slipping through the slight gap in the curtai

g garish glows, and the occasional flash of headlights slicing through the darkness. Inside, Diana sat motionless on her bed, cocooned in the s

yboard, trembling slightly befo

k unveiled another layer of the man known as The Duke, and with every word, Diana realized he wasn't jus

ire spanned luxury brands, media conglomerates, and high-stakes investments, his influence dictat

xander Gian Shapes Global Marke

-Who Really Owns Half of M

, and Untouchable: T

ographs from galas and auctions, where he stood in impeccab

ends before they emerged. His personal life, though, was a locked vault. No scandals, no tell-all exposés. His net worth? A subject of fevered speculation, with

is frame like a second skin. The years had sculpted him, not softened him-salt-and-pepper hair framed a face of sharp angles, his eyes cool and piercing,

's heat warming her thighs. The weight of what she was co

y h

t naive-she knew what men like ALG wanted from wo

er brokers. ALG had been there, a magnetic presence in a crowded room. Charismatic yet reserved, his lightly accented English brushing the edges of every syllable. He'd spoken briefly to her executive, his voice low and deli

But ALG wasn't married-not anymore. His marriage had dissolved years ago, a quiet footnote in his otherwise imp

clinging to the wreckage of her career. The boundaries she'd built-walls of pride, of independence-were crumbling under the weight of her r

ssion a mix of determination and trepidation. Diana's heart lurched, and she snapped her laptop shut, sho

grin teasing but strained. "Wha

weight behind Zari's casual demeano

f her tablet. Her usual confidence faltered, replaced

er, her pulse quicken

ore meeting Diana's again. "You remember l

course, it was him again.

thousand for one day." She swiped her tablet, turning it to show Dian

reath catching. "Five hundr

hey didn't take no for an answer. They cam

t. "What? One point five million for a day?" Her voice rose, i

"They mentioned four days, but I negotiated it down to two. We're broke, Dee, bu

lars. Enough to save Lumière, to pay her team, to buy her time to rebuild. But

cing. "We can't afford to ignore it. T

to be more than a pawn in someone else's game, but now, faced with the abyss of failure, she wasn't sure she had a choice. Could she do th

and delivered nothing but heartbreak. Lumière was her last stand, her final

she whispered, her

nd. "You don't have to decide toni

her, Diana's gaze returned to the laptop. The photograph of ALG stared back at her, his eyes as unreadable

n't sure sh