ame C

d teeth. Rosie hadn't been able to sleep properly, not with the haunting memory of Victor Hale's warning and the unnerving intensity of Lu

y now, a fleeting moment in time, yet it had irrevocably shifted something between her and

ughts. She turned, her stomach tightening. Sh

it to reveal her assistant, Clar

lara said with a smile. "T

ing was neat and elegant, a stark contrast to the

ded her assistant a quick n

g slightly. It wasn't the first time she had received a formal

ide was short,

si

atter to discuss regarding the gala.

u

ng inside her. A private matter? It was the type of note that demand

Rosie quickly made herself presentable, her mind racing with possibilities. The gala had been t

-

orman greeted her with a polite smile, but there was a tension in the air she couldn't ignore. Ev

rn decor that she remembered. The windows showcased the skyline, but th

out at the city below. His posture was rigid, and his j

ntion. He turned slowly, and for a split s

lm but firm. "What's this about

ghing her every word. It was moments like this that made her feel small in fro

of his desk. He poured two glasses of whiskey from the decante

drink. She could feel the burn o

is shoulders betraying his calm exterior. "There are people who think they know the rul

e you talking about? You're a bil

k. But there are forces at play here that are bigger than just the business

set the glass down. "What

pped an octave, softer, more intimate. "And

yes for any sign of what he meant. "

his scent-dark cologne mixed with the faintest trace of scotch-invaded her sens

t racing. "Then why are you pu

e stopped, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes. "Your

" she said sharply. "You know wha

but he quickly masked it. "I didn'

She blinked, willing herself to remain compose

oward the window, looking out over the city. "I've been targeted,

isted. "What a

ctor Hale isn't the only one trying to take me down. And

caught in her

the answer already. Your father. His involvement goes deeper than you rea

But hearing it from Lucas..

gling to hold herself

e low and commanding. "This isn't just about business

r? Was he involved in something like this?

mbling with uncertainty. "But you have to promis

t before nodding, the promise set

he said softly. "Now, it'

-

g it harder to breathe. She wanted to say something- anything- to break the suffoc

fa

een the pillar of respectability in the city- an untouchable figure in the world of business. He had always seemed a

o steady herself. "I don't understand. You're asking me to help you

ng you to betray them, Rosie. I'm asking you to see the truth. Your father's not who you think

ked alongside him for years, watched him carve a name for himself in the world of finance and real estate. And yet, here was Lucas- someone who

y," she whispered, more to herself tha

or business anymore. This is about power. And control. People like your father- like Victor Hale-are al

of his desk as if it could somehow ground her. "An

outside, but there are things only you can see. The family ties. The connections. If you can get clo

me to spy on my own father, Lucas.

d I'm asking you to do what's right. If your father is truly innocent, then you'll find that out. If he's not, you'l

something so underhanded was too much to take in all at once. She had to find out for herself. But the idea of b

oice low, suspicious. "Why do you need me so badly,

e you're the one person I know who can do this. Who can get inside their

find something? What if i

l be ready. And if you find nothing... if you prove I'm wrong about al

plunge herself back into Lucas's world, into the depths of the game he was playing. But she couldn't shake the feeling th

espite the maelstrom inside her. "I'll do it. I'll help you. But this doesn't

r enough." He extended his hand to her. "We'll do this together, Ros

re of what it meant to take it. But she did. She reached out

suddenly cold and professional once again. "We nee

of mess she was walking into, but she knew one thing for sure: this was no

normal routine-checking in with her team, overseeing the projects she had lined up for her company-but ev

warm as always, asking her to join him at the family estate. It was the first time they would see

information Lucas wanted, without tipping her father off. Wi

to ease her nerves. She had spent so many evenings here with her family, walking through the hall

n she arrived, his chair positioned at the head. He s

e filled with affection. "

alked toward him. She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, t

her father's business dealings, the weather, politics. But underneath it all, Rosie was watc

leaned back in his chair, sipping his wine, that

s something yo

poon halfway to

e thought she saw something flicker in his eyes-s

asual, as though he were discussing nothing more than a small setback. "V

uickened. "

now. And he's got more than just business interests at

chest. This was it. This was

as her father involved? Or w