Back in St. Luke's, Kyle and Sophia had refused every gentle suggestion from Dr. Irene that they go home and rest. The doctor had assured them that Eleanor was stable and that nothing was likely to change before morning, but neither sibling had been willing to leave.Sophia sat at one end of a bench, her arms folded as she stared ahead. Kyle occupied the bench opposite, his back against the wall, and his jacket folded beneath his head. Neither had said much for a long time.The hospital remained quietly active around them. Footsteps passed occasionally through the corridor, monitors beeped faintly in the distance, and muted voices drifted from the night staff.Despite the fear that lingered at the edges of Kyle's mind, he found himself sleeping more deeply than he had in weeks.This was due to the fact that whenever his eyes closed, his mind returned to Dora. He couldn't help but remember the warmth of her mouth against his, the feel of her fingers curling into his shirt, and the way

Kyle turned to see that Sophia was already leaning over the bed and pressing a lingering kiss to Eleanor’s forehead. Then she kept her eyes closed for another second before straightening and walking toward him. Her face was blotchy and swollen from crying, and her steps were slow, but she met his gaze without looking away.Together, they left the hospital.Outside, the midday traffic carried on as though nothing had happened. Cars crawled along the road, sunlight flashed across windshields, and somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed. Neither of them spoke during the drive.Kyle kept both hands on the wheel, his eyes fixed ahead. Sophia sat turned toward the window, one elbow resting against the door, her fingers pressed to her lips. The silence between them was nothing like the tense quiet of the night before. There was no anger in it now, only emptiness.When they reached the Morgan Estate, Kyle parked and switched off the engine. They entered the house, still without a word.Ky

Kyle’s smile widened as he watched Sophia carefully screw the lid onto the thermos flask. He leaned a hip against the counter, folding his arms loosely across his chest.“How did you know it was because of a girl?” he asked, his voice light with curiosity.Sophia didn’t look up. She continued with her measured movements, wiping a faint drip from the side of the flask with a clean cloth.“Because I’m a girl,” she answered simply.Then she turned fully toward him. One eyebrow arched, a knowing glint already shining in her eyes.“And let me guess…” She paused, studying his face. “You kissed her—or slept with her—last night. That’s why whatever happened between you was powerful enough to overshadow the terror you felt after mum was rushed to the hospital.”Kyle’s smile softened. He looked away, his gaze drifting toward the window where the late-afternoon light filtered through the curtains. A faint flush crept over the tops of his ears, but he made no attempt to deny it.“I knew I was rig

Vivian took a step backward the instant one of the police officers spoke. “Ms. Vivian?”The words were soft but unmistakable in the sudden silence of the conference room. Vivian’s breath caught as she stared at the officer, who opened his mouth to continue.But before he could say another word, the double doors burst open again.Vivian personal secretary hurried inside, cheeks flushed, one hand still gripping the doorframe. She looked flustered as she spoke.“Ms. Shaw, I tried stopping them. I told them the board meeting was still in session and that they needed an appointment, but they—”“It’s fine,” James said at once, his tone calm and almost casual, but still carrying enough authority to cut through the secretary’s flustered explanation. “You can go.”The young woman hesitated for only a moment before nodding. She slipped back out, pulling the doors shut behind her with a soft click.James glanced toward Harlan Voss.The older man had stopped at the door, his hands loosely claspe

“No,” Harlan replied, his voice low and even. “You must answer my questions first.”He glanced briefly up and down the empty street before returning his attention to James. A faint smile touched his lips. “You’re lucky I don’t have my associates with me right now.”James chuckled softly, unfolding his arms and shifting his weight. He retained the same casual, almost insolent air.“It wasn’t luck, Mr. Harlan. It was calculation. I figured you love to move alone whenever you’re planning to take over a company. So… here we are.”Harlan studied him for a moment. The wariness in his eyes slowly gave way to contemplation.“If this is about the crooked deal we once had to bring me onto the Vivian board—”“This isn’t about that,” James cut in, his gaze fixed on the older man. His voice remained calm, but a sharper edge had entered it. “Besides, that deal was illegal, just like this one is going to be. I took stupid chances back then. Chances I wouldn’t take now. You pulled the rug out from u