"Tell me what is wrong," Vivian continued, eyes fixed on James. "You just happen to be a ghost of yourself today."James shifted beneath her, one hand settling on the curve of her hip while the other brushed a strand of hair from her cheek."Nothing is wrong, Vivian," he said in a near whisper. "I'm simply...too excited. That's all. The company is finally turning a corner. I can feel it.""But–" Vivian started. He cut her short by leaning in and kissing her again, slower this time.Then his fingers tightened briefly at her waist, pulling her closer for a short moment before easing her back. "We'll celebrate properly," he murmured against her lips, "after the board meeting. I'm all yours."Vivian studied his face before slowly nodding. "All right then."James glanced at the wall clock. He exhaled and gave her waist one last squeeze before gently lifting her from his lap and setting her on her feet. He stood, straightened his jacket, and offered another brief smile."Almost time," he s

Dora's eyes narrowed. "Catherine?" Catherine's hand remained on the handle, more like she'd been caught in the middle of deciding whether to stay or flee. The early-morning light filtering through the blinds caught the slight tension in the younger woman's shoulders. "What exactly are you doing in my office this early?" Dora asked, her voice carrying an unmistakable edge. Catherine dipped her head slightly. "Good morning, Miss Dora. I only needed to cross-check the last document that was submitted to your office yesterday. I believed they were a few figures I needed to confirm against the digital copy before the day fully started. I didn't think–" "Of course you didn't think," Dora cut in, stepping past Kyle and closing the remaining distance until she stood directly in front of her secretary. "You have no right whatsoever to be inside my office when I'm not present. Do you understand me?" Catherine's cheeks colored faintly. "I only wanted to be thorough–" "Not when I'm not

James let out a long, heavy sigh and stepped back into the office. Vivian shut the door behind him with a quiet click, following him inside."Surely the first time I've seen you like this," she said, arms still folded as she studied him. "And of all times, James. Not when everything is finally in place to bring Transcorp to its knees. We are just so close. One wrong move and we're checkmated for the next decade or more."James walked to the edge of his desk and sat, facing her. He stared at the floor for a moment, then at his own hands.What grand lie could he tell to blow her away? "Your burden is mine too," Vivian said, crossing the remaining distance and reaching out for his hand. "Whatever it is, we carry it together. Talk to me."She leaned closer. James looked up and they kissed.When they broke apart she stayed close, forehead almost touching hers."You're right," he said in a whisper, drawing a slow breath. "I must share it with you."Vivian nodded. "Talk to me."James looked

James turned to Jennifer so sharply the chair creaked under him. The cigar still smoked between his fingers, but his eyes had changed. The dull weight of defeat had lifted considerably. His lips curled as he said, "Why, Jennifer. You just said the best thing you've ever said in your whole damn life." Jennifer frowned, cigarette pausing halfway to her lips. "Hey. I won't take that from you." But he was already on his feet. He paced the length of the small living room, the smoke trailing behind him. Taking one last deep pull from the cigar, he held the burn in his lungs and crushed the stick into the ashtray with a decisive twist Jennifer watched him, brow still furrowed. "What's going on with you? Have you finally lost your mind?" He stopped, turned to her, and smiled. "Perhaps, perhaps not," he said. "Just that it'll be sticking with Vivian Group for a longer time than I anticipated." With that, he walked to the window and stared out at the darkening street. Je

Kyle remained standing in the middle of the sitting room, remote still loosely gripped in one hand."Ladies and gentlemen," Cecilia began. "Welcome back. Tonight we have a guest who needs little introduction in the business world. After a period of quiet and more than a few unanswered questions, Vivian Shaw of the Vivian Group joins us live. Vivian, thank you for stepping into the studio."Vivian maintained a soft smile. "Thank you for having me, Cecilia. It's good to be here."Cecilia leaned in with practiced warmth. "I must say you look radiant. Seeing you, I no longer believe the rumours about sleepless nights and boardroom wars going on in your corporate world."Vivian gave a light laugh. "Oh, what's business without sleepless nights? The rumors are true."The two women went on to share a brief and easy exchange about the weather in the city and an upcoming charity gala they both hoped to attend. Everyone watching knew this was Cecilia's regular pattern of interviews whenever she