Morning arrives too quickly.
The sky over Manhattan is still pale when Adrian and I step out of the black car in front of Reyes Holdings Tower.
Glass.
Steel.
Power.
Three years ago this building meant ambition. Today it feels like a battlefield.
Security guards stand near the entrance. Investors linger across the street pretending to drink coffee while reporters hover like vultures behind the barricades.
The moment we step onto the sidewalk—
Cameras flash.
“Adrian! Is it true the board is voting today?”
“Alessa! Are the rumors about the merger clause accurate?”
“Is Reyes Holdings collapsing?”
Adrian doesn’t slow down. His hand rests lightly at the small of my back, guiding me forward. Not possessive. Protective.
The doors slide open. The noise disappears behind us.
Inside, th
