The air-conditioning in the boardroom of Apex Ventures hummed with a clinical, expensive sound that Ezra Mahardika had come to loathe. He checked his bank balance one last time under the table: $14.22. Not enough for a decent steak, let alone the interest on his mounting debt.He looked up at the five men across from him—men in tailored charcoal suits who looked like they’d forgotten how to laugh unless it was at someone else’s expense. Ezra cleared his throat, smoothed his cheap blazer, and clicked the remote."Gentlemen, we’ve talked about AI for logistics. We’ve talked about AI for medicine. But we’ve neglected the most vulnerable demographic in the world," Ezra said, his voice steady despite the chaos in his gut.The lead investor, a man named Henderson, squinted. "Vulnerable? Like children?""No," Ezra replied, a manic glint in his eye. "Goldfish."The room went dead silent."Excuse me?" Henderson asked."Fin-Intelligence," Ezra said, the slide behind him glowing with a high-defi

The sunlight hitting the floor-to-ceiling windows of Suthira’s private boardroom was blinding, but it wasn't half as sharp as the headache Ezra was nursing. He adjusted his collar—a hand-stitched Italian silk affair that cost more than his father’s car—and tried to ignore the lingering heat in his thighs from the "deep integration" session that had lasted until four in the morning."You’re fidgeting, Ezra," Suthira remarked. She was sitting at the head of the obsidian table, looking impossibly fresh in a cream-colored power suit. She looked like she’d slept for ten hours, not two. "It’s just a board of directors. They smell fear, but they also smell money. Try to give them more of the latter.""It’s hard to focus when my legs feel like jelly, Suthira," Ezra muttered, leaning over the console to prep his slides. "And I’m pretty sure you left a mark on my neck."Suthira smirked, her eyes tracking the movement of his hands. "Consider it a localized investment. If you’re worried about the

The steam from the guest suite’s walk-in shower was still clinging to Ezra’s skin when the door clicked open. He was halfway through tugging on a pair of silk-lined trousers that probably cost more than his college tuition.Suthira stood in the doorway, already dressed for the gala in a gown of liquid silver that looked like it had been poured onto her body. She held a black silk tie in her hand, her amber eyes scanning him with a slow, appreciative hunger."You’re running behind, Ezra," she said, her voice dropping into that velvet-over-gravel register. "The car is downstairs.""It’s hard to move fast when my muscles feel like they’ve been through a tectonic shift," Ezra replied, reaching for his shirt. "You’re a demanding boss, Suthira. I think I need a hazard pay clause.""You’ve already received your bonus for the day," she countered, stepping into the room. The scent of her sandalwood perfume immediately dominated the humid air. "Turn around. Let me do the tie."Ezra obeyed, his

The red glow of the hidden lens seemed to burn into Ezra’s retinas long after he had closed his eyes. The night had been a blur of forced luxury and the crushing weight of Suthira’s gaze—both through her own eyes and the electronic ones embedded in the walls.The morning sun arrived with a clinical, unforgiving brightness, flooding the master suite of the island villa. Ezra groaned, rolling over to find the other side of the bed empty, the silk sheets still smelling of sandalwood and the lingering heat of a woman who was more predator than partner.His phone, discarded on the floor, was vibrating so violently it was skittering across the polished hardwood.Ezra reached down, his fingers fumbling with the screen. "Hello?""Ezra? It’s Miller from the PR firm. Tell me you’re not looking at the internet right now."Ezra sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I just woke up, Miller. What’s going on?""Check the feed. You’re the most famous man in the world for all the wrong reasons. I’ll call you back

The sweat was still drying on Ezra’s skin, the frantic rhythm of "Phase 4" trailing off into the quiet hum of the penthouse’s climate control. Suthira lay across him, a heavy, silk-draped weight that felt more like a claim than a comfort. Her fingers traced the line of his ribs, a slow, methodical movement that made his skin prickle."Your heart rate peaked at one-forty-eight," she whispered, her voice a low, satisfied vibration against his chest. "Excellent data, Ezra. The 'Intimacy Protocol' is going to be flawless."Ezra stared at the ceiling, his breath finally hitching back to normal. "Is that all I am now? A data point?""You're the most important data point in the world," she murmured, nipping at his collarbone before sliding off him with effortless grace.She stood up, naked and unashamed in the moonlight, and walked toward the glass console. The glow of the screens illuminated her silhouette—a sharp, lethal outline that reminded Ezra of his father’s warning. She wasn't a girl