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As he rode, memories came flooding his mind and brought him back to that time when all he was was Maria's assistant lingering in the shadows of her ambitions. He could remember how he would sit for hours on end and watch her enchant and flirt with Fabian; hear her laughter echo down the halls of their office.

He had seen the moment of fate when Maria was wrapped in Fabian's arms, her eyes sparkling with delight, accepting him as her boyfriend. In that instant, Lucas felt jealousy mixed with frustration; how could she not see what Fabian was? He knew there was something wrong with the man she idolized depth of darkness behind the polished surface.

Maria, you need to be careful," Lucas had warned her, his voice edged with concern as he faced her the next day. "I've seen the way he operates. He's not who he seems."

But she had brushed him off, dismissing his worries with a wave of her hand. "You're just jealous because you're not in the spotlight, Lucas. Fabian is a powerful man. You can