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CHAPTER 104. THE BUSINESS TEAM
A week had passed since the night Zachary had carried Seraphina into his townhouse. A week of meetings and briefings, of late-night phone calls and carefully worded memos. A week of pretending that nothing had changed between them.It was exhausting.Zachary stood at the window of his office, staring out at the city below. The morning light was sharp and unforgiving, painting everything in harsh clarity. He'd been here since seven, unable to sleep, his mind churning through possibilities and contingencies.The investigation was moving. Slowly, but moving.Seraphina had been working tirelessly. Her contacts, her network, her quiet questions whispered in the right ears. She'd promised him a progress report today. A full update on the business team she'd been assembling.He checked his watch. 8:47 AM. She'd be here any minute.The knot in his stomach tightened.'It's just a meeting,' he told himself. 'Just business. Nothing else.'But his pulse disagreed.He turned from the window and
CHAPTER 103. KIND
Seraphina shook her head slightly at this, hair flying."You were being kind sir. It's nothing." But Zachary disagreed. "I was being an idiot."She looked up at that, amusement making her lips twist."Perhaps both," she said.Zachary laughed, a short, breathless sound, and rubbed the back of his neck. The tension in the room had shifted. Less electric now. More awkward. But not... bad. It wasn't terrible."We should probably get off the floor," he said."That would be advisable."They stood up together, both of them a little unsteady, both of them careful not to touch. Zachary busied himself with straightening his shirt. Seraphina gathered her hair, twisting it back into a loose knot at the nape of her neck.The silence stretched between them, thick and strange."You should sleep here," Zachary said finally. "Tonight. It's late. You're exhausted. There are guest rooms upstairs."Seraphina's hands paused in her hair. "Young Lord, that's not—""I'm not taking no for an answer." He c
CHAPTER 102. THE THRESHOLD
Zachary jerked his head back, barely avoiding having his corneas gouged out. Unfortunately for both of them, his balance wavered and her weight shifted wrong in his arms. He tried to regain his momentum but his foot caught on the edge of the rug.“Ugh!" And down they went.He tried to catch her, tried to twist so he'd hit the ground first and she'd land on top of him—but his coordination was shot, his brain still processing the near-blinding, and they went down in a tangle of limbs and startled gasps.Thud.The impact knocked the air from his lungs. His arms hit the floor, one hand cradling her skull while the other braced her back.In the process, something, an elbow, a knee, he wasn't sure, connected with his ribs.He wheezed like a dying mammal.And then everything went still.He was on top of her. His body was pressed against hers, his arms braced on either side of her head, his face inches from her face.He was pinning her to the floor.Her hair had come completely loose from
CHAPTER 101. STIRRED EMOTIONS.
The underground garage was nearly empty at this hour. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting everything in a pale, tired glow. Zachary's car sat in its reserved spot.The leather seats were cool. The engine purred to life. Neither of them spoke as he pulled out of the garage and onto the empty streets.The city at 1 AM was a different world. Dark storefronts. Empty sidewalks. Traffic lights cycling through their patterns for no one. The only sounds were the soft hum of the engine and the occasional distant wail of a siren.Zachary drove carefully. Slower than usual. Taking turns gently.Beside him, Seraphina had her head against the window. Her eyes were half-closed. Her tablet and bag were tucked at her feet. She looked smaller than usual. Less like the CEO who commanded boardrooms, more like a woman who'd been running on fumes for too long.He glanced at her.Her breathing had slowed. Her lips were slightly parted. The tension in her shoulders had softened.She's not—A soft so
CHAPTER 100. THE DRIVE HOME
Zachary watched Seraphina across the desk.He watched the way her shoulders had gone rigid, the way her fingers pressed together like she was physically holding something back.Dangerous. She'd said the word like it weighed something. Like it had weight she was still carrying.He understood. He'd spent a year on Sanctuary learning exactly how dangerous the world he'd been born into could be. But understanding danger and being paralyzed by it were two different things."So we're careful," Zachary said, leaning back in his chair. "We won't rush into unnecessary risks." He held her gaze. "Nothing bad will happen. I will ensure it."Seraphina nodded. "I won't let it," she promised quietly. "I promise this.""We will move forward. Carefully." He spread his hands. "You find your analyst. I'll keep doing what I've been doing—observing, learning, staying in the background. And when you're ready to bring in someone for the other side, we'll talk about it."She studied him for a long moment,
CHAPTER 99. TEAM
Seraphina's eyes met his, and for a moment, something softened in her expression. Then she looked away, shaking her head."You're risking a lot," she said quietly. "If he finds out—""Then he finds out." Zachary shrugged. "I'm tired of being told who to trust. I'm tired of secrets. You've had my back more times than I can count. You've bled for me. You've nearly died for me." He leaned back in his chair. "If I can't trust you, I can't trust anyone."Seraphina was silent for a long moment. Then she said, "You're a so.. sentimental, Young Lord." She hissed the word like it was a curse, dark eyes fluttering shut in what could only be exasperation.“It isn't really a good trait." "Probably.""Your also reckless and stubborn and you have no idea what you're getting into."Zachary huffed, "True."She shook her head, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips now. "Fine. Tell me everything. From the beginning."Zachary did. He told her about the file his father had given him, the finan
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