Bill's POVThe tension in Frederick’s office is palpable the moment I step through the door. His sharp gaze meets mine, as if he already knows this isn’t just a casual visit."Bill," Fred says, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. "What brings you here today?"Without hesitation, I take a se
Bill's POVThe assistant gestures for me to follow, and I step into Taylor Vanderbilt’s mansion. The place is just as I remember — grand, pristine, almost too perfect. High ceilings, polished marble floors, and walls lined with expensive paintings that probably cost more than some people's homes.T
Serena's POV The last day of boot camp feels like the end of something much bigger than a training program. The air is thick with finality, but there’s a quiet buzz of excitement too. I step into the workshop, and for a moment, I just stand there, taking it all in. The familiar scent of metal, th
Serena's POV“Thought I needed to surprise you because it’s the last day of boot camp,” Taylor says, flashing one of her signature smiles.I can't help but smile back as we move toward each other for the typical Parisian greeting — cheek to cheek. It’s a warm gesture, one that feels natural between
Serena's POV"Bill's been asking where you are," Taylor says, watching me closely for my reaction.I stiffen, my heart racing. "Did you... tell him?" My voice is quieter than I mean it to be, worry gnawing at me. The last thing I need is for Bill to know where I’ve been hiding.Taylor shakes her hea
Bill's POVThe plane touches down in Silicon Valley, and the energy is already different. It’s not the boardroom drama or family politics I’ve been drowning in lately — it’s innovation, ideas, a chance to build something new. Sarah sits next to me, reviewing the notes she’s compiled on the two foun
Serena's POVWhen I step into Marjorie’s office, I’m instantly reminded of the gravity of what we’re about to do. Everything feels bigger, more serious. But the moment I see Stevie sitting on the couch, her eyes already brimming with tears, the tension melts a little.“Serena!” she exclaims, rushin
Bill's POVWe sit across from Josh and Leo in the same conference room as before, but this time the atmosphere is different. Sarah has her notepad in front of her, and I’m running numbers in my head, thinking about how this partnership will work.“So,” I say, leaning forward, “let’s talk about shar
Bill’s POVSterling smirks, his grip steady on the gun, his expression calm. Too calm. His finger rests lightly on the trigger, like he has all the time in the world. He enjoys this. The fear. The tension. The power.“If I can’t win,” he says, slow and deliberate, “then neither do you.”Collin is fr
Calvin’s POVTime is slipping through my fingers.I can feel it. Every second Collin is gone is a second closer to Sterling disappearing for good.I grip the edge of my desk, staring at the screen James pulled up. The last trace of Sterling’s location blinks in red—just outside the city. He’s on the
Serena’s POVCollin’s name is already tearing out of my throat before I realize I’m screaming.I run through the house, heart pounding, breath sharp and uneven. The walls blur past me as I shove open doors, check under tables, search every possible place he could be hiding.Nothing.His toys are sca
Bill’s POVThe world tilts violently when I open my eyes.The air is thick with dust and smoke, curling through the wreckage, filling my lungs with something acrid. My ears are ringing so loud that I can’t hear anything else—no sirens, no voices, nothing but that high-pitched whine drilling into my
Calvin’s POVJames steps into my office, shutting the door behind him with more force than necessary. His face is unreadable, but his movements are sharp, focused. He drops a thick folder onto my desk and leans forward, pressing his hands against the surface.“We got him.”I sit up straighter, my fi
Stevie’s POVElijah is babbling to himself in the living room, gripping one of his stuffed animals by the ear and smacking it against the floor like it personally offended him. His little feet kick excitedly as he sits on his play mat, lost in his own world.I smile, stirring the pasta on the stove
Bill’s POVSterling’s estate looms in the distance, a glass-and-steel fortress perched high in the hills, isolated from the rest of the world. The long driveway leading up to it is lined with evenly spaced trees, so perfectly maintained they don’t look real. There’s something eerie about the silence
Bill’s POVThe club is dark, expensive, and filled with the kind of people who think power is the only currency that matters.I step inside, letting my eyes adjust to the dim lighting. Everything here is designed to make people feel important—the low hum of conversation, the perfectly aged whiskey,
Serena’s POVI stare at the numbers on my screen, scanning the latest financial reports for Étoile de Collin while trying to ignore the exhaustion creeping in. My eyes blur slightly, but I shake it off and keep going. Every detail needs to be right. Every move has to be airtight. We’re too close now