LOGINCora The fallout from the charity gala was absolutely delicious.The next morning, the New York business tabloids were completely covered in blurry, high-resolution pictures of Leon shoving his wealthy cousin into a tower of shattering champagne flutes, the headline openly mocking the crumbling discipline of Halefield Luxury.I sat comfortably behind the wide marble desk in my private penthouse office, the morning sun streaming through the glass panes and casting a bright glow over my tailored silk blouse.Leon was forced to crawl back to my territory for the scheduled review meeting, looking completely exhausted and entirely broken down as he stood near the leather armchairs.He had dark, heavy circles under his green eyes, his skin looking incredibly pale and his hair slightly messy, looking like a man who hadn't slept a single minute since the orchestra stopped playing.According to Chloe’s internal legal contacts, his father had given him a brutal, public scolding in the main lob
Leon I was forced to attend a charity gala organized by my father's primary investment firm, my mind completely checked out as I scanned the elite crowd filling the grand ballroom.The room was a dizzying blur of glittering crystal chandeliers, expensive silk tuxedos, and women dripping in millions of dollars worth of diamonds, but the luxury just made me feel entirely empty inside.I stood near the edge of the marble pillars, a glass of dark bourbon idling in my hand, my fingers gripping the crystal so tightly that my knuckles turned a sharp, pale shade of white.My stepbrother Marcus was standing right near the grand staircase, a loud, obnoxious laugh escaping his throat as he hovered around a group of our company's top potential investors.He was loudly bragging to them about how he was already planning the company's full restructuring, openly treating my position like a temporary seat he was destined to inherit."Leon managed to secure the signature, yes, but the internal margins
Cora The happy, buzzing energy of the morning transferred smoothly to a high-end, private fashion boutique in the heart of Soho, the wide glass windows letting the bright New York sun stream across the plush velvet carpets.Annie and I were lounging comfortably on an oversized cream sofa, sipping premium champagne from crystal flutes while we picked out elegant dresses for Chloe's upcoming destination wedding in Europe.The atmosphere inside the exclusive store was completely relaxed, the boutique owner personally bringing out the newest seasonal collections while practically bowing to me with every single breath she took.Ricky and Riley were completely in their element, running in playful circles around the heavy velvet changing room curtains, both of them wearing oversized designer sunglasses they had snatched off a low display table."Maman, look at me! I am a movie star!" Ricky laughed hysterically, his dark curls bouncing wildly as he struck a dramatic pose on a small gilded st
Leon I spent the rest of the afternoon staring completely blankly at the dark wood wall of my executive office, the silence in the room feeling heavy and suffocating.My skin was still tingling from the freezing fury Cora had radiated inside that elevator, the raw intensity of her hazel eyes burned so deeply into my mind that I could still feel the phantom heat of her breath hitting my face.She had stood inches away from me, completely unbothered by my rage, looking down on me as if I were nothing more than an inconvenient speck of dust on her expensive designer shoes.My phone buzzed aggressively on the glass desk for the fourth time in the last hour, the bright screen lighting up with Candice’s name.I let out a ragged, exhausted sigh and dragged the phone to my ear, not even bothering to give a proper greeting. "What is it, Candice?""Leon, finally! You are literally ruining my entire evening right now," Candice’s high-pitched voice immediately whined through the speaker, her ton
Cora The office air was thick enough to choke on, smelling faintly of the expensive white floral arrangements Leon had wasted his quarterly budget on just to impress me.I didn't even blink as I glided right past him at the entrance doors, my heels clicking with a steady, lethal rhythm against his polished marble floorboards.I left him standing out there on his own ridiculous red carpet like a complete fool, his arms half-extended and his jaw slightly open in front of his whispering staff.The low, frantic murmurs of his employees echoed softly against the high ceilings of the atrium, but I kept my eyes locked straight ahead, completely ignoring the drama.I strutted straight into the grand executive boardroom on the top floor, my movements completely natural and full of an independent power.Chloe walked right by my side as my legal shadow, her sharp heels matching my pace while she carried the heavy leather folders containing our official counter-metrics.I didn't wait for a host
Leon The grand headquarters of Halefield Luxury looked immaculate under the bright morning sun, the soaring glass atrium reflecting the clean New York sky like a massive mirror. The entire main lobby had been completely transformed over the last twelve hours. The air smelled rich and expensive from the hundreds of premium white floral arrangements my team had positioned along the marble pillars, masking the usual sterile scent of polished stone and air conditioning.A pristine red carpet was rolled out across the entire length of the polished floor, stretching all the way from the security desks straight out to the public pavement. Every single department head, executive assistant, and junior designer stood in a straight, rigid line along the edges of the carpet, their faces tight with a mixture of how tired they were and discipline. They had been drilled on the protocol since six in the morning.I stood near the heavy glass entrance doors, adjusting the cuffs of my custom suit jacke
Leon The view from my office was supposed to make me feel powerful.I sat at my grand mahogany desk, staring blankly out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the huge New York skyline.From up here, everything looked small, easy to handle, and totally mine. But it didn’t feel that way today.Instead, t
Cora The big entrance room felt like it was spinning.I stood completely frozen on the polished marble floor, staring at my parents, completely shocked.My ears were ringing, and for a second, I genuinely thought I had misheard him.Terminate the pregnancy. The words felt like a physical punch to
Cora I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was the super bright white light from the ceiling. It felt like something heavy was pushing down on my face.I couldn't move even if I wanted to.My chest felt so heavy, like concrete was poured right into my lungs while I was passed out.For a seco
CORA"Leon! Leon!!" I shouted, banging on the door for the umpteenth time that evening. I couldn't even tell how many minutes I'd been standing outside, begging him to come out so we could talk.After leaving the hotel, I went straight to our house only to find my things carefully packed outside. E







