She never should have been at that gala. Emily Chen was just trying to get through the night in a borrowed dress, blending into a crowd that would never truly accept her. But one careless step, one glass of champagne, and she collides with Alexander Drake—the city’s most feared billionaire, and the man her family has spent years blaming for their ruin.

She expects fury. What she gets is interest. Cold, unsettling, and far too intense. Instead of banishing her, Drake makes her an offer: a temporary position inside his empire. A job that looks like opportunity, but feels like a trap. For Emily, it’s a chance to dig for answers about her father’s downfall. For Alexander, it’s a chance to draw her deeper into his orbit.

The deeper she goes, the more dangerous it becomes. Rival corporations circle like sharks, whispers of betrayal grow louder, and Drake’s obsession starts to feel like both a shield and a prison. Emily can’t tell if he’s the enemy she should fear… or the only man capable of protecting her from what’s coming.

In a world where loyalty can be bought and secrets are worth more than gold, Emily will have to risk everything. The truth could destroy them both. But without it, she may never escape.

The air in the penthouse hung thick with the scent of rain-slicked city streets below, mingling with the sharp tang of Alexander's cologne—a predator's musk, dark and unyielding. Emily's heart thundered like a war drum as his lips crashed against hers, not a kiss but a conquest. His mouth was a storm, devouring her protests, her breath, her very resistance. She pushed against his chest, her palms flattening against the hard planes of muscle beneath his tailored shirt, but it was like shoving against a mountain carved from obsidian—immovable, eternal.


Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: His property