Alicia knew something was wrong the moment she walked into her penthouse. The air felt disturbed, the silence too deliberate. Nothing was missing, nothing broken—but the message was clear. Someone had been there. Someone wanted her to know.
He was at her side instantly, eyes scanning the room, body tense. “This wasn’t random,” he said.
“No,” Alicia replied softly. “It’s a warning.”
The rivals had crossed a line. Power plays were one thing. This was personal. They weren’t just challenging her empire anymore—they were threatening her space, her control, and the one person she trusted within it.
Alicia moved to the window, arms crossed tightly. Anger simmered beneath her calm exterior. “They think fear will make me reckless.”
“They don’t know you,” he said.
She turned to him then, reall
