The Viridescent Crown

On the night of Lucy Fashion's greatest victory, Desmond Bryant watches his wife give his $100,000 bonus to another man. Three years of loyalty. One ten million dollar deal that only he could close. And Lucy sees him as furniture. But Desmond saw this coming. A resignation letter is already in his drawer. The next morning, he walks out of the company and the marriage. Lucy laughs. She is sure he will crawl back by Monday. He never will. Outside, a black car is waiting. Inside sits Alexio, head butler of the Bryant family, carrying the secret Desmond ran from six years ago. His dead grandfather left him a vast empire, but only if he builds a ten million dollar business in one year. He has one million dollars, one empty penthouse, and no help from anyone. If he fails, he loses everything. Desmond hides his name and meets Kris, a talented designer about to be thrown out of her shop. Together, they become dangerous. While men like Thomas and Derek Cole mock them, the top floor of the untouchable Crown Center bows to its hidden owner. In one dinner, Desmond wipes out Kris's debt with a single sentence. Then the dominoes fall. Harold Sinclair, the most powerful distributor on the East Coast, drops Lucy Fashion and signs with Desmond's new brand, Aster. Lucy's IPO is only ninety days away, and her biggest client is gone. But Desmond is not the only one with secrets. Keaton hid the divorce papers. He wants Lucy married, weak, and under his control. And he has just found out who is behind Aster. The clock is ticking. The IPO is coming. And across the street, a tower Lucy does not understand is looking down on hers.