Clad in a three-piece Italian suit, all remnants of Zade Harper were completely shed off. He was now Zade Delamonte, the heir to the Delamonte empire and his first assignment was to convince the biggest tech gurus in the market, Parallax, to invest twenty billion dollars in their latest software, Skytel. A hacking device and tracking system that could hack surveillance systems, car GPS, CCTV, and other security systems within a large area and track people with just a photo scan.With Skytel, missing persons could be found in minutes, security systems could be adjusted, and one could literally find and see anything on the planet with that singular software. Coupled with the device, it would be God's eye. The project held the key to making or unmaking DE Consortia. The funds required to run the project would drive anyone bankrupt, the Delamontes included. However, if it worked and the launch was successfully executed, they would be more than multi-trillionaires.His first assignment

Zade cursed himself inwardly. He couldn't understand why he chose to say that and ruin the moment. "I'm sorry. I guess I have not fully put business aside. It still feels weird having an informal lunch with a client. Don't be offended, please," he pleaded. Adera didn't say a word. She continued with her food like nothing happened but Zade could see her change in demeanor. The friendly air was gone, now it seemed like a tense awkward family dinner. She seemed like she just wanted to get it over with and leave. He had to fix it somehow, but he didn't know what to say or how to appease her. Usually, when Roselia was mad at him, he would cook her favorite, but Adera was a totally different woman and he didn't know what she liked."Ummm… Dera?" He called softly, then waited for her to stiffly correct him or even snap, but she simply looked up.He reached for her hands slowly, giving her enough time to flinch or slap them off. Again, she did none of that. While holding her warm hands,

The heavy banging on the door startled her, but she didn't dare move. Even though she locked the door, a part of her was afraid he would get in somehow. Blake Anderson wasn't a man to be messed with. Her first instinct was to call her mother, but as the phone shook in her trembling hands, she remembered the man was not just a monster to her but his wife as well.If she got her mother involved, he would beat the woman to near death like he did on a regular. The last Adera wanted was to get her mother thrice in one week especially when it was her fault."Adera!! I'm going to break down this door if you don't get out!" He barked. Adera scrambled off the floor and hurried to her study desk. After much struggle, she pushed it against the wall. She scanned the room desperately for something she could use to block the entrance in case he actually tried to break down the door.The bookshelf seemed perfect but it was very large and she wasn't sure she could move, but desperation pushed her

In the next couple of weeks, Zade heard nothing from Adera. There was no attempt to call. him or meet up with him even though she had the means. Zade, on the other hand, didn't want to evade her personal space. She was the one who confessed her love to him and if it was a one-time thing, he didn't want to push her.His only satisfaction was that she seemed okay. Her social media pages were still updated daily with lovely pictures of her so he had nothing to worry about.As for her father, the PI was having a hard time finding anything tangible. The man seemed pretty good at covering his tracks.As much as Zade wanted to let go of it and forget everything the man said, his instincts wouldn't let him. He still had this feeling that something was off.As if on cue, Adera called him later that weekend. "Mr Delamonte, hello," she greeted."Look who finally thought about me," he teased. "At least you sound excited to hear from me. Were you waiting for my call?" Adera asked. "Maybe.""Th

"Adera?" Zade gasped, but she remained unconscious on the bed. "Adera!!" He yelled, running to the bed. There was no movement when he grabbed her from the bed. He slapped her cheek gently, hoping that she would open her eyes but all his efforts yielded no results.With one look at her discarded clothing and the rumpled sheets, he got an idea of what might have happened to her."Boss?""Quickly search the rooms for the device. I need to get her to the hospital," Zade instructed."Yes, boss."He lifted Adera from the bed and hurried downstairs. Just as he placed her gently in the car, he remembered that Blake was still in the boot. Annoyance spiked within him, but he didn't have the time to dwell on it. Releasing Blake while his guard was still in the house would be a big risk. The man was too dangerous. It was better to leave him where he couldn't escape even if he likely died of suffocation. With the level of crime he had committed, death, for him, would be an easy way out.Zade g