Ryan Hastings had always been a man of contradictions.
On the surface, he had it all—charm, good looks, and the effortless confidence of someone born into wealth. People gravitated toward him, drawn to the easy smirk and devil-may-care attitude he wore like a second skin. But beneath that polished exterior was a man at war with himself. A man burdened with choices that never seemed to align with the person he wanted to be. Chloe had once been his anchor. The one thing in his life that felt honest, untouched by the weight of his family name and the shadows that came with it. With her, he had been different—softer, maybe even better. And yet, he had ruined it. Ruined her. Ryan had never been the kind of man to dwell on regrets. At least, that was what he told himself. Yet, as he stood across the street watching Chloe step out of the coffee shop, the weight of his choices pressed against his chest like an iron fist. His gaze followed her as she moved, gripping a cup in one hand, her phone in the other, her brows drawn in the way they did when she was thinking too much. Something was on her mind. Something heavy. And Ryan had a sickening feeling he knew exactly what it was. It had been gnawing at his gut for weeks. Damien. He had overheard Sienna mention it in passing—how Chloe was preparing for a high-profile meeting with Damien Cross. Sienna had tried to sound indifferent, but Ryan had caught the flicker of resentment in her eyes. Jealousy. Their father had once again trusted Chloe with something significant, something that could change everything—while Sienna was left on the sidelines. Ryan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. He had been preparing for this moment, rehearsing what to say and how to say it. He knew Chloe wouldn’t want to hear from him. She despised him—barely wanted to breathe the same air as him. But he couldn’t let her walk into this blind. And despite everything, despite the pain he had caused her, Ryan still wanted to protect her. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was something more twisted, something he didn’t want to name. But the truth was, he knew exactly what kind of danger Chloe was stepping into. And despite her hatred for him, even though she would probably tell him to go to hell—he had to warn her. He saw it then—the way her shoulders tensed, the way her fingers tightened around the coffee cup. Her breath quickened. She was sensing something. Her instincts had always been sharp. She reached for her car key, her steps quickening, as if running from something - or someone. Until she felt a presence behind her. A shadow looming over her. She turned—and her gaze landed on him. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Her eyes widened slightly before narrowing into something colder. Then she finally broke the silence. “What are you doing here, Ryan? Are you following me?” “Yes… I mean no….no.” He stuttered. Something about her always made him feel like the ground beneath him wasn’t steady. His words failed him. His knees grew weak. His palms are sweaty. However, this was his chance and one he couldn’t afford to lose. “I need to talk to you.” Chloe scoffed, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.” Ryan felt something tighten in his chest. “Chloe, listen—” She picked up her pace again, walking toward her car. “Please.” His voice was lower this time. “It’s important.” She stopped but didn’t turn around. A sharp inhale. Her jaw clenched. Then finally, she spun to face him, her eyes burning with fury. “You lost the right to talk to me the second you chose her.” Ryan flinched. He deserved that. He could hear the hurt in her voice, and behind the fury in her eyes, he saw something else. Something raw. Pain. Anger. And beneath it all, a wound that hadn’t quite healed. He forced himself to meet her gaze. “This isn’t about Sienna.” Chloe let out a bitter laugh. “Then what is it about, Ryan? What?” “I know about Damien Cross” Ryan blurted. Chloe froze. For a moment, she didn’t move, her hand still hovering over the car door handle. Then, slowly, she turned to face him. “Everyone knows about Damien Cross.” Her voice was calm but edged with wariness. “What makes you different?” Ryan took a step forward, lowering his voice. Ryan clenched his jaw. “Not like I do.” He paused. “Chloe, Damien is powerful. Dangerous. He doesn’t make deals—he traps people in them. Once you step into his world, there’s no way out.” Something flickered in her gaze, but she quickly masked it. Ryan pressed on. “You think this is just another business negotiation, but it’s not. Damien doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t trust. He doesn’t play fair. And once he has leverage over you, he never lets go.” Chloe’s expression remained unreadable, but her eyes—those sharp, piercing eyes that had once looked at him with nothing but warmth—were laced with suspicion. Her gaze sharpened. “And how exactly do you know all this?” He hesitated. The truth was heavy on his tongue, but he couldn’t say it. Not yet. “I just do.” His voice was firm. “And you need to listen.” Chloe let out a dry, humourless laugh. “That’s not suspicious at all.” “Come on Chloe, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t serious.” She scoffed. “Ryan? You follow me around like a stalker—” “Chloe, please.” “And tie me down just to tell me this? Really?” “I’m telling you this because I care, not just about you but about Bennett Industries.” She let out a bitter laugh, her eyes flashing with something between fury and disbelief. “You don’t care about me or anything else, Ryan. You’re selfish. A self-centred son of a bitch.” Her words pierced him like a blunt dagger. She took a step back, gripping her car door. “I don’t need warnings from you, Ryan.” Her voice was as cold as ice. “Not anymore, now do me a favour and stay away from me.” Ryan knew she would say that. He had expected it. But it didn’t make it any easier to hear. As she slipped into her car and pulled the door shut, Ryan watched her go, his hands clenched into fists. He exhaled slowly, his pulse hammering. He had to be careful. If he told her too much too soon, she would shut down. But he had to find a way to make her listen. Because whether she realized it or not, Damien Cross was about to change her life. And not in the way she expected.Damien Cross stood on the balcony of his penthouse, a glass of whiskey in his hand, watching the city move beneath him.Even at this hour, it never truly slept. Streetlights bathed the wet pavement in gold, headlights cutting through the dark like fleeting streaks of fire. The distant hum of traffic and the occasional sharp blare of a hum blended into a steady rhythm.Damien loved watching the city in its element. It was his favourite nightly routine, but that wasn't what intrigued him. It was the people, from this height, people looked insignificant - tiny fleeting figures scurrying from one place to another, chasing things that didn't matter. Wealth, Power. Love. Illusions.He had long since discarded such notions.Power wasn't something one chased. It was something to be taken.Damien had spent his life mastering that truth, it was the foundation of everything he built. People, after all, were easy. They could be manipulated, moulded, controlled - so long as you understood what th
Chloe Bennett had never been the type to second guess herself. She was raised to be confident, to handle pressure the way her father did - without hesitation, without doubt.Every decision, every move she made had to be precise. Strategic. Flawless.That was the weight of being a Bennett. Now with the company resting in her hands, that weight had only grown heavier. She told herself she was ready. That she had worked too hard to question herself now. But doubt was a quiet, insidious thing. It crept in when she least expected it.Her upcoming meeting shouldn't have shaken her - she had faced worse or so she thought.Yet, as the hours drew close a tightness settled in her chest, one she couldn't quite shake.The rooftop of The Aurelius had always been her retreat. A quiet place, high above the chaos of her world, where she could breathe and think.Tonight, the soft hum of jazz music floated through the air, blending with the low murmur of conversation. The hotel was exclusive, reserved
Sienna leaned closer to the mirror, brushing another layer of mascara onto her thick lashes, then leaned back to inspect herself. “Perfect as always.” She whispers. Her reflection in the mirror was effortlessly poised. Brunette waves cascading over her shoulders. Her light brown eyes caught the soft morning light. There was always a natural elegance to her, from the delicate slope of her nose to the subtle pink in her cheeks, highlighting her high cheekbones and the caramel hue of her skin. “Chloe is so nervous about this meeting.” She said, her voice laced with the slightest bit of concern as she reached for her lip gloss. Ryan watched her from the bed, shirtless, his expression vague. His gaze trailed over the elegant curve of her back, the way she moved with practised grace. Sienna was beautiful, poised, everything a man like him would want. But as she spoke, all he could think about was how different she was from her sister. “How’s she holding up?” He asked, keeping
The Aurelius Hotel was bathed in golden morning light when Nina strolled in, carting two cups of coffee. Chloe sat on the couch, surrounded by papers, notes, and her laptop, a deep crease on her forehead as she muttered under her breath. “Good morning, Bennett Princess.” Nina teased, tossing a cup onto the table. “You look like you’re trying to solve world hunger.” Chloe groaned, rubbing her temples. “I feel like it.” “You’re overthinking.” Nina plopped down beside her. “It’s just a meeting.” Chloe shot her a look. “With Damien Cross.” Nina rolled her eyes. “Okay, can you stop saying his name like that?” “Like what?” Chloe raised her brows. “Like he’s some kind of fucking tyrant mafia… geez.” Chloe exhaled, leaning back. “It’s not just him. It’s my father. He’s counting on me to handle this, to prove that I can. But if I fail…” Her fingers tapped her keyboard. “I can’t fail.” Nina sipped her coffee, watching her. “You know, stressing about it isn’t going to help.
The door swung open and Chloe's breath stopped. She stared at the man at the doorway and let herself breathe. …..It was time. Ethan Graves stepped into the room. "Good morning, Miss Bennett," he said smoothly. "I'm Ethan Graves, lead negotiator for Cross Corp." Chloe exhaled, forcing herself to nod. "Good morning," she replied, her voice shaking. Ethan gave her a curt nod. "Mr. Cross will be with you shortly." She had spent so much time bracing herself for this meeting, for him, and yet, for some reason, her pulse hadn't settled. Instead, a strange anticipation lingered. The seconds stretched as they waited for Damien. Then, finally, the door opened again. Chloe's pulse slowed, just slightly. She put her hand on her chest, hoping to slow down her rapid breathing. A presence filled the room before she even looked up. His footsteps were slow and calculated. Strolling in like he owned the place. Well….he did. Chloe looked up and it felt like her lungs gave
Chloe sobbed in the front seat of her car, her fingers gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline. The heavy rain pelted the windshield, blurring the city lights into streaks of gold and silver. But none of it mattered. It was him. The man from the rooftop. The stranger she thought was nothing more than a fleeting mistake. It was Damien Cross. How could she have been so blind? She sat in silence only to be interrupted by the incessant buzzing of her phone. She glanced at the screen to see the caller. It was her father. James Bennett. For a brief second, she considered letting it ring, maybe even tossing the phone into the nearest trash can and driving off. But Chloe knew better. But ignoring him would only make things worse. With a reluctant sigh, she answered. “Hello.” Her father’s voice was cold and stern. “How did the meeting go?” Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat. “It went fine. I secured the deal. Our office should be in contact with Morelli soon.” A
"Where have you been?" A stern voice spoke from the shadows as Chloe stepped into her apartment. The room was dark except for the study lamp that dimly lit up. "How did you get in here?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease creeping up on her. From the dark, a figure stepped forward. James Bennett adjusted the watch on his wrist, his expression blank. "Your doorman knows better than to question me." His tone was casual, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it. Chloe shut the door behind her, masking the irritation flickering across her face. "That doesn't answer my question." Her father merely smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And you didn't answer mine." She hesitated, debating whether to lie or to deflect. But she knew better. James Bennett didn't ask questions he didn't already know the answer to. She shut the door behind her. "I was out." "Out where?" Chloe met his gaze, refusing to look away. "I don't see how that's your concern.
Chloe rubbed her temples, trying to push back the lingering headache left by Damien's presence. "What do you want, Sienna?" she asked, settling into her chair. Sienna stood in front of her desk, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "You have some nerve, you know that?" Chloe exhaled, already tired of whatever fight Sienna was trying to pick. "What are you talking about?" "Oh, don't play dumb Chloe, you went to see Mom." Of course. Their father must have gone home and put up a fit, spinning the narrative in his favour. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yes, I went to see Mom. And?" "And," Sienna paused, her expression hardening, "you shouldn't have." Chloe let out a sharp breath, a humourless laugh escaping her lips. "Where do you get off saying shit like that?" Her voice was edged with irritation now, the initial restraint slipping. Sienna's eyes flinched, and she stepped closer to the desk. "You think you can just waltz her back into our life like nothing happened? After all
It had been two days since Ryan vanished. And Sienna wasn’t the type to worry. She felt it gave her wrinkles and folded her cheeks.But now, she stared at her phone, scrolling through the unanswered messages and missed calls he had left her.She had ignored them all. At first, it was out of anger—she was still furious about the dinner, about how he let Damien humiliate her.She hadn’t been in the mood to hear his excuses. She thought he’d eventually show up at her place like always, trying to smooth things over, but he didn’t.To ease her mind, she grabbed her coat and drove to his apartment. The key he had given her felt cold in her palm. And she hesitated before pushing it into the lock.The moment she stepped inside, her unease deepened. The place was clean. Not just organized, but unnervingly spotless. Ryan wasn’t a slob, but he wasn’t this meticulous either. The air felt stale as if no one had been here in days.“Ryan?” she called out, even though she knew she wouldn’t get an an
Chloe’s breath was uneven as she stormed out of Damien’s penthouse. The elevator doors hadn’t even closed behind her before she was pacing down the quiet street.Her body still pulsed from where he had touched her—where he had almost taken her. She could still feel the touch of his fingers, the way he had teased her, controlled her, made her want things she wasn’t supposed to want.She sucked in a sharp breath, gripping her arms as she came to a halt outside the penthouse. The city was still alive in the distance, but here, in front of his towering penthouse, there was nothing but silence.Her mind screamed at her for what she had almost done.But her body… her body begged her to go back.Why did I let him touch me? She thought to herself.Her eyes flickered down to herself. She could still feel his hands on her thighs, the pressure of his fingers gliding higher, the way his voice had made her tremble.She looked back.The penthouse loomed above her, the high-rise windows dark and inv
Chloe sat cross-legged in Nina’s apartment, holding a bowl of oatmeal. “So let me get this straight,” Nina said, reclining against the armrest. “Noah kissed you, and you just… what? Sat there?”“I didn’t sit there. I was— I don’t know, I was shocked. It wasn’t exactly something I saw coming.”“Girl, you’re acting like Noah is some stranger.” Nina waved a dismissive hand. “You two have history, and let’s be honest, you could do worse.”Chloe rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point.”“Then what is?” Nina smirked. “Is this about him?”“Who?” Chloe asked.“Damien! I mean what’s going on with him anyway?”Chloe shot her a look, but Nina just waggled her eyebrows.“Chloe, think about it. Damien isn’t exactly relationship material, but the man is sin-walking,” Nina continued, swirling the wine in her glass. “And you’ve already been there once, so why not try it again? No strings, no drama. Just fun.”Chloe scoffed as her fingers intertwined around her bowl. “I’m not thinking about Damien.” S
Ryan Hastings was a man hunted—not just by Damien Cross, but by his guilt and paranoia. The shadows in his rambling apartment emerged larger these days, whispering Damien’s name at every corner. His eyes darted towards the clock every few seconds, it had been days since he’d last heard from Damien.And for those days, he’d been living on the edge, waiting for the inevitable. The silence was worse than an outright attack. It meant Damien was planning, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And that was far more terrifying than any impulsive act of violence.Ryan sat in his dimly lit house, a half-empty whiskey bottle on the table, glasses piled up in the sink, untouched food sat at the counter—he was falling apart in plain sight, but he didn’t care. Each sip of alcohol was an attempt to quiet the dread, but it only intensified it.Dozens of unanswered calls and texts stared back at him—contacts who had once been allies were now too afraid to associate with him. He had no one left.
Noah Sinclair had always been the guy people could rely on. The dependable one. The one who had a plan, a strategy, an answer for every problem. It was why he was good at what he did—consulting for Bennett Industries, ensuring everything ran smoothly, and finding solutions before problems even arose. It was a skill that had taken him far in his career. But when it came to Chloe Bennett, things had never been simple. He met Chloe back in college. She had walked into his life with a solid presence without even trying. Sharp-tongued, brilliant, and ambitious—Chloe had never needed saving, never needed anyone to fight her battles. And yet, Noah had always found himself wanting to stand by her, wanting to be the person she could lean on if she ever allowed herself to. They had been friends, close ones. The kind of friends who stayed up late talking about everything and nothing, who understood each other in a way that made words almost unnecessary. But there had been a time when
It had been a long day for Damien. Meetings. Business deals. The final day of The Morelli Auction. A headache that refused to go away. He had thought that drowning himself in work would keep his thoughts occupied, but it hadn’t. Damien was still fuming from his last phone call with Ryan. How dare he ask him if he was playing games?Did anything look like a game to him?Before Damien could entertain more aggressive thoughts, his phone vibrated against the desk.A single glance at the screen made the night take a different turn for him.Chloe? Chloe had never called Damien since the day they met, so why was she doing so now?He stared at the phone, the call ringing out as he sat motionless.He didn’t answer.Seconds passed and the ringing stopped.And then, a voicemail notification popped up.Damien hesitated before pressing play.“Damien… it’s me….Chloe.” A shaky voice started. Damien listened to the voicemail until the end. A deep frown creased his forehead as he replayed the messag
The tension in the room heightened as Chloe pinned Sienna against the wall. Her eyes weren’t the same as they used to be. The soft gentle look that she had, now turned into something much darker.Sienna’s eyes flashed, but her smirk didn’t waver. She had not expected Chloe to come off this strong but she couldn’t let her guard down either.“Get your slimy hands off me,” she snapped pushing Chloe as much as her strength could.Chloe staggered, trying to steady herself.“Is this what you do? Go ahead being a nuisance in everyone’s lives.” Her voice thundered across the room.“No Chloe, just yours.” Chloe rubbed her fingers against her forehead.“I can’t believe you.”“Oh, please. Drop the act, Chloe.” Sienna stepped closer, voice dropping to a whisper, anger laced in every word.“You know what? I’m tired of you. It must be exhausting, pretending to be something you’re not. That perfect little daughter. That strong, self-made woman.” She tilted her head. “You want to know what’s pathet
The night stretched on, but for Damien, It was far from over. Midnight had settled over the city like a heavy cloak, muffling the usual hum of life. The streets below Damien’s penthouse were quiet. Only the occasional glitching of a streetlight captured attention. The distant howl of wind rushing between buildings. The city outside had gone into a quiet still, but Damien was more on edge than ever. Damien stood by his window, hands crossed behind his back, his reflection a shadow against the glass. He had been staring out at nothing for the past few minutes but in his mind? His mind was a mess. His patience was wearing thin. As the weight of the night settled into his bones, Damien felt a sharp pain strike his chest. Enough was enough. Ryan had made unforgivable mistakes and now he was going to pay for it. A sharp vibration broke through the silence. Ethan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced down at the screen before lifting his eyes to Damien. “Well?” he asked,
The silence in the car didn’t last long.Sienna’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, her foot pressing harder on the pedal. The city lights blurred past them, but Ryan barely paid attention to the road—his focus was on her, the rage rolling off her in waves.“Can you slow down? I don’t plan to end up dead because of your recklessness.”“I cannot believe that bastard,” Sienna snapped, her voice sharp with fury. “Who the hell does Damien Cross think he is? Throwing me out like I’m some—some nuisance? And Chloe—ugh! Sitting there all high and mighty while I was being humiliated.”Ryan bit the inside of his cheeks, “You embarrassed yourself, Sienna.”Her head snapped toward him, eyes blazing in anger “Excuse me?”“You heard me.” His tone was even, but the weight of his words made her grip the wheel tighter.“You barged in there like a damn lunatic and expected what? A warm welcome? Damien obviously doesn’t tolerate drama, and you made yourself one.”Sie