I pressed my fingers against my temple, staring at the reports on my desk. The numbers swam in front of me—project delays, shareholder disputes, Maximillian’s latest maneuver. No matter how many angles I considered, I kept running into the same question.How do I approach Maximillian without making it obvious?Ren’s voice echoed in my head. "Make him think you’re interested. Give him a reason to come to you."I scowled at the thought. The idea of playing games like that felt… beneath me. And yet, a man like Maximillian Duval thrived in power struggles. If I went to him directly, I’d be at a disadvantage. I needed a different approach—one where I stayed in control.But how?Sighing, I pushed away from my desk, heading to the living room in search of coffee. That’s when I noticed a stack of papers left on the desk near the window. Richard’s writing.He must have been working on it last night and forgotten to put it away.I hesitated for a moment before picking it up. Richard rarely let
After I put back Richard’s draft like the way it was before, I remembered about how Fairbook agricultural event is been held back, seems like I need to directly involve in this one. And maybe I can use this event to start my plan regarding Maximillian.Sighing, I search of coffee to the kitchen. As I entered, I grabbed my phone and dialed the number I needed to finalize some details. The quiet hum of the apartment was interrupted by the soft ringing before the call connected."Hello, this is Haze," I said, settling onto the couch. "I’m calling to confirm that the event logistics for Fairbook are on track. Yes, I know it's last-minute, but we need to ensure the local farmers feel supported. That’s the priority—gaining their trust."I leaned back, balancing my phone between my ear and shoulder as I reached for a notebook. "Maximillian, Wells, and all shareholders are to be invited. No exceptions. I want formal invitations sent out today."From the corner of my eye, I caught movement—Ric
I tossed my keys onto the counter and sank onto the couch, my mind still turning over what had just happened. Fairbook. Of all places, Haze was heading to my hometown—and she hadn’t even known I was from there.I should’ve expected that. She was sharp when it came to her job, but details about people? Sometimes, those slipped right past her. Still, the thought of her in Fairbook, in my home, was… strange. And, if I was being honest, a little amusing.I pulled out my phone and dialed home. It barely rang once before an excited voice picked up.“RICHARD!”I winced, pulling the phone away from my ear. “Jesus, Emily, volume.”“**You finally decided to call, huh? What’s the occasion? You miss me? Of course, you do—”“Emily.” I cut her off before she could launch into one of her usual monologues. “I’m coming home tomorrow.”Silence. Then—“WHAT?”I sighed, already regretting making this call. “I have a work thing. Tyto Group is hosting an agricultural event, and we’ll be there for a month.
The morning had been a blur. I woke up to a flood of emails, some from publishers, some from writers I had been beta-reading for, and a couple from my agent reminding me about my next deadline. But my mind wasn’t on work—it was still trying to process the fact that I was going home.I hadn’t planned to go back to Fairbook. Not yet. But when Haze mentioned the location of Tyto’s upcoming event, the decision had already been made before I could think twice. The moment I saw her hesitation about staying alone in an unfamiliar place, the words left my mouth:“You could stay at my home.”I leaned against the car, checking my emails as a distraction, until the sound of the door opening pulled me out of my head.“You good?” Haze asked, tossing her bag into the backseat as she slid in.I blinked, momentarily thrown off. “What? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”She narrowed her eyes like she wasn’t buying it. But before she could dig deeper, I turned up the music and pulled onto the road. N
The morning had been a whirlwind of finalizing reports, answering emails, and ensuring that everything at Tyto was running smoothly in my absence. As much as I trusted Howard to handle things, a part of me always felt uneasy stepping away—even if just for a month.By the time I was ready to leave for the airport, my mind was buzzing with numbers, schedules, and business strategies. But the moment I stepped out of the building and saw Richard leaning against the car, something shifted.He looked… different. A little tense. A little lost in thought.“You good?” I asked, tossing my bag into the backseat as I slid into the car.Richard blinked, then scoffed. “What? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”I narrowed my eyes. That was not his usual, easygoing response. But before I could dig into it, he turned up the music and started driving, shutting down further questioning.Fine. I had other things to think about.~ At the Airport ~After checking in our luggage, Richard excused himself to
The drive from the airport to the Carter farm was a long one, but I didn’t mind. It had been years since I last came home, and the closer we got, the more memories started resurfacing. The familiar stretch of land, the scent of freshly plowed soil, the sight of the wide-open fields that seemed to go on forever—this was home.And now, Haze was about to see it too.When the car pulled into the long dirt driveway, I stole a glance at her. She didn’t say anything at first, just stared out the window, taking it all in.The Carter house stood tall at the end of the road, a grand old farmhouse with wide porches wrapping around both floors. Its white wooden siding had weathered decades of wind and sun, but it still stood strong, just like my family. A massive barn stood a little farther off, next to the pastures where cattle and horses grazed. Endless fields stretched behind the house, golden from the late afternoon sun, swaying gently in the breeze.Haze finally spoke.“This is… bigger than
I woke up early the next morning, feeling surprisingly rested. The sounds of birds chirping and the gentle rustle of wind outside the window had a calming effect on me. It was so peaceful here, so different from the constant hum of the city.As I made my way downstairs, the smell of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon greeted me. The farmhouse kitchen was warm, with a rustic charm that made me feel oddly at ease.Martha was already busy at the stove, her hands moving expertly as she prepared breakfast. She seemed so at home here, as if this kitchen were an extension of herself.“Good morning,” I said softly, stepping into the room.Martha turned to smile at me. “Morning, Haze. You’re up early.” She continued stirring the pot on the stove without breaking a sweat.I smiled and moved toward the counter. “I’ve always been an early riser. Looks like a great breakfast.”“You must have been raised right, then,” she teased, glancing over her shoulder at me. “Not many people these days kno
The boardroom was sterile, cold, and too quiet—exactly the kind of silence that preceded war. I sat at the long, polished table, eyes calmly scanning the room as the first few shareholders trickled in. Same faces. Same pattern. Routine.At least, until he walked in.The door creaked open and in strolled Maximillian Duval like he owned the floor beneath him. Confidence clung to him like a tailored suit—sharp, calculated, and impossible to ignore. His presence bent the atmosphere, drawing attention like a magnet. I didn’t react. I didn’t need to. But I braced myself.He wasn’t here for observation. He was here to dominate.The meeting began in its usual rhythm—Howard leading, a few figures nodding, reports flying back and forth. I listened, contributed when necessary, all while maintaining the composure expected of me. For months, I had represented Tyto Corp in public, acting as the face of leadership while answering quietly to someone behind the scenes—someone I only knew through sharp
The sky was beginning to burn gold as I returned to Carter farm, painting the fields with a warm haze that clung to the treetops. The walk back was quiet, except for the crunch of gravel beneath my boots and the occasional rustle of wind in the wheat.I spotted Henry near the barn, struggling with an old wooden wagon. One of the wheels had come loose, and the frame leaned to one side, looking as tired as the man working on it.“You need a hand?” I called out, already rolling up my sleeves.Henry looked up, surprised—but not displeased. “You don’t mind gettin’ your hands dirty, missy?”I smiled. “Not if the wagon minds getting fixed by a city girl.”Henry chuckled under his breath. “Well, I’ll be the judge of that.”I knelt down beside him, reaching for the tools. As we fixing the wagon “Seems like you could use an extra pair of hands more often,” I said.Henry: “What makes you think that?”I shrugged, because it was obvious. “You don’t look like the kind of guy who likes asking for he
I stepped away from the barn, pressing my phone to my ear. The wind was cooler out here, brushing past my skin like a warning.“Katy?” I answered, already sensing the edge in her voice.“Hey,” she said, her tone clipped. “You didn’t text back last night.”“I was with my family,” I said calmly. “And… Haze. I was showing her around Fairbook.”There was a pause. “Right. Her again.”I sighed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“Nothing,” she replied too quickly. “It’s just… I thought this was your family trip. But it feels like you're spending more time with her than with me.”I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Katy, she is planning a company event. And she don’t know anyone around here. I can’t exactly ignore her.”“I’m not asking you to ignore her, Richard. But she’s always there. Even when we’re together in the city, somehow she’s around—at home, in your drafts, in your head.”That last one landed sharper than I expected.I exhaled. “She’s my roommate. And a model under Tyto. I can’t preten
The silence that followed her confirmation wasn't awkward—it was… reverent.I had always imagined the person behind those precise, no-nonsense instructions to be older. Harsher. Someone who wore a mask of strategy without warmth. Someone whose power came from detachment.But it was her.Haze.The woman I watched command attention at board meetings and disappear behind curated smiles. The one who walked through chaos like it was choreography. The one I had grown to admire—slowly, quietly—and eventually, without control.And now I knew.She wasn’t just the face of the company. She was its pulse.I looked at her again—not the same way I did before, not as the model, not even as the woman who had once entered the boardroom to tip the scales—but as the leader who had trusted me enough to carry her instructions, knowing I never knew who she was.“You’re not angry?” she asked, reading my silence as uncertainty.“No,” I answered immediately, surprising both of us.Because I wasn’t.There was
The boardroom was sterile, cold, and too quiet—exactly the kind of silence that preceded war. I sat at the long, polished table, eyes calmly scanning the room as the first few shareholders trickled in. Same faces. Same pattern. Routine.At least, until he walked in.The door creaked open and in strolled Maximillian Duval like he owned the floor beneath him. Confidence clung to him like a tailored suit—sharp, calculated, and impossible to ignore. His presence bent the atmosphere, drawing attention like a magnet. I didn’t react. I didn’t need to. But I braced myself.He wasn’t here for observation. He was here to dominate.The meeting began in its usual rhythm—Howard leading, a few figures nodding, reports flying back and forth. I listened, contributed when necessary, all while maintaining the composure expected of me. For months, I had represented Tyto Corp in public, acting as the face of leadership while answering quietly to someone behind the scenes—someone I only knew through sharp
I woke up early the next morning, feeling surprisingly rested. The sounds of birds chirping and the gentle rustle of wind outside the window had a calming effect on me. It was so peaceful here, so different from the constant hum of the city.As I made my way downstairs, the smell of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon greeted me. The farmhouse kitchen was warm, with a rustic charm that made me feel oddly at ease.Martha was already busy at the stove, her hands moving expertly as she prepared breakfast. She seemed so at home here, as if this kitchen were an extension of herself.“Good morning,” I said softly, stepping into the room.Martha turned to smile at me. “Morning, Haze. You’re up early.” She continued stirring the pot on the stove without breaking a sweat.I smiled and moved toward the counter. “I’ve always been an early riser. Looks like a great breakfast.”“You must have been raised right, then,” she teased, glancing over her shoulder at me. “Not many people these days kno
The drive from the airport to the Carter farm was a long one, but I didn’t mind. It had been years since I last came home, and the closer we got, the more memories started resurfacing. The familiar stretch of land, the scent of freshly plowed soil, the sight of the wide-open fields that seemed to go on forever—this was home.And now, Haze was about to see it too.When the car pulled into the long dirt driveway, I stole a glance at her. She didn’t say anything at first, just stared out the window, taking it all in.The Carter house stood tall at the end of the road, a grand old farmhouse with wide porches wrapping around both floors. Its white wooden siding had weathered decades of wind and sun, but it still stood strong, just like my family. A massive barn stood a little farther off, next to the pastures where cattle and horses grazed. Endless fields stretched behind the house, golden from the late afternoon sun, swaying gently in the breeze.Haze finally spoke.“This is… bigger than
The morning had been a whirlwind of finalizing reports, answering emails, and ensuring that everything at Tyto was running smoothly in my absence. As much as I trusted Howard to handle things, a part of me always felt uneasy stepping away—even if just for a month.By the time I was ready to leave for the airport, my mind was buzzing with numbers, schedules, and business strategies. But the moment I stepped out of the building and saw Richard leaning against the car, something shifted.He looked… different. A little tense. A little lost in thought.“You good?” I asked, tossing my bag into the backseat as I slid into the car.Richard blinked, then scoffed. “What? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”I narrowed my eyes. That was not his usual, easygoing response. But before I could dig into it, he turned up the music and started driving, shutting down further questioning.Fine. I had other things to think about.~ At the Airport ~After checking in our luggage, Richard excused himself to
The morning had been a blur. I woke up to a flood of emails, some from publishers, some from writers I had been beta-reading for, and a couple from my agent reminding me about my next deadline. But my mind wasn’t on work—it was still trying to process the fact that I was going home.I hadn’t planned to go back to Fairbook. Not yet. But when Haze mentioned the location of Tyto’s upcoming event, the decision had already been made before I could think twice. The moment I saw her hesitation about staying alone in an unfamiliar place, the words left my mouth:“You could stay at my home.”I leaned against the car, checking my emails as a distraction, until the sound of the door opening pulled me out of my head.“You good?” Haze asked, tossing her bag into the backseat as she slid in.I blinked, momentarily thrown off. “What? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”She narrowed her eyes like she wasn’t buying it. But before she could dig deeper, I turned up the music and pulled onto the road. N
I tossed my keys onto the counter and sank onto the couch, my mind still turning over what had just happened. Fairbook. Of all places, Haze was heading to my hometown—and she hadn’t even known I was from there.I should’ve expected that. She was sharp when it came to her job, but details about people? Sometimes, those slipped right past her. Still, the thought of her in Fairbook, in my home, was… strange. And, if I was being honest, a little amusing.I pulled out my phone and dialed home. It barely rang once before an excited voice picked up.“RICHARD!”I winced, pulling the phone away from my ear. “Jesus, Emily, volume.”“**You finally decided to call, huh? What’s the occasion? You miss me? Of course, you do—”“Emily.” I cut her off before she could launch into one of her usual monologues. “I’m coming home tomorrow.”Silence. Then—“WHAT?”I sighed, already regretting making this call. “I have a work thing. Tyto Group is hosting an agricultural event, and we’ll be there for a month.