"Of course," Kyle muttered, nodding once. The motion sent a fresh spike of pain through his battered skull.As they got to the cars, Nathan paused. "Can you–""I can drive," Kyle cut in, pulling away from Nathan and leaning on his car. He did this with great effort."Alright then," Nathan said with a nod as he opened the driver's door and helped him in.Then he rushed to his own car, and seconds later, the engines turned over, their headlights cutting through the humid Florida night.They pulled away from the curb together, leaving the neon glow of O'Malley's and the growing wail of distant sirens behind them.---------The drive was quiet for the first few minutes. Kyle spent the little time reflecting on the mess that they had just driven away from.He slammed his palm against the steering wheel hard enough to send a fresh jolt of pain through his already-split knuckles. "Damn it!"The horn blared once, short and vicious as it cut through the night. He muttered under his breath, sta

Standing frozen beside the open door of his car, James didn't blink for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. "I understand the urgency, sir. But the deal you're pushing...it's not a simple one for Vivian Shaw. It dilutes her personal authority over the board of her firm in ways she'll spot the moment the deal is brought before her. She won't give in–" "You must not fail us, Mr. James," the deep voice cut in abruptly. "You should know that we do not want or need to know how you carry out your job." James shut his mouth. The night was far spent, and in the silence he could hear the faint hum of distant traffic somewhere above the garage levels. "Five hundred thousand dollars has just been wired to your Swiss bank account," the voice on the other end continued calmly. "And much more will follow if you meet the deadline." The words seemed to hit James like a physical weight settling into his chest. Half a million dollars? That was the highest he had ever received from a sin

"Heading up to Dora's office?" Olivia asked as she stepped into the elevator.Kyle didn't reply at first. He kept his gaze fixed on the glowing floor numbers above the doors, avoiding her eyes.The borrowed suit felt tighter across his shoulders now, the tie suddenly too constricting.Olivia rolled her eyes. "Someone needs to press the damn elevator button, and I need to know what floor you're heading to," she repeated, her tone sharpening into one of irritation.Kyle cleared his throat. "Yes.""Yes what?" Olivia pressed with a raised eyebrow."I'm heading to Dora's office," he added, practically forcing the words out.Olivia chuckled, the sound vibrating through the confined space like a private joke."Thought as much," she murmured under her breath before leaning forward and pressing the button for the executive floor. The elevator hummed to life, carrying them upward.Kyle sighed heavily and rubbed a hand through his slightly damp hair, leaning back against the cool metal wall of t

Kyle couldn't help but sigh as Cecilia Brand and the other panelists dissected the fight.The morning-show host's voice was crisp as she faced the camera with that predatory smile she usually reserved for juicy scandals."And so we have to ask," Cecilia added, tapping a manicured nail against the glass table, "what exactly was the newly appointed General Secretary of Transcorp Enterprise thinking? A man trusted with the public face of one of Florida's most influential conglomerates, reduced to a barroom brawl? And the implications–my goodness–when Raymond Shaw openly accused Dora Sinclair of conducting an affair with the same man? This is no ordinary workplace drama, ladies and gentlemen. This is a scandal with teeth."The grainy phone footage looped again behind her–Raymond's face flushed with fury as he blurted the words out.Cecilia didn't spare a single detail. She circled back to Dora's name again and again, each mention heavier than the last. She almost centered the whole talk o

James took in a deep breath, glancing quickly at the wall clock above the door. Its second hand seemed to mock him with every sharp tick. Time was against him.Turning back to Vivian, he cleared his throat."I'm sorry," he said in a low voice. "I admit that most of my suggestions turned out pretty bad. But I am bent on redeeming you from it. All of it."Vivian didn't reply to this. She sat rigid in her chair, eyes still burning with the fury that had made her reach for the phone moments earlier.James watched her for a while before reaching for his leather briefcase. The soft click of the latches sounded unnaturally loud in the tense room.He drew out a single document–thick and neatly bound. Then he laid it on the desk between them."I was able to convince Harlan Voss Holdings to strike a deal with us."Vivian's face lit up a bit. "Harlan Voss?"James nodded with a small smile. "Yes, Vivian. It was a tough one, but I pulled through."Vivian picked up the folder with renewed interest.