Jake stood outside the apartment door, his phone still warm in his hand. The text from Maya had been short. Simple. "Come over. Need to talk."His heart did that stupid flutter thing it always did when she messaged him. Even after two years together, she still made him feel like some lovesick kid. He reached for the doorknob, already planning what he'd say. Maybe she wanted to plan their anniversary dinner or…A sound stopped him cold.It came from inside. Low and rhythmic. A woman's voice, but not talking. Not exactly.Jake froze. His hand hovered over the door.No way. That couldn't be what it sounded like. Maya wouldn't. She was probably watching a movie or something. Yeah, that made sense. Just a movie with the volume up too loud like she always did because—Another sound. Deeper this time. A man's voice mixed with hers.The phone almost slipped from his fingers. His chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped a rubber band around his ribs and kept pulling. Tighter. Tighter.'This

"You'll need it," Marcus said. He walked back to his desk and pulled out a tablet. Tapped on it a few times. "Tomorrow you're taking over Titan Enterprises. It's one of the largest companies in the city. Real estate, tech, entertainment, hospitality. Annual revenue sits around fifty billion."Jake's head was spinning. Like actually spinning. He gripped the armrest of the chair."Tomorrow? That's... that's way too fast. I don't know anything about running a company. I barely passed high school business class and that was because the teacher felt sorry for me.""You'll have help." Marcus swiped something on the tablet. "Sora will be your assistant. She knows everything about how we operate. The company also has a board of executives who handle day-to-day operations. Your job is to be the face. Make strategic decisions. And most importantly, establish your presence.""My presence," Jake repeated. The words felt foreign in his mouth."Power isn't just about money or strength." Marcus set

Sora's expression didn't change but something in her eyes went cold. Dangerous. She turned to the manager."You refused his card?"The manager's face went pale. "Ms. Chen, I... there was a misunderstanding. The card looked unusual and I wasn't sure—"Sora's hand moved fast. The slap connected with the manager's cheek. Sharp. Loud. The sound echoed through the quiet store like a crack of thunder.The manager stumbled sideways. Her hand flew to her face. A red mark bloomed across her skin."Ms. Chen!" she gasped. "I'm sorry! Please, I didn't know he worked for you! I thought he was just some errand boy you sent to—"Another slap. Harder this time.The manager's eyes went wide. Tears started forming. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I should have realized he was running errands for someone important! Please forgive me!"Sora's jaw clenched. Her eyes flashed with something dangerous. "Errand boy? You think he's my servant?""I... isn't he?" The manager touched her burning cheeks. "I mean, why el