The news of Barry Sterling and his father being dragged off to the mines had vanished into the ether, buried so deeply by the authorities that not a single whisper reached the upper-crust circles of the city. But Chloe Hawthorne didn’t care about the ashes of her allies. She was already spinning a new web, her fingers twitching with a restless, bitter desperation. In the high-rise office of Vance Tech, the trap was already being set. Roxana Vance rubbed her temples, staring at the projected quarterly sales targets. The air conditioning hummed softly, a stark contrast to the nervous energy radiating from the man standing across her desk. Jane, the low level data clerk; who was also Chloe’s spy, offered a smooth, reassuring smile as he laid a sleek leather folder on her desk. "What is this, Jane?" Roxana asked, her voice carrying the authority she had fought so hard to cultivate. "Our golden ticket, Ms. Vance," Jane said, his tone perfectly calibrated to sound eager yet profe

The mocking echo of Chloe Hawthorne’s laugh bounced off the polished obsidian table, sharp and annoying. Behind her, a second figure stepped out from the dim corridor. His movement was slightly stiff, his shoulder favoring a heavy brace beneath his designer suit jacket, but his face carried the same ugly, triumphant smirk. "Look at her, Chloe," Justin scoffed, his voice dripping with condescension as he adjusted his cuffs. "Standing there like she actually belongs in a room this expensive." Roxana’s chest tightened, but she refused to let her hands shake. She stood tall, her eyes shifting from Chloe to Justin beside her, and then to Jane, who had quietly stepped back to line up with the rest of the sales team. None of them would meet her eye. They stood like statues, their silence confirming the depth of the trap, although Roxana still had no idea. "This is a private, reserved business room for Vance Tech," Roxana said, her voice steady, cold, and carrying every ounce of the au

Roxana’s breath hitched. She slowly turned her head to look at Jane. The manufactured concern on Jane’s face was gone, replaced by a cold, vacant stare. She slowly let go of Roxana’s arm, stepping backward until she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Chloe."She’s right, Ms. Vance," Jane said, her voice entirely devoid of the warmth she had used just moments before. "Vance Tech was a sinking ship from the start. Madam Chloe paid us what you never could.""Jane...?" Roxana whispered, her voice cracking. She looked past Jane, searching the faces of the rest of her core sales team. They all stood in a silent, rigid line. None of them would meet her eye, but none of them moved to help her either."Don't look at them like they're going to save you," Justin scoffed, adjusting his arm brace with a sickeningly satisfied grin. "They know which way the wind blows. Why stick with a stray when they can serve a queen?"The realization hit Roxana like a physical blow, knocking the wind from her lungs.

The response from the Vance Tech sales team was instantaneous. Terrified by the sudden display of raw violence, they all trembled violently, their faces draining of color as they simultaneously pointed their fingers straight at the head of the table.Viper turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the woman pinned into the velvet chair.Then, he froze. The cigarette nearly dropped from his lips.Viper had spent his entire life dealing with the rough, hardened women of the slums or the heavily made-up mistresses of low-tier gangsters.He had never seen anyone like Roxana Vance. Even with her hair slightly disheveled and her blouse wrinkled from the struggle, her beauty was ethereal, operating on an entirely different echelon than Chloe's. Her high cheekbones, wide, expressive eyes, and stunning, elegant posture made the luxury room look cheap by comparison.A disgusting, slow grin spread across Viper’s face, his eyes dropping to trace the curves of her figure beneath her tail

She twisted violently, trying to wrench herself free from his suffocating grip. Viper grunted, pulling her back toward him by the fabric of her clothes. There was a sharp, loud sound of tearing fabric.The seams of her silk shirt gave way. The entire left sleeve was torn completely open from the shoulder to the cuff, exposing her pale, smooth arm and the delicate curve of her shoulder to the harsh, bright light of the chandelier.A sudden, heavy silence fell over the room.The thugs froze in their tracks, their crude chuckles dying in their throats. Roxana, breathless and terrified, felt a fierce, burning blush creep up her neck and paint her cheeks a deep, vivid crimson.The contrast was breathtaking—the fiercely elegant, cool beauty of a corporate CEO, completely disheveled, her skin flushed with a volatile mixture of rage and vulnerability.Even Justin found his breath catching in his throat. For a split second, the malice left his eyes, his mind wandering into a sudden, unbidden d