The elevator ride up to the penthouse was suffocatingly silent.

Clara stood rigidly in the corner of the glass car, staring blankly at the city lights blurring past as they ascended into the sky. Her mind was a chaotic storm of legal jargon, lines of code, and the echoing sound of Dere

The lingering heat of the kiss hung in the air, thick and electric, long after Julian finally pulled back. He didn't step away. His chest rose and fell against hers, his hands still anchored firmly at her waist, grounding her in the quiet sanctuary of the penthouse.

Clara opened her ey

The Thorne Capital conference room was a monument to corporate intimidation. Suspended high above the city, the room was encased in floor-to-ceiling glass, dominated by a massive slab of black marble that served as a table. The lighting was stark, cold, and unforgiving.

It was the perf