for days. The afternoon sun filtered through the curtains, casting warm shadows across the room.His phone rang, shattering the quiet.Adrian groaned softly but didn’t move to answer it. The ringing stopped. Blessed silence returned for exactly three seconds before it started again.With a resigned sigh, Adrian reached out blindly, his hand finding the phone on the nightstand. He brought it to his ear without opening his eyes.“This better be important, Marcus.”“Sir, I apologize for the interruption.” Marcus said. “But I’ve completed the investigation on Alexander Chen.”Adrian’s arm remained over his eyes. “And?”“He does work for us. Vice President of Operations at Stellar Tech Industries.” Marcus paused. “Though I should clarify…Stellar Tech is one of our smaller subsidiary branches. The company is worth approximately eighty million yuan. Compared to our o

The restaurant Mrs. Laurent had chosen was, predictably, excessive.Crystal chandeliers hung from vaulted ceilings. White-gloved servers moved between tables efficiently that showed years of training. The prices on the menu had no numbers…just descriptions of the food that suggested if you had to ask, you couldn't afford it.Adrian and Sophia arrived fifteen minutes late…deliberately so, at Sophia's insistence. She'd needed the extra time to steel herself for what was coming.The moment they stepped through the doors, Sophia's stomach dropped.The private dining room Mrs. Laurent had reserved. What was supposed to be an intimate family dinner had transformed into something else entirely.Mrs. Laurent sat at the head of the long table. Derek lounged in the chair beside her, that insufferable smirk already plastered across his face. Aunt Marie was there too, her sharp eyes tracking Sophia and Adrian's entrance like a hawk spotting prey.But it was the other occupants that made Sophia'

Victoria stood backstage at the Grand Meridian Hotel, checking her reflection one final time.She looked perfect.The navy Armani suit hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was styled in an elegant updo, diamond studs glinting at her ears. Her makeup was flawless but still looked effortlessly natural.She needed to look perfect. After the IPO suspension, this press conference was her chance to take back control of this whole mess.“Ms. Cole?” Her assistant Jenny appeared nervously. “They’re ready for you.”Victoria nodded, smoothing down her jacket. “How many showed up?”“Um… seventeen outlets were confirmed.”Victoria’s smile tightened. She’d sent invitations to over sixty media organizations. Seventeen was insulting.But she kept her voice calm. “That’s fine. Let’s begin.”She walked onto the stage, her heels clicking confidently against the floor. Camera flashes exploded in her face. The small crowd of reporters looked… bored. Several were on their phones.This was alr

Sophia sat cross-legged on her couch,with her laptop balanced on her knees, a bowl of instant noodles cooling on the coffee table beside her. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she wore an oversized sweatshirt that had seen better days.She’d been at this for three hours now…researching SunCore Publishing, taking notes, trying to understand what kind of partnership proposal might catch their attention.The company was impressive. More than impressive…it was legendary. A subsidiary of Meridian Industries, which meant it had resources most companies could only dream of. Their digital infrastructure division alone was worth billions.Sophia scrolled through another article, highlighting key phrases on her screen. Sustainable technology. Innovation. Long-term viability. She jotted notes in the margins of her notebook, her handwriting getting messier as her excitement grew.This could work. Stellar Dynamics’ technology was exactly what SunCore was looking for. If she could just get