로그인Christian couldn’t move.The old letter lay open in his trembling hands, the paper soft and yellowed at the edges from years of careful folding. The room had gone completely still. Even the usual low hum of the city beyond the glass seemed to hold its breath.Marcus was the first to speak.“What else does it say?”Christian lowered his eyes back to the page. When he spoke, his voice was quieter than anyone in the room had ever heard it.“My father…” He swallowed. “He knew they would come after Harper Global one day.”Mr. Bennett nodded once, the movement slow and heavy.“He spent years preparing.”Christian continued reading, the words scraping against something raw in his chest.“If you’re reading this, it means I’ve failed to keep them away.”Daniella watched him carefully. This was no longer just another corporate conspiracy. This was something Christian’s father had anticipated years before his death—something he had tried, and ultimately failed, to shield his son from.Christian’
Christian didn’t leave Daniella’s side for the rest of the evening.After everything that had happened at the safe house, neither of them trusted the silence anymore. Silence had become dangerous. It usually came just before another disaster.The fireplace crackled softly inside the living room as Christian loosened his tie and sat beside her on the couch. His laptop rested open on the coffee table, displaying financial reports neither of them had looked at in almost twenty minutes.Daniella leaned her head against his shoulder.“You should get some sleep.”Christian smiled tiredly.“So should you.”She laughed quietly.“Neither of us is going to.”He kissed the top of her head.“No.”For a few peaceful minutes, they simply sat together. No board meetings. No scandals. No Angela. No Shadow Council. Just the two of them. It almost felt normal. Almost.Christian suddenly broke the silence.“When this is over…”She looked up.
Chapter 136TOO LATEMarcus didn’t wait another second.“We have to move.”Christian was already halfway to the door before the sentence was finished.“Daniella.”He reached for her hand instinctively.“Stay close.”The urgency in his voice sent a chill through her body.Within moments they were back inside the SUV, tires screeching across the gravel driveway as Marcus sped toward the city. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was suffocating.No one spoke.The only sounds were the engine roaring and the rain beginning to fall once again against the windshield.Daniella’s fingers tightened around the seatbelt.“Do we know who attacked the safe house?”Marcus kept his eyes on the road.“No.”“Our surveillance cameras went offline three minutes before the alarm.”Christian cursed under his breath.“They cut the power.”
Morning arrived quietly, but peace never followed Daniella anymore.She stood in front of the bedroom mirror fastening the buttons of a cream blouse while Christian adjusted the cuffs of his charcoal suit behind her. Neither of them had slept much. Between Emily’s confession, the attempted kidnapping, and the growing pressure from the board, exhaustion had settled into both of them.Christian walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.“You keep disappearing into your thoughts.”She met his eyes through the mirror.“I’m just tired.”“You’ve said that every morning this week.”He turned her gently until she was facing him.“Daniella… whatever this Shadow Council is planning, we’ll stop them. Together.”Her heart squeezed painfully. If only he knew there were still secrets she couldn’t tell him. She forced a smile and kissed him softly.“I know.”His phone vibrated. Marcus. Christian answered immediately.“I’m on my wa
The drive back to the mansion was unusually quiet. Rain tapped softly against the windshield as Christian kept both hands firmly on the steering wheel, his jaw tight with concentration. Beside him, Daniella stared out the window, but she wasn’t really seeing the passing buildings. Her mind remained trapped in Marcus’s office, replaying those photographs over and over again.Someone had followed her. Not once. Not twice. For days. Every move she had made had been documented with frightening precision.Christian finally broke the silence. “You’ve been blaming yourself.”She turned to look at him. “I should have been more careful. I shouldn’t have gone after Angela alone.”Christian shook his head. “You weren’t careless. They were prepared.”Daniella sighed heavily. “It still doesn’t change the fact that I walked straight into their trap.”Christian reached across the console and intertwined his fingers with hers, his grip warm and steady. “They wanted informati
Morning arrived quietly, but peace was a distant dream.Soft golden sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the master bedroom, casting warm streaks across the silk sheets. Daniella stirred first, her eyes opening slowly. For a few moments, she simply lay there, watching Christian sleep beside her.He looked different when he slept. The hard lines that usually defined his face had softened. His brow wasn’t furrowed with the weight of responsibility, and his lips weren’t pressed into that familiar, determined line. He looked… younger. Almost vulnerable.Her heart tightened with a fierce ache.How many lies had surrounded this man? How many people wanted to destroy him?Carefully, she reached out and brushed a lock of dark hair away from his forehead.Christian caught her wrist without opening his eyes.“You’ve been staring again,” he murmured, his voice husky with sleep.Daniella laughed quietly. “I thought you were asleep.”“I wa
Morning came faster than ever, Christian growled his way out of bed as he headed straight to the bathroom to have a quick shower. His lips were curved into a beautiful smile, today he was going to be having a meeting with Mr Thompson, his stomach twitched a bit, some part of the thought got him a
Christian’s jaw dropped as he saw the headlines and the picture on David's phone. “What’s this supposed to mean?” He swallowed. “Unfortunately this lady got angry about some unfinished deal with the company and your secretary didn’t handle her deal well, so I think she got upset and is now decidi
“Boss, are you okay?”David's voice sounded distant, more like it was coming from under water. Christian didn’t answer immediately. His fingers tightened around the glass, his jaw clenched as he stared into thin air unfocused. He wasn’t ok, he couldn’t take it anymore, his
The hot liquid hit her skin before her brain could process what was happening. “Aharhhhh!” Daniella staggered back instantly, the tray slipping slightly from her grip as the coffee soaked into her cloth. She glared at him hard, tears building up in her eye lids, a smirk escaping her lips, of







