"Huh?" Jake's heartbeat nearly stopped.Lyra glanced up from the documents and tapped a fingernail against the account structure."I mean, why is it so complicated?" she asked casually. "Most investment transfers follow a relatively straightforward path. This one passes through multiple intermediary companies before reaching the final recipient."Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the paperwork."Why does the money need to move through so many layers instead of going directly to the company we're investing in?" She looked at him calmly. "It feels unnecessarily complicated... Don't you think so?" "There's nothing like that, Lyra," Jake said, forcing out a laugh that sounded far less convincing than he intended.Lyra let out a quiet sigh and narrowed her eyes slightly as she asked, her voice calm but probing. "What exactly do you mean by that?" "It's a tax structure," he replied without hesitation. "International acquisitions are usually handled this way, it might be strange to

"We've arrived, sir."The cab driver's voice pulled Brandon out of his daze.For a moment, he simply stared through the rain-streaked window, as if he had forgotten where he was.Then he gave a faint nod and reached for the door handle, the cold rain immediately greeted him the moment he stepped out of the cab.After paying the money, Brandon adjusted the strap of his travel bag and stood silently beneath the gray sky, his gaze drifting toward the towering hotel before him.The heavy rain made it tough to see the big neon sign of the Grand Horizon Hotel. Brandon walked into the hotel, his bag hanging from his shoulder. His clothes were still pretty dirty from the cemetery and the road. He looked really tired. He looked like a person who was already gone. He got a room on the fourteenth floor and paid in cash. By the time he reached the room, the rain had soaked through his jacket.The room was cold and carried the faint scent of fresh cleaning products, as if housekeeping had only j

“He really doesn't know when to stop, does he?” Lyra muttered with a frown as she drove back toward the suburbs.The car was unusually quiet. For once, she didn't turn on the radio or play any music, her irritation had been building ever since she left the office.“How dare he not call or message me after making such a huge scene?” she scoffed.In her mind, Brandon should have been apologizing by now.Apologizing for trying to manipulate her…. Apologizing for dragging Maggie into his lies…. Apologizing for ruining Leo's birthday party and distracting her before such an important business deal.Instead, he had disappeared completely.The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.“Is he seriously expecting me to apologize first?” She said through clenched teeth. “He knew I had a hundred-million-dollar deal today. Instead of worrying about that, he's busy throwing a tantrum and trying to ruin my mood.”Her grip tightened on the steering wheel.“For years, I've been the one suppo

Lyra stood motionless, her gaze fixed on Brandon's signature at the bottom of the page. A strange tightness settled in her chest as she stared at the familiar handwriting.Then she suddenly laughed, the sound sharp and mocking as it echoed through the silent villa.She snatched up the gold pen lying beside the papers, tossed it into a drawer, and slammed it shut."A divorce? Please."She shook her head in disbelief."You really think you can scare me with divorce papers, Brandon?"Her lips curled into a cold smile."So this is your latest trick."Because she had left him and Maggie by the roadside yesterday...Because she hadn't answered his calls...Now he wanted to make her feel guilty.Her fingers brushed over the papers again before she withdrew them as though they were meaningless.No.She knew Brandon better than anyone.He had been a househusband for years. His entire world revolved around Maggie. Every decision he made was for their daughter.There was no way he would ever aba

"Whatever you believe, Mrs. Callaghan, please come to the hospital first," Dr. Evans said, a trace of exhaustion and frustration creeping into his voice. Lyra squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles almost turned white. "Fine," she snapped through clenched teeth. "I'll be there in a few minutes.” Determined to prove them wrong, Lyra rushed toward the hospital, slamming her foot onto the gas as the heavy car roared toward the highway exit. During the drive, the silence of the car was shattered as memories began flooding Lyra's mind like a breaking dam. She remembered three months ago Brandon standing in the kitchen late at night holding a stack of papers. "Lyra please just sit down for ten minutes. We need to talk about Maggie’s scans." What had Lyra done? Lyra had grabbed her briefcase and walked out. "I do not have time for your paranoia, Brandon. I have a merger to handle…. You can handle it by yourself.” Lyra remembered Maggi