Masuk“It tells the world we’re scared.”“It tells our competitors we’re weak.”“It tells every person who believed that article…”I paused.“…that maybe there’s some truth to it.”Silence.“They’ll say we ran.”My gaze moved slowly across every face.“And once people think that…”I shook my head.“…it would become the start of the end.”Richard frowned thoughtfully.I continued.“If we keep Fashion Week exactly where it is…”My heartbeat steadied.“…and we solve this before then…”I could almost see it in my head.“…Fashion Week becomes our comeback.”“Our statement.”“Our proof.”I leaned slightly forward.“It won’t just recover the brand.”“It’ll strengthen it.”Another silence settled across the room.Longer this time.Then one of the senior executives finally nodded.“She’s right.”Every head turned toward him.“We’re looking at today’s problem.”He tapped the folder.“She’s looking ahead.”Another executive nodded.“The bigger picture.”John slowly leaned back in his chair.His expres
I pushed myself up from the chair before I had the chance to think too much.Mia quietly followed behind me with her iPad tucked against her chest as we stepped out of my office.The hallway seemed strangely louder today.Not because people were actually talking louder.Because every sound reached me.Every keyboard tapping.Every pair of footsteps.Every voice that immediately lowered the second I walked past.Nobody said anything.Nobody dared.But I could feel it.The curiosity.The uncertainty.The questions sitting behind polite smiles.I kept walking.The elevator arrived almost immediately.Neither of us spoke during the ride down to the executive conference floor.The silence wasn’t awkward.It was heavy.By the time the elevator doors opened, my heartbeat had already started climbing again.The boardroom doors stood open.Everyone was already waiting.I stepped inside.Conversations stopped instantly.Eight board members.My general manager.Our chief financial officer.Legal
If I stayed here, I’d only give myself more time to think.And thinking wasn’t helping.So I got ready.I showered.Picked out a charcoal-tailored pantsuit instead of a dress.Pulled my hair into a sleek low bun.Minimal jewelry.Minimal makeup.When I finally glanced at the clock on my nightstand, it was almost nine.Leo would already be in school.One of my brothers would’ve taken him.I picked up my handbag and headed downstairs.The moment I stepped into the living room, the conversation stopped.Four heads turned toward me.Ford.Pierce.Hayes.Even Camille, standing near the dining area with a coffee mug in her hands.The atmosphere felt… heavy.Hayes stood almost immediately.“Hey…”His eyes searched my face carefully.“Are you okay?”I forced a small smile.“Good morning, y’all.”Nobody answered the greeting.That alone told me enough.I continued walking toward the front door.“Hey.”Ford’s voice stopped me halfway there.“Where are you going?”“Work.”My hand wrapped around
The next morning began with my phone vibrating against the nightstand.Once.Twice.Again.And again.The sound pushed through my sleep until I finally groaned and reached blindly for it.My eyes barely opened.The room was still dim.The curtains remained closed.My body felt heavy from the events of the previous night.For a moment, I considered ignoring the phone completely.Then it vibrated again.And again.And again.With a sigh, I rolled onto my back and picked it up.The brightness hit me immediately.“Jesus.”I squeezed my eyes shut.The screen felt like a spotlight directly into my soul.After a few seconds, I finally opened my eyes again and unlocked the phone.The notification bar nearly gave me a heart attack.Messages.Emails.Instagram notifications.X notifications.TikTok notifications.Missed calls.Dozens of them.My stomach tightened.Something was wrong.Very wrong.Then I saw Mia’s name.Twenty missed calls.My heart dropped instantly.Mia never called so many ti
The cold air helped a little.Not enough to erase what had happened.But enough to stop my breathing from shaking.I stood alone on the deck for several more minutes.The Thames stretched endlessly beneath the dark sky.The yacht moved gently against the water.Far away, city lights shimmered across the river like scattered diamonds.I closed my eyes.Inhale.Exhale.Inhale.Exhale.Slowly, the anger loosened its grip.The hurt remained.The exhaustion remained.But at least I wasn’t standing at the edge anymore threatening to throw myself into a river just to get away from my ex-husband.Eventually, I pushed myself away from the railing.I needed to fix myself.The last thing I wanted was walking back into that ballroom looking like I’d spent the last twenty minutes crying over a man.Because I hadn’t.At least that’s what I intended to tell myself.I found the restroom a few minutes later.The moment I stepped inside the restroom, I headed straight for the mirror.The first thing I
Silence.“We are staying.”Ford frowned.Pierce looked unconvinced.Hayes looked worried.I forced a smile.“I just need a moment alone.”Nobody moved.“Please.”My voice softened.“Go back inside.”Still nobody moved.I laughed quietly.Honestly.My family was impossible.“Go show everyone that the Sterlings aren’t afraid of anything.”I pointed toward the ballroom.“Especially not some crazy woman begging for attention.”That finally earned a reluctant smile from Pierce.Good.At least someone still had a sense of humor.I turned before anybody could argue further, and walked away.The farther I moved from the ballroom, the quieter everything became.The music faded.The voices faded.The lights became softer.Cool air rushed across my skin.The Thames stretched endlessly into the darkness.The water reflected pieces of the city.The yacht moved gently beneath my feet.I reached an empty section of the deck.Nobody was there.Finally.I closed my eyes and breathed slowly.You’re oka
I took a slow sip of champagne.And somehow still not enough to distract me from the fact that Dominic Kings was standing somewhere behind half the people in this room.Beside me, Camille shifted slightly.“You want to walk to the other side?” she asked.I glanced at her.“Why?”She lifted one shou
The moment we stepped fully inside, I understood why people talked about Royal Tides all year.The yacht was ridiculous.Not in a flashy, tasteless way.In a way that made you realize somebody had spent an obscene amount of money making sure every single detail looked perfect.Golden light spilled
For the first time in weeks, the atmosphere inside the mansion felt lighter.Not peaceful.Not yet.But lighter.Like everyone was holding their breath a little less.The trial had consumed everything.Every conversation.Every headline.Every day brought another article.Another report.Another pi
I picked up the tie from the drawer and held it up for a second, smoothing the fabric between my fingers.Navy blue with gold strips.It would go well with the suit Dominic had already brought out.I placed it carefully on the dressing table, making sure it lay straight, then turned to the watch ra







