e sudden deceleration was violent enough to throw weight against seatbelts, but Vane's arms were already locked around Elena like a steel cage. He shielded her body completely, his br

is voice a low, gravelly com

s. For a second, the world narrowed down to the heat radiating off Vane's body, the scent of ra

eyes scanning the rear-view mirrors with professional precision. "Mr. Sterling,

the tinted glass. "They aren't here to talk," he muttered, his gaze dropping to Elena, softening for a fraction of a second before harde

ar. She pushed against his chest, refusing to be treated like a helpless bystander. "Whoe

eir sedan exploded into a million glittering shards of

pted in a

cealed tactical compartment beneath the center console, and drew a sleek, licensed firearm. Before the masked figure outsid

e howling wind and the scre

ment of 4th Street running. Her high heels clicked frantically against the asphalt before she kicked them off entire

ath came in ragged gasps, her lungs burning from the cold night air and sheer panic. She rea

la

allway of her building, and slammed it shut, throwing the heavy deadbolt

drying ink. The drafting room was dark, illuminated only by the faint green glow of emergency ex

e pulled her knees up to her chest, her mind racing a million miles a minute. Marcus. The name echoed in her head like a recurring nightmare. Had her business partner really s

ut through the silence of

re

he front reception desk. Not from the alley side where sh

her breath. Someone wa

d concrete floor. She crept toward the hallway leading to the central archive room

d by the main server rack-the physical mainframe that housed decades of architectural deeds, f

, but even in the dim light, the familiar silhouette and

as Ma

server port, watching the data transfer progress bar crawl stea

rcus muttered under his

unit, her voice ringing out like a gunshot i

lly worth i

hair. His face went pale in the dim light, his eyes wide with shock before t

the flash drive out of the port and pocketed it quick

She took a slow step toward him, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. "Two years of fighting tooth and nail, sev

onary genius, the legacy heir carrying the grand Vance name, while I'm the glorified office manager who chases invoices and begs local banks fo

"It wasn't Vane. Vane didn't want to destroy us; he wanted us to fight him. This whole leak... the fake fraud charges

smarter than you look, El. But it doesn't matter. The transfer is complete. By morning, Vance Restorations won't just be bankrupt it

sed, stepping closer. "The audit logs ar

pted, checking his watch with a chillingly calm smile. "Right about now, Mr. Sterling is fi

sk and hurled it directly at the overhead glass skylight control panel, shattering the electrical box in

amed, rushing after h

lver town car parked at the end of the narrow alley. The car's tires squealed against the wet pavement as it

vy front door of the office

p white collar, his eyes wild with frantic urgency. The security team had managed to neutralize the ambush at

oing frantically through the empty

n voice answered from the s

blue warning lights casting a pale glow over her damp clothes and trembling shoulders. In two long st

ed, his hands trembling slightly as he checked h

s shoulder, the tears she had held back finally breaking free. "It was Marcu

blazed with a cold, terrifying fury. He didn't care about the money, the servers, or t

ifty miles out of the city before my people lock down every transit hub in the tri-state area. But whatever he took, whatever they think they've br

ing with a profound, terrifying truth. The billionaire enemy who had tried to conq

" she repea

in a deep, desperate kiss that tasted of rain, survi