The next morning, the sun had barely risen to the sky when Rebecca found herself pacing around her office losf in thoughts. It had been a while since she had been there but that day she felt like visiting the place, just for old times sake at least. The once-empty space of her office was now cluttered with so many papers, folders, and charts that detailed the remnants of Knowles Corps—all of her life's work. She hadn't slept all night. How could she anyway? Who would? Miguel Dominguez’s proposal still weighed heavily on her mind and it disturbed her, and the clock was ticking fast.She stood at the window and watched the city stir to life beneath her. It felt like a world that was far away from the dangerous undercurrent in which she,not so unfortunately, was caught in. Her fingers drummed against the glass and the sound somehow merged with the hum of the city. She could still feel Miguel's eyes on her, the way it was calculating, cold, and eager to see her fall into his trap. But th
Rebecca hadn’t slept all night. The offer Miguel Dominguez had laid at her feet was a golden opportunity but also a poisoned chalice. She knew this much. She watched the early morning light as it began to creep through her apartment windows, her thoughts were still in disarray. She definitely know that she was developing a hellover gigantic eye bags.She let out a sigh as she sat on her couch and nursed a cup of cold coffee, her mind kept replaying every word Miguel had said. His promise to help her reclaim Knowles Corps in exchange for taking down the Coopers along with Ashton. She thought it over and was confused. It was going to be out of her control, she knew this much and handing over Ashton meant that the revenge wouldn't be hers anymore. That gnawed at her conscience.But there was no time to dwell on it. Today, she would face a new set of challenges—ones that didn’t involve backroom deals or devilish bargains. She knew she was the devil and she hated that someone else was abou
Rebecca’s pulse raced and her grip on the door tightened. She forced herself to appear calm, despite the turbulence that inadvertently swirled within her. Ashton’s sudden appearance at her door was..... unexpected, but it wasn’t unwelcome—yet. She had spent so much of her life tangled in his orbit that moments like this felt inevitable. Still, his presence tonight, after everything, was somehow unsettling."Ashton," she repeated, her voice was steady as she stepped aside. "What brings you here at this hour?" She asked him. Not that she didn't know that of course. Ashton didn’t move immediately. His eyes, which were shadowed in the dark hallway light, flickered over her, as if he wiegeed every aspect of her existence in that moment. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he stepped inside. His movements were deliberate, slow, as though he was trying to contain something beneath the surface.Rebecca shut the door she had her back pressed against it as she watched him survey the a
Ashton sat across from Thomas in the dark corner of a secluded café, his hands were clasped together as he stared down at the wooden table. The silence between them was becoming more and more resounding, it was being weighed down by the information their spy had just relayed.“You sure about this?” Ashton asked him, his voice was barely above a whisper.Thomas leaned back in his chair, he let out a sigh and nodded. “He’s reliable. Rebecca met with Elizabeth last night, and it wasn’t just a casual chat. Something’s up, Ashton.” He said. Ashton’s heart sank. He had expected something to be off the moment the spy had mentioned the meeting. But hearing it confirmed—hearing that Rebecca had drawn Elizabeth into her web—made his chest tighten with worry. His fiancée, the one person who had always stood by him, was now tangled in Rebecca’s schemes.Shit!“What did they talk about?” Ashton asked, his was voice thick with concern.The spy who was a somewhat wiry man with sharp eyes and a cal
Ashton straightened his tie, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His nerves were usually always steady before lectures, but today, something felt off. There was a heaviness in the air, a strange feeling he couldn’t quite shake. He had delivered countless talks to young, eager minds—college students who looked up to him not just for his knowledge, but for his inspiring story of healing and life. Today, though, something gnawed at him.He shook off the feeling, and reminded himself that this was just another lecture. Just another room full of students that would be eager to learn. He grabbed his notes and stepped out of the small dressing room from where he made his way toward the large conference hall, where hundreds of students were already seated.Ashton entered the room, his usual confident stride slightly faltered as he noticed something strange. The students—usually buzzing with excitement or murmuring amongst themselves—were unnaturally quiet. All of them were staring a
Rebecca stepped out of the sleek black car, the hum of the city faded as she stood before the entrance to Miguel’s exclusive club, the same one she had been to with Myles but tonight, let's just say she was doing things in her own terms and by that, going with Myles was too much crowd. The neon lights flickered above the doorway, it illuminated an eerie glow on the street. Tonight was different—tonight, she had come alone.Myles had no idea about her plan, and she oh so discreetly intended to keep it that way. This was her decision, her strategy to forge a new alliance and take control of the situation. Myles could be too cautious, too predictable. But Rebecca knew that if they were going to bring down the Coopers, they needed someone ruthless, someone like Miguel.Not that she hadn't slandered him behind his back, but he mustn't know about that. She was dressed to kill, she wore a dark emerald dress that hugged her frame, it exuded power and confidence. Her heels clicked against the
Rebecca’s mind still buzzed endlessly with how intense and the discussions of her meeting she had with Miguel as the car cruised through the darkened city streets. She glanced out of the window, and watched the blurred lights as they passed, but her thoughts has already spinned ahead, she anticipated her next move. Miguel was a snake, she knew that much, but for now, he was her snake—one she could use to finally dismantle the Cooper empire alongside Ashton Pearce and claim her victory.But as much as she felt in control, there was a gnawing voice in the back of her mind. Was she truly prepared for what working with Miguel would entail? She knew that she wasn’t naive. Miguel played by his own rules, and while he may have agreed to their alliance, she knew trust was a fragile thing in their world. Still, the adrenaline that coarsed through her vein was undeniable. The rush of power, the thrill of knowing she was about to topple giants—it was almost addictive. Myles wouldn’t underst
Ashton Pearce paced back and forth in his apartment, his phone was clutched tightly in his hand as he paced. The walls felt like they were closing in on him, like they were going to suffocate him as the weight of his situation bore down on him. His career, his reputation—everything he had worked so hard for—was now on the line, and he knew exactly who was behind it. Rebecca.Why was she being this way ?Why did she had to be so cruel and evil to him?The sound of his phone dialing Rebecca’s number sent a jolt of fury through him. He'd had enough of her games. After about three rings, the line finally clicked open and her cool, composed voice greeted him.“Ashton,” Rebecca said, her tone was smooth. It was laced with a venomous sweetness that made his blood boil. “What a surprise.” She purred into the phone. “Cut the crap, Rebecca,” Ashton snapped at her, he was unable to keep the anger from his voice. “I want to see my son. Where’s Kelvin?” he demanded. Since she claimed he was h