The moment Haylee walked out of Roman’s office with a victorious smirk plastered on her face, Roman let out a slow chuckle. She actually thought she won. That was cute. Real cute.Roman leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against his desk as he turned to Kade, who entered and watched the door Haylee had just walked out of.Kade scoffed. “That woman has the audacity of a thousand men.”Roman smirked. “She thinks she’s smart.”Kade folded his arms. “So what now? You gonna let her prance around, thinking she just played you?”Roman shook his head. “Not a chance.”Then, his expression turned cold.“Summon Hamilton.”Kade blinked. “Uh… you do remember the last time you and Hamilton had a collision, right? Somebody almost died.”Roman shrugged, completely unfazed. “And?”Kade sighed. “He’s not gonna come willingly. He sure as hell is holding a grudge.”Roman’s smirk deepened. “Of course he's holding a grudge, I don't care about what he's going to try to do, I mean, that’s why I have b

Richard Vaughn stood outside Haylee’s company, adjusting the gold cufflinks on his suit. He had been in plenty of business negotiations before. But this one was different. He wasn’t just here as a corporate representative. He was playing the role of an investor looking to “help” a struggling company. But in reality, he was here to set Haylee up exactly how Roman wanted.Taking a slow breath, he rolled his shoulders back, put on a confident, reassuring smile, and walked through the glass doors. Inside, the reception area was quiet. A receptionist, a young woman in a cheap gray blazer, looked up from her desk, clearly bored out of her mind.Richard strode over, flashing a polite smile.“Good morning. I’d like to see Ms. Haylee. I’m an investor interested in a business opportunity.”The receptionist blinked.Then, after a beat of silence, she let out a dry laugh. “Investor? For this place?”Richard kept his expression professional, but internally, he thought, ‘damn. That bad, huh?’“Yes,

Hamilton’s heart was pounding. The moment he left Roman’s office, he sped straight to Haylee’s company, determined to prove that Roman was lying. There was no way Haylee would sell the company. No way at all. Sure, they were struggling. Sure, money was tight. But she wouldn’t just throw it away for a mere seven hundred thousand dollars. At least… that’s what he told himself. But when he pulled up to the office building, his entire body froze. Bright yellow "RESTRICTED AREA" tapes were plastered all over the building entrance. A group of construction workers were moving in and out of the building, removing signs, tearing down branding, changing everything already. It looked like they were getting ready for a complete overhaul. Hamilton’s mouth went dry. This wasn’t just a restructuring, this was a full-on takeover.She really did it. She really sold the company. His hands clenched into fists as he pulled out his phone, dialing Haylee’s number.The phone rang and rang, but she did not

Haylee sat on the cold pavement outside the house that used to be theirs with her knees pulled to her chest, and her arms wrapped around herself. The air was chilly, but nothing compared to the humiliation burning inside her.She had been kicked out by Roman of all people, from the very house she thought she was safe in. And now she was homeless. Homeless. The thought alone made her stomach twist.Fiona paced back and forth beside her. She was looking more pissed than distressed. Meanwhile, Marilyn sat quietly, scrolling through her phone like they hadn’t just been tossed out like yesterday’s trash. That was her own way of coping with the situation.Finally, after what felt like forever, Haylee let out a shaky breath and broke the silence.“We have to delete the video. We really have to.”Fiona stopped pacing immediately.She turned to Haylee with a look of pure disbelief. “Excuse me?”Haylee rubbed her arms to shake off the cold creeping under her skin. “Mom, we don’t have a choice

Roman went back home after having arrested Haylee and her cohorts. He stood at the large window in his apartment, staring down at the city lights below. He had a glass of whiskey that sat untouched on the table beside him. For the first time in weeks, there was silence. No battles to fight. No scandals to handle. No enemies lurking in the background, plotting his downfall. At least for now.Haylee. Fiona. Hamilton. All of them were done. And yet, something felt off. He should have felt satisfied, but instead, there was a strange emptiness settling in his chest.As if something was missing.Behind him, Kade strolled into the room, flipping his phone in his hand, and looking entirely too relaxed. “Damn, man. You really wrapped that up like a pro.”Roman didn’t answer.Kade plopped onto the couch, stretching his arms behind his head. “So, what now?”Roman let out a slow exhale. “Now… I'll take a break. I’ve been on my feet, trying to handle one situation or another, and I need to pause