GRAYSON'S POVI woke up with a loud grunt, the hangover from the night before pounding in my head like a jackhammer. My face ached from the bruises I’d gotten in the bar fight. I squinted against the harsh morning light streaming through the window and reached for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, showing five missed calls from Stewart."Great," I muttered, rubbing my temples. I dialed him back, and he picked up on the first ring."Grayson, finally. Have you checked the news?" Stewart's voice was tense."No, I just woke up. What's going on?" I asked, already feeling a knot forming in my stomach."Turn on the TV or check your news app. It's about Sylvia," he said.I groaned and swung my legs out of bed, shuffling over to the TV. I grabbed the remote and switched it on, flipping to a news channel. My heart sank as I saw the headline: "Lawsuit Filed Against Affordable Housing Project. Protesters Claim Fraud."The screen showed footage of a small crowd outside Sylvia’s office

I looked at the cameras, the men and women all gathered around, each one fishing for a story to sell. The flashes of the cameras were relentless, but I was completely zoned out, my mind storming with thoughts about how the kids must be feeling at school at this moment.A reporter's voice cut through my daze, bringing me back to reality. "Ma'am, do you deny 'Z Real Estate's' fraud allegation charges?"I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Look, everyone," I began, my voice steady despite the chaos around me, "I know you all want a story, but rest assured, my company scamming people and giving them undervalued properties with bad infrastructures that could cause harm isn't one of them."I paused, making sure to meet the eyes of the reporters. "This woman's lawsuit, I am sure, is a misunderstanding. I will make sure the truth prevails."The barrage of questions continued, but I maintained my composure, refusing to be rattled. Inside, my thoughts were still a whirl of worry for Zenith a

SLYVIA'S POVI went to the car park where my car and the rest of my team were waiting for me. David, my head of PR, was the first to speak up as I approached."Was that Alice Lockwood?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern."Yes," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady."What the hell does she want, after all the shit she talks about you in the tabloids?" he said, his frustration evident.I remembered what Alice had said about my kids, the veiled threats and the smug look on her face. The anger surged again, but I forced myself to stay calm."Beats me," I replied, my tone casual despite the turmoil inside me.David gave me a skeptical look but didn't press further. Instead, he opened the car door for me, and I slid into the back seat. As we drove away, I couldn't shake the feeling that Alice was planning something far worse than just a smear campaign. The stakes had never been higher, and I had to be ready for whatever came next.David, Lisa, and I drove back to work in tense

ALICE'S POVAs I drove away from Sylvia's obnoxious press conference, I couldn't help but feel a mix of satisfaction and irritation. I had come there to get in her head, to make her stumble over her words, but she had held her own. I glanced at my rearview mirror, seeing the busted lip Sylvia had given me with that slap. I smiled at her supposed confidence.I wasn't even mad at her for hitting me. In her shoes, I might have done the same. In a way, I admired her tenacity. But admiration didn't change the fact that she was a threat. She had picked the wrong turf to try and conquer—my turf, the Lockwood empire.As I drove through the bustling city streets, my mind wandered to the decades of work I had put into building and maintaining our family empire. If I allowed Sylvia to stay, if I allowed her to gain even a foothold, everything I had worked for could be jeopardized. She wasn't someone I could control, and that made her dangerous.I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, the smil

SLYVIA'S POVAs we drove home, I glanced back at Zenith and Zendaya in the rearview mirror. "So, how was school today?" I asked, hoping to distract myself from the day's stress.The kids immediately launched into excited chatter, their voices overlapping. "Mommy, Ms. Beverly did this amazing science experiment today!" Zendaya exclaimed."Yeah, and we got to make volcanoes!" Zenith added, his eyes wide with excitement.Their joy was infectious, and I couldn't help but smile, my heart swelling with pride and relief. Despite everything happening, they were having a good time and enjoying school. That was all I ever wanted—for them to live a happy, carefree life, something I had wished for myself growing up.A tear slipped down my cheek as I listened to their animated recounting of the day. Zenith noticed it first. "Mommy, are you okay?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.I quickly wiped the tear away, smiling at them through the mirror. "Yes, sweethearts, I'm okay. These are tears