(Adrian’s POV)I tried to walk away from her. God knows I tried. But as soon as I left Bella’s apartment, something gnawed at me. A tightening in my chest that wouldn’t ease. The thought of her, alone, thinking through everything that had happened with Lucas and Monica, replaying tonight’s disaster in her mind—it didn’t sit right with me. Not after the way her eyes had softened, calming me down when I was ready to tear Lucas apart.I reached my car, hands gripping the steering wheel, but I couldn’t bring myself to drive away. It had been a long time since someone had been able to bring me down from the edge like that. I’m used to having everything under control—emotions locked tight, decisions made with precision. But tonight? I lost it. Lucas had pushed me too far, and I was ready to break bones. If Bella hadn’t been there… No, I don’t even want to think about that.She’s got this way of looking at me—like she sees the parts of me I’m too afraid to show the world. She makes me want
(Bella’s POV)It had been hours since Adrian left, but I was still replaying the night over and over in my mind. The warmth of his body next to mine, the way he held me like he never wanted to let go. His kisses, full of both desperation and tenderness, left my heart pounding long after he’d gone.I was falling for him. As much as I tried to resist, to keep my guard up, it was impossible. There was something about him that pulled me in, despite the walls I had carefully built. Adrian wasn’t just the cold, calculated businessman I had initially thought. There was more to him—layers I was only just beginning to peel back.But that didn’t mean everything was perfect.I couldn’t ignore the things I was learning about him. The ruthless business deals, the way he seemed to bulldoze anyone who stood in his way, even Lucas’s warning that Adrian could be unpredictable. It was all starting to pile up, and as much as I wanted to believe in the version of him I saw when we were alone, a part of m
(Adrian’s POV)I had spent most of the day staring out of the large windows in my penthouse, the city sprawling below me like a maze of lights and shadows. A glass of whiskey sat untouched on the coffee table. It used to help—the burn in my throat, the warmth in my chest. But not today. Not with everything that had happened recently.I couldn’t stop thinking about her.Bella had a way of getting under my skin, of making me question every decision I’d made up until now. It wasn’t just the way she looked at me, her eyes always searching for something deeper beneath the surface, but how she made me feel vulnerable—like I wasn’t just Adrian Langston, CEO, the ruthless businessman who crushed anyone standing in his way. With Bella, I was... different.And that terrified me.I couldn’t help but think about how far I’d gone in my life to build this empire, to prove to everyone, especially my father, that I was worth something. That I could rise above the expectations, the suffocating famil
(Adrian’s POV)The tension in the air was palpable as I walked out of the foyer and into the study, my mother’s ultimatum ringing in my ears. Reconcile with Oliver? She had to be joking. The resentment between us wasn’t something you could just wipe away with a handshake and a few words. It was years of bitterness, miscommunication, and betrayal that had festered into a wound neither of us was willing to address.And yet, here I was. About to do just that.The study was dimly lit, the warm glow of the lamps casting long shadows on the walls. My father’s presence seemed to linger in every corner, his influence still a weight on my shoulders even after all these years. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to push the anger down, but it was boiling just beneath the surface.Then the door creaked open, and there he was—Oliver. My younger brother. He walked in with that same cocky confidence that had always grated on me. Dressed in a casual suit, dark grey with a black shirt, he looked eve
(Third person pov)The weight of betrayal lingered in the air like a suffocating fog. Oliver stood in his apartment, staring at his phone. The unexpected message from Lucas had been gnawing at him for hours now, but he couldn’t shake the need to know what was truly going on. After all the years of bitterness and distance between him and Adrian, was this just another layer of deception? Another crack in the foundation of their relationship?Lucas had reached out to *him*—not Adrian. And that in itself was unusual.He replayed the message over in his head: “I need to explain everything. Meet me at our old spot. It’s not what you think.”It was vague, cryptic, and reeked of desperation. Oliver couldn’t help but wonder what was driving Lucas to reach out now. What had he been hiding all this time? The Lucas Oliver had known growing up had been loyal to Adrian—a confidante, his right-hand man. That was until Monica Tate had come into the picture.Oliver had never liked Monica. She was manip
Oliver waited until the hallways of the building were quiet, shadows stretching long across the floor as most of the team filtered out for the evening. He’d decided to find Adrian in his office, knowing this was a conversation that couldn’t wait any longer. After learning the truth from Lucas, Oliver felt a simmering mix of anger, urgency, and an unexpected protective instinct toward both his brother and Lucas.He found Adrian standing near his floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the city, his usual strong stance softened by the dim light filtering in from the buildings beyond. Adrian looked like a man who carried the weight of the world, and in a way, he did.Adrian didn’t turn when Oliver entered, but his voice was steady. “You’ve been quiet lately,” he said, as if sensing Oliver’s presence. “Everything all right?”Oliver clenched his jaw, trying to figure out the best way to start. He knew that pushing Adrian too hard could backfire, but there was no easy way to explain this.
Bella entered Adrian’s office early, the silence of the space giving her a chance to gather her thoughts. The past week had left her with questions she couldn’t shake, pieces of a puzzle that didn’t quite fit, and an odd tension she sensed every time she was around Adrian and his brother, Oliver. She’d even felt a trace of that tension in Oliver’s hesitant smile, a look that made her wonder what he wasn’t saying. As she arranged her notes on the sleek table in front of her, she looked up to see Adrian walk in. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, a shade darker than his usual choice, and his expression was as intense as ever, but there was something different—an exhaustion clinging to the edges of his otherwise steady demeanor.“Good morning,” Bella greeted, trying to hide the nerves she felt every time she saw him lately. She knew her feelings were getting tangled in a way that was dangerous, in a way that felt irreversible. “Morning.” Adrian’s voice was softer than usual, a
The days that followed were a whirlwind of damage control and calculated moves on Adrian's part. The storm Monica had tried to create was quieting, yet the questions still lingered, gnawing at the edges of my mind. The text I had sent Adrian back in the thick of things weighed heavily on me, a delicate balance between trust and suspicion.One evening, after the buzz of work had faded and I found myself alone in my apartment, I finally allowed myself to review everything I’d uncovered. The image I’d found in the archives, buried beneath decades of dust and silence, had shifted everything. My father and Adrian’s father, standing together in what looked like a boardroom, their expressions serious, as though they were on the verge of something monumental. They were once business partners, possibly even friends—an alliance that, somehow, had been completely erased from our family’s history.My thoughts wandered back to Adrian’s reaction when I’d hinted at this discovery. He’d dismissed it
I spent the entire night tossing and turning, Monica’s words looping in my head like a broken record.“She gave up everything for him. And how did he repay her? He destroyed her.”I wanted to believe it was all manipulation, just another one of her desperate tactics to divide Adrian and me. But the way Adrian reacted… the way his entire body went rigid, his grip on control slipping for just a moment before he stormed out—That wasn’t the reaction of a man who was innocent.And that terrified me.The morning sun streamed through my window, painting golden streaks across my room, but my world still felt clouded in doubt. I forced myself up, shaking away the exhaustion clinging to my limbs. I needed answers.I got dressed quickly, throwing on a fitted navy blazer over a silk blouse and my favorite pair of tailored pants. Something about dressing sharply gave me the illusion of control, even when my thoughts were spiraling. My hair was swept into a sleek ponytail, and as I looked at mysel
Monica Langston was a sinking ship, and the world was watching her drown.The headlines were relentless. Every major news outlet covered her downfall with ruthless precision, exposing her illegal dealings, corruption, and the empire of deceit she had carefully constructed. Social media erupted in a frenzy, with former allies turning their backs on her, distancing themselves before they, too, were dragged into the abyss. Her influence was evaporating, her reputation in ruins.And yet, she wasn’t done.Adrian sat in his office, watching the news cycle like a hawk. Bella stood near the window, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Though they had taken down Monica’s operation, something about her silence in the last twenty-four hours unsettled him. She had always been one to play her last card when people least expected it.Then, his phone buzzed.A message from an unknown number.**Check the live press conference. This is just the beginning.**Adrian’s stomach clenched. He immediately sw
The tension in the car was suffocating. Adrian sat in the backseat with Bella beside him, her fingers gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles were white. Oliver drove like a man possessed, his jaw locked as he weaved through traffic, pushing the limits of his sleek black Aston Martin. Lucas was in another vehicle, leading a security team straight to Monica’s suspected location. Adrian’s phone buzzed. A message from Lucas. **Warehouse near Harbor District. Confirmed. Security is light.** Adrian immediately forwarded it to Oliver, who cursed under his breath. “She’s getting sloppy,” Oliver muttered. “She *wants* you to come to her.” Adrian’s voice was razor-sharp. “Then let’s not disappoint her.” Bella hadn’t said a word since they left the office. She just kept dialing her mother’s number over and over again, only to be met with silence. “Bella.” She flinched slightly but didn’t look at him. Adrian reached out, placing a steadying hand over hers. “We’re going to ge
The air in Adrian’s office was thick with tension. Oliver lounged on the leather couch across from his desk, casually tossing a stress ball in the air, while Bella sat beside him, her eyes scanning the flurry of emails flooding her laptop. Lucas leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed, brows furrowed. They were all waiting. Waiting for Monica’s next move. Waiting for the moment she would strike back. Adrian stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the skyline of Meridian City. His fingers drummed against the edge of the glass, his mind running through every possible scenario. She was cornered, but she wasn’t out. That was what worried him the most. His phone buzzed in his hand. He glanced down. **Unknown Number.** Again. Without hesitation, he answered. “Langston.” A slow, deliberate chuckle came through the line. A voice he recognized instantly. *Monica.* “You always answer so coldly, Adrian. It’s almost like you don’t miss me.” His grip on
Adrian barely slept that night. Even with Bella curled against his side, breathing softly in the quiet of his penthouse, his mind refused to rest. He kept replaying Monica’s smirk, the way she’d whispered, *See you soon.* That wasn’t the look of a woman who had lost. It was the look of someone who still had a card to play. His grip on Bella’s waist tightened protectively as he stared at the ceiling. He had fought so hard to keep her safe, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was still steps behind. As the early morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Bella stirred beside him, stretching slightly before blinking up at him. "You're still awake?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep. Adrian forced a small smirk. "I don’t sleep much." She frowned, propping herself up on her elbow. "Adrian, you need rest too." He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "I will. Eventually." Bella studied him, her gaze soft yet knowing. "You're worrie
The flashing red and blue lights illuminated the warehouse district as police officers swarmed the area, securing Monica and her remaining men. Bella leaned into Adrian’s side, exhaustion crashing over her in waves. His arm remained securely around her waist, as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go. Oliver, still gripping his gun, exchanged words with the officers before finally tucking the weapon into his holster. Lucas stood nearby, keeping a careful eye on Monica, who was now handcuffed and seated on the cold pavement. Diana approached, touching Bella’s arm gently. “Are you okay?” Bella nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I will be.” Adrian turned to Oliver, his voice laced with tension. “Are they taking her straight to holding?” Oliver nodded. “She’ll be booked tonight. But this isn’t over yet. She has too many connections. If we don’t act fast, she’ll slip through the cracks.” Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Then we won’t let her.” Bella exhaled, glancing
Midnight. Bella stood in front of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Meridian City, her heart pounding as she tightened her coat around her. The cold night air sent shivers down her spine, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the temperature or the anticipation of what was about to happen. She wasn’t alone—at least, not entirely. Adrian, Oliver, Lucas, and Diana were hidden nearby, each playing their role in ensuring this wasn’t a suicide mission. Adrian had fought against this plan the entire day. He had argued, paced, and even snapped at Oliver more than once, but in the end, they all knew that if Monica was going to be caught, they had to make her believe she was still in control. Bella checked her phone. **11:58 PM.** She exhaled sharply, her fingers curling into fists. She had to be strong. This was the final piece to bring Monica down. Right on time, the heavy metal doors of the warehouse groaned as they opened. A tall, dark figure stepped out from the shad
The atmosphere inside Langston Enterprises was charged with tension. The team had spent the last few hours preparing for the biggest move they had ever made against Monica. Now that they knew her brother was the real mastermind, they had to act carefully—one wrong step, and everything would crumble. Adrian sat behind his desk, his fingers drumming against the mahogany surface, his mind running through every possible scenario. Bella stood by the window, arms crossed, staring out at the city skyline. Oliver was on the couch, scrolling through his phone, while Lucas and Diana worked on their laptops. “Alright,” Adrian said finally. “Let’s go over this one more time.” Oliver sat up, tossing his phone onto the table. “We leak the fake information that we’ve found proof of financial fraud within Monica’s company. We make it seem like we’re about to go public with it.” Lucas nodded. “If she believes we have something that can take her down, she’ll react. Either she’ll try to buy us of
The office was unusually quiet for a Monday morning, but the air inside Langston Enterprises was anything but calm. Every member of the team—Adrian, Bella, Oliver, Lucas, and Diana—was on edge, knowing that the next 24 hours would determine everything. The plan was in motion. Oliver had already contacted his sources, setting up a way to access the government official’s financial records. Lucas was working on securing the legal side, ensuring that when they made their move, it would be airtight. Adrian and Bella were focused on the final steps—preparing for Monica’s retaliation and figuring out how to keep their own names out of the inevitable chaos. Bella sat at the long conference table, her laptop open in front of her, but her mind was far from the words on the screen. She was reviewing everything they had gathered against Monica, yet a lingering unease gnawed at her. "You're staring at that like it’s going to change something," Adrian’s voice broke through her thoughts. She