Nine PM. Jake's apartment.Doorbell rang. He wasn't expecting anyone.Jake checked the security camera feed on his phone. Froze.Maya Torres stood outside his door. Looking terrible. Hair messy. Dark circles under her eyes. She wore jeans and a hoodie instead of her usual designer clothes.Jake considered not answering. Considered pretending he wasn't home.But curiosity won. He opened the door. Kept the chain on."Maya. What do you want?"She looked up. Her eyes were red. Like she'd been crying. "Please, Jake. I need to talk to you. Five minutes. That's all."Jake studied her face. Looking for the manipulation. The trap.Just saw exhaustion. Desperation.He opened the door. Stepped aside.Maya entered. Stopped just inside. Looked around.Her expression changed. Shock. Then something uglier. Contempt mixed with envy.She took in the marble floors. The expensive furniture. The floor-to-ceiling windows with the view of the city. The artwork on the walls that probably cost more than her

"I was just asking Jake about filing procedures," Elena said. The transformation was instant. Complete. Her voice went from vulnerable to smooth. Professional. The mask snapped back into place. "The system here is so confusing. He was kind enough to show me where everything is stored."Sora's eyes moved from Elena to Jake. Back to Elena. She didn't believe it. Jake could tell. But she didn't challenge it either."Mr. Morrison, my office. Now." Sora's tone left no room for argument. "We need to discuss the quarterly reports.""Yes, ma'am."Jake moved toward the door. Had to pass Elena to get there. She looked at him as he passed. Something in her eyes. Conflict. Confusion. Maybe even genuine regret.'What the hell was that?' Jake thought. 'And how much does she actually know?'He followed Sora down the hallway. Her heels clicked on the tile floor. Sharp. Angry. Each step sounded like a tiny explosion.***Sora's office. Door closed. Blinds drawn over the windows.She stood behind her d

Jake's phone buzzed while he was still on the call with Tommy.He pulled it away from his ear. Checked the screen.Text from Sora.{Security detected unusual activity near your old apartment building. Someone's been watching it. Asking questions about you. Be careful. -S}Jake's blood went cold. The warmth from talking to Tommy vanished instantly."Uh, Tommy? I gotta go. Something just came up.""Everything okay?""Someone's investigating me." Jake stood up. Walked to his window. Looked out at the city like he could see whoever was watching him from here. "Like actual investigating. Not casual questions. Real digging.""What? Like stalker investigating? Or spy investigating?" Tommy's voice shifted. Concerned. Worried."Probably spy investigating." Jake's jaw tightened. "Victor's forces are moving. Gathering intelligence. Preparing for something big.""Dude." Tommy let out a long breath. "Your life is actually terrifying. Like genuinely scary. I don't know how you deal with this every

"To give you a choice. A generous offer, really." Victor's voice was smooth. Reasonable. Like he was offering a business deal. "Walk away from Titan. From Sora Chen. From all of it. Disappear. And I'll leave you alone. You can live your quiet life somewhere far away from here. Somewhere safe.""And if I don't?""Then I destroy everything you care about." Victor's voice dropped. Lost the reasonable tone. Pure threat now. "Starting with her. Sora Chen. The woman you're so desperate to protect. I'll break her. Slowly. Completely. And you'll watch every moment of it."Jake stood up. Couldn't sit anymore. "You won't touch her.""You have three days to decide." Victor ignored the threat. "Three days to choose between your life and hers. Choose wisely, Mr. Morrison. This is your only chance to walk away intact."The line went dead.Jake stood there. Phone still pressed to his ear. Heart pounding so hard he could hear it.Three days. An ultimatum. A threat against Sora.Victor was making his

Sora's mask cracked. Just for a second. Vulnerability showed through. Real emotion. Real fear."Yes," she said quietly. "To me. You're important to me. And I won't lose you to some crime boss who thinks he can threaten what's mine."'What's mine,' Jake thought. The words echoed in his head. 'She said mine. Not Titan's. Not the company's. Hers.'The boundary was blurring. Sora commanded him like the CEO she was. Gave orders. Made decisions about his safety.But they both knew the truth. When it was just them. When Harrison wasn't around. When the doors were closed and the facades dropped.Jake was Marcus's son. The actual chairman. Her superior in every technical sense.But Sora wielded authority like she was born to it. And Jake let her. Because it worked. Because it felt right somehow.He opened his mouth to respond. To ask what that meant. To push for clarity.But Sora was already moving. Back to business. Walls slamming back up."Get some rest. You didn't sleep well last night and