جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 260

The name lingered in Cassie’s mind long after Corrine said it, echoing louder with every passing second until it became impossible to ignore.The Blackridge Maritime Group.It wasn’t just some distant company she had vaguely heard about. It was one of those names that carried weight everywhere, the kind that came up in business conversations with a tone of respect and caution, the kind that didn’t just exist but dominated. And she remembered something else too, something that made her chest tighten as the realization tried to form.There had never been a confirmed CEO, only an acting one.Drake Conner, the assistant CEO who had been running things in place of someone who had never stepped forward to claim the position.Her thoughts spiraled quickly after that, questions piling over each other faster than she could organize them.Was Drake her brother?Her cousin?The weight of it all pressed down on her, heavy

Frederick ended the call so fast it almost felt like he was trying to cut off more than just the conversation, his hand tightening slightly around his phone before he lowered it and turned toward Sienna, his expression guarded.“How long have you been standing there?” he asked, his tone sharper than usual, carrying an edge of unease he couldn’t quite hide.“I just got here,” Sienna replied, though her eyes lingered on his face like she was trying to read everything he wasn’t saying. “But I definitely heard you say you made a mistake, so don’t brush me off. What’s going on?”Frederick shook his head almost immediately, like he had already decided there was no version of this conversation he was willing to have. “It’s nothing,” he said, forcing his voice to stay even. “Dad is doing better now, so we’ll be able to go home soon.”Sienna didn’t respond right a

Ever since her divorce, Cassie had grown used to handling everything on her own, building her life piece by piece without leaning on anyone, making decisions independently because she had no other choice, but now things were different in a way she couldn’t ignore.She was married again, and even though she was more than capable of continuing the same way she always had, there was a quiet part of her that no longer wanted to carry everything alone.She looked at the box for a moment longer before shaking her head gently. “No,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “I want my husband to be there before I open it. Thank you, Mom and Dad.”Corrine nodded, a subtle sense of relief passing through her expression as she accepted that decision, though the concern in her eyes didn’t completely fade.No matter how things appeared on the surface, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Frederick might end up telling Sienna everything, and for reasons she couldn’t fully explain, she simply did not trust

“Does Mr. Roth have a twin brother?”The question came from Raymond Carter, an investment banker who clearly enjoyed being the first to notice things others hadn’t fully processed yet, his fiancée standing neatly at his side as both of them stared in open curiosity.All attention shifted toward Franklin.Dressed in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, he stood with an ease that made the room feel smaller around him, and even though Frederick was wearing something almost identical, the resemblance between them didn’t hit as sharply as it used to.They still looked alike, still carried the same striking features that made people look twice, but something about Franklin felt more defined, more grounded, like he had stepped fully into himself in a way Frederick hadn’t quite managed.“They have to be twins,” Andre muttered under his breath, while Liyah nodded beside him, both of them quietly taking in the contrast. They were both tech investors.Frederick, for all his presence, seemed weighed

It took several long seconds for Franklin’s words to fully settle over the room. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, and for a moment, it almost felt like the entire world had stopped spinning.Sienna trembled where she stood, her fingers curling tightly against the fabric of her dress as she stared at Franklin with wide, disbelieving eyes.“Franklin?” she whispered, her voice shaky and weak. “No.”Pearl and Audrey looked just as stunned. Their mouths hung open, and the envy in their eyes was so obvious that neither of them could hide it. Lucien and Asher looked like they had just seen something impossible, and both of them turned toward Frederick, expecting him to be surprised.Instead, Frederick was smiling.The sight of it was unsettling because although there was a smile on his face, there was nothing warm about it. His eyes remained cold, and there was something heavy sitting behind that expression, something ugly and painful that looked ready to break free at any second.“Frank,” Frederi