Adrian leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished surface of his desk. The office was silent except for the faint hum of the city below. Through the vast floor-to-ceiling windows, the skyline stretched before him—a glittering maze of lights and shadows. From this height, the world seemed small, insignificant. And yet, the unease in his chest refused to fade.Victory should have tasted sweeter. Richard was finished. His empire was crumbling. Every loose end had been tied up with ruthless efficiency. Adrian's company was secure, his enemies crushed. By all accounts, he had won.And yet, something wasn’t right.He had learned long ago not to ignore his instincts—honed by years of navigating the brutal world of power and betrayal. They had kept him alive. Kept him on top.The sharp buzz of the intercom sliced through the silence.“Sir, a package arrived for you,” Sophie’s voice came through, steady as always, but there was something else—something just
Elena sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers gripping the edge of the silk sheets. The city lights flickered beyond the window, casting long shadows across the room. The air was still, yet unease curled around her like an invisible force, tightening its grip.She had tried to ignore it at first. The strange feeling of being watched, the subtle weight of unseen eyes tracking her every move. But tonight, the proof was undeniable.Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.Another message.Her stomach clenched as she reached for the device, her fingers hovering above the screen for a second too long. The sender’s number was still unknown, just like the last one.Taking a slow breath, she opened it.You look beautiful tonight.A sharp chill ran down her spine.Elena sucked in a shaky breath, her pulse hammering against her ribs. The words alone were enough to unsettle her, but it was the implication behind them that made her blood run cold.Whoever this was… they were watching.She swallowed ha
Adrian paced the length of his penthouse, his every step echoing through the vast space. The floor-to-ceiling windows framed the sprawling cityscape, a glittering expanse of lights stretching far beyond his reach. Normally, he found solace in this view, in the power it represented—the empire he had built with precision and control.But tonight, none of it mattered.His fingers curled into fists at his sides. His mind was a battlefield, sharp and calculating, dissecting every possibility, every angle. He had faced powerful adversaries before—rivals, traitors, men who underestimated him and paid the price. But this was different.This wasn’t business.This was Elena.And someone had dared to threaten her.Across the room, Elena sat curled up on the sleek leather couch, her arms wrapped around herself as if warding off a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. She hadn’t spoken much since they arrived, hadn’t argued when he insisted she stay here. The weight of it all pressed
Adrian barely slept. His mind refused to shut down, replaying every detail, every clue, every unanswered question about the stalker.By morning, he was already making calls, issuing orders, tightening security even further. Whoever was behind this was slipping through cracks he hadn’t even realized existed. And that meant they weren’t just skilled.They were dangerous.Elena, on the other hand, tried to go about her morning as normally as possible. She refused to be locked in fear, even as the weight of the past few days settled heavy on her chest.But the tension never left.Every time her phone buzzed, her stomach twisted. Every time she stepped outside, she felt watched.Paranoia or reality? She didn’t know anymore.By midday, Adrian had arranged for her to meet with his private investigator. She didn’t like being escorted everywhere, but after last night, she wasn’t arguing.She was halfway through reviewing a file when a sharp knock at her office door made her tense.“Elena?” Sop
The room felt suffocating, the walls pressing in with the weight of something unseen yet powerful. Elena’s heart pounded, the sound almost deafening in her ears. The man standing before her had just spoken words that sent an icy chill through her veins."It’s about your family."The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the room changed.Adrian stepped closer, his entire body tensed like a coiled spring, his presence both reassuring and intimidating. He positioned himself slightly in front of Elena, his protective instincts taking over. His eyes, dark and calculating, locked onto the man with a deadly intensity."Start talking," Adrian commanded, his voice low, sharp. There was no room for negotiation in his tone.The man held his gaze for a moment before exhaling, his expression unreadable. He wasn’t in a hurry to explain, which only made Elena more anxious."Your father made an enemy years ago," the man finally said, his voice measured, careful. "A powerful man. Someo
He paused, but didn’t turn around. "Let’s just say I owe you one, and I know what it’s like to be where you are."And then, without another word, he walked out.Elena stared at the door long after he was gone, her mind racing with everything she had just heard.Her father had unknowingly made an enemy.Adrian had unknowingly crossed the same man.And now, she was caught in the middle of a storm that had been brewing for years.She turned to Adrian, her voice barely above a whisper."What do we do now?"Adrian’s expression was unreadable, but his voice was firm."We don’t wait for him to make the first move."===Later on, Adrian stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze locked on the sprawling city skyline. The towering buildings, the shifting lights, the rhythmic pulse of life below—it was all so familiar, yet tonight, it felt distant. Like a battlefield waiting for the next move.The room was eerily silent, save for the faint ticking of the wall clock. Normally, he thrived in t
The morning was unnervingly quiet. Too quiet.Elena stood in the kitchen, a steaming cup of coffee in her hands, but she wasn’t drinking it. The rich aroma filled the space, but she barely noticed. Instead, her gaze was fixed outside the large glass windows, watching the sun slowly rise over the city skyline.Normally, she found comfort in the way the first golden rays of daylight touched the rooftops, spreading warmth and life over the streets below.But today, it felt different.Today, there was an unease curling around her like an unseen fog.The weight of the previous revelation still sat heavy in her chest. Someone from Adrian’s past—an enemy—had resurfaced, bringing with him a grudge that had survived over a decade. And worse, it wasn’t just about Adrian. Her father was involved in this, too.A slow, anxious sigh escaped her lips.Was this revenge for something her father had done? Or something Adrian had done? Or both?She tightened her grip on the cup, as if it could anchor he
The city stretched out before Adrian, a glittering maze of glass and steel, bathed in the golden hues of the late morning sun. From his office’s floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see everything—the bustling streets below, the towering skyscrapers, the illusion of control that came with standing above it all.But today, the view held no meaning.His mind was elsewhere.His fingers tapped rhythmically against the polished office desk, his jaw set in a grim line. The events from earlier played on repeat in his mind, each detail sharpened to precision.A bullet. A note. A silent promise of revenge.Adrian wasn’t a man easily rattled. He had built an empire with his own hands, outmaneuvered rivals, crushed threats before they could materialize into real danger. But something about this—the patience, the precision, the personal nature of the warning—unsettled him.Whoever was behind this wasn’t just sending a message. They were playing a game.A game he hadn’t realized he was part of.A sh
“No. Don’t lock the leak. Keep the route open. We’re baiting them.”Another pause. Adrain’s fingers tapped the edge of the desk lightly.“They bypassed surface-level security. That wasn’t random. Someone’s been inside—knows our system language. I want full trace protocols on the backend. Key mirroring. Subtle algorithm shifts. Anything they’ve left behind.”He listened, eyes never leaving Elena.“Yes. Remote only. Do not alert IT. Don’t even breathe a word in our system channels. If anyone asks, say we’re on routine maintenance.”He ended the call.Elena came beside him, her fingers grazing the back of his hand. “You’re setting a trap.”“We’re giving them a stage,” he corrected. “Let them feel safe. Let them perform.”She tilted her head, her voice soft. “And then?”He turned to her, eyes gleaming in the low light. “Then the curtain falls.”He moved to the liquor cabinet and poured two glasses—one for him, one for her. He handed hers with a subtle grin, the tension between them meltin
Elena was already rising, hurrying toward his seat with her tablet. “Look. Look at this! There’s been an unauthorized transaction—massive funds have just been moved out of one of the company’s sub-accounts.”Adrain snatched the device and scanned the screen. His breath caught. “Twenty-five million dollars... gone?”“It’s real. It just happened,” she said. “Our system just flagged it as an anomaly because of the destination account—it’s masked.”“Get the tech team on the line. Now!” Adrain ordered, already heading toward his office with Elena right behind him.Within minutes, the company’s head of cybersecurity, appeared on the large screen in the home office, his face pale.“Sir, we just noticed it as well. The system flagged it seconds after the funds moved.”“Who the hell did this?” Adrain’s voice was laced with ice.“We’re still tracing it. The hacker covered their tracks with precision. This wasn’t amateur work—this was planned. The account used was buried deep under layers of hid
The warehouse was cold, shadowed by rusted iron beams and buzzing with dim overhead lights. A thick air of tension filled the room as Elias Wolfe paced back and forth, his jaw clenched, his hands fisted at his sides.His men stood before him—four in total—each with their heads slightly lowered, avoiding the furious gaze of the man they feared more than death itself.“So,” Elias finally said, his voice cold and slow like a blade being drawn. “You mean to tell me… even after planning this for over a week, with the timing perfect, the positioning flawless… you still couldn’t cause one simple accident?”Silence.One of the men, lean and dark-haired, cleared his throat and stepped forward hesitantly. “Boss, we—we almost had it. It was so close. The car exited on schedule, we followed the pattern, and everything was on track—”“And yet,” Elias cut in, glaring, “she’s alive. Again.”“They out did us and crossed before the train did, they used the train to their advantage, boss,” another spok
She smiled at him—actually smiled. “Adrian, it was like something out of an action movie. I swear, my heart hasn’t stopped pounding.”Adrian’s jaw clenched. “That’s not funny.”“I know, I know,” she said quickly, putting her hands up in surrender. “But we’re alive, right? Safe. You should have seen my driver—he pulled the craziest move. Those guys almost caught up to us, but then the train—oh my God, Adrian—the train!”She broke into a laugh, the tension of adrenaline still unraveling from her bones.“We were being chased, and then out of nowhere, a train’s approaching, full speed. My driver saw it, gauged the timing and boom—we made it across just seconds before it passed. The attackers got stuck on the other side. I think I screamed.”“You think you screamed?” Adrian stared at her, eyes blazing. “Elena, you were nearly killed. Again.”She reached out and cupped his face, softening her tone. “I know, Adrian. I know it was real. I was scared out of my mind. But I'm also grateful to be
The black SUV sat idling across the street, blending into the row of parked cars. Inside, Elias Wolfe’s men sat silently, watching the entrance of Elena’s office building through tinted windows.A call came in.Elias’s voice cut through like a blade. “She’s coming out soon. I want her in the hospital. Hit them so hard, or chase them toward an accident. Adrian will be weak. And then,” his voice darkened, “we strike him badly.”“Yes, sir,” one of the men answered. “We’ll make it look like an accident.”Elias ended the call with a smirk and stared at the city skyline from his penthouse. “Let’s see how much strength you still have, Adrian.”The day had been oddly quiet—too quiet.Elena stepped out of the building, phone in hand, bag on her shoulder. Her special driver, a combat-trained chauffeur Adrian had handpicked, opened the door for her. He noticed something off but kept calm.“Everything okay, ma’am?” he asked as she settled into the backseat.Elena smiled. “Yes. Let’s head home.”T
The morning sun spilled into the office through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow on the sleek, polished floors of the company. Despite the recent attempt on her life, Elena walked in with quiet confidence, her head held high. She wore a cream blazer over a silk blouse, paired with tailored pants that complimented her poise—unshaken and graceful.The secretaries greeted her with relief and admiration. Some even paused in their work to offer shy smiles or nods of encouragement. Everyone had heard whispers of the near-fatal accident. Everyone also knew she survived. And now she was back.Elena smiled, calm but fierce.She stepped into her office and took a deep breath. The scent of lavender still lingered in the air from her favorite diffuser. Her assistant, walked in seconds later, holding a cup of coffee.“You’re here,” she said with a breath of surprise. “After everything…”Elena accepted the coffee and smiled. “They want me to crawl back into hiding. But I won’t give the
The screech of tires tore through the quiet afternoon, followed by the sickening sound of metal crunching against metal.A black SUV skidded violently off the road, slamming into a row of safety barriers just outside the quiet café district on the outskirts of the city. Smoke hissed from the crumpled hood as bystanders screamed and rushed toward the wreck.Inside the second vehicle—the intended target—no one was present except the driver. The passenger seat where Elena was supposed to sit... empty.She had stepped into a boutique moments before the crash.The driver, stunned and bloodied, tried to move, but his arm was pinned. Nearby, someone called emergency services. Another pulled open the crumpled door. But the damage had already been done—just not to the right person.Because Elena was safe.And the accident had failed.Adrian's phone rang as he was finishing a meeting. The words “It’s Elena” from his assistant had him tearing out of the building before the call even ended.When
One of the other men, Mr. Crane raised a brow. “That’s bold. Even for you.”“I don’t have the luxury of waiting around,” Adrian said plainly. “I built my company to withstand storms—economic, corporate, even personal. And through every storm, we’ve delivered results, year after year.”He let that settle before continuing. “I know the others will come with flashy slides and empty promises. I came with proof. And with relationships that weren’t built yesterday.”Mr. Stan chuckled, leaning back. “You always did know when to strike. And you’re right—we go way back. We’ve seen how your company weathered chaos and came out on top every single time.”Crane exchanged a glance with the third executive, then nodded slowly. “So what are you offering today?”Adrian slid the folder toward them. “Everything you asked for—and more. With guarantees. No delays. No press. Just results.”The room went quiet again as they opened the folder and scanned the proposal. Minutes ticked by like seconds. Then ca
The ride home from the board meeting was quiet, but it wasn’t silence filled with tension—it was the quiet before a storm. The kind of stillness that wrapped around a plan forming, a decision waiting to unfold.Inside the villa, Adrian discarded his blazer and sat at the head of the long mahogany dining table. Elena brought over a fresh cup of coffee and took the seat across from him, her eyes steady and calm.“We need to talk,” she said, folding her hands together.“I know,” Adrian nodded. “The deal.”She leaned in slightly. “You said it yourself—it’s one of the biggest we’ve ever aimed for. If we secure it, we bury Elias and any threat from within the board. But we’ve got problems.”Adrian rubbed his jaw. “The board knows about the deal. Which means our mole—Mr. Trent—knows too. Elias has his ears and likely already made moves to sabotage or outbid us.”“And other companies are in the race,” Elena added. “Bigger names, hungry to win, with no drama dragging them down.”Adrian’s eyes