ESTA

g room. Golden light from the chandelier overhead scattered soft glints across polished silverware a

at practiced poise of a woman who knew her power-refined, gentle in voice, but steel underneath. On his right, his father, Edwar

, shares, global expansion. Killian chimed in whe

s words changed

bbing her lips with a napkin. "When w

anything, but inter

fingers together on the ta

More time? You've been se

t to be signed, Fath

daughter of our top investor, and your partner in countless

right now." Killian's v

ass of wine with a dul

Group. Finalizing the Seoul deal. All of which b

heartedness is starting to look less like

dn't need to. He knew what he

rushing a hand over his. "Just... don

~

COMP

g windows overlooked the city skyline, glittering like a galaxy at his f

ce was co

is phon

ro

ds. Her perfect face smiled back in her

ined th

~~

lpen, buried beneath a small mountain of paperwork. The air was cooler at night, but she bare

t the wall cl

he still had three rep

was better than the silence of rejection she'd lived with for so long. Better than that day at

bout it made he

sed to let the

in her chair and

, she heard s

tu

ian

usual black tailored suit, a few buttons undone now, his

abruptly. "

ted, her eyes slightly puffy, but there w

l here," he

"I was asked to finish the

he files. "Who asked

"One of the se

on her-on the tension in her shoulders, the fain

rove anything to any

ed, confu

reports. "You're here late. You don't complain. You do more than

rying to sound composed. "I'

her. "Why

se would take me. And this... this was

n his expression-something subtle. He didn't smile. B

turned.

ha

ht. I'll make sure those

ared.

done e

t was an order-but softer

he glanced back at Killian as she left. He was already at her desk

helpi

t

She just stepped into the

he was just protecting his comp

hing in her. Something even sh

~~

ompleted report. He should've been annoyed. Shou

he d

her honesty-it reminded him of the version

me in weeks, he didn

contin