The younger man was leaning against the railing with that characteristic easy posture of his, his dark gray suit impeccably tailored, his dark hair styled with that careful negligence that Noah had come to associate with the Vicker family. He was not looking at his phone. He was not speaking to anyone. He was just standing there, waiting, his eyes fixed on the entrance below as though he had been expecting someone.Noah felt a flicker of irritation. He did not want to deal with Lucien this morning. He did not want to deal with the sharp grins and the sharper eyes and the constant sense that every conversation with Lucien Vicker was a game whose rules Noah had not been told. He had enough on his mind already. The merger. Nicole. Michael Chen. The apology he still had not delivered. The last thing he needed was another encounter with the younger Vicker brother and whatever scheme he was cooking up this time.He did not want to make himself think Lucien was there for him. Obvio

“Rebecca?" He asked softly. The woman's lips tightened at his call and finally she cracked."I have not been sleeping well lately," she admitted, her voice quieter than before. "It's been a few weeks of... restless nights. Last night was a breaking point. I needed the rest, and my body decided to take it whether I wanted to or not. I slept through my alarm. That's all.""That's all," Noah repeated, his tone skeptical. "Rebecca, if something is going on—""It's not important, sir." Her voice was firm now, the moment of vulnerability already closing up like a door being shut. "What is important is that I have information about the private investigator. The one who has been following you."Noah straightened, his attention sharpening. "Fieldman. You found him?""I found him. And then I lost him." Rebecca's jaw tightened, and Noah could see the frustration flickering in her eyes. "I tracked him to the industrial district last night. He was meeting someone, or he was about to meet some

Her question wasn't anywhere close to genuity.Noah could tell by the way she asked it, the slight tilt of her head, the knowing look in her eyes. Chantel already knew what needed to be done. She had probably known the moment she heard about the meeting. But she wanted to hear him say it. She wanted to see how he would handle the situation, what decision he would make when faced with a provocation. He had to learn somehow, and if not by example, experience would do just fine.Noah took another breath, slower this time, and forced himself to think past the immediate surge of anger. Storming into the meeting would be satisfying in the moment, but it would also be exactly what Nicole expected him to do. It would confirm everything she thought she knew about him, that he was emotional, reactive, not capable of playing at her level. He was not going to give her that satisfaction."I'm going to let the meeting happen," he said, his voice steady.He leaned back, waving his hand in a d

The older woman's mouth curled up at his nervous tone, her teeth glinting behind her cupid bow lips."Noah,” she practically purred, using the exact same inflections as her daughter when she said his name. "That is a very good name. A strong one." The woman said approvingly. "And where did you grow up, Noah?""I don't, I mean, I'm not entirely sure. I have some memory issues. But I live here now. In the city.""Memory issues! Oh poor thing. But how did you meet my daughter? She never tells me anything about her personal life, you see. I have to ambush her on video calls to learn anything at all.""Maman, please," Chantel said, her voice strained. "Do not interrogate him. He is my boss. This is deeply inappropriate.""What is inappropriate," her mother replied, undaunted, "is that my only daughter never comes home anymore. She never calls me back. She never tells me anything about her life or the people in it. How am I supposed to know anything if I do not ask questions? I am a mothe

Noah did not spare Nicole another glance. He did not offer her a polite farewell or acknowledge the parting shot she had aimed at Chantel. He simply walked past her, his shoulder brushing the air inches from hers, and stepped through the open door of Michael Chen's office as though she had already ceased to exist. The movement was cold and deliberate, a dismissal so complete that it left no room for response.Behind him, he heard Chantel's heels clicking against the marble floor as she followed, and the near-silent tread of Rebecca bringing up the rear. He did not look back to see Nicole's expression. He did not need to. He could imagine it perfectly: the frozen smile, the eyes that would be blazing with fury beneath their carefully maintained calm, the realization that he had not even bothered to say goodbye.The door closed with a soft and final click. Rebecca positioned herself just inside it, her back to the wood, her hands clasped loosely in front of her. Chantel moved to stand