"I... excuse me?" Chloe stammered, her voice suddenly entirely useless.Her throat closed tight. She stared at the man sitting across the polished table, her brain scrambling for a professional response. The aggressive charm in his question threw her completely off balance. She pressed her back against the leather chair, wishing the floor would swallow her whole.Footsteps approached just in time to save her. A server stepped between them, setting down a heavy silver tray. Relief flooded her chest.She reached quickly for the crystal pitcher. Before her fingers touched the cold glass, the manager intercepted the movement. His large hand wrapped firmly around the handle, his knuckles brushing against hers."Allow me," he murmured. He poured the water smoothly into her glass."Thank you," she managed to say. She pulled her hand away, resting it on her lap. She needed to drag the conversation back to the contract immediately."We really need to finalize the regional bonus terms," she ins

Chloe tapped the keypad with trembling fingers, already certain of what waited on the other end. Her chest tightened as she held the silent receiver against her ear to put on a show."The call will not connect, Madam CEO," Chloe lied, lowering the screen with a stiff hand.Sarah reached out and took the mobile device from her assistant. Her eyes scanned the numbers before typing them into her own smartphone. She hit the call button without waiting another second.A loud tone buzzed through the speaker on the very first attempt. "Hello?" a man answered."Mr. Zarik, this is Sarah Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Beauty," Sarah said, keeping her voice crisp and professional.Silence lingered on the line for three seconds. "Zenith Beauty?" Zarik asked, his tone shifting instantly into something cautious and cold."We require a lead brand ambassador for our product launch right now," Sarah explained, walking toward the doorway. "Name your price. Zenith Beauty will match any payment

"Madam CEO, should I process the distributor refunds?" Chloe asked, holding her tablet over the stage railing. The question pulled Sarah from her shock."Stop, do not process those cancellations!" the supermarket director shouted, rushing forward with outstretched hands.Sweat dripped down his face. Minutes earlier, this man had demanded lawsuits and accused Zenith Beauty of selling fake formulas. Now, staring at a global superstar, his arrogance turned into desperate panic."We made a terrible mistake, Mrs. Quinn," the director pleaded, bowing repeatedly toward the podium. "Our store chains want to double our original wholesale order."Sarah looked down at him with disgust.Opportunists had tried to destroy her company the moment Lucy walked out. Now that Yuri stood on the platform, these same retailers wanted to crawl back for profit. The corporate world showed its ugly face."Zenith Beauty does not reward cowards," Sarah announced, her voice booming through the sound system. Every

Smack!The boss struck his subordinate's wrist with a flat, heavy slap.BANG!The stray bullet blasted straight into the concrete floor, tearing a chunk out of the gray tiles. Sparks flew into the dark, and the black handgun spun across the wet floorboards, clattering against the foot of an empty stool.Zarik spun around on his boots, his shoulder hitting the edge of the wooden booth.Behind the bar counter, the young bartender threw himself onto his hands and knees, covering his head with his hands."Drop your weapons and back off!" Zarik shouted, his voice echoing off the brick walls. "Stay right where you are, or I will call the police right now!"The three armed men stood frozen in the center aisle, their eyes darting between the dropped gun and their leader. None of them moved. None of them understood why their own boss had just knocked a clean shot off course.The gang leader did not look at his men. He stepped over the broken glass, his hands hanging loose near his waist as he

"You can't go there right now, miss," the maid said, stepping directly in front of the bedroom door.Chloe gripped her purse straps. "Why not?""The arena is locked down for preparation," the maid explained, keeping her hands folded over her dark apron. "They're running sound checks and checking the stage gear for tonight. Nobody gets past the gates except the main organizers and his direct crew."Chloe stopped. Her bare feet felt cold against the polished hardwood floor. She needed to look Zarik in the face and clear the air, but showing up at a locked gate without a crew pass would only leave her stranded on the sidewalk.She reached for the glass on the side table and drank the water in three fast gulps. The cold liquid hit her empty stomach, triggering a loud rumble that broke the quiet of the room.A faint smile touched the maid's face. "You're hungry.""I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon," Chloe admitted, pressing her palm against her ribs."Sit tight," the maid said, tur