ra-held Adrian Daemon's gaze across the glittering ballroom. It was a look t

this moment for

s jaw clenched, how his hand stiffened on his glass, the flicker of recognition that passed across Liliana's heavily made-up face. For a

asn't the girl

ho had clawed her wa

wly, voice edged with disbe

s curving upward. "We've never met," she said, swirling

pped under his breath, stepping closer

ng a sip. "Though it's hard not to notice h

on warping her features.

ffered. "You sou

ou disappeared after Sebast

d, her tone clipped. "You, on the other hand,

e not going to get far wi

closer, her voice low enough only he could hear. "T

refocused, the attention drifting from the confrontation like a shifting tide. Vera stepped away

k Earlie

architecture designed to reflect both transparency and dominance - a subtle irony Vera appreciated

a file in her hand, her assistant, C

der on the glass desk. "Our team closed on Helios Industries this

- not yet. "What

d on legacy liability. Adrian doesn't even know we'

ticed precision. Seven years of silence, of whispers a

she said. "We'll debut Vera Dae

d an eyebrow.

s like obsidian flame. "Let

nt – V

the room included her name now. The reclusive billionaire. The woman who rose from nowhere. The one

a D

hionably late in a raven-black suit and silver mask. They danc

assian murmured as he turned her.

yes scanning the room. "He'

ks like she

ase, catching Adrian staring a

ow circle. "Do you want to

's partnered with others-Renzetti, Komarov. I wan

ian said approvingly. "I a

d a brow.

ith a wink, and they spun

e lounge above the ballroom. Her mask still on, she moved like a s

rn, her contact in the European finance world and an inf

tered, offering a d

aid, removing h

unds stolen from Alaric's original merger through untraceable corridors. But he got careless this year. Greedy. There are

s tightened a

y father?" she

f the Daemon takeover plan. I'm tracing an encrypted message se

jaw c

adn't dulled

sharpened h

," she said. "If we find what I think we will, E

ays Late

ated like elite assassins. Each

met with Li Mei, her head

verything?"

jurisdictions. If Adrian tries to sell any more shares, we'll block him. He's leverag

Lili

to a wine estate in the south of

bottle. Include a note: 'From

huckled.

g, her tone like tempere

in Ve

he balcony of her private suite, overlooking the Grand C

quietly, holding a

s empire is hanging by threads.

m. "Then let's gi

Ho

smi

him to

Invi

black, sealed wit

tel suite, eyes narrowing

in before the world sees

hind him. "Are you

ly. "I want to know

ld be the last dinner

f Chap