Whispers behind war

CHAPTER ONE Luna Knight's POV The boardroom was made of glass — the kind meant to remind you that no secret is safe here. Sunlight slashed across the marble floor like a blade as Aurelia “Luna” Knight adjusted the collar of her silk blazer ,did a last one check of her hair and walked into enemy territory: the top floor of Laurel Tech International. Every eye in the room turned to her, and every pair knew exactly who she was. Knight perfection. The walking headline. Untouchable. Icy. Immaculate. And right now? Furious. At the far end of the table, Cassian Laurel lounged like a sin in a suit. His lips curled into that smug, signature smirk — the one that made shareholders swoon and adversaries sweat. Not Luna. Not anymore. She knew that mouth far too well. Every inch of it. “Look who came to negotiate,” he said smoothly. “Should I kneel, or will you?” Her heels clicked like gunshots as she took the seat opposite him. “Spare the theatrics. You’re not in one of your little hacker dens anymore.” The board members tensed. Smiled. Ate it up like gossip-flavored champagne. Cassian leaned forward, dark eyes glinting. “But don’t you miss those dens, Luna? No cameras. No family name. Just us.” Her pulse stuttered, but she didn’t blink. Because no one here could know the truth. Not about the hotel in Tokyo. The phone calls at 2 AM. The black dress on his hotel floor. The whispered promises, soft threats, and that one broken vase after a fight neither of them meant to start — or finish. This merger was supposed to be the beginning of a new empire. For their families, it was a chessboard. For them, it was a minefield. And one wrong move would destroy everything. “Let’s begin,” she said coolly, sliding the contract toward the center of the table. But under the glass surface, Cassian's foot touched hers — barely a brush, deliberate. And Luna didn’t pull away. Not yet