Sixty

Dave's POV

It was another day, but it still felt like hell. No amount of alcohol or distractions could drown out the harsh reality staring me in the face. Millions of dollars were lost, and it was all because of one person: Zane Caruso. First, Belle humiliated me by leaving me at the altar, and now, with the drug shipment gone and the warehouse reduced to ashes, the situation was spiraling out of control. Investors were jittery, questioning the stability of our operations. The emergency stakeholders meeting was looming over me like a guillotine.

I stood at the base of the grand staircase, straightening my tie in the mirror before making my way up. The house felt cold, like it had been stripped of its warmth and soul. My mother was waiting at the top of the stairs, already dressed in her sharp, tailored corporate suit—a sleek black blazer that hugged her narrow frame, matched with a pencil skirt that stopped just above the knee. Her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun, her makeup fl